Find photographic inspiration beyond photography.
As photographers, we often look to other images for ideas. But what if we turned to music, poetry, and painting instead? Cross-medium inspiration can unlock a different kind of creativity. The kind rooted in emotion, movement, and metaphor rather than technical repetition.
Below are 10 works from other artistic disciplines, each paired with a unique photo prompt.
1. Poem: “The Orange” by Wendy Cope
A short poem about ordinary joy and noticing small pleasures.
Photo Prompt:
Take a photo that captures the kind of joy you could easily miss. Something domestic, quiet, or overlooked, but filled with warmth.
2. Song: “Holocene” by Bon Iver
A slow-building song about smallness, self-realization, and beauty in insignificance.
Photo Prompt:
Photograph a landscape that makes you feel both tiny and connected to everything. Consider wide angles, soft focus, or early morning light.
3. Painting: “Christina’s World” by Andrew Wyeth
A woman lies in a wheat field looking toward a distant farmhouse. Stillness and longing.
Photo Prompt:
Take a photo that captures a sense of yearning or distance—whether emotional or physical. Play with space and scale.
4. Poem: “Instructions on Not Giving Up” by Ada Limón
A poem about resilience and the changing seasons.
Photo Prompt:
Photograph a subtle sign of change. Something growing, shifting, or returning after a pause.
5. Song: “Rivers and Roads” by The Head and the Heart
A song about departures, friendships, and how places shape who we are.
Photo Prompt:
Capture a photo that feels like a goodbye. Use framing or backlighting to tell the story without showing the whole narrative.
6. Painting: “The Lovers” by René Magritte
Two figures kissing with cloths covering their faces—intimacy and alienation combined.
Photo Prompt:
Try to photograph something intimate without revealing faces or clear identities. Focus on gesture, body language, and metaphor.
7. Poem: “Having a Coke with You” by Frank O’Hara
A fast-moving, romantic tribute to love in everyday moments.
Photo Prompt:
Photograph someone or something you love in a completely unpretentious, candid way. Nothing posed. Nothing fancy.
8. Song: “Motion Picture Soundtrack” by Radiohead
A song that feels like drifting into a dream or memory—bittersweet and surreal.
Photo Prompt:
Create a photo that feels like a memory, hazy, imperfect, and emotional. Use blur, reflections, or light leaks intentionally.
9. Painting: “Nighthawks” by Edward Hopper
A diner scene that captures loneliness in shared space.
Photo Prompt:
Photograph a public place in a way that captures solitude, especially when others are present. Think symmetry, light, and detachment.
10. Poem: “Wild Geese” by Mary Oliver
A beloved poem about belonging and following your instincts.
Photo Prompt:
Take a photo that feels like coming home to yourself. This could be a place, a light, or a moment that reflects peace or freedom.
Want More Like This?
If this sparked your creativity, stay tuned for more cross-medium prompts and guides. Better yet, start your own collection. Screenshot lyrics, bookmark paintings, or write down a line from a book. Every emotion is a potential photograph.
→ Bonus Prompt:
Revisit your favorite non-photo art piece and create a photo that would make sense next to it in a gallery.
MELISSA MARTINSEN 