Tonight I got home from Bible Study, replied to some emails, got some work done, and.. when all the work-related browsers were already out of the way, I readied myself to take in my daily dose of inspiration. It’s amazing how I’ve been around the web for so many years and yet, how little I’ve actually seen. Sometime in the last couple of months, I have unknowingly opened a door that lead to blogs, and photostreams, and realms that I never knew existed. It’s like finding a gate to a secret magical place, and each step of the way I find something/someone new to draw inspiration from.

These are just some of the photographers I’ve been following lately (fine, stalking, but really, I’m planning to let them know I’ve been admiring them from afar, like through an email or something, soon).

+ Kristybee: Flickr | Etsy Store | Blog

I love Kristy’s soft pastel colors, and polaroids, and flowers, and vases, and that window sill, which, for some reason, makes everything on it look oh-so-lovely.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

+ Susannah Conway: Flickr | Shop | Blog

Susannah’s photographs look like they came straight out of The Secret Garden. I’ve been toying with the idea of buying her prints so I could put them under my pillow so I would dream of them.

1, 2, 3, 4

+ Amanda Gilligan: Flickr | Photo Blog | Personal Blog

Amanda takes both film and digital, but really, whenever I browse through her streams, I cannot tell them apart anymore! And I love how she takes photos of some of my favorite things — polaroids, books, and coffee.

1, 2, 3, 4

Dreamy, vintage-like photographs never fail to make me swoon. I love how each one of these female photographers — Kristy, Susannah, and Amanda — is able to own up to a certain style that makes her photographs distinctly unforgettable. You’ll never miss Kristy’s soft tones. Or Susannah’s dreamy touch. Or Amanda’s vintage style.

And when you’re a photographer, having people associate your name to your photographs is just waaay awesome. Someday, I hope to find my own way too.

30 Days of Awesome, 8/30.

So. I have not flickr-ed in a looong time, following the failure of my attempt to do project 365 (no bitterness there, promise). I still take a lot of photos every so often, I just don’t have the drive and the time to give the same commitment to posting them in flickr like before. But Flickr is still my escape (and Tumblr too) — a place to go to when I’m taking a break from work, or when I simply need a dose of inspiration. Works all the time.

Today I’m playing Decor8blog’s little game and posting some of the best photo streams I follow (and lurk on) in flickr. Here they are, not in any order (click photos to zoom, to appreciate them better):

1. Desireedelgado. Desiree has got the best self-portraits I’ve seen EVER. She has perfected her post-processing style (soft colors, vintage, dreamy), and made it uniquely hers — you’ll definitely recognize a Desiree Delgado photograph when you see one. I love her sky/cloud photo manipulations best, she’s got the awesomest ideas. And she’s very pretty too, I swear I’d take photographs of myself everyday if I have that pretty face! ;) Most of her photo descriptions are in Spanish, but would you really need descriptions when the photographs already speak a thousand words?

2. Chasingechoes. Kat may still be a college student, but her ability to find beauty in everyday things and capture them in photographs is definitely admirable. Guitar, polaroid camera, piano, film, red wayfarers, colored pencils, ipod, and whatdahell, even piglet — she and I share the same favorite things!

3. Isayx3. Diversity is probably the theme of Ed’s photostream, as it has a bit of everything. I love how he experiments with different styles and treatments on his photographs — tilt shift, strobist, adding vector art to enhance a simple photograph, high exposure, high shutter speeds, self-portraits, bokeh, whatever you can think of. His family is one of his favorite themes, I love how he takes photos of his wife and two little kids, and how they make you feel as if you’ve met them in real life. I am, however, choosing his postcard-worthy, vintage-looking photographs to post here, just because I’m still not done with my vintage addiction. :)

4. Katielee. You cannot view Katie’s photostream and not ask, “how in the world did she do that?” Take one look at her charmed set and you’ll know what I’m talking about. See how cooperative her pets are, too, posing for the camera like that! :) Katie’s imagination is surreal, and to execute it the way she does is remarkable, indeed.

5. Xdesx. This ain’t the first time I’m plugging Des’ work as if some fangirl. :) Des is one of the first few people I added to my contacts when I started Flickr-ing, and up to now, I’m still stalking her, lol. What initially drew my attention to her stream was her crazy fascination with electric wires, and chuck taylors, and typography, and the mushy little love notes on her photos. What keeps me coming back is the fact that she does photography out of love — so obvious she can’t deny it. I say, her photographs are inspired, however “inspiration-less” she thinks she is.

Go go go, view their streams and/or add them to your Flickr contacts. You won’t regret it!

So.. your turn now. Who are your favorite flickr-ites? Come share, and help me grow my inspiration list. :)