With the new year comes a fresh look at your photography and the motivations you have for capturing the world around you. Do you have a renewed passion for photography or do you find yourself lacking inspiration and lost about what to try next?

One thing that can help bring your ideas together into a cohesive action plan is a vision board. Read our post on creating a vision board for your next photography project and let us know how you get on with this on Facebook and Twitter.

Another way to inspire yourself is to visit some photography exhibitions. Check out this selection of 2018 photography exhibitions to pay a visit for a dose of art and culture.

Wildlife Photographer of the Year

When: Until 31 March 2018

Where: Natural History Museum, London

Now in its 53^rd year, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition proudly displays the 100 images selected from almost 50,000 professional and amateur photography entries. Coming from all over the globe (92 countries to be exact), this exhibition shows the majesty of the animal kingdom and natural world, chosen for their ‘creativity, originality and technical excellence’.

Sited at the Natural History Museum, images range from tiny insects to massive animals, capturing the beauty and drama of the natural world. Explore the world’s best nature photography, chosen by a panel of judges.

Described as travelling ‘from the depths of the ocean to the dramatic landscape of Arizona's Sonoran Desert’, its not one to miss!

Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography

When: From 1 March to 20 May 2018

Where: National Portrait Gallery

Although you have a little bit of a wait for this one, it’s worth getting into your diary. From 1 March, the National Portrait Gallery will be hosting this exhibition that showcases the ‘greatest masters in art photography’.

The exhibition brings together the works of four of the biggest names in art photography:

• Julia Margaret Cameron (1815–79)
• Lewis Carroll (1832–98)
• Oscar Rejlander (1813–75)
• Clementina Hawarden (1822-65)

Discover rare photographs and original negatives from the beginnings of this artistic medium, while delving into the style and fascinating themes of Victorian photography. Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography gives a ‘behind-the-scenes’ look at how these works were made.

The National Portrait Gallery lists a couple of highlights including an early example of a photomontage by Oscar Rejlander, as well as photographs of Alice Liddell, the muse for Alice in Wonderland.

Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year

When: Until 22 July 2018

Where: Royal Observatory Greenwich, London

This free exhibition in Greenwich gives you the chance to marvel at magnificent images of our solar system captured by talented photographers. The annual competition, now in its ninth year, includes ‘breath-taking’ shots of skies, planets, space and stars over nine categories:

• Aurorae
• Skyscapes
• People and Space
• Our Sun
• Our Moon
• Stars and Nebulae
• Galaxies
• Planets
• Comets and Asteroids

It is the biggest international competition of its kind, giving astrophotographers a platform for their art form. The exhibition also shows some of the great astronomical events of the last year.

As well as the award prizes in the nine different categories, the competition has a Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition for entrants under the age of 16. See the 31 prize-winners and explore an interactive exhibit featuring all 146 shortlisted images.

‘Witness the night sky as you have never seen it before…’