Run out of ideas of what to photograph? On 8 May 2021, I posted on my Instagram and Facebook pages some ideas to help get those creative juices flowing. I have expanded on those ideas below:-
FLOWERS
Stems, buds, petals, seed pods/seeds. Local nursery, flowers on weeds, your garden, local sunflower or flower farms, botanical gardens, or purchase fake flowers from your local craft shop and make flower arrangements and then take a photo of those arrangements.
📷 Take close-ups and try and capture the different textures and details;
📷 Look for insects like ants, butterflies, bees or dragonflies (but be quick – they won’t stop for you to their photo!);
📷 Step back and take in the whole scene or a certain variety of plant and capture the colourful array of flowers before you;
📷 Try different times of day and light situations (harsh noon light, golden hour before sunset, play with backlight to make silhouettes);
📷 Try different angles and perspectives;
📷 After it rains to capture the rain drops on the petals and leaves (or add your own droplets using an eye dropper to give the same effect);
📷 Use a light box and take close ups.
TREES
Branches, leaves (on the tree or even on the ground), twigs, bark, roots.
📷 Take photos at different times of the year;
📷 Take close-ups and try and capture the different textures and details;
📷 Try different times of day and light situations (harsh noon light, golden hour before sunset, play with backlight to make silhouettes);
📷 Step back and take in the whole scene or a certain variety of tree;
📷 Take photos after it rains to capture the rain drops on the branches and leaves;
📷 Experiment with different angles and perspectives;
📷 Use a light box and take close ups.
ANIMALS
Family pet, farm animals, petting zoo animals, birds, insects, bugs, local wildlife.
📷 Take photos of your pet’s features (ears, eyes, nose, paws, unique markings) – these are great for future memories;
📷 Add some bubbles and watch your pet go nuts – capture this!
📷 Take photos of your pet in motion – experiment with your settings;
📷 Get ready for those moments when your pet is sleepy and capture their yawns and then when they are all tucked up and asleep;
📷 Experiment with different angles and perspectives (you might even get some rather funny shots and expressions);
📷 Turn off the flash when photography animals behind glass;
📷 For caged animals, try and set your camera to “P” mode, zoom the lens out to focus on the animal and then shoot your image (try and focus on the animal’s eyes if you can). This way you should eliminate the bars of the cage and just have the animal in the photo;
📷 Get down to the animal’s level and take a photo;
📷 Have a LOT of patience when photographing animals. They are unpredictable!
ARCHITECTURE
Local heritage buildings, old ruins, barns/sheds, city buildings, bridges.
📷 Go on day trips around your local area and look for interesting buildings, old ruins, heritage listed buildings, bridges;
📷 Take close-ups of different parts of the buildings (eg. door handles, windows, bolts, screws, wooden boards, flooring and the like) to capture the different textures;
📷 Take close-ups of the different parts of the bridges (eg. wires, bolts, screws, fencing, wooden planks, pillars and the like) to capture the different textures;
📷 Try different times of day, different times of the year and experiment with the lighting;
📷 Experiment with different angles and perspectives (eg. try shooting from the very top of the stairs looking down, the bottom of a city building looking up);
📷 Capture images in Black and White or Sepia for a different effect;
📷 Shoot in different weather conditions;
📷 Look for symmetrical patterns like tunnels, city building windows, gates and the like (line them up and shoot);
📷 Add subjects to your image so that people viewing your image can grasp how big your building truly is (eg. photography your building with cars, people, plants or an old gate at the entrance of a barn to show the size of your building in comparison);
📷 Take photos of the inside of buildings (make sure you have permission first!).
WEATHER
Stormy, cloudy, sunset, fog, sunrise, night, moon/moonlight.
📷 Use a tripod when taking photos at night to avoid camera shake;
📷 Storm Photos - The rule of thumb for your Aperture setting is usually around f/7.1 to f/11. Experiment with this setting until you are happy with your images;
📷 Use a rain cover (or even a plastic bag) on your camera to protect it when shooting in the rain;
📷 Frame a blue sky with trees to give your shot something interesting to focus on;
📷 Mountains and clouds make a fantastic combination;
📷 Shoot in the rain – it makes colours (especially greens) so much brighter and more vibrant;
📷 Experiment with different angles and perspectives – change your point of view and get down low or up high;
📷 Take a photo of a rainbow;
📷 Take photos of city lights or moving cars – experiment with settings and try for some motion blur;
📷 Experiment with your settings when taking night photos – see what works;
📷 Take photos of fireworks;
📷 Try shooting a cloudy sky in Black and White for a more moody effect;
📷 Include structures and landscapes in your night sky or moon photos to give your image a more breathtaking look.
SHADOWS AND REFLECTIONS
Mirror reflections, water reflections, shadows from a lamp/light source, shadows from the sun.
📷 Use a mirror to take the reflection of coloured pencils or other items of interest;
📷 Take photos of large bodies of water (eg. a lake) on a perfectly still and calm day that have an array of trees to capture their reflections on the water;
📷 Puddles after the rain are great reflection pools;
📷 Get down low and close to the body of water for the best angle – experiment with the lighting;
📷 Experiment with sunlight, an unusual object and take a photo of its shadow;
📷 Take Black and White images;
📷 Create a silhouette by shooting against the light source (light source is behind your subject);
📷 Use a crystal ball to take a photo;
📷 Use an eye dropper, some water and an object in the background;
📷 Experiment with different lighting and angles (shoot from above).
💡 You can experiment with your lighting (natural light, light from your mobile, bed lamps and the like) to see what works best in certain situations and experiment with the angles at which you take your photos (shoot from above, below, the sides, at right angles, and so on), how close or far away you are from your subject to get different perspectives of your subject.
Most of all – HAVE FUN!
Happy snapping 📸
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