Advice on Taking Photographs within 10 Feet of Where You Live
Are you having trouble getting inspired to take photographs? Do you think you have to travel to some exotic destination in order to document something beautiful and intriguing? You don’t even have to leave your house! Below are some tips to help you take amazing photos wherever you are.
1. Find where there is an interesting light and shadow interaction. Remember that photography means “light writing.” How does the light look coming into your house? Are there objects that create interesting shadows? What does the reflection of water in a glass look like on the table?
2. If you think something is boring, start taking close-ups, or even abstract the object so it is unrecognizable. Distort the image by zooming in or changing the angle of the camera. Fish eye and macro lenses are fun if you have access to them. Flowers and fruit are particularly interesting to photograph up close, take the time to look closely.
3. Make it a point to find patterns. They are all around us, and we typically don’t even take the time to see them. If you think monotony is boring, find something with interesting color or texture.
4. Get a different perspective. What do your surroundings look like when you are on the floor, or looking down from above?
5. Try different aperture and shutter speed settings. A small aperture will create a blurred background (shallow depth of field), and a big aperture will bring more of the background into focus (large depth of field). With a tripod, use slow shutter speeds in low lighting to create different effects. If you want to freeze motion, you will want to use a fast shutter speed.
6. Have fun with self-portraits. Think about what defines you. What do you want the viewer to know about you? Can you photograph your surroundings and possessions to get a point across without actually being in the photo?
Now you are ready to take on any situation with a new perspective. The world around us is fascinating. Look at the world with glistening eyes, because there is so much to see. We take our surroundings for granted when there is beauty everywhere.