Photography Ideas at Home

A photograph doesn’t necessarily have to be taken at a grand place or an expensive studio to be memorable. With some creativity, you can take unique and artistic photos right in your home. Here are a few Photography Ideas at Home, you can try to get your creative juices flowing!

11 Photography Ideas at Home for Beginners

Self-portrait

Starting with one of the most straightforward subject ideas, dabbling into self-portrait photography at home is a great place to begin. All you will need is a tripod and a shutter remote control, but the latter is not even essential as you can simply use a timer, although a remote will streamline the process a bit more. Find a place in your home that has good lighting – for instance, if there is a window that lets in the warm afternoon sun, you will be able to take advantage of the golden hour and possibly some nice shadows. Arrange the setting so that there are no unnecessary distractions, and start experimenting. You can also try using mirrors and other props in creative ways. Instead of a classic mirror selfie that can hardly be called photography, try to come up with unexpected ways of incorporating reflection into your composition.

Capture your pets

Pet photography might not be the easiest for beginners. Our furry friends are rarely in the mood to cooperate with our photography goals, but that does not mean that you cannot try your hand at capturing your beloved pets. Get a few props like blankets, baskets, or even costumes if your pet is used to dressing up. Make sure you have good lighting – you don’t want to use direct flash so you might need to turn up the ISO, but you can also try off-camera flash and see if you like the result. Set your shutter speed to the fastest option to catch the movement of your model. Burst mode is going to be your best friend in pet photography. Don’t forget to try different angles to get a more immersive result!

Look around your garden

You don’t really have to venture far if you want to take some cool nature photos.  If you have even the tiniest of gardens, chances are you will have plenty of opportunities for photography. For instance, you can take lovely photos of any plants or flowers you have in your garden. Flowers are often the subject of photographers, beginners, and more advanced ones alike since their infinite variations and beautiful textures simply create endless possibilities for interesting and aesthetic photos. Try capturing them during different times of the day to achieve different moods!

Take advantage of the season

Flowers might not be forever, but the truth is that you can take amazing photos right at your doorstep no matter the season. If it’s currently winter in your country, you can try your hand at macro photography and see if you can capture some interesting ice formations. Find a dark-colored surface while it’s snowing and zoom in to see the tiny snowflakes. Wake up early to take some breathtaking shots of frost on windows, tree branches, or even fences. Just make sure you create enough contrast by placing something dark in the background to highlight the white of the ice and you will get some striking results. If the macro is not your thing, you can take advantage of the snowy landscape to shoot some interesting portrait photos outdoors.

Product photography at home

If you want to get into photography so that you can do your products justice and take professional-looking shots of them, then you will be happy to hear that you can take great product photos at home, too. Firstly, you need to get the lighting sorted out. Nowadays, ring lights are many photographers’ go-to since they allow for easy adjustment but you can also use diffusers. Product photos need to look polished, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a little creative. Use reflective surfaces, such as glass sheets or mirrors, and introduce some colors instead of going all white. Your photos will look more interesting.

Your prized collections

If you are an avid collector of any kind of thing, you have a perfect subject for photography at the same time. Whether it is vintage toys, seashells, or enamel pins, your collection can provide you with some cool photos that will not only commemorate your collection but also show it to the world. Try arranging your collection in different ways to get an eye-catching result. For instance, arranging your massive book collection by color will give you a result most people would click like on. But you can also highlight some of your favorite pieces in your collection by setting up a mini studio we already talked about and getting some high-quality close-up shots of the object.

Capture the stars

If you have access to a roof or a balcony that has an unobstructed view upwards, the sky’s the limit to your photography – quite literally. Not only will you be able to take scenic shots of sunsets or sunrises (whichever you have a better view of), but you can also try to capture star trails. For this, you will need a steady tripod and patience – taking one of these photos can take up to hours, but the result can be beautiful if you have the right settings. Once you’ve got the hang of star trail photography, you will be able to take spectacular photos of the night sky whenever there is an interesting phenomenon such as a meteor shower, too.

Polished portraits at home

Sometimes, you just want to take simple but striking and high-quality portrait photos. Studio-like photos are, indeed, not easy to achieve at home, especially if there are no appropriate spaces that don’t have distractions that could ruin the photo. In these instances, what you can do is buy or rent unique photography backdrops that will eliminate this problem and give your photos a clean background. This is a great idea for parties as well when you want a corner where you can take high-quality photos amidst all the chaos. Try backdrops with greenery if you want a livelier result.

Try light painting

Light painting is usually one of those photography techniques that beginners have a lot of fun with. If you’ve never tried it before, you can easily do so with minimal equipment at home. It basically entails placing your camera on a tripod and using a long shutter speed while moving a light source around, which is essentially similar to photographing star trails. You have a lot of freedom when choosing your light source. You can use colorful LEDs for a futuristic look or you can even use fire for a powerful effect. You can draw intricate shapes (though this will take you some practice) but you can also use light painting in combination with other techniques and allow it to act as a compliment. This is truly one of those photography methods that can yield otherworldly results.

Catch the lighting

Another natural phenomenon besides snow and the stars that you can try capturing from the comfort of your home is lighting. A photo of lightning is not something that you will take every day, but if the weather conditions align, you can get a truly remarkable shot. First of all, make sure you stay safe: stay away from high places and try to shoot from your window instead. The technique for the shooting is not complicated in itself, but you do need some luck and patience to get a nice shot. You will be using long exposure here as well, just like when capturing the stars. If you’re shooting at nighttime, you can comfortably set it to 30 seconds without fear of overexposing your photo. Set your camera on a tripod, and once the lightning hits, press the shutter button to catch the bolts that follow the initial one.

Tell stories with flat lay

When you think of flat lay photography, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the organized desks of Instagram influencers. However, flat lay photography has a lot of potentials if you let your imagination run free. By arranging and photographing carefully selected objects, you can tell stories. For instance, taking a picture of the contents of your bag before going on a trip can express the anticipation of the adventure ahead. Arranging the contents of the dinner table at a family gathering will speak volumes about the customs and habits of the family. But you can also come up with your own ideas and create imaginary characters. Think outside the box and create conceptual or even completely abstract arrangements. There are truly no limits when it comes to this photography genre.

Most of these photography ideas at home will require you to experiment a little before you can get the perfect shot. However, this is why they are great for beginners to try at home. Not only are they good for practice – with each project, you will be learning about new settings and techniques, but you can truly get amazing photos you can use or even sell without even leaving your house. All you need is some creativity and a will to learn.