They say that routine is the worst enemy of inspiration . Have you ever wondered why when you go on a trip to an unknown place you suddenly can't stop taking pictures all the time and everything? Why do you suddenly feel so, so inspired? Very easy, because it is new, because everything surprises your photographic eye , because your senses are attentive and activated. What's more, go to the most touristy area of your city and you will see many tourists with their cameras in hand taking pictures of corners, objects and people like crazy, which you find so uninspiring that you will even wonder what they see. Very simple, the same as you see when you are a tourist, pure inspiration in the form of novelty .
Now, there are few scenarios that teach us as much as those close to us . Precisely because everyday life forces us to make an effort, to see beyond, to squeeze our brains in search of inspiration , in short, because any obstacle can become a great opportunity. So, even if it's hard to see, everything we have close by not only provides us with endless opportunities to practice , but is also the best ally to train ourselves as photographers.
If you still think that it's not worth dusting off your camera at home, I hope that at the end of this article you'll be convinced otherwise ? Here are a few ideas to do it.
1. FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY
Have you ever thought of photographing your dishes? There are people who do real fancy things with them, why not be one of them? Food photography allows you to play with composition, color, depth of field, styling, and light. You can simply photograph the dish or create a story with the ingredients with which it was made. You have a lot of inspiration online, I would not miss this opportunity ?
2. PORTRAITS
I bet that at home you have a victim more or less willing to offer to participate with more or less enthusiasm in your photographic journeys. Well then you have a great, great opportunity. At home you have more than enough to create great portraits. Do you have a window ? A curtain? A lamp? Well, you already have the professional photographic studio set up ? You will be able to practice with hard and diffuse light, with reflections, with the composition, with the same window frame, with the angle and even why not, with backlights . And all this without leaving home.
Of course, remember to configure the white balance appropriately for each of the lighting situations with which you face. Above all, be careful if you mix natural and artificial light.
3. HIGH AND LOW KEY
Both extremes of portrait lighting are also easy to achieve without leaving your home. Simply by taking a light or dark background, in a very or very dimly lit room and taking a look at this article where it explains it in detail, you will achieve impressive portraits.
4. MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY
If you like the world of impossible giants, you have patience and you like to calmly prepare the scene, you will love macro photography . But you don't have to head out into the field to get beautiful macro images. A screw, a pencil, a tomato or the computer keyboard can be good protagonists of your scenes. Of course, remember that a tripod will be essential, as well as a macro lens, investment rings or extension tubes , depending on your budget and how fond you can become of it ?
5. SMOKE
Nothing like locking yourself between four walls to see the potential that they contain ? Do you have candles? A match? Incense? Well, you already have much of what you need to obtain an image similar to the following.
Of course, for the rest, better take a look at this article before you start to think that it is the work of some kind of dark magic ? And do not rush to try to be different, it is all about practicing and feeling the satisfaction of having done it. accomplished.
6.BOKEH
If you want to see one of the many benefits of the diaphragm opening , here you can check it with great results. The bokeh is nothing more than the effect of blurring the lights thanks to a wide aperture diaphragm (shallow depth of field). It works very well on portraits of both people and everyday objects and mastering it will be great if you need to make your own Christmas card in a couple of months ?
7. FLOWERS AND PLANTS
If you are one of those who even die on cacti and you have your house empty of plant elements, you can skip this point. Wait, you're not going to get rid of it ? . You can buy a bouquet of flowers in good condition and have a great flower photo shoot. In fact, surely most buy extra-pretty flowers for these occasions, so there is no excuse. The flowers and plants are a reason that is already pleasant in itself, so you have half a photo taken.
Control the light, the framing, the background and the texture of the petals, try spraying them with water to imitate dew, or different backgrounds (they can be colored cardboard) to bring out the color. You can get really close, put them in a vase, or make them part of a bigger picture, you can photograph their decay or their fullness. You have millions of possibilities, give free rein to your imagination.
8. STILL LIFE
In the purest style of Rembrandt, why not make your own photographic still lifes as if it were a pictorial work of art? You will be able to practice the different angles of light, the textures, the composition, the styling of the image, the depth of field, etc. In addition, you will have time to think and consciously solve the problems that arise, and there is no better practice than that ?
9. PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHY
Product photography is another photographic branch that you can practice at home without spending almost a penny ? With a light box, which you can even make yourself , you can get magnificent product photographs at the level of a professional (or almost). At least it's logistically and economically viable, and hey, you never know where all this “extra” knowledge might lead you.
10. WATER DROPS
Or high-speed photography, or freeze a drop in the frame. Does it seem complicated? Luckily Mario explains it to you step by step in this article: How to photograph a drop of water without dying of despair .
11. DOCUMENT THE EVERYDAY
I know that, precisely because of everyday life, it is one of the most difficult things to photograph. It is difficult to think that someone could be interested in something that seems to you the most nondescript. But the truth is that it is in front of our noses where the best stories are usually hidden and where we can best practice and express ourselves. Open your eyes wide to what is happening around you; you have magical moments everywhere that deserve to be frozen in time, don't hesitate. Your son cooking, your dog looking out the window, your grandmother taking a nap on the sofa, life around you is a great stage and you have the opportunity to portray it in front of you.
SUMMARIZING
Any place and time is a magnificent opportunity to practice and learn. We do not need to go to the other end of the world for this, the best images can be in front of our objective without even leaving home.
