Modern trends in the world of photography highlight hundreds of different interesting directions, within which you can create even more unusual images in many genres and styles. We invite you to familiarize yourself with both the most profitable and currently popular looks for girls.
Classic portrait
The idea in this case is simple: to capture the appearance from the best angle, revealing the most advantageous aspects of the face. As a rule, for many, a half-profile portrait will be advantageous, but a straight full-face will not suit most, especially if there is a noticeable antisymmetry in the features.
Classic portfolio
As a rule, a portfolio is created for distribution to modeling agencies. It should reflect the versatility of the model’s appearance and include examples of classic fashion posing. But also, by creating your personal portfolio, you can advantageously present your external data in the style of a glossy photo.
Gloss
It is in the studio that it is quite easy to create fashion photographs. But such images are also suitable for implementation in a beautiful interior. Much in this photo depends on properly constructed lighting and subsequent photo processing. The images should be fashionable and stylish, at the peak of current trends in the fashion industry.
Sports and dance
In this case, it is important to have certain skills in dance or in one or another sport. It can also be a display of an athletic body or acrobatic or fighting talents. For many ideas, dynamic photography that conveys movement is suitable.
Retro and vintage
For such images, the scenery and surroundings are very important. If the first can still be sacrificed, then the entourage is irreplaceable. These can be images of fatal beauties of silent cinema, gangster beauties, jazz divas. Such photos will look beautiful in muted dark colors, against a black background. You can also try further conversion to black and white format and artificial aging of the result (adding noise, abrasion).
In the style of sex symbols
This includes elaborating the styles of famous fashion icons of various decades: Twiggy, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, Kim Basinger, Sharon Stone, Marlene Dietrich, Vivien Leigh, Angelina Jolie and so on. When developing a style, it is important to copy the recognizable makeup, hairstyle and image of a particular star. It is appropriate to thoroughly copy poses and facial expressions from famous photos of stars of the past and present.
Disco or 80s style
To implement ideas in the disco style, you will need recognizable attributes of this style: bright clothes in the style of Jane Fonda, voluminous hairstyles, bright makeup, a lot of glitter, tinsel, flashy lighting, colored smoke, musical instruments, and so on.
Shooting with special effects
This includes ideas with projectors, spotlights, water sprayers, smoke machines, mirrors and so on. You can build both a non-genre composition and a thematic one, ranging from mysticism to fashion images.
Maternity looks
Such images are based on a romantic style. Light colors, nude posing, partial nudity, the use of children's clothes, flowing fabrics, toys, and so on are encouraged.
Hobby demonstration
If you have a hobby and would like to showcase it well, studio photography will help with this. This could be a photo series dedicated to your hobby, be it creating jewelry, sewing, body painting, drawing, knitting toys, creating clothes, unusual outfits, your ability to create makeup, or something else.
Thanks to the technical capabilities of the studio, it is possible to embody a lot of genre images: witches, fairies, Amazons, fantastic and mythical creatures, famous fairy-tale characters, mythological gods, ghosts, and so on. The main thing here is to work out the costume, accessories, make-up, make-up and additional attributes well.
Cosplay
Cosplay also relates to genre ideas. There are quite a lot of images to embody, but in this case the chosen character needs to be repeated in detail, otherwise it will not be cosplay. All recognizable characters from books, films, computer games, and so on are suitable for parodies. You can also make cosplay of a real person: historical or contemporary.
Shooting with animals
Filming with animals in a studio or indoors can be both genre and non-genre in nature. As a rule, it is more convenient to shoot small animals in a studio or indoors: snakes, reptiles, trained birds, cats, dogs, and so on.
Working on photography projects with a variety of themes is a great way to break away from routine photography and focus on the creative process of creating photographs. Limitations in shooting subjects and equipment sometimes really force you to resort to very creative solutions.
We have prepared 52 great ideas for filming in 2015. For every week of the year, in theory. We've divided them into three sections: easy indoor projects you can do today, ideas you can do outdoors, and temporary projects you can start right now.
Photo ideas for home
1. Manipulation with water drops
To implement this idea, you need to install a container of water with a small hole through which drops of water will flow. Your task is to press the shutter button at the moment when the drop is forming or is already flying. The most important thing is to determine the time to close the shutter as accurately as possible. We achieved the best results using two flashes set to their lowest power (1/128th). The aperture was set to f/22. To give the water a more viscous consistency, we added a little food thickener to it. We also used the SplashArt Kit series device, which helps regulate the size of the drops and the frequency of their fall.
2. Photograph the splash of water
For this project you will need a remote control flash, a water container with clean, clear sides, a colored background, and a tripod. Set up a container of water and a colored background, then place the flash over the container. Place your camera on a tripod and switch to manual focus mode. With an aperture of f/8 and ISO 200, set the fastest shutter speed possible. Don't forget about flash synchronization. So, throw the object into the water and press the shutter button as soon as it touches the surface of the water.
3. The art of painting with smoke
Many photographers, for example, lovers of still lifes, are happy to use smoke in their photographs. What if you take it to the next level and use the intricate shapes of billowing smoke to create paintings? You can create an unusual art project in Photoshop. So, after taking a few good shots of smoke swirls, create a new blank document in Photoshop. Then copy and paste one of the resulting photos onto it. Set the blending mode to Screen and use the Warp Transform command (Edit > Transform > Warp) to change the shape of the smoke. Keep experimenting by adding more pictures to your document.
4. Cross polarization
The basis of this fun idea is the effect that polarized light creates when hitting plastic objects. You will need two polarizing filters, ideally one of them should be a sheet of polarizing film. An A4 sheet of Lee 239 polarizing film can be purchased for around £50. The sheet of film should be placed on a lightbox or any other light source. The iPad screen and most computer screens have a built-in polarizing filter, so if you don't have polarizing film, you can easily create a blank white document that fills the screen and use your gadget. Attach a polarizer to the camera and rotate it until the colors appear on the clear plastic parts.
5. Edible landscapes
Spice up your food photography! All you need is to creatively place figures on the food, for example Hornby. They are ideal, as this company's men are offered in a variety of poses. It is important not only to place the figures, but also to tell a story. In this photo you watch as two heroes help a climber trying to climb a potato mountain with advice.
6. Food as art
Turn your dinner ingredients into photo art using a lightbox and a very sharp knife. Slice the fruits and vegetables as thinly as possible and then place them on the lightbox. Place the camera directly above your subject and use Live View to manually focus on details. Set your aperture to f/8 for optimal depth of field. It's worth resorting to exposure compensation and setting it to +1-+3 stops, since the bright light from the lightbox can mislead your camera's light meter.
7. Flowers in ice
A relatively inexpensive way to take great macro photos is to freeze flowers in plastic containers filled with distilled or de-ionized water. The flowers will float, so take care to secure them in one position. Place a piece of ice on the surface of a clear glass or bowl in a white sink or other container so that light will reflect off all surfaces of the container. Place the flash on one side and point downwards, and place the camera on the opposite side.
8. Oil and abstraction
Oil stains spreading across the surface of the water are a great idea for creating bright abstract photographs. This project utilizes the refractive quality of oil to highlight and distort colors. All you need is to pour water into a transparent bowl and add a few drops of regular vegetable oil. Place the bowl approximately 25 cm above the table. Place multi-colored paper under the bowl, illuminate it with a regular table lamp or using a flash.
9. Oily reflections
This idea echoes the idea described above. But in this case, the color pattern is created using a colored overlay for the lamp, and not a multi-colored background. Start by making a table lamp cover using construction paper, film, and tape. For safety reasons, make sure that the paper does not touch the light bulb. Place a container of water in front of a table lamp and add a few drops of oil to the water. Spread the oil over the surface, bring the camera as close as possible and shoot.
10. Psychedelic soap film
This project is a great idea for a colorful desktop or abstract wallpaper for the wall. You will need liquid soap mixed with glycerin; this combination forms a durable soap film. Arm yourself with a wire loop, a black background and a macro lens such as 100mm. The colors formed by the soap film appear only at a certain angle of incidence of light. Position yourself near a window and choose the right angle for shooting.
11. Refraction effect
Passing through water, light has the property of being distorted, i.e. refract, as a result, objects under water visually change their appearance. This phenomenon is called refraction, and we will use it in this small photo project. All you need is a few clear glasses, a flash, a tripod and a black and white patterned backdrop. Simply place the glasses of water against the patterned background and shoot.
12. Macro photography in the kitchen
Your kitchen is the perfect place for macro photography. Its reflective surfaces can be used to create an interesting background for photographs, and its shallow depth of field can transform the most ordinary objects. By combining several pictures together, you can create a wonderful decorative element for your own kitchen, but before you start shooting, think about how the frames will resonate with each other. Our series consists of three photographs taken at the same angle and with the same depth of field.
13. Bokeh
Something as simple as a crumpled piece of foil can easily become the basis for a beautiful photo project. Place your subject on the glass, and place a piece of dark material under the glass. Hold regular kitchen foil in your hands a little, then straighten it and place it as a background. Direct light from a table lamp or any other source onto the foil. With the camera on a tripod, open the aperture as wide as possible. Light the foil with flash while shooting.
14. Bokeh bubbles
Small light sources always create beautiful bokeh. Garland is perfect for this. Place the garland at such a distance that when the aperture is open, its bulbs are out of focus. The subject of shooting, in this case the glass, should be close to the camera, and the focus should be on it. Position the garland itself in such a way that the bokeh eventually takes the form of multi-colored bubbles flying out of the glass. This technique is also used to create this “flow” bokeh from mugs with hot drinks.
15. Drawings with light
Streaks of light and light patterns can be used in a variety of photography genres, and are ideal for still life photography. To do this, you can use a simple flashlight, and to make the light less diffuse, you can remove the top cover, thereby exposing the light bulb. Use insulation tape to attach a piece of colored paper to the flashlight. Set the shutter speed to about 30 seconds and the aperture to around f/8. While exposing the frame, make smooth circular movements around the bottle, drawing a spiral.
16. Light spirals
Tie the lantern to a rope and hang it from the ceiling. For this photo, you'll need the widest angle lens you have in your arsenal. Mount your camera on a tripod and point it straight at the ceiling. With the room light on, manually focus on the tip of the flashlight. Set your aperture to approximately f/11 - f/16 and use Bulb mode and a remote shutter release to take pictures. Keep the shutter open for about a minute after you launch the flashlight.
Ideas for outdoor activities
17. Portraits with the Brenizer effect A
The Brenizer method, also known as a portrait panorama or boquerama, provides an excellent basis for a series of portrait photographs. The method was invented by New York wedding photographer, Ryan Brenizer. This technique allows you to create photos with the effect of an ultra-wide-angle lens. The point of this method is to create a series of photographs that, when stitched together, form a full-fledged frame. You can put the mosaic together using the Photomerge option in Photoshop or in a program designed for gluing frames together. Use manual camera settings, starting with white balance and ending with focus, so the parameters will be the same for all shots. Take 30-80 frames to create one photo, and do not forget that each subsequent frame should overlap the previous one by about a third.
18. In the right place with the wrong lens
Force yourself to look at things differently. When going for a walk with your camera, choose the opposite lens to the one you would most likely take with you. For example, take a wide-angle lens to the zoo or limit yourself to the focal length of a telephoto lens the next time you go out to photograph landscapes.
19. Landscapes in pieces
Try to explore your surroundings in a new way by creating compositions from several fragments taken during a walk. Go outside for literally 20 minutes. Don’t spend a lot of time on settings, just select aperture priority mode, don’t take a tripod and various filters with you, and give up complicated techniques. Take photos of everything that catches your attention. When you return home, create a document with a grid in Photoshop and insert the resulting images into its cells using layers.
20. Minimalist landscapes
Instead of confining the view in front of you to one boring shot, try shooting a series of minimalist landscapes with long exposures. A symmetrical composition and square format will help emphasize the simplicity of the frame. You will also need a neutral density filter, which will give you the ability to use long exposures throughout the day. Use a tripod and remote shutter release.
21. Starscapes
To capture the perfect starscape, you need a completely clear sky. It is advisable that the moon does not fall into the frame, otherwise many details may be lost. For a high-quality photo with clear, unblurred stars, you should photograph at fairly fast shutter speeds; to do this, go to manual mode, set the ISO value to about 1600 or 3200 and the shutter speed to two seconds. Even with these settings, you'll have to set your aperture wide open: f/4 or even f/2.8.
22. Photograph something that never inspired you
Write a list of objects or places that you find uninteresting, boring, or even ugly. Now force yourself to take attractive and interesting photographs of these unphotogenic places and objects.
23. Looking for abstraction in a parking lot
You don't need to travel to distant countries to carry out an interesting photography project. The photo opportunities are plentiful, and even in something as mundane as a parking lot, it's possible to create something interesting. For this project, all you need is a digital camera. Without focusing on technique, look for and photograph different textures, color combinations, interesting shapes and patterns.
24. Selective colors
Instead of using glorified techniques to make a subject stand out from the rest of the frame (for example, when the main subject is left in color and everything else is converted to black and white), try choosing a color and looking for its embodiment in all the diversity of the world. Draw attention to this color using the right composition.
25. Night photography
Take up night photography. Limit yourself to the use of additional light sources, take the maximum from the available lighting.
26. Optical illusions
As part of this project, we invite you to play with perspective, which affects the viewer's perception of the relationship between objects of different sizes that are in the frame. It's best to start with objects whose dimensions are known and unquestionable and have them interact with larger objects in the background. For these types of photographs, shoot with a small aperture to ensure greater depth of field.
27. Miniature world
Shoot miniature toys and models in natural environments. Such projects are popular and very common today, and there is nothing difficult in their implementation. Just take a small figurine or toy with you and shoot it in different situations, everywhere and always: while traveling or on a walk, or even on the way to work. In order for the figure to blend into its surroundings, you should, firstly, shoot it from a close distance, and secondly, properly balance the lighting.
28. Create a tilt-shift effect
The well-known and beloved “toy town” effect is obtained by using a special expensive tilt-shift lens. But a similar effect can be achieved in Photoshop by blurring everything in the photo except a small area where you want to focus attention. For greater verisimilitude, photograph from an elevated position and preferably in sunny weather.
29. Photo alphabet
No, we do not suggest that you look for letters of the alphabet in inscriptions on stores, road signs, etc. Instead, look for items and objects that are shaped like letters of the alphabet. You don’t have to look far for an example; let’s take a children’s swing on the playground. What does their frame resemble from the end? That's right, the letter A. And the curved river from a bird's eye view is the English letter S.
30. From 1 to 100
Similar to how we suggested you create a photographic alphabet, you can expand this project a little and try to find illustrations for the numbers.
31. Faces in unusual places
Another simple and fun photo project idea. Sometimes we can observe how familiar things in our everyday life, and simply surrounding objects, have some similarities with a human face or take on a form that vaguely reminds us of facial features. Learn to look at the world of things differently. For inspiration, check out the blog dedicated to this topic.
32. Light orbit
Painting with light gives you a limitless variety of different ideas for photography. But what about a series of images with light orbits? You don't need complicated equipment. All you need is a bright LED backlight, powered by batteries, and a hoop on which the backlight is wound. Place the camera on a tripod, select the optimal shutter speed and simply rotate the hoop.
33. Burning steel wool
To carry out this project, make sure that the shooting takes place in an open area away from flammable objects. Place steel wool in a metal whisk and attach it to the chain. Then set fire to the wool and rotate the whisk on the chain, burning sparks will fly around. You'll need a dedicated volunteer, a tripod, and a shutter speed of about 15 seconds at f/11 and ISO 100.
34. Car movement
For a change, try capturing the movement not from the outside of the car, but from the inside. Of course, you should shoot at night. Ask a friend to drive smoothly and slowly on a well-lit road. Set the shutter speed to about 30 seconds. Mount a tripod on the passenger seat and use the remote shutter release.
35. Deliberate mistakes
Make a list of the most common mistakes a photographer can make. And then try, by deliberately making these mistakes, to create a beautiful photo. You may overexpose or underexpose, crop your subject incorrectly, or focus on the background rather than the subject.
36. Cinemagraph
Create a series of animated GIFs that illustrate subtle movement. This project requires minor work in Photoshop. You will have to create not just frames, but video sequences, but the result may exceed all your expectations. You will need a tripod; the background must remain unchanged throughout the entire video sequence. Choose a scene in which some action occurs continuously or cyclically so that the starting and ending points in the finished cinemagraph are not obvious. Record movement, such as the wind moving leaves on a tree.
37. Intentional camera movement
You are used to doing everything possible to ensure that your photos are as clear as possible. But to make the photo metaphorical and mysterious, try doing the opposite. For relatively long shutter speeds, move the camera intentionally. Shoot in shutter priority mode. For inspiration, look to the work of British photographer Chris Friel (http://www.cfriel.com).
38. Retro effect
Various noises and distortions are very easy to add in Photoshop or Lightroom. As a result, you will get a more colorful and atmospheric photograph, but you should think about its final style already during shooting. The retro effect works well with simple photographs that are not overloaded with details, where the subject is easily recognizable.
39. Time-lapse photography
Many of us may well have time to engage in time-lapse photography, which is on the border between video and photography. The subject of photography can, in fact, be any phenomenon in your everyday life. Master this exciting technique in 2015.
Projects designed for a long period of time
40. Project 365
A classic project where you take a photo a day for an entire year. You can go down two possible paths: limit yourself to just one shot per day for a given project, or take several photos and then choose the best one. Can't spend that much time on photos? Then think about an alternative project for which you need to take one photo per week, so there will be 52 photos in total.
41. 50 strangers
This idea is also not new, but that makes it no less fascinating. You should meet and start a conversation with people you don’t know, and then, with their permission, keep their portrait as a souvenir. You can decide the number of strangers you should photograph. The most important thing is to overcome yourself and take the first step.
42. Project 50x50x50
It's simple: 50 days, 50 photos taken with a 50mm lens. An extremely simple project that will help develop your vision as a photographer.
43. Creative selfies
Of course, you can take self-portraits at home, but how boring it is! Why not challenge yourself to create a series of self-portraits outside the walls of your home? Check out a series of beautiful self-portraits taken by renowned photographer Vivian Maier. She portrayed herself as part of some big scene, playing with light, shadow and reflections. It will be easier for you if you choose a specific theme for the project, as, for example, photographer Alex Bamford did as part of his series of works called the ‘Sleepwalking’ project (http://www.alexbamford.com/sleepwalking).
44. The world under your feet
Every day at the same time of day, take photos of what is under your feet. Arm yourself with a wide-angle lens and look for new and interesting places.
45. Portraits without a face
Take portraits of different people, but don't include their faces in the frame. Try to convey their personality in other ways. Using colors, surroundings, lighting, paraphernalia, and even parts of their body - especially their hands - will all help you reveal their character to the viewer.
46. Photo game
Ask someone to write 30 things on paper cards. Things can be very different, but always easily accessible. At this time, you will describe 30 different aspects of the photograph (50mm, black and white photo, long exposure, tilt-shift effect, etc.). Take a card from each pile and start completing the task.
47. Monochrome month
The name of this idea gives it all. Force yourself to take exclusively black and white photographs, forget about color for a month. You will learn to see the most appropriate scenes and subjects to photograph in black and white. This project will help you develop your vision. Shoot in Raw format, but change your camera settings to monochrome beforehand. As a result, while shooting, you will be able to see the scene in black and white, and the image itself will store all the color information. You can use this information to process the photo.
48. Four seasons
Unlike the project, which involves shooting every day, here you will be shooting the same subject every three months for a year. The idea of this project is to show the change of seasons. When choosing your subject wisely, imagine in advance how the chosen scene will look after the transformation caused by the change in weather. A lone tree in a field is certainly perfect for this project.
49. Geocaching
Download a geocaching app to your smartphone and head to the cache location to artistically capture the surrounding area. Don't take pictures of the cache itself, because you don't want people who go looking for it to lose interest.
50. Create a texture library
Textures can give your photo a special look. You can apply texture to a photo in several ways, such as using multiple exposure mode. It is much easier to use Photoshop for this purpose and apply textures through layers. Although you can find textures on the Internet, you will agree that it is much more pleasant to use your own. Wood, old crumpled paper, plaster falling off the walls and other things can serve as an excellent texture for your photo.
51. Pinhole photography
With your own hands, using available tools, turn your expensive camera into an analogue of a pinhole camera and try to shoot without using newfangled equipment.
52. Make a photo book
Take the project you worked on last year as a basis. Think about the structure of the book, about the placement of photographs on its pages. Try distributing them according to color scheme, theme or style of execution.
When your own ideas are not born for a long time, it can be useful to be inspired by others. Collect a collection of masterfully executed photos that you would like to repeat. Look through them and be sure to try to shoot some of them yourself.
Where is the novelty here, you ask? It's very simple: you most likely won't be able to recreate your favorite photo exactly, and that's absolutely normal. But there will be a wonderful author’s photo “based on it.” And in the process of working on a photograph, a completely new version of the borrowed plot may be born.
Photographer: Alexander Pyatiletov.
Remember that in the creativity of a beginner, other people’s ideas are almost the main building material. You just need to be able to process them.
Method 2. Master the genre to perfection
Choose one photography genre you like and work only in it for a while. If you shoot landscapes every day, it is likely that your brain will get tired of the monotony and eventually come up with a completely new idea. Switch to macro photography, nude photography or still life - whatever you like best. The main thing is to wait patiently for the “breakthrough”.
Method 3. Unleash life
Instead of intensely turning over in your mind ideas for photo shoots, you can let life itself offer you a great story.
Photographer: Irina Amosova.
As a rule, all the necessary costumes and props can be found bit by bit from friends. Feel free to ask and invite your friends to become the heroes of your photos. This way you will reduce shooting costs and attract new models to participate.
Method 8. Travel to another era
Take a closer look at your surroundings: perhaps there are faces around you that seem to have come to us from another time? For example, Dita von Teese is often called the face of another era. Agree, this actress suits images in the style of the 30-40s of the twentieth century much more than what is in fashion now. Perhaps you also have friends who would look perfect in antique-style photographs?
Photographer: Alexandra Aksentieva.
However, it is not necessary to go too far into the past. Think carefree hippies or 80s disco style. History generously provides ideas for photo shoots in a variety of guises. Relive the vivid experiences of the past in your photographs.
And if retro style doesn’t appeal to you, why not turn in the opposite direction – into the future? Embody your own ideas in the photo or look at some images from science fiction writers, as well as in films about future worlds.
The new era has not yet arrived, but has already cast a shadow in literature, cinema, and photography. Why not take advantage of this?
Method 9: Explain the process in detail
Devote the time of your photographic creativity to some process in its entirety. It can be interesting to photograph an artist who is painting a picture (about shooting pictures) or a craftsman working on some beautiful product, preparing dinner in the kitchen, a sporting event, a tournament of gamblers. Capture the mood of the participants, the scene, and the smallest details for dynamic, lively images.
Photographer: Karina Kiel.
Spend time with your camera, for example, at the poker table. Let your photos show cards and chips on green cloth, cool faces of players, stylish suits, a general environment with dim lighting and good furniture.
Don't miss a single detail so that the action of the game is revealed to the fullest in the photographs. Any other process can be presented in exactly the same way: right down to the way a cat plays with a ball (I wrote about how to photograph cats in this article). Ideas for photo shoots as many interesting activities as there are.
Method 10. Allow yourself a little madness
Nowadays, creativity is increasingly equated with weirdness. The crazier the idea you use in your creativity, the higher it is sometimes valued. So it’s time to break out of the framework of standard thinking and learn to think less seriously and adequately.
Photographer: Nikolai Tikhomirov.
Try experimenting with the location. Place your subject in a completely inappropriate environment. So, you can take a small aquarium with fish with you into the fresh air. A photo of an aquarium on the shore of a pond, for example, will be filled with an interesting semantic game.
Take household items into the forest or onto a busy avenue, and shoot typical street attributes in a cozy interior. Let reality become a little chaotic in your photos, the locations will change places.
A little craziness can be a great highlight of your creativity. Such experiments provide the photographer with much greater scope for self-expression than reality, which is stingy with miracles.
Photographer: Andrey Kezzin.
Now you know several roads along which fresh people come ideas for photo shoots. Hopefully writer's block won't be a problem anymore. You will always know what to do in anticipation of new ventures and where to look for original thoughts. If you have your own ways of finding inspiration, please write about them in the comments. Good luck!
It’s hard to imagine summer without relaxing on the beach. However, do not rush to sit on the sunbed. Take a walk along the coast. Take photos of children frolicking in the water, beautiful (almost naked) girls, groups playing beach volleyball, couples on catamarans. Capture moments of joy and warmth in photographs that will especially delight you in a few months.
2. Organize a beach party with friends
Gather your friends on the beach. You can organize a party in Hawaiian style by taking care of the accessories. Someone in your company has already had children - great! Let them build sand castles. At this time, adults should not sit idle either - let them take a ball, badminton rackets or Frisbee.
By organizing such a party and taking good care of the details, you will not only receive gratitude from your friends for a great weekend, but you will also be able to take photos that radiate joy and warmth. And they are always successful.
3. Look up
In nature, where the open sky is visible, you can spend hours watching the clouds. Train your imagination: imagine what the clouds look like. And in the city, look at the roofs of buildings. Many architectural details deserve more attention. It’s even better if you take an architect friend with you who will tell you about individual elements - a great opportunity to expand your vocabulary.
4. Meet sunrises and see off sunsets
Summer is the best time of year to welcome and see off the sun. The sky takes on a wide variety of colors, and the mood inevitably becomes more romantic. Thoughts calm down, and you don’t want to rush anywhere - it’s time to experiment with. Notice how the sun, from different angles, illuminates objects. Capture the magic of shadows that transform the world around you.
5. Rent a boat
In summer, you should also not miss the opportunity to take a ride on water transport. You can take a ticket on a ship or rent a boat. Walking on water is possible not only in the Mediterranean Sea. The rivers and lakes around where you live are beautiful too!
6. Find endangered residential buildings
Take a series of photographs dedicated to dilapidated buildings. Perhaps the residents of these houses cannot wait until their old homes are demolished and they can move into standard new buildings. They can be understood. However, the buildings of the middle of the last century still have their own beauty. And it is very likely that in a couple of decades these houses will remain only in your photographs.
civilsolidarity.wordpress.com7. Find an exemplary yard
On some houses you can still find signs “Yard of Exemplary Maintenance”, preserved from Soviet times. And in some places, the best-kept yards are still awarded. Hold your own competition: photograph the best playgrounds, the most beautiful flower beds or the most original birdhouses.
8. Spend the whole day at the zoo
Spending a day at the zoo will help you relax and achieve peace. And, of course, the inhabitants of the cells are worth photographing. Photographing animals requires some patience and there is no rush here. Stay near the cage, then perhaps you will be lucky to catch an interesting moment when the animal relaxes. Additional tips:
- Find out in advance what time the animals are fed so as not to find everyone sleeping.
- Dress lightly so as not to scare away animals.
- In many zoos you can buy treats for animals (we are, of course, talking about special supplements, and not about what is sold to satisfy the hunger of visitors).
- Visit the zoo when the weather is not so good, or on a weekday, so you can avoid crowds of people and screaming children at the cages.
9. Check out the racetrack
Almost every child loves horses. For some reason, this passion goes away with age for most people. However, the photographer should pay attention to these graceful animals. High-quality photographs of fast horses participating in a race, or graceful poses of those overcoming yet another obstacle in a show jumping competition, are highly valued on photo stocks. Even if there are no competitions planned in your city, you can take photos during training at a riding school - even beginner jockeys have enough grace.
10. Cats are the key to success
Where would we be without cats in photography? Come up with a theme and take a series of photos with cats, they will definitely be a success! For example, photograph cats in windows. If you are fundamentally on the side of dogs, then the idea for you is dogs and their owners. Everyone knows the idea that dogs resemble their owners. Try to convey this in your photographs.
11. Arrange a photo shoot for your pet
Surely all your Instagram followers are already crazy about your cat or dog. But try to do a professional photo shoot for your pet. Choose the right background, arrange the lighting. Find unusual angles, experiment with different objects. Finally, dress up your pet if he doesn't mind. The main thing is to be patient! Animals are not the most flexible models. But pictures with them are always very popular.
12. Have fun like you did when you were a kid
How long have you been on amusement rides? Ferris wheels, carousels, waltzing boats, electric cars, a shooting gallery, road trains, a trampoline, a catapult and, of course, cotton candy - all these attributes of amusement parks look great in photographs! You don't have to relive childhood yourself (although why miss the opportunity?), but it's definitely worth capturing all that joy. This idea will be especially useful for those who like to enhance color saturation. This would be absolutely appropriate here.
Varvara_113/Depositphotos.com 13. Walk your favorite trail
Let this be your usual route to work or to the store. Surely you have already optimized your route and remember every turn. But this time it will take much longer. Try to go through it from beginning to end, paying attention to those details that you miss in a hurry. The camera will allow you to look at the usual road in a new way.
14. Visit the nearest village
Rural motifs are an excellent theme for photos. Take pictures of landscapes, buildings, residents at their usual work, animals. Ask people to talk about themselves. Then you will be able to take not just scattered pictures, but an educational photo story.
15. Photograph hardworking people
As popular wisdom says, you can endlessly watch how other people work. Ask your friends what they do. Perhaps their work is not as boring as you thought. Of course, you will be especially lucky if you manage to ride in the cabin of a metro train or go into a hangar with airplanes. But office work is also an excellent subject for photography, and quite in demand.
16. Make friends with representatives of “beautiful” professions
Find today make-up artist will not be difficult even within a radius of a couple of neighboring houses. Offer your services to a makeup artist. He will receive high-quality photographs of his work, and you will receive a portfolio of portrait photographs.
Such cooperation often has a synergistic effect - the circle of clients of both the photographer and the makeup artist expands.
17. Take a series of portraits of local personalities
We're not talking about famous people - it's not so easy to get close to them. Start with ordinary citizens. Among them you can also find very unusual people. In parks, near universities, nightclubs, shopping centers, choose the most unusual individuals who stand out from the crowd. Ask them for permission to take photographs. Bright people tend to love attention and will be only too happy to pose for you.
18. Become the biggest fan of local musicians
Even small towns have talent - singers, rock bands, DJs. Attend their performances. And post photos on pages on social networks. There is a high probability that after a couple of albums of high-quality photographs, the musicians will gratefully let you even come to their rehearsal. By the way, classical music performers are no exception.
stokkete/Depositphotos.com 19. Cheer on your local sports team
Even if you are not a sports fan, and the local team is far from the Champions League, there are plenty of emotional moments in any game. Pay attention to the fans: they believe in their team and sincerely care about it.
20. Find yourself in the middle of the crowd
Whether it's a crowded street during rush hour or a shopping center on a weekend, a concert, competition or celebration of an event on a city scale - don't be afraid to find yourself in the middle of nowhere. Take photo after photo, don't hesitate and don't waste space on your memory card. The crowd changes very quickly and is unique at every moment, like the sea or the clouds. “Catch” bright people, facial expressions, communication between people, or, conversely, those who, surrounded by a noisy crowd, are lonely and thoughtful.
21. Wait for the next bus
On a weekday morning, come to one of the major stops and photograph people waiting for transport - trams, trolleybuses, buses, minibuses, electric trains. Even for a short time at a stop you will be able to photograph many different people. Moreover, they will all carefully peer into the distance, waiting for their transport or thinking about the upcoming working day, but they will not pay any attention to you.
22. Go to the playground
There will definitely be a well-equipped children's playground in your yard or in one of the neighboring ones. Usually, at certain times of the day, children from nearby houses gather here. This time can give you a lot of bright, varied photographs. Or maybe you can even offer one of the parents a personal photo shoot.
23. Attend an exhibition or conference
Of course, not every summer day brings great weather. On a rainy day, it is better to choose indoor shooting ideas. For example, you can go to an exhibition or attend a conference. While those around you are absorbed in the subject of the exhibition or report, you can photograph them - enthusiastic, busy with thoughts and ideas.
24. Go to the market
Notice how beautiful the stalls in the markets are. Sellers present their products in the most attractive way possible. Fruit and vegetable stands tend to be especially luxurious, and the sellers behind them are often very friendly. However, you should not annoy them and take pictures secretly. It’s better to praise the goods and ask permission to take a photo of the seller together with the counter; this will probably only flatter him.
boggy22/Depositphotos.com 25. Take photos of the cooking process
Get ready. And film the cooking process along the way. Apples, cut into even pieces, sugar, a heap of flour with an egg neatly broken into the center, cream. Or maybe neat slices of onion, cubes of vegetables, minced meatballs, boiling broth. This could make a nice lunch. And at the same time, some delicious photos.
26. Scatter food beautifully
As a child, my grandmother taught me that throwing food away is not good. However, art requires sacrifice! Create food chaos. Or create a picture from colorful pieces. Try photographing splashes of liquids, explosions of bulk products, the process of grinding and mixing. Use a variety of kitchen tools and appliances.
27. Organize a photo hunt... for people
Of course, it is impolite to film people without their permission. Although street photographers often violate the rules of etiquette. And for good reason. The worst that can happen is that you will be asked to put your camera away. At the same time, people who don't know they're being filmed appear more natural.
28. Be a bad photographer
Particularly risky people should try filming people against their will. Irritation, anger and anger are also emotions, albeit negative, but bright and expressive. However, you are unlikely to be able to get a model release for such images. But this will not reduce the artistic value of the photograph.
29. Be a good photographer
The services of a photographer can be useful in organizations such as orphanages and animal shelters. Contact charity project coordinators in your city and offer your help. Do a good deed.
30. Collect
Become a collector of certain objects. This could be road signs, graffiti or bars on windows. Explore your city, but don't forget about the collection when you go on vacation. Create a blog and update it regularly with new “exhibits”. Perhaps others will support you, then your blog will grow into a community. But if not, your collection will still be a great excuse to explore new territories in search of interesting photo subjects.
Photography enthusiast Stevie Beats regularly photographs jets in motion. Of course, you and I are unlikely to ever work on shooting such a subject, but it would be interesting to find out how he prepares for photography and implements it.
"When photographing an aircraft that is flying at 400-450 knots, the camera setup becomes increasingly complex."
The advanced focusing systems on modern DSLRs allow you to capture sharp images with continuous autofocus, even when the subject is moving quickly. Reducing the number of active focus points helps improve autofocus performance.
"A slow shutter speed of about 1/800-1/1600 can give you clear shots while moving, but if you also want to blur the background, then increase the shutter speed. Try working with values of 1/125-1/500 sec."
Original animal photos
While you may be able to create a nice portrait of your cat or dog, here's your chance to freshen up an ordinary shot by adding some ideas and creativity to it. To do this, you will have to follow your pet, trying to catch the original moment from an unusual angle.
Street photographer Leslie Ann Herculaneum is a frequent observer of street animals and has photographed them numerous times from all angles. Here's what he advises aspiring photographers:
"The most important thing at the heart of captivating pet photography is a story that can capture the viewer's imagination. Be a little out of the loop and let the story evolve independently of you. Also, don't be afraid to experiment with composition."
Flash assistant in creative photography
Not only is fill flash useful for adding extra light, but it also helps bring out detail in dark and light areas, making your photos look sharper.
The trick here is to underexpose the frame and turn on the flash. As a result, it turned out that the light of the blue sky became much darker, and therefore more interesting. Obviously, the shot was taken during the day, but such an original effect with the sky will make viewers wonder how this photo was created.
Beaches are very suitable for experimenting with flash and this effect. There you won't have any background elements that could make the frame look too heavy. You will have the freedom to experiment with different options. It is not recommended to shoot during the day; this effect will come out well at sunset.
Attention to detail
When faced with a beautiful rolling landscape or an unusual embankment, you rush to grab your wide-angle lens and capture all that beauty as wide as possible. But why not concentrate on the details that usually go unnoticed.
"I think this type of photography is actually much more complex than large format landscape photography," says award-winning landscape photographer John Gibbs.
“Most often, such a subject is worth photographing, moving away from the usual stereotypes. You need to think about diagonals and zigzags that will help keep the viewer's eye in the frame. It’s the lines and interesting angles that will help you take a photo that can intrigue and attract the attention of the public.”
"From a technical point of view, it's worth shooting at shutter speeds around 1/400 - 1/800 so that the entire frame is clear and sharp. "Try using Live View, which will help you achieve the best depth of field."
An unusual look at ordinary things
You don't need top-of-the-line equipment or fancy locations to create abstract photographs. Thus, the photograph by Andy Bell shows a concrete strip on the harbor wall next to a puddle in a car park.
Andy's Photo Blog is full of inspiring photos like this one that can turn our perception of reality on its head.
“To create a creative shot, you need to get out of your habitual way of thinking and look at the world upside down,” he says. “If you add reflections, stripes and non-standard elements to the plot, the composition can become more interesting.”
“The wind also creates interesting patterns and can help you see original frames and stories in ordinary objects. Filming in such weather is much preferable than in calm conditions.”
“During operation, the camera can focus not on the object you want to focus on, but on the foreground subject. So you'll probably have to manually adjust the focus."
Looking "to the floor"
To create creative photography, you need a little spontaneity. If so, why not take your wide-angle lens and go outside to photograph... the floor.
Instead of walking around with one eye closed and the other eye staring into the viewfinder, cut from the shoulder without thinking about anything. Hold the camera low and point the lens down. This will not only give you a more interesting look, but will also allow you to go unnoticed by passersby.
You can use Live View mode, but keep in mind that in sunny weather there may be problems with detail. After shooting, you may have to crop some of the photos.
Original shadows
Many photographers would be horrified at the thought of bright sun and dark shadow in their photo. But while everyone is sitting around waiting for the golden time, why not take advantage of the opportunity for shadow photography?
Cities and towns built up with high-rise buildings can look quite photogenic if you focus on shadows. If such photographs also contain human figures and their shadows, it will be even better.
Photographer Michael Ares once had the opportunity to capture just such a moment. In this, a Nikon D7000 camera and an 18.0-55.0mm f/3.5-5.6 lens came to his aid.
"I was walking along a bridge in Whittier, California, and noticed the picturesque shadows of palm trees late in the day. There were interesting repeats of the pattern in the shadows, and I realized that this could become the basis for an interesting shot. I had to wait about half an hour for an element to complement the composition ", then I met this cyclist. The result was very interesting, in my opinion."
Top down
The reason for the success of many photographs is the participation of the viewer in what is happening. We bring to your attention an interesting approach to this type of shooting. The idea is to photograph your feet at the most interesting moments and in unusual situations. This could be sidewalk, sand, etc.
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