7 Photoshoot Ideas at Home for Awesome Images
Doyoueverdothis?Youseephotospublishedinamagazineoronlinethatfeature subjectsinepiclocations.Youtellyourself,“Oh,man!Anyonecouldtakegreatpics ataspotlikethat!”It’struethatshootinginanicelocationcanaddvisualinterest to your imagery. However, if the quality of your photos is predicated on having extraordinary backdrops, you may want to challenge yourself to create amazing photosinordinarylocations.
Ihaveanexerciseforyouthatwillhelpyouseethepotentialwhereveryoufind yourself,whetherit’s“Instagram-worthy”ornot.Thebestpartisyoudon’teven need to leave your home. All you need to do is consider the tips below and put themintopractice.We’regoingto lookat somephotoshootideasat home no permit required to make sure you’re ready to capture awesome photos anywhere.
Tip 1: Scout Your Location
You probably know the layout to your living space better than the back of your hand.Still,it’sworthscoutingyourlocationtoexploredifferent photoshootideas
at home. The same holds true for client sessions at locations you’ve shot many times before. There’s always a new way to capture an old spot if you take the time to consider thepossibilities.
One of the main things to keepinmindwhilescouting for your home photoshoot istolookateachspotfrom differentangles.Thismightincludeviewingalocationfromdifferentdirectionsas well as from various vantage points, including lower or even top-down angles. Doingsocanopenupopportunitiestoreallytransformthescene.
Tip 2: Play with Different Compositional Elements
After scouting the location and picking a spot, I like to set up my shots using the C.A.M.P. Framework (Composition, Ambient Light Exposure, Modify or Add Light, Pose and Photograph). If you’re interested, I covered the C.A.M.P. Frameworkinmoredetailinthisarticleonlightpaintinghereontheblog.Inthe meantime, let’s figure out our composition. We can use composition to influence how our viewers look at our images and make our photos more visuallyappealing.
Deep Depth of Field
Photo courtesy of SLR LoungeOntheoppositesideofthedepthoffieldspectrum,wecanuseawiderfocallength andstopdowntheaperture(f/13intheimageabove)toretainmoredetailinthe image.Thiswouldworkwonderfullywhenphotographingaportraitofasubject in front of a location in which the details in the location lend themselves to the storyyou’retryingtotellwiththephoto.Athome,thiscouldbeusefulwhentaking apictureinfrontofimportantheirloomsorotherobjectsyouwanttoremember. The above image captures the glory of the outdoors with everything from the mountainrangeandtrees,tothemanandhisdogsharplyinfocus.
Tip 3: Choose a Lighting Style and Setup
If youdon’talreadyhavealightingstyleinmindbeforetheshoot,you’llneedto chooseoneandthensetyourambientexposureand/oraddlighttosuitthatstyle. Generally,you’llgooneoftwoways,eitherbrightandairyordarkandmoody.The lightingstyleyouchoosecouldlimityourchoiceoflocationbasedonyourmeans of lighting (using natural light vs flash) and the available light in the scene. We’ll explore a number of options below to help you dial in your lighting, whateverthesituation.
ThebathtubimagesabovefeatureaDIYgoboasweplacedpalmfrondsbetween our flash and the subject to create an interesting pattern on her face. You can purchaseprofessionalgobosfromcameraorcraftstorestocreatereallyintricate patterns.Ontheflipside,youcanusesomethingassimpleasacut-upshoeboxto getthejobdone.
Tip 4: Master Foundation Posing
Beingabletoplaceyoursubjectsintonatural,authentic-lookingposesisoneofthe mostimportantskillsyouwillmasterasaphotographer.Tryingtodothisthrough memorizationcanprovedifficult,ifnotimpossible(dependingonhowyoureact
Photos courtesy of SLR Loungein stressful situations). Instead, I recommend learning the five basic foundation poses (featured in the video above) and then using them as a starting point to moveintomorenuancedposes.
Youcanrefertothefollowingarticlesforin-depthguidanceonposingindividuals, couples, and groups. Nearly all of these articles use foundation posing as a base andthenaddvariationsthatalterbasedonthenumberofpeopleintheshotand thestyleofimagery(whimsicalvs.editorial,forexample).
• Master These 10 Wedding Poses for Natural Photos
• Learn These 5 Male Model Poses for Better Photos
• 5 Female Model Poses Every Photographer Should Know
• Posing for Headshots: How to Pose Subjects for Flattering Close-Up Portraits
• 10 Group Photo Poses and Ideas for Family and Wedding Photography
• 5 Family Portrait Poses for Better Photos
Tip 5: Experiment with Creative Portrait Ideas
Youcanusethetipsaboveforbothphotoshootideasathomeaswellasonpaid client sessions. I recommend moving beyond the basics as well and trying to incorporate some fun, creative ideas into your home session. Of course, you can laterusetheseonpaidclientshootsaswellifthey’reinterestedinthelook.
Light Painting
Lightpaintingprovides afunwaytouselightin your photography. You’ll need a dark space, a tripod, a moveable light source (the light on your smartphone will work), and a camera that will allow you to capture a long
exposure(again,yoursmartphonecandothis).InthisarticleonAdorama’sblog, weexploreanumberoflightpaintingtipsthatyoucanusejustaboutanywhere. Besuretocheckitoutformoreinsightintousingthiscreativetechnique.
Tip 6: Go Outside
Oneofthebenefitsofpracticingdifferentphotoshootideasathomeisthatitallows youtoworkonbothinteriorandexteriorshots.
Ifyoudon’thaveayard,oryouryardislessthanphotogenic,don’tfret.Youcango toanearbyparktopracticeorelseusethecompositiontechniquesexploredabove to make any location work for you. Here’s an example pulled directly from a backyard shoot in which the backyard made for a crappy photoshoot backdrop. When you’re faced with a similar situation, try not to force the scene to be somethingit’snot.Instead,payattentiontoyourangles,gofortightercrops,and useshallowdepthoffieldtoyouradvantage.
Tip 7: Finish in Post
This pretty much always goes without saying but, just in case, run your photos througheditingsoftwarebeforeyoucallthemfinished.Ifpossible,makesureyou set yourfile format to RAW(rather than compressed JPEG files) in-camera to maximizeyoureditingcapabilities.Inthevideoabove,Iwalkthroughbasicsteps to follow to create ahome portrait studiofor under $20. Inthelatter half of the video,Igoin-depthonmyeditingprocessfortakingadecentportraitandmaking itlookgreat
Photos courtesy of Lin & Jirsa PhotographyConclusion
I’ve always believed that creativity is like a muscle that can be developed with exercise,orinthiscase,practice.I’velearnedovertheyearsthatoneofthebest ways to push myself creatively is to challenge myself regularly. Going for great shotsintoughspotsisagoodwaytodoit.