The only thing that is free and limitless is your imagination. And, during this COVID 19 lockdown, I don’t know about you but I have been using a lot of it to improve my indoor photography skills. It doesn’t matter I am using my DSLR or #MyMiniLens (my mobile) or just a point and shoot digital camera, I am practicing on all. No need to be surprised. A professional studio isn’t the only place to achieve amazing pictures indoors. Our houses are full of a lot of amazing spots and objects, which with a bit of imagination if captured well can produce incredible results. Even while staying indoors, with these indoor photography ideas and a bit of your imagination you can capture amazing photographs. Are you looking for some new and amazing indoor photography ideas? Here are the indoor photography ideas I have been trying at home and you can too.
Having a camera is not sufficient in itself. Using it as a passionate photographer is something that matters. Chances are you are stuck like me at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak. If you are a photographer, the inability to go out in the city or go for your shoots may frustrate you. However, you can still capture interesting photographs during the lockdown with these indoor photography ideas. Also, you can use this lockdown period to polish your photography techniques and editing skills.
1. Faces at home – Practice capturing studio-style portrait
Working on your photography skills at home can be quite challenging. Your studio provides you an environment equipped with lights and tons of gadgets. At home, it’s just the opposite. At home, you have to take care of your kids, a beautiful wife, parents, and other family members.
There are upsides to this lockdown. When you are not going to the studio, you can practice capturing portraits at home challenging portraits captured in a studio. The best beautiful faces you love in the world are available to you 24 X 7 at your home.
Trust me – getting a perfect portrait of your kid is not a simple challenge. Kids are very uncooperative. When you ask a man or beautiful lady in your studio to smile, they smile. When you ask them to look at this side or that side, they follow your instructions. But when it comes to kids, the moment you ask them to look into the camera, they will start staring towards the ceiling. Staying at home is providing you the best opportunity to practice taking studio-style portraits in natural light at home. You can portrait other family members too.
Hot Tips on practicing photography with your kids:
- Give the kids something they love
- Give them a job to do, probably a chair or spoon or their favorite toys
- Include your other family members – when your kid is playing with any family member, he will barely notice your camera. You can get a lifetime hotshot.
2. Photograph your meals in the plate
I have received several memes on lockdown. Some memes convey the message that when you are in lockdown, you can benefit from overeating. Instead of overeating out of canceled schedules, you can turn your meals into amazing photo objects.
When I check my Instagram or Facebook feed, I am almost sure that I will see a constant barrage of food pictures. Everyone from my friends to those I follow seems to be posting snapshots of the food they are about to consume.
While these food pictures in social feed seem frivolous to some – food photography is essential for businesses like restaurants, food trucks, grocery stores, etc. That’s why it’s so important that you make use of your time at home and improve the quality of your food photography. It is something that can be practiced from your smartphone.
From food photography, you can harness the skills like plating, lighting, color combinations and composition rules.
3. Run-through abstract photography
Abstract photography, as you know, is a play of the photographer’s eye. Try to capture something in a way that would not usually be seen that way by others. With practicing abstract photography, you can learn how to focus on shapes, colors, textures, motion blur, reflection, depth of field and so on.
Hot tips for practicing Abstract Photography indoor
- Start looking at everyday objects in a different way
- Notice and practice on patterns and textures
- Move-in closer to your object – Go Macro or Zoom in
- Practice motion blur – it gives you the added benefit of understanding shutter speed for a perfect shot.
4. Experiment with close-ups
I believe not all the best photographs are captured outdoor. It is time to learn new techniques and creative approaches towards the objects and activities happening indoor. Try to capture the beauty of processes that are taking place around you inside your house.
5. Get started with water drop to making a splash
This is a very interesting idea that you can try and learn at home. This technique doesn’t involve a lot of equipment. To begin with water photography experiments, you need a bucket and drops falling at a slow pace from tap. Try with on-camera flash and with off-camera flash. Capture more and learn more.
Start capturing water drops and increase your creativity level as you master it.
6. Take the challenge: Indoor low light photography
Light plays a critical role in capturing a photograph. Several Android phones are making their place in the market because of their feature to capture quality photos in low light. While you are not going on paid shoots, you can practice low light photography.
Use various sources from which light is passing towards your object. Play with ISO, practice aperture, slow down the shutter speed. If you do have to use a flash, use candles, mobile flashes, etc. Being captured indoor provides several opportunities to you for capturing low light photographs and experimenting with new indoor photography ideas.
7. The window of your home and the Creativity of your photographic mind
You don’t have to photograph the only interior of your home. While you are at home and have started practicing first tip Faces at home – Practice capturing a studio-style portrait, use the window of your home as a source of light.
Qualities of a naturally lit portrait are many. When you practice today inside your home getting portraits, your client may ask you for a home service. Practice it while the time is right, you never know what tomorrow will bring for you.
Hot Tips –
For photographs you can capture in natural indoor light during a lockdown:
- Clean the window from inside and outside. However, if some dirt remains on the window, be careful that it will not show up in your image.
- Try to shoot when the window is in the proper shade. When the sun rays strike a window, it creates glare and makes the dirt more visible. Observe the right time to shoot.
- Shoot closely from the window. Try to understand and use the depth of field area. The closer you go to the window, the more its surface gets out of focus.
- To avoid reflections, turn off the lights in the room. Key point is to make the interior as dark as possible.
- Ask your subject to wear dark clothes that don’t bounce the light back to glass.
8. Game of Shadows – Play with it
I love this game as a photographer that I play with my camera. I call it – Game of Shadows. Shadow introduces the drama and mystery in your photograph which makes it notable by thousands.
While indoor, there are several opportunities for you to play with light fixtures in your room. You can be creative with a handheld light option such as a paper box or colorful visible plastic wraps around the source of light. If you are interested in practicing some shadow photography, I am adding quick tips to get you started.
Hot Tips –
For photographs you can capture with the play of light & shadow during a lockdown:
- Look down for your subject, not ahead. As a photographer, you may be in the habit to look at your subject ahead of your camera lens. But, the shadow photograph expects a different approach.
You will get shadows on the ground or against walls or other surfaces. While roaming inside your house, look in the morning, at noon and in the evening for different shadows forming in natural light and compose your photograph.
- Observation and an eye to notice the composition is the key to photography. Wait for dramatic light for capturing perfect shadows. You are generally going to find this type of light closer to sunset and sunrise. Either you can darken the room and use a lamp to create a strong light source, which may result in strong shadows indoor.
- Try to include patterns in your photos. Images that are a combination of shadows and patterns turn out to be very dramatic. Patterns exist everywhere. Keep an eye on the light play of nature and identify the photographic opportunity.
9. Cooking time – Photography time
Your kitchen holds a world of great opportunities. You can capture a great photograph during this lockdown in your kitchen. All you need is some imagination to achieve it. Forks, wooden spoons, boiling tea, etc. can make interesting photographs when you shoot it right. Start capturing from pots and pans. A kitchen work surface will work as a good background. Arrange objects on the kitchen platform in various compositions and capture it. You can use a torch or flashlight to get an additional source of light.
From witnessing sunrise to sunset, I enjoy capturing every moment with #MyMiniLens.
Photography is for everyone. Even if you don’t have an expensive camera, you can practice these indoor photography techniques with any digital camera. For beginners, this lockdown is the perfect time when you can polish your skills. Capture more indoor photographs during this lockdown to develop in-depth learning of composition and light.
You just have to look with a digital eye and you will find that your home is ready to give you a lot of possibilities for your photography virus. This is the perfect time to take a different look at your home through a macro lens. If you don’t own a macro lens, you can try with the lens’s minimum focusing distance.
Let me know which indoor photography ideas and techniques you practiced to capture photographs during the lockdown. Feel free to share your photos with me.
