Are you going stir crazy in the house? Yeah, me too. Here are a few tips n' tricks to help the creative in you thrive while social distancing.
If you're anything like me, being told to "stay home" is basically a prison sentence. I pass the time by taking artsy portraits, hiking/photographing the PNW, and drinking local craft beers with my friends. So, when all of that was taken away, I panicked, "HOW WILL I SURVIVE?!" #dramatic I know, I know. Luckily, I get paid to be creative. ;)
“Have fun with your poses, utilize different rooms in your house, be silly, sexy, serious."
After a week of binge watching Netflix, rearranging all the furniture in my house, and finishing two puzzles, I decided to pull out my camera and challenge my self to do a few things I've either never done before or needed practice on.
Break out the macro lens:
If you have a macro lens, break it out now. There's a whole tiny world out there waiting for you to capture it. Start inside with your house plants, water droplets on windows, food, or flick a lighter and photograph the sparks! Still bored? Change the scenery and head to your backyard to capture the flowers, insects, or morning dew.
Practice leveling up your self portrait game:
Don't have a subject to shoot? Wrong. All you need is a body (YOU), a tripod and a remote or connect app to get started. So get dressed up (or in my case, dressed down) and practice taking your own photos. Have fun with your poses, utilize different rooms in your house, be silly, sexy, serious. People will be shocked to find out you are your own photographer.
Play with different lights and shadows:
Pay close attention to the lighting in your house throughout the day. Challenge yourself to shoot in harsh light, dim light, fluorescent light, etc. Not only will it give you something to focus on, but it will help you better understand your camera, thus; leveling up your overall skills.
Play with shadows and prisms for cool photo effects. I was visiting my sister when I noticed the shadows in her room, stuck her in them and came out with the images below. You can use a strainer, dream catcher, lace fabric, or any other cool patterned object sun can shine through to create unique shadows. Get as creative as your little heart desires with this one!