Are you lacking ideas for taking photos at home? If so, in today’s post we want to encourage you to take advantage of everything you have at hand in your home to create incredible images.
As common as the objects around you may seem at this point, using the home photo ideas we have compiled for you, you can totally change the style they project. In this case, the key is to know how, when and where to start taking your first clicks.
Later on, taking photos at home will allow you to enhance your skills, expand your portfolio and show your next clients that you can perform in whatever field you’re in.
1. Self-portraits or timer selfies
Let’s start our list of photo ideas to take at home with a classic: the self-portrait or the famous selfie, but with a more professional touch.
did you know that the concept of self-portrait and photography goes beyond taking a picture of yourself? Juan Diego Johns, professor of the Street Fashion Photography course, tells us the following:
“[Self-portraiture is] quite an interesting discipline in the world of photography as we can externalize everything we have inside, sadness, joy, or just have fun taking weird and creative photos using the most important person as a model, ourselves.”
Therefore, self-portraiture is a wonderful way to discover our inner self through images that reflect who we really are. Takethis idea for taking photos at home as an opportunity to step out of your comfort zone and experiment with poses, expressions and anything else you can think of.
how to take professional self-portraits?
Maybe this idea for taking original photos at home will become your favorite, as it is not difficult at all to carry out. You just need to follow 3 essential steps:
Take a tripod or place your camera in a place where it can be safe during the whole session.
Activate the timer on your camera and set the seconds you think you need to elaborate your pose.
let’s pose! You can imagine a context for the photo, for example, imagine what your expression would be if you won the lottery or if you were listening to something funny.
Self-portraiture in photography allows you to explore part of your body and face and, if you don’t want your face to be in the image, you can take images of different parts of your body; but always remember to communicate “something” behind each image.
Image: Pexels
Inspiration from famous self-portraits
Now, if you need more inspiration to take creative photos at home with your cell phone or camera, here are some of the most famous famous photographers in the world of self-portraiture:
Lee Friedlander
Alberto Garcia Alix
Nan Goldin
Vasco Szinetar
These artists are an incredible source of inspiration that can open up an interesting world of exploration for you photographically and introspectively. We are sure they will help you rediscover who you are as an artist/photographer and as a human being.
2. Use cellophane paper
This is another of Juan Diego Johns’ most recommended home photo ideas. To carry it out, you will need to cover your light sources, which can be the bulb or spotlight, external light or cell phone flash with colored cellophane paper.
Choose the colors you want, place your camera on a tripod, set the timer and strike your best pose.
Image: Pexels
3. Get a mirror
This idea for taking photos at home is one of the most popular on the internet. You will just have to reflect your face in a mirror and take a picture showing a part of your face in the mirror.
To make this home photo idea more entertaining, in addition to capturing yourself, you can tell one of your family members or friends to pose for you. According to the Canon blog, a tip for capturing spontaneous and natural-looking portraits is to take a couple of shots before and after the subject is ready to pose.
Take advantage of every moment of the session to create the most original photos at home. Remember that some of them can make your portfolio stand out later on.
Image: Pexels
4. Project a background on your screen
To achieve this photo idea at home, you’ll have to Google “neon backgrounds” and use some black glasses, the darkest you have so they can reflect the colors very well.
Download the background you like the most and put it on your computer or TV screen. Then, turn up the brightness to the maximum so that the colors look great, turn off all the lights and get ready to capture your best poses.
5. Pictorial portraits
how to achieve original photographic portraits? Photographers who specialize in portrait photography have the answer. The key is in body and facial expression, where poses and emotions are more important than ever .
To take professional photos at home, photographer Alexia Mercado, professor of the pictorial portrait photography course, tells us the following:
“Our gestures or the postures we hold also intervene in the messages we communicate. It could be said that body expression is the companion of words (…) What we should try to do is that the photo captures something of the personality of the portrayed model or a special moment”.
Mercado adds that “there are several types of emotions that we can interpret through non-verbal communication, we just have to learn how to express them through the portrait”.
Now, in case you were wondering, portrait photography doesn’t only focus on faces. To tell the truth, you have many options to carry out this photo idea at home. In this regard, our expert tells us the following:
“To make a portrait it is not necessary that the face appears. The whole human body communicates something and this can acquire its own language with the rhythm and intensity that the model decides to project”.
Image: Pexels
6. Gather your favorite objects
Another idea to take photos at home is to take advantage of your favorite objects and place them in a certain space. This technique is also known as still life. In English, it is called “still life”.
To develop this idea to take pictures at home, you can get your favorite objects, toys, jewelry, etc. The elements you use are entirely up to you and you can arrange them by size, type, etc. It doesn’t matter if they are new or used items -even rusty-, the ideal is to create an eye-catching photograph.
To begin with, we recommend you arrange the objects so that they look aesthetically appealing to you, and eliminate any elements that are not adding to your photograph. In a shoot like this, you’ll be developing your art direction and styling.
Image: Pexels
7. Use plants and flowers
are you a nature lover? If so, you will be excited to know that the “still life” can also gather in your compositions elements such as plants and flowers. So, here’s another idea to make photos at home with a fresh and colorful style .
So, to develop this photo idea, you can collect some flowers or plants that you have in your garden or, otherwise, buy flowers in some store to put together a still life with a “flower still life” photo theme.
To create an eye-catching visual effect, we recommend you to have variety, that is, gather flowers of different sizes, colors and shapes.
let your creativity run wild and ‘fire away’!
Image: Pexels
8. Portray your food dishes
Surely you remember that, a few years ago, it became fashionable to take pictures of your meals of the day to upload to Instagram or some other social network. This idea to take pictures at home encourages you to return to those times, but this time with a more professional style making use of photography angles .
For example, if your breakfast looks so delicious and attractive that it deserves to be immortalized, take advantage of it and take a photo in a zenithal angle.
In case youdon’t want to take a picture of a dish and you’re looking for original photo ideas at home, we recommend you to create food still lifes by gathering your favorite foods, fruit peels or vegetable scraps that you just chopped for cooking or even take a picture of your plates with the leftovers from your lunch or dinner.
you decide how to put together your next piece of art!
Image: Pexels
9. Take advantage of warm light
The use of natural light adds a very good quality to any photo and many times it can manage to become a vital element in the composition of the images.
Therefore, another of the ideas for home photo shoots that we want to recommend is to accompany the movement of sunlight through the different spaces of your home. Normally, the best light is what we call golden hour, but the light will enter (or not) depending on where the windows are pointing in your home.
So, evaluate your space and see if the light is harsh, soft or indirect. You’ll notice how the quality of light changes the look of the space completely.
Image: Pexels
10. Play with light at different times
Another great idea for photography at home is to replicate Monet with the study of his paintings: portray the same scene, but at different times. By doing this, you’ll be able to document and analyze how light influences the scene as time passes.
This can even be a project to include in your photography portfolio. To take creative photos at home like this, focus on finding the right space, as well as some objects that can convey emotions . Then get ready to shoot.
For best results, our teacher and expert Juan Diego Johns recommends the following:
“Constantly analyze what is the best time for each corner of your home so you will be prepared to take amazing photos.”
Image: Pexels
11. Explore abstract art
can you imagine taking photos at home with patterns or textures? Keep in mind that we don’t always have to be taking photos at the same angle. In that sense, abstract art in your photos will allow you to explore different perspectives, use reflections, mirrors, colors and shadows to give things a twist .
Abstraction is interesting because it is based on your interpretation of the image. Thus, you will take your creativity to the extreme and discover your own style of photography. Taking photos at home can be as disruptive as you want it to be.
Image: Pexels
12. Focus on what’s around you
If you’re one of those people who love taking pictures of architecture, you can take advantage of the view from home to capture different scenery. Lean out your window and stop to see what’s out there-what’s unique about your neighborhood? is there something you’ve never noticed?
As part of our list of ideas for taking original photos from home, we encourage you to look outside and explore the nooks and crannies that are part of your everyday life. It’s time to explore the surroundings of your own life through another perspective.
Image: Pexels
13. Try the Bokeh effect
One idea for taking professional photos at home is to apply the bokeh effect to your next images. This photography technique allows us to focus on an object or person, because, to carry it out, you must blur the background completely.
While you can do it in any environment in your home, getting background lights will allow you to create texture in your portrait. By blurring the points of light, you will be able to visualize striking circles that will add an artistic touch to your photograph.
are you up for giving it a try?
Image: Pexels
14. Portrait your pet
Finally, an idea for photos at home that is simple and fun is to find your four-legged companion and turn him or her into your model. Just be sure to give him or her treats and be patient.
To make this idea a success, you must make sure that your pet’s well-being is not a negative experience for him or her, since it will be difficult for him or her to let you take pictures afterwards.
Here are some tips from our teacher Emilio Cuenca, from the professional dog photography course:
Work carefully. Be predictable, even more so with puppies.
Go unnoticed.
Use a reward to entertain your pet.
Make your pet as comfortable as possible.
Get your pet used to the flash. Do small tests while someone else entertains him with his treat.
Get his attention with a toy with sound.
Taking these types of photos at home will not only allow you to have a fun time with your pet, but also to learn how to handle different models. You can try taking a photo during a walk or when he is running towards you, as well as when he is sleeping or resting .
Finally, in addition to your camera and good lighting, you will need a table with a neutral background. let’s have fun!
Image: Pexels
how to take photos at home that look like studio photos?
did you know that to take professional photos at home you don’t need to rent a photo studio? You can opt for other alternatives that are cheaper and within your reach, for example, an unused room or a corner in your room with a flat background.
The important thing to learn how to take professional photos from home is to know that you must gather a total of 12 elements to have optimal results. Here are the main ones.
1. Lighting
It is important that the space you have chosen to adapt your photo studio has good lighting, either natural light or artificial light. Remember that playing with light will give you more versatility when taking photos at home.
For any of our home photo ideas, it will be useful to have a homemade light box at hand.
2. Background
To set up your home photo studio, you need to consider the background. Ideally, it should be a neutral color (white, gray or black) so that it won’t be a distracting element when you take photos at home.
If youcan only find backgrounds in bright colors, you can use a white sheet or a black cloth and fasten it with clamps. If you have the possibility of investing a little more, a cyclorama would be the best option.
3. A chair or small table
Taking pictures at home gives you more possibilities to play with different poses, a chair or a small table will always be useful for your photo studio. It’s just a matter of ingenuity to take creative photos.
Free resources for taking photos at home
To end this article, we have put together a list of tools that you can download for free and that will help you carry out any of the home photo ideas that you have discovered today with better results.
Don’t miss any of them and get ready to become a home photography expert.
1. Lightroom Presets
This is a resource that will help you retouch your photos at home with a simple click. There are 8 exclusive Lightroom presets for Lightroom Classic and Lightroom CC created by Professor Gerardo Sandoval.
Ideal for taking your home photo ideas to the next level.
lightroom presets
2. Photography pose guide
what are the best poses for photos at home? If you still don’t know how to pose to start capturing your first portraits, don’t worry, in this guide you’ll find various tips and examples to make your photos look professional.
You can also take advantage of this resource to learn how to guide your models in your next projects, which will undoubtedly help you improve the results of the home photo ideas you have seen in this article.
photography poses
3. Portrait and fashion photography at home
If your favorite at-home photo ideas were portraits and you love the world of fashion, this is the perfect resource for you. In this guide, you will find various tips and inspiration to achieve an amazing result .
Dare to give a twist to your photography portfolio with this free resource.
portrait and fashion photography at home
4. Guide to product photography at home
On the other hand, if you consider that the home photo ideas that best suit you are still life, with this guide you will discover everything you need to stand out in the photography of objects .
If you have a business or know someone who does, you can practice photographing their product catalog to get started in this art.
product photography at home
5. Freelancer photography quote
To make a living from your passion, it’s not enough to have the best ideas for taking photos at home, you need to have a photography quote template. So, if your goal is to dedicate yourself to photography and be a freelancer, this is one of the documents you should have on hand .
As if that wasn’t enough, this free resource contains a PPT presentation that you can customize for each of your clients.
freelancer photography quote template
You have reached the end of the article. congratulations, now you know what are the best ideas for taking photos at home to take advantage of your free time starting today. Remember that, to be a professional photographer in the future, the best thing to do is to practice constantly.
Some of the main suggestions to improve your technique as a photographer, according to Nikon, is to “shoot every day, set yourself assignments and invent your own themed photo challenge per day. It is even advisable to post your results on social media to get recognition and feedback from friends and family.