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Subject Matter for a Random Day
- Thread starter arturo7
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woof woof
I like a nice Chianti
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- Alan
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If it's just an ordinary day but I'm out for whatever reason I may well take a camera and take pictures of things that catch my eye. I'm not into people photography but other than that I might spot an interesting view, flower, tree, leaf or anything so why not take a picture?
Sometimes the light is bad and I think I might not get any keepers but then again you never know and if I don't get any keepers at least I've still sort of enjoyed my hobby.
Sometimes the light is bad and I think I might not get any keepers but then again you never know and if I don't get any keepers at least I've still sort of enjoyed my hobby.
I open the front door and just walk, I document that walk and make photos based on intuition.
This article, although it's aimed at smartphone users raises the idea of photosketching - this is a great approach imo when you just feel like shooting and can easily become part of a daily photography habit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-35026932
This article, although it's aimed at smartphone users raises the idea of photosketching - this is a great approach imo when you just feel like shooting and can easily become part of a daily photography habit https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-35026932
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- Kell
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It's very difficult to give a specific subject without knowing where you live or the types of things you like to shoot.
But maybe you could force yourself into a style for instance by only taking a macro lens and concentrating on detail. Or only a wide angle.
I'd say I've done my local area fairly extensively during the various lockdowns when you could go out for walks. So I'm also at a bit of a loss if I just step out the door for a walk.
But maybe you could force yourself into a style for instance by only taking a macro lens and concentrating on detail. Or only a wide angle.
I'd say I've done my local area fairly extensively during the various lockdowns when you could go out for walks. So I'm also at a bit of a loss if I just step out the door for a walk.
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- wayne clarke
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I take a walk more or less every day. Sometimes I'll take a DSLR and maybe limit myself to one lens for a challenge (say 135mm) Normally I have a compact with me anyway, which I use most days.
All sorts of things catch my eye, the bark on a tree, I nice sky maybe. Sometimes I'll go via a big busy road and do a bit of panning, or get some movement type stuff.
I'm lucky I live near the coast so I can be on the beach in 15 minutes, or the hills and forests behind my house, always pics to be had there. Sheels on the beach, waves. Trees in the forest, shadows. The world is your lobster as Del boy says.
All sorts of things catch my eye, the bark on a tree, I nice sky maybe. Sometimes I'll go via a big busy road and do a bit of panning, or get some movement type stuff.
I'm lucky I live near the coast so I can be on the beach in 15 minutes, or the hills and forests behind my house, always pics to be had there. Sheels on the beach, waves. Trees in the forest, shadows. The world is your lobster as Del boy says.
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- droj
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I'm curious about the reason for your question. Are you suffering from photographer's block?
I operate within a fairly small compass, and opportunistically, but the favourites amongst my own photos are not altogether of 'things' - but just a result of being visually and emotionally aware in terms of what might make an image whilst I'm out & about. Of course any such image might have a 'thing' or two in it - but the main point is how the light falls, how the world receives it, and how to make something that seems meaningful within a rectangle.
Seeing is universal, and it's the camera that imposes the rectangle, which may concentrate the mind in a certain way. A typical photograph, which being flat is inescapably two-dimensional, will contain an illusion of three dimensions - we also have facility to vary the focus - and lighting, framing and focus are components of how we manage that virtual picture space within the rectangle (or square, for some!).
I like to have a camera with me, but sometimes I forget to be alert to the hunt. Sometimes awareness needs to be cultivated, or 'switched on'. Equally, I don't always come back home with photographs - the camera might not have left its bag. I don't think that photography needs to be obessive / compulsive.
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With getting older and not able to walk very far anymore, I either stay near my house and yard, or drive the car to one of the parks in town. I'm also spending more time in a relatively small studio that I built for myself upstairs in my house. In many cases before I had a studio I would just push furniture out of the way to create a clear space in the center to set up and shoot this type of photography. Most often I am there because it's way too cold or hot outdoors, or it's raining or snowing. I have been experimenting with light and shadows, mostly photographing "still life" type shots, but the room is large enough to do portraits and short video commercials too.
One of your countrymen, Barbie Moorings, has an interesting Youtube channel called "Camera Club Live" that has renewed my interests in doing tabletop photo shoots. With digital cameras and controlable lighting, this is actually fun now. You don't need high dollar lights for this. In many cases, speedlites are good enough. A table about 3' square is what I use most of the time. I put it up on bed risers, so I don't need to bend over now. I have purchased 54" square table cloths in many different colors to use, but black is the one most often used. A good tripod is needed, but any DSLR or mirrorless camera will be adequate. One that has a crank-up center pole will be beneficial. Any tripod head will work, but if you get serious about doing these shoots, a tripod head with 3 axes micro adjust will be better. Small soft boxes up to about 3' in size will help with some of the lighting, but you don't need the high cost lights, camera, and soft boxes that he uses. My "most used" cameras for this are Canon 77D and 90D. A 24-70 mm lens or something with similar adjustment range will do well for most of the work. Tethering your camera up to a laptop PC will make it easier to see the results on a larger screen, but the camera screen will do if you can't tether.
I frequent a local thrift shop, or a local import shop, looking for low priced items to assemble into scenes to shoot. Yard items like bricks, broken slate roof tiles, rusty bits of metal, candles, unique bottles, fancy vases, well made artificial or real flowers, etc. become assembled scenes for most of my shoots. I tend to like shooting these scenes with dark surroundings and some shadows to give a bit of mystery and depth to the shoot. I do my best to get it right in the camera, but do resort to photo editing when I can't quite get the result that I'm looking for.
My prints of these photos have acquired considerable interest by those who see them, which pleases me and helps me maintain interest in doing more. They are the best way that I've found to keep me busy with my cameras when outdoors just isn't right for camera use for some reason. 5o years ago I was doing this with a 35 mm camera, a couple of photoflood lights, home made light stands, etc. in the middle of my living room. When finished for the day, everything had to be packed up and put deep in the back of a closet, so the living room could be used again. If this is all you have, it can still be done, but using a digital camera and remote controlled lights like the speedlites or studio strobes of today make it so much easier and more fun. Let the inverse square law hide the surroundings from the camera. Less is sometimes more when shooting still life. You don't need much in the scenes. Keep it simple, especially for starters. Just a nice vase and flowers makes a good first attempt. Watch some of the videos on "Camera Club Live" to get tricks and ideas for doing this, but don't be intimidated by his expensive cameras, lights, and equipment. You can do amazing things with the basic DSLR and lights. I can guarantee that you will learn how to better use your camera and lighting faster than you ever have before.
Charley
One of your countrymen, Barbie Moorings, has an interesting Youtube channel called "Camera Club Live" that has renewed my interests in doing tabletop photo shoots. With digital cameras and controlable lighting, this is actually fun now. You don't need high dollar lights for this. In many cases, speedlites are good enough. A table about 3' square is what I use most of the time. I put it up on bed risers, so I don't need to bend over now. I have purchased 54" square table cloths in many different colors to use, but black is the one most often used. A good tripod is needed, but any DSLR or mirrorless camera will be adequate. One that has a crank-up center pole will be beneficial. Any tripod head will work, but if you get serious about doing these shoots, a tripod head with 3 axes micro adjust will be better. Small soft boxes up to about 3' in size will help with some of the lighting, but you don't need the high cost lights, camera, and soft boxes that he uses. My "most used" cameras for this are Canon 77D and 90D. A 24-70 mm lens or something with similar adjustment range will do well for most of the work. Tethering your camera up to a laptop PC will make it easier to see the results on a larger screen, but the camera screen will do if you can't tether.
I frequent a local thrift shop, or a local import shop, looking for low priced items to assemble into scenes to shoot. Yard items like bricks, broken slate roof tiles, rusty bits of metal, candles, unique bottles, fancy vases, well made artificial or real flowers, etc. become assembled scenes for most of my shoots. I tend to like shooting these scenes with dark surroundings and some shadows to give a bit of mystery and depth to the shoot. I do my best to get it right in the camera, but do resort to photo editing when I can't quite get the result that I'm looking for.
My prints of these photos have acquired considerable interest by those who see them, which pleases me and helps me maintain interest in doing more. They are the best way that I've found to keep me busy with my cameras when outdoors just isn't right for camera use for some reason. 5o years ago I was doing this with a 35 mm camera, a couple of photoflood lights, home made light stands, etc. in the middle of my living room. When finished for the day, everything had to be packed up and put deep in the back of a closet, so the living room could be used again. If this is all you have, it can still be done, but using a digital camera and remote controlled lights like the speedlites or studio strobes of today make it so much easier and more fun. Let the inverse square law hide the surroundings from the camera. Less is sometimes more when shooting still life. You don't need much in the scenes. Keep it simple, especially for starters. Just a nice vase and flowers makes a good first attempt. Watch some of the videos on "Camera Club Live" to get tricks and ideas for doing this, but don't be intimidated by his expensive cameras, lights, and equipment. You can do amazing things with the basic DSLR and lights. I can guarantee that you will learn how to better use your camera and lighting faster than you ever have before.
Charley
