Beginner Photography Projects

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While you’re stuck at home self-isolating, it may be the perfect time to start some beginner photography projects.

There are a ton of benefits to photography projects, like learning how to develop your artistic eye or figuring out how to use your photography equipment.

Plus, being forced to complete simple photography projects at home will teach you how to get especially creative with limited space and resources.

Here are some of our favorite beginner photography projects for you while you’re stuck indoors.

Photograph a Rubik’s Cube

This may seem like an odd project to start this list out with but here us out.

Rubik’s Cubes are cheap. They’re probably readily available to you and they will help you to learn how to use leading lines in your photos.

Leading lines are a wonderful compositional tool that help direct the viewer’s eye deeper into the shot. They’re often used in landscape photography, but can be used to bring attention to any kind of subject.

Master a Still Life

You should definitely include learning how to shoot a still life in your beginner photography projects checklist.

You can create a classic still life with fruit and wine, or get more creative with random objects lying around your house.

Still lifes will help you learn how to compose your images, allow you to work on lighting, and hone your other photography skills too.

Get some great tips on how to shoot still life photos in the video above by Karl Taylor.

Take a Self-Portrait

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Not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera, but taking on a self-portrait project can be hugely beneficial for your photography.

Not only does taking a good self-portrait require you to think about posing, lighting, camera settings, and so forth, but you also have to think about styling, colors, the background, and any props you might want to use.

Self-portraits are also a great way for you to understand what it’s like being in front of a camera, which will help you as you grow your skills and start to take portraits of other people.

Force Your Kids to Sit for a Session

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Okay, you don’t have to force them to sit. In fact, my kids love most of my beginner photography projects because I’ll have them pull out all of their toys and have them go crazy for 15 minutes while I take their photos.

Letting kids be kids in front of the camera can get you some truly authentic and heartwarming environmental portraits. Besides, everyone likes a good candid portrait now and then too, right?

Plus, if your little one is like mine and loves to mimic you, then you can pick up this adorable camera for toddlers and let them take photos of you too.

Photograph Your Pets

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Most photography projects for beginners include photographing things you already love and simply trying to find a new way to look at those things. So, why not photograph your adorable pets?

You already post about them on social media enough, so you may as well have some excellent photos of them for your next post.

If you need some help getting your pet to stand still, you can purchase this gadget that attaches a ball to your phone. My dog has never sat more calmly before.

Again, when you’re trying to learn the fundamentals of portraiture, your pets are a great subject. Cats, in particular, will often sit or lay there as you work your portrait magic!

Get some awesome pet photography tips in the video above by Westcott Lighting.

Learn More:

Find Cobwebs

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Whenever I recommend beginner photography projects to people, I try and make them as practical as possible (especially now).

Which is why many of my photography project ideas for beginners include the chance to clean up their space.

Go in search of some cobwebs in your house. You can photograph them and play with lighting before cleaning them up.

Here’s some cobweb photography ideas to get you started:

Photograph through the web toward the rising or setting sun so the light filters through the web
Head out to your yard in the early morning to photograph the web covered in dew
Use a flashlight to illuminate a cobweb at night for a shot with a bright, white cobweb and a dark background

Shoot the Sunrise From Your Window

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There is no better time for finding natural lighting in your home than at sunrise and sunset.

To shoot romantic photos from inside your home, try and capture the sunrise or sunset from your window.

You can focus on the scene outside your window and how the morning or evening light interacts with it.

You can also put a subject - your spouse, a child, your pet - in front of the window to take a beautiful natural light portrait. There might even be opportunities for creating a silhouette.

Just be sure you clean the window beforehand. Nothing ruins an otherwise beautiful indoor photo like nose smudges on the glass!

Look for Reflections

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Most of these beginner photography projects are all about training your eye for photography, which essentially means seeing your surroundings in a new light.

Go search your house for reflections you can find. This may be in your morning coffee, or it may be your windows. You might find something interesting reflected in the hallway mirror. Chances are there is beauty hiding right around the corner. You just need to find it!

Practice Sun Stars

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I’m sure you’ve seen sun star photos before…

You can create sun stars pretty easily, believe it or not. Don’t believe me? Check out my video tutorial below!

As with many of these photography project ideas for beginners, you’ll find it’s easiest to capture starbursts when you’re using a tripod with your camera (even a cheap one for your iPhone will work).

Begin a Year-Long Project

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For those of you who have been participating in beginner photography projects for a while, you’ve probably heard of Project 52.

It’s when you take a photo every single week for a whole year. Usually, all of these photos will pertain to a specific theme you love.

If you need some inspiration for your Project 52, the 52 Week Photography Challenge is filled with ideas.

Try New Angles

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Whether you’re shooting from the comfort of your home or are working with a client for the first time, you’ll want to know how to explore different angles. Why not try it now?

Get a step ladder and shoot objects around your house from above. Then, crawl around on the ground to figure out what those objects look like from below.

Doing so will help you appreciate how different perspectives can totally change how a subject looks.

Explore Negative Space

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Negative space is one of the most intriguing concepts to explore in photography and it is especially difficult to explore in your home, which makes it one of my favorite beginner photography projects.

Negative space is simply blank space around your subject. It helps make the subject stronger in the frame, and is often used to create minimalist compositions.

Get some practical tips for using negative space in photography in the video above by Peter Forsgård.

Capture One Thing, 10 Ways

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If some of these beginner photography projects are too easy for you, I promise this one won’t be.

Find one object in your home. Then, try and photograph it in 10 different ways. You’ll definitely want to clear your schedule for this one and have YouTube at the ready!

Master Silhouettes

If you’re one of the lucky ones that have a yard you can escape to during these times, you can practice capturing silhouettes of your kids, your pets, or strangers on the street.

If you aren’t one of the lucky ones, you can still work on capturing silhouettes, you’ll just need to do it with your windows or artificial light.

Happy shooting!