9 Simple Tips and Techniques of Indoor Photography

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Guest Article by : Shilpa Venkat

When you talk about photography, it is not just about capturing a picturesque surrounding or traveling to extraordinary places to get that wow effect in your photos. A popular adage says: A picture speaks a thousand words. Anything and everything is a subject and object for photography. All you need is a vision to capture that moment which can turn into an ideal photograph.

Have you ever thought about indoor photography? There could be days when you are lazy to get out of your home to shoot or there could be those days when there is a heavy downpour outside and you don’t have anything to do! Then here’s a mantra to drive away your boredom and also do something different and creative too. Try your hand at Indoor Photography.

Have you ever thought that everyday mundane things at home can actually work wonders in your photography exploration? Here are some tips:

1. Generate new ideas

There is never a dearth for ideas. Put your thinking cap on and let your imagination loose. The best way is to write down things you wish to photograph. We come across innumerable objects at home. Why not click them and give them their deprived share of importance? Change a few settings in your camera and get some out-of-the-box results!

Flower Vase

2. Look around you

Exploration is the best key. Many-a-time, you discover things around that you must have failed to notice before. You need to jump-start your own ingenuity and understand that a photograph can be given a different angle with a simple object. All you need to keep in mind is anything and everything is an object for photography.

The Spice Friends

3. Trial shots before the final one

If you are photographing some indoor objects conceptualize first. Imagine the entire scene. Take some trial shots. Imagine how you want a particular scene to be. How do you want the exposure? Create your set up, arrange and re-arrange the objects, and observe which angle looks the best. Test shots are always recommended. Once you are happy with the test shots, go ahead for the final one. However, this may not possibly work for outdoor shoots and you need to be more adept in understanding the scene and press the shutter!

Wine Glass

4. Create an album

Once you have a theme, try and click most pictures revolving around the same subject. This will help in concentrating on one thing at a time. Make it a point to complete one particular theme at a time. This keeps the tempo alive.

Sunlight Streak

5. Different lenses

Try and experiment in your indoor photo sessions with different lenses. If you own a wide angle or a zoom lens don’t hesitate to make use of it for indoor photography. You will be surprised by the results. In case you own a point and shoot camera, along with your Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) make use of it. Different cameras can give results that are poles apart and impart outstanding effects.

Watch

6. Play with your camera

The modern day camera has many inbuilt settings that need time to be explored. Attempt different settings, like keep a high ISO and high exposure with low aperture and see the effect you can get. Sometimes it does give ridiculous results, but this is how you can play with your camera. Manual mode is a brain teaser wherein you can set the camera as you wish. Make sure that you click a same picture with and without flash.

Prayer

7. Think Economical

For any amateur or hobbyist photographer, finances can be a strain. It’s easier to get a camera and then end up shelling quite a lot of moolah on purchasing accessories and lights. Yes, for indoor photography strobe lights are a boon. But strobe lights are expensive and not everyone may have the finances to buy the same. So what you do? Think about alternative methods that can help you. Even a small table lamp with a halogen bulb can be useful or high watt CFL bulbs can give good impact of light. You can make home-made reflectors and soft boxes too and thus try and save your costs. The best source of light is the sun itself. You can get some splendid pictures if you understand and study the shadow and light effect. Try clicking pictures with the window light. The end result: you do get a good photograph!

Necklace

8. Create a story

Even indoor photography can have a story to narrate. Make sure you understand the purpose of clicking a particular shot. You should be ready with your story and answers if people ask why you clicked the particular shot!

Rings

9. Be creative

If you want to be that one photographer, if you wish to stand out in the crowd, you need to posses good creative skills. Think of how you can convert a simple looking object into something extraordinary to project through your photograph. A simple arrangement of objects in itself can make a huge difference in the overall presentation of the photograph. Make sure that in your creativity expedition you spend thriftily.

Spectacles

Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted to Shilpa Venkat. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.