Photography Ideas at Home

50 Creative Photography Ideas at Home

A home is literally a training ground for any photographer. Everyone learns by taking pictures of what surrounds them, no need to look for models, props, or interesting locations. Everything is at hand.

The photography ideas at home that I want to suggest below are a bit unusual and will require a certain level of creativity.

1. Coffee Time

Coffee is such an essential part of many people’s lives. Coffee itself and coffee cups are amazing photo props. Look at some creative photography samples, like the ones above that show how they can be used, doesn’t it look fun? Try to come up with your own creative concepts.

2. Ink Drops In the Glass

A mesmerizing and magical effect is created by a drop of ink slowly dissolving into the water. This is a creative photography idea that is not difficult to realize.

Put a glass onto a clear reflective surface against a white background. Use a dropper to add ink in the glass, experiment with colors and the amount.

3. Water Drops

Literally, the easiest way to take photos at home in terms of props but can be a little tricky. You need a water container from which water can drip slowly into a bowl, glass, cup, etc.

Try finding a good source of natural light, a background without any details, and a camera set in a way that will allow you to capture the drops. Make sure you time everything to make it a little easier.

4. Water Splash

Splashes in motion look great, especially if you throw in a couple of objects. Set the place where you’re going to shoot, find a good solid color background, a clear container, and a tripod.

Start dropping the objects into the water and click the shutter just as they hit the water. Try using bulb or burst mode of your camera.

5. Soap Film

You’ll need some liquid soap and glycerin, a wire loop, a piece of black cloth as a background, and at least 100mm macro lens. You’ll also need to ensure the light hits the film at a certain angle, or the color won’t be visible. It’s one of the fun photography ideas that will give you a unique abstract image.

6. Smoke

Beautiful and weird trails created by smoke are a great way of having fun in photography. Paste the image into a blank document in Photoshop, set blending mode to Screen and use the Warp tool to make fancy shapes with the smoke.

7. Refraction

Interesting distortions of patterns can appear when you place them behind any clear container with water. So, next time you need some stuck at home photography ideas, just grab a glass of water and a few patterned backgrounds, set your camera onto a tripod and start experimenting. You can move the background or the glass to try and catch the exact effect you want.

8. A-Z in Composition

Love treasure hunts? This is almost like that but with a twist. The challenge is to find an object having the shape similar to any letter in the alphabet without leaving your house (e.g. S- for stairs).

You’ll get a great series of 26 photos to practice your object or interior photography skills. It’s a creative photography challenge, which is also fun to do with your kids too.

9. Cross Polarisation

This astonishing effect is created when you use two polarising filters. Put one on the camera lens and the other on the source of light (you don’t have two filters, just use an LCD monitor as a source, they have built-in polarizers).

As you rotate the polarizer, you get a rainbow of colors appear in plastic objects. A great way to practice photography at home.

10. Oil on Water

Oil and water don’t mix, use this phenomenon to create interesting artistic shots. Besides, this is one of the greatest macro photography ideas indoors.

Just add a bit of water into a clear dish and place it onto a white sheet of paper or table cloth. Add a light source at an angle and try to get the way these substances interact in the shot.

11. Light Trails Still Life

Still life photography can become more creative with the light trails. Set the camera shutter speed to 8 seconds and the aperture to about f/8. Before you press the shutter, move the torchlight within the frame, continue doing it throughout the exposure.

12. Freelensing

One of the top creative photography ideas to do at home is freelensing. How do you do freelensing? Just detach the lens from your camera and try and take photos through it (mind that the autofocus will not work, so you need to focus your lens manually).

You get the look that is normally achieved with a tilt-shift lens.

13. Food Landscape

Another very fun still life photography idea is using food as a landscape for your model figures. Try telling a story with your models.

Look at the photo examples above. A boy is mowing a kiwi, another guy is raking it, and one more figure is probably thinking about planting his garden.

14. Frozen Flowers

Capture the fragile and passing beauty of flowers by freezing them. Use distilled water for that and a container that is freezer-friendly.

Make sure the flowers don’t float (and they’ll want to do that) by weighing them down. Take them out of the container and let the whole thing melt away.

15. Try Motion Blur

Finding new photography ideas at home is a challenge compared to when you’re out in the world. Use these moments when you can’t leave your home as opportunities to try something new. For example, motion blur. Slow the shutter speed and experiment!

16. Shatter Glass

Breaking stuff is fun and messy, breaking glass may be a bit dangerous if you’re not careful, but also will give you beautiful shots and is really one of the most creative photography ideas to do at home.

You will need good lighting and a shutter release trigger to be able to snap a perfect photo without hurting yourself.

17. Time-Lapse Photography

Time-lapse videos are fun projects to practice photography at home. They don’t require much skills or preparation on your part. Place your camera facing the street, set the interval it will snap photos at 3 secs, and at the end of the day just merge the photos together into a video.

It will look especially great if you live on a busy street or in the city.

18. Light Spirals

Attach the torchlight to a ceiling, grab the widest lens and attach it to the camera, which should be mounted onto a tripod and facing upwards.

Turn off the lights, use manual focus on your lens to focus on the tip of the torchlight, set f/11 or f/16 dialed-in aperture, Bulb mode and remote release (the shutter has to be open for at least a minute). Let the torch spin away! That’s one of those home photography ideas that will always produce a stunning effect.

19. Jewelry

Don’t forget that you can improve your jewelry photography skills while doing photography at home. Just find the jewelry pieces you want to shoot around your home (or borrow from a friend), find a suitable jewelry background and you’re good to go! Don’t forget to turn your flash off if you’re shooting something shiny.

• Find out how to photograph jewelry at home.

20. Delicious Food

What could be a better way to practice photography around the house than shooting food? You can cook a humble meal and then, using some props, turn into a true masterpiece. All you need is a good source of light (preferably natural, but you can also use a flash to balance out the image), a few props (dishes, utensils, flowers, etc.) and some styling.

• Here are some fun food photography ideas to try at home.

21. Newborn Photos

Babies are cute and are great models when they are sleeping. You will need props like cushions and pillows, blankets and wraps, a few accessories, and a ton of patience.

Alternatively, follow the family members around to take genuine photos of families interacting with each other. Family photos are among the greatest photo series ideas. You can try a photoshoot with the same props when the babies grow up.

• Read my newborn photography guide.

22. Flatlay

Flatlays aren’t just for Instagram beauty and fashion gurus. They can be used to tell any story you want with the objects you already have at your home.

No special set up or camera gear is needed either, just make sure you get enough natural light from your window. Try brainstorming what flatlay you can make for a couple of minutes if you need some creative photography ideas to do at home.

23. View from the Window

Are you lucky to have a great view from your window? Try using it to practice your photography at home. Even if you don’t have a good view, you still have the sky with all its clouds, sunsets and sunrises, cars and people rushing by.

Have a friend with you? Let them be your model, who admires the view from the window!

24. Pets

Your pets can be amazing and cute little models for your next fun photography projects. If they are willing to cooperate, try staging some scenes (get lots of treats ready). If not, simply shoot a paparazzi-style whatever they do during the day in.

• Use some pet photography ideas for your next photoshoot.

25. Double Exposure

One of the most creative photography ideas at home is using double exposure. This is a photographic technique that involves combining two images to create a single photo. Place your subject against the white background and take a photo.

Then you can create a double exposure effect by adding another image on top of it. This technique is especially effective for portrait photography.

26. Self Portraits

Taking a selfie seems to be a simple task. But if it comes to taking photos at home, you should make some efforts to get a professional image. To achieve a better result, you may need some additional equipment.

Firstly, purchase a robust tripod and place your camera on it. Choose a Self-Timer Mode and remotely control your camera with a shutter release.

• Have a look at these self portrait ideas to take creative photos.

27. Printed Photos

Physical photographs offer a sense of time and give a special atmosphere. When shooting a pack of polaroids, don’t forget to change angles and perspective. You can hold the shots in front of a multi-colored wall or photograph flatlays. Spark your creativity!

28. Prism Rainbow

An ordinary prism can provide impressive results! Mount your camera on a tripod and feel free to experiment with the prism and lighting. You can shoot either big or small objects using the prism.

29. Crystal Ball

A crystal ball will definitely spice up your photography. You will receive an effect as if you have used an external lens.

If you use it properly, refraction creates captivating photos that will leave viewers both surprised and interested. It is recommended to use a macro lens or a zoom lens with a macro shooting mode to get closer to the ball.

• View more samples of crystal ball photography.

30. Use Mirrors

Different-shaped mirrors will give your photographs a mysterious atmosphere and artistic feel. This is one of the creative photography ideas to do at home which gives you an opportunity to show different sides of the face.

Using several mirrors, it is possible to reflect some elements in the photo which wouldn’t be visible if you used one mirror.

31. Minimalistic Interior

Sometimes it is hard for a shooter to compose simple pictures. Instead of including everything in one frame, try to remove unnecessary elements from the scene and focus only on your subject.

It will be difficult to present your interior in a minimalistic way while realizing photo ideas at home because you perceive it in a different way.

32. Flowers and Houseplants

Another great photography at home idea is to shoot houseplants. You will receive photos with vibrant color gamut. You can take original close-ups with an accent on interesting details. Also, it is possible to take an image of a subject against those beautiful flowers.

33. Collections

If you collect stamps, cassettes, vinyl records, coins or mini cars, you can take catchy photos of your collection. If you are experienced enough to produce high-quality pictures, you can shoot your friend’s collections.

34. Explore the House with a Macro Lens

Use a macro lens to take a fresh look at home photography. You can discover new shapes, patterns and forms in your house that you haven’t seen before. The best place to use the macro lens is a kitchen.

You can take a photo of unusual backgrounds since there are lots of reflective surfaces. Use a shallow depth of field to show ordinary things in the kitchen in an extraordinary manner.

• Choose the best camera for macro photography to take awesome shots.

35. Your Clothes

Among different photography ideas at home, this one will suit both novice and experienced shooters. Take a picture of your clothing. You can arrange them differently: put the apparel in order or scatter it around.

Everything depends on the type of clothing and the purpose of shooting. Do not forget about different accessories like caps, belts, bags and shoes.

36. Black and White

B&W photography opens new horizons for your professional improvement. Usually, when people look at color photos, the first thing they pay attention to is color gamma. With a black and white picture, you can concentrate on patterns, shapes, forms, and textures. So, every photographer should see in black and white.

37. Low Light

A lot of photographers often feel a bit nervous when shooting in low light conditions. To get a good result, you need to adjust aperture, shutter speed, and ISO very attentively.

If you cope with this task, you won’t have any difficulties with all lighting scenarios.

38. Mundane Activities

Perhaps, the main purpose of photography around the house is to present everyday objects or scenes in a captivating manner. To take an attention-grabbing photo, it is not enough to have an interesting scene and excellent lighting.

In this case, your photographic and compositional skills matter a lot. It is necessary to frame up a scene so that it will be appealing to the viewer’s eye.

39. Morning Routine

This is one of the most creative photography ideas at home. Shooting in the morning when you are having a cup of coffee or reading a newspaper brings a special atmosphere to the picture. You can also shoot a series of morning photos, for example, every Saturday morning.

40. Photograph Shadows

Ordinary household items can create beautiful shadows. Look around your place and take stunning shots.

It is possible to create a shadow by yourself. Just place an object in front of the wall and make the light face the wall and object.

41. Portraits

These portrait home photography ideas are really easy to bring to life. Feel free to play around with different lighting patterns and compositions. Place your subject near the window to light it up from different angles. If there is a lack of natural light, use lamps or candles to illuminate your subject.

42. Still Life Bokeh

With the help of a crumpled piece of foil, you can create an awesome bokeh effect in your photo. Just place your subject on a glass surface. Crumple the foil and smooth it out. It will serve you as a background.

Direct the lamp at the foil, choose the widest aperture and take a breath-taking shot. You will receive a better result if you attach your camera to the tripod.

• Get inspired by these still life photography ideas.

43. Cobwebs

Among cool photography ideas, this one requires some skills. Even if you keep your house tidy, there is a place where it is possible to find cobwebs.

The biggest challenge is that you are going to shoot the almost invisible object. It is difficult to find the web that looks the same on each side, so try to look for the best one!

44. Rubik’s Cube

Rubik’s cube is a very popular toy that reminds us of those good old days. That is why many people still have it lying around somewhere. In case you don’t have it, buy it in a store.

It challenges photographers, although it demonstrates your camera’s capability to capture stunning colors. The Rubik’s cube has clear lines which embodies the concept of leading lines.

45. Silhouettes

Silhouetting is another artistic photography idea. When you hide your subject in the darkness, you create a mysterious feel in the image. This allows viewers to fill gaps and come up with their own story from a picture.

To create silhouettes, you can backlight your subject with the help of the lamp or place it near the window.

46. Shoes

Why not take a photo of shoes? This will give you a chance to diversify your portfolio. You can use any style of shoes, sandals, boots or sneaks. It is recommended to use different angles and settings to make each shot unique.

• Check out these shoe photography tips.

47. Balloons

No matter what color are balloons, they are the universal props for every kind of photoshoot. Just grab as many balloons as you can to make the photographs dynamic. This is one of those photography ideas at home for beginners that will both either interesting and funny.

48. Carpets

Look at the carpet under your feet. All kinds of patterns and shades are suitable for improving your abstract photography skills. Typically, 90-degrees is the most common angle for such kind of photo. So, feel free to shoot all the carpets around the house.

49. Fairy Lights

Add beautiful pictures with fairy lights to your home photo album book. You can wrap the LED lights around people or put them in the jars. Create a large scene, make sure that the background does not distract attention and take a few close-ups.

No matter what subjects and scenes you are shooting, the most important thing is to choose a proper exposure.

50. Doors

Looking for interesting objects to photograph at home? Try to shoot doors all around your house. You can choose macro shooting technique and capture the whole door, or micro shooting approach and take a photo of a handle.

Freebies for Artistic Photography Editing

Try these 5 exclusive image editing freebies for your creative photography projects at home. They will definitely bring your portfolio to the next level by correcting colors and increasing the contrast.

Free PS Action “Colorful”

If you want to boost contrast and enrich colors in your food pics, this PS action will be a perfect choice. Apply this filter to make the colors more vibrant. You will be impressed with the result.

Free PS Action "Classic”

Those who want to get a perfect monochrome look can choose this Photoshop action. It gives shots a special atmosphere and makes the subject stand out. Due to slightly increased contrast, your photos will get a perfect finishing.

Free PS Overlay "Motion Background”

This overlay adds colorful bokeh to your shot giving it a dreamy mood. This filter works best with portrait and food photography taken at home.

Free LR Preset "HDR”

Add a great deal of zest to your photo by applying this Lightroom preset. With awesome HDR effect, your product photo will get deep and clear colors. The preset allows you to highlight the necessary details in the photo and make it eye-catching.

Free LR Preset "White Balance”

This preset is designed to fix your photos at home which lack natural light. It increases whites and adds warm tones to the picture.

Ann Young

Hi there, I'm Ann Young - a professional blogger, read more