Mini Projects

[kris8583]

Hello to all. Dont know if this is in the right place but didnt know where else to put it.

I really enjoyed having a go at taking photos of water droplets and adding them to the thread here. It was easy to set up and didnt take too long to do. I am a beginner and little projects like this are easy for me to achieve as I have 2 little ones constantly running around the house!

Because of the shift patterns I work and having the kids, getting out and about on my own with my camera is quite difficult. So I was wondering if anyone has any other "Mini Projects" that I can complete around the house. I know people will say I can find inspiration anywhere but I am really struggling and as a beginner these mini projects would help me expand my knowledge.

I keep trawling this forum and have found a few that I am going to have a go at but any advice/ideas would be great.

My current gear is Canon 1000D 18-55, 75-300 and have just ordered a 50 f/1.8 to play around on the nifty fifty thread with.

[Stryker]

Have you thought of photographing your little ones? They are so much fun to capture that instead of a mini project, it can become a mega project. I know that you get some peace only when they are asleep/away, but they do tend to make life a little more interesting and if you can get them to co-operate, much more fun to photograph than anything else.

[funkygeezer]

Have you tried Long Exposure if you work shifts you may find yourself wanting to take pictures when its Dark I have used lots of light sources for this such as flash lights, sparklers, battery operated fairy lights and the such. Have a look for photo extremist he has lots of ideas for this kind of thing,

[kris8583]

Hi Stryker, its one of the reasons I have ordered the 50 /1.8 as the reviews make it one of the best portrait lenses for people on a budget. I have taken lots of photos of the kids and will continue to do so over the years as they grow and will improve my portrait work as I learn more. The 50mm will let me explore a different aspect too, having the fixed focal length will definitely make me think more about composing the photo before I take it.

I would like to venture onto a more creative path including macro and interesting little areas like the water droplets really fascinate me. Its the wow factor and I would like to capture the beauty in everyday things that we don't normally get to see. I got a set of inexpensive macro extension tubes and would one day like to get a dedicated macro lense when my wallet will stretch to it.

Simple things like a dripping tap, or close ups of flowers or objects around the home are more what I was looking towards and there may be others that I may be overlooking. I also plan on digging out the large box of Lego sat in the loft for a few fun shots!

[Nana1958]

I agree with "Streyker" kids are an excellent way to try everything. Shoot them in natural light, with a flash, background light, getting along....or not - expressions are awesome!, Black and White, movement, discovery the list goes on and on.....Just don't tell them your doing it and be the observer through the lens. Have fun

[oneidapj]

Hi Kris. I agree photographing your kids will be endless. We don't have kids but my wife has a couple Shitsu and the cat has taken to me. The pets are like our kids and taking photos of them is great, endless. I have hundreds and hundreds of pics of them and some litters they have had. Great fun!
My 100 mm macro has been getting lots of use, I love it. I am patiently waiting for a set of extension tubes to slap in the mix. Can't wait to try them with my 50mm.
Also funkygeezer, how do we track down this photo extremist?

[SwissJon]

Well, one thing you might like to try is still life... It teaches you a lot about light, and is a great excuse to get yourself ( or you partner) some flowers.. My step son had great fun making cartoon stories with his lego men and my P&S. if you have any pets, petportraiture can be interesting, my dog has more patience than my boy.

Interestingly, I learned to switch my camera into manual just photographing a pile of magazines edge on.. I say "learned" I mean "learned that it was nothing mysterious and works exactly as you'd expect"

Home life is a great place to hone your camera skills.. Why not try some still life in the kitchen with food or utinsels, or catching some bubbles in the bath?

Anything you fancy selling on eBay?

Plenty of things to snap, just use your imagination.

[RLucas]

Originally Posted by oneidapj

Also funkygeezer, how do we track down this photo extremist?

He's on here somewhere, but here is the link to the site.
PhotoExtremist.com - Trick Photography

[NgaiHill]

Take of look at the How I Took It threads here on DPS. There are heaps of ideas for other mini tutorials there, mostly very well written with good instructions on how to achieve the results.

[kris8583]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I keep trawling the How I Took it forum and have a few ideas to be getting on with. Had a quick play with my new 50 1.8 and first impressions are its it great for the pricetag! Going to try and get an hour sometime this week to have another go at water droplets and may even get my mrs some flowers to snap at