Photography Ideas: 100+ Things to Photograph in 2024

Photography ideas: 100+ things to photograph this year

Sooner or later, we all run out of things to photograph. Or we think we do.

In truth, there are countless subjects worth photographing – and many of them can be found in your house, in your backyard, or on a short walk.

I’ve compiled a list of more than 100 photography ideas, which I share below. It includes dozens of things to photograph along with lots of example photos. So if you’re looking for cool photos to take or you’re in need of inspiration, read on!

Note: I include a handful of idea categories, including nature, people, animals, events, and architecture. I recommend you start by tackling a category you’re not especially familiar with; that way, you can spend time exploring an area of photography that feels fresh.

Nature photography ideas

There is a whole wide world out there, and it’s waiting to be explored by you and your camera! I’m not just talking about natural subjects that your eyes can see; I encourage you to find what is hidden underneath and behind and inside.

First, pull out your closest-focusing lens and capture the surfaces of the natural world. Try photographing:

Flowers
Trees, branches, and bark
Vines
Leaves
Fruits and vegetables
Driftwood
Tall grass

Don’t just go for the typical nature shot. Adjust your angle, experiment with different settings, and do what you can to shoot from close and far away.

Also, photograph these natural subjects at many different times: noon, golden hour, dusk, and everything in between. Don’t forget to photograph after it rains.

Then bring out your wide-angle or telephoto lens and spend time capturing:

Fields
Orchards (in bloom or full of fruit)
Pumpkin patches
Sunflower fields

Next, explore water. If you’re up for it, consider purchasing underwater housing for your camera. Here are just a few water-related items to take pictures of:

Water spraying from the sprinkler or hose
Rain
Creeks, ponds, lakes, and oceans
Waves
Ice
Snow
Steam

If you’re interested in more unusual nature photography ideas, consider shooting the ground, such as:

Rocks
Sand
Gravel
Soil

And if you’re more of a people photographer, bring some friends along with you on a morning walk and include them in your photos. You might capture beautiful shots of people on:

Pathways
Trails
Dirt roads

Portrait photography ideas

Looking for some people photography ideas? Here are a handful of subjects you can photograph from home:

Newborns
Toddlers
Children
Teens
Siblings
Twins and triplets
A whole family
3+ generations

Note that there are many ways to photograph people. You could take posed shots, of course – but you might also capture candid moments.

And don’t pressure yourself to go big. Just find somebody you can take pictures of. You don’t have to know what you’re doing; just aim your camera and something interesting will emerge.

(Worst-case scenario, just photograph yourself! There are plenty of awesome self-portrait ideas worth trying, such as multiple exposures, abstract blurs, and more.)

If you have a child, you can capture an infinite number of possible photos. For instance, you might photograph them:

Playing with bubbles
At a playground
Riding a bike
Playing sports
Swimming
Balancing

Maybe you prefer to photograph friends? That’s okay, too! Grab a friend and photograph them:

In an interesting job
Engaging in a hobby
Playing (or listening to) music
On a farm
Playing sports
Having fun with paints
Cooking
Working with tools
Acting very professional

Really, you could produce an entire portfolio just by photographing one person over a month or two.

Animal photography ideas

If you like the idea of capturing animals, now’s your chance to get started. Consider photographing:

Pets
At a farm
At a vet
At a shelter
At an animal rescue
At a pet store
At a zoo
At an aquarium
Bugs
Birds
Local wildlife
Fish and other water creatures

Event photography ideas

Events combine plenty of great photographic subjects, such as people, places, food, and interesting activities. You can find plenty of events listed on city websites, but consider capturing household events, too.

car in the sunset things to take pictures of

Here are just a few events to photograph:

Sports
Festivals
Parades
Local charity events
Animal shelters
Farmers markets
Boating events
Air shows
Car shows
Dances
Concerts

Architectural photography ideas

Architectural photography might sound a little boring, but in my experience, it can be a whole lot of fun! You don’t need to restrict yourself to the “standard” architectural subjects (like real-estate interiors and churches). Instead, try your hand at a few of these unusual photography ideas:

Old buildings
Barns
Farmhouses
City neighborhoods
Ruins
Modern buildings
Glass buildings
Train stations
Museums
Walls

Pay careful attention to your perspective, and – if necessary – shoot wide and make distortion corrections during post-processing.

Still-life photography ideas

Still life photography is a great way to memorialize precious objects. You can create complex still life arrangements – or you can capture single items.

Note that you can aim to convey the essence of your subject, or you can strive to tell a story.

Here are just a few meaningful objects to photograph:

Products for a small business
Crafts for a friend’s Etsy store
Family heirlooms
Museum artifacts
The items on your desk
Your cameras
The furniture in your house
Junkyard items (such as rusty old cars)

Photo project ideas

Looking for a more contemplative photography idea? Then consider a photography project that spans several months (or even years).

For instance, you might produce a series of photos that aims to convey the essence of:

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Or you might produce a photo series that captures the essence of:

Sunrise
Midday
Sunset
Night
Moonlight
Cloudy days
Stormy days

You might also select a single subject (perhaps from the photo ideas shared in previous sections), then capture it across several seasons or across an entire day.