Thanks to the advent of Instagram and other photo sharing sites, it’s now easier for amateur photographers to get their content out into the world than it’s ever been before. And it’s this, along with the increasingly sophisticated cameras and editing tech found on our smartphones, that has encouraged so many of us to get snapping.
But it’s fair to say our Instagram feeds have a tendency to be a bit same-ish. Everyone seems to take pictures of the same handful of things: food, buildings, flora, fauna… As beautiful as these images can be, it’s good to add a bit of originality into the mix every now and then, in order to keep your content interesting and your audience engaged.
If you’re in search of inspiration, here are five photogenic everyday objects to give you some ideas.
Shoes
How often do you think to look down? If the answer is rarely, you’re missing a trick with your photography. A wonderful indication of the life lived by the person above, shoes have a real and unique character and appear especially artsy when they contrast with the floor around them – think immaculately polished lace-ups on a down-and-out sidewalk. Keep an eye out for brightly coloured ballet pumps, scuffed old brogues, and sky-high heels, and try to capture the stories they tell.
Glowing screens
Black and white can act as an interesting medium, and it works particularly well with the glow from phone, tablet, and laptop screens – rather handy considering how many of your subjects are likely to be holding them. Use the contrast of this antiquated colour scheme to offset this symbol of modernity and create some truly striking images.
Gambling paraphernalia
If there’s one place on earth where emotions run high, it’s in the glittering halls of gambling dens – those places where fortunes are made and lost. Go there not only to capture hands flexed as they toss monochrome dice and fingers crossed as they wait for the outcome, but also to see a full range of feelings flit across gamers’ faces. If you really want to immerse yourself in the experience, perhaps make use of an online casino before you go, to ensure you understand exactly what’s happening in front of your camera lens. Websites like Bonus.ca are a particularly useful tool, with a summary present for each of your various options to help you find what you’re looking for. Playing online to learn the rules of games like craps and roulette will allow you to wait for the right moment to snap your pic.
Tunnels
One of the most interesting things you can do in a photograph is create layers, and as many amateur photographers have discovered, tunnels are perfect for this purpose. Building the effect of a frame within a frame, they help to draw the eye and focus attention, so that the viewer sees exactly what you want them to. Their primarily industrial nature also helps to add an extra interesting element, especially when cleverly contrasted with nature’s bounty.
Umbrellas
There’s something terribly delicate and whimsical about umbrellas, and this translates really well into creating striking and almost ethereal photographs, particularly when the photographer makes use of the translucent quality of the material. Play around with light and weather conditions in order to capture the ultimate snap, and don’t be afraid to experiment with lots of different colours too.
Which of these objects will you try snapping first?