Now more than ever we need to let ourselves get lost in art and creativity! Since we will all be working from home I thought it could be helpful to drop some ideas that you can use for your at-home shoots. You don’t need to travel and be in amazing destinations to get a good photo opp! All it takes is a bit of adjusting. So here are a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing. Keep on reading for my list of photoshoot ideas for when you’re stuck at home!

I’ve separated this post into two categories. First is for casual, simpler photos (possibly best for beginners) and second more creative ideas for those of you who want to push their creativity even further.

Simple Ideas 

Furry friends: If you have any pets around the house, use them! Dogs and cats always bring a smile to peoples faces. If you have something more exotic, even better. A few ideas: carry them, just have them laying on you, interact with them.

Plant mama: I don’t know about you, but I have a lot of plants around the house so why not use them? They can add some beautiful texture and life to any photo. A few ideas: Plants can be used as a pretty backdrop, to add some depth by placing the plants at the forefront of your image or you can just be interacting with them like you normally would (watering, cleaning, trimming…etc).

Office Space:  Show us how you work! On the couch, at the kitchen counter? In your office? Working is very relatable and people just want to see where you do it. Whatever your job may be (even if it’s not at a desk) show it off! Maybe you’re a painter? Show us your canvases, paints, and mess! Find the best angle, the best light and you can even spruce up your space a bit by switching things around. Making it more aesthetic is always welcome.

Coffee and Newspaper: Coffee and newspaper always work. I love to shoot with my coffee mug all over my house. It gives my hands something to do and it puts the viewer in the moment (they may crave a coffee or envision the smell of it). You can create a more interesting photo by adding movement like pouring the coffee or flipping the newspaper pages.

Bedroom hangs: There’s just something about a good bedroom shot. It’s intimate and a bit voyeuristic. Everyone has different decor and a bedroom is very personal so it’s no wonder people love seeing how others live. A few ideas: do what you would normally do and act how you would normally act in this space. Read a book, get cozy, play with your dog, cuddle with the boyfriend/husband or jump on it! Try different angles like from your point of view, from above or even a wide-open shot showing the whole room.

Show off your favorite corner:  If you have a corner of your home that you absolutely love, show it off! A few ideas: Re-arrange a few things so that it’s photo-ready, make sure you have the good light and then throw yourself into your space. You could show the space alone without you in it or jump in the frame! IF it’s your favorite space, others may also love it.

Bathtub: Bathtubs are always fun to shoot in. They aren’t always super “aesthetic”, but it’s easy to create something fun using candles, plants, books, bubbles.. or just fill the tub with something fun! I don’t have a lot of light in my bathroom so I tend to shoot in there using a flash or a ring light!

Document Chores: Document any chores you may be doing at home and have fun with it! If you have to do spring cleaning, take a photo of you covered in all your clothes, or coming out of your clothing racks for example. If you are doing laundry, show yourself carrying a basket and picking up clothes (but make it aesthetic obvi). I once shot a photo in the middle of painting my office walls because it was such a cute photo opp (above).

Creative ideas:

Work the shadows: If there are any fun shadows  (from blinds or curtains) throw yourself into them and see if you can get an intriguing, moody shot. Shadows can add interesting dimensions to your image. A fun idea would be to look for different objects in your home to create different shadows. Place the object in front of the sun and see what patterns it creates. Some household items you could use: a knitted blanket with wide holes, lace material, a strainer or a tennis racket.

CD Rainbow: Find anything that will create a fun rainbow effect like a prism, crystal or a cd and shine some light on it. You may see that the light will create a beautiful rainbow effect on the wall or whatever you are bouncing it onto. Now get creative with it!

Sequins: Just like a “cd rainbow”,  you can also get a fun effect by playing with sequins. If you find a sequined pillow, dress or fabric and bounce some light off of it, you will get a fun disco 70s effect.

Bed Sheets and blankets: A fun way to get a dreamy and dynamic shot is to play with a bedsheet or a blanket. Throw it over your head, then throw the other side over the camera. It will create depth and a really intimate personal moment in the photo.  A white sheet with some sunlight peeking through would create a beautiful glow.

Glass: shooting through glass can also create some fun photos. You can shoot through a window or even grab a glass out of a photo frame and shoot through that. A few ideas: You can spray it with water, rub the gel on it or spray facial mist on it to get different effects.

Mirror: Mirrors are always a great prop to use. They can help capture a unique, creative perspective. If done right, you can get some interesting, candid looking shots as well. If you have a mirror you can easily move around, try a few different locations, move it up, down, lay on it, lean on it, just make sure not to break it!

White walls: White walls are always a great option if you want to photoshop something fun into the image. You can change the color of the white wall, add a wallpaper pattern,  add an illustration, stripes, rainbow pattern or do whatever you want! Use your imagination!  The trick is to make sure that lighting is just right.

Create your own backdrop: If photoshop isn’t your thing, you can also create your own textured backdrop. Some easy ideas would be to tear out magazine pages, newspaper pages or even book pages and just tape them on the wall!

Play with light. Playing with lighting in your home can be so much fun. Bust out any firefly lights, candles, neon signs, anything you may have and just start seeing what happens! I like to add firefly lights to the background for a bit of moodiness or candles to light up my face.

I hope these help inspire some of your photos! If you try any of these out, please tag me in your IG and use “#Fvphotochallenge”!  I will be sharing my favorites over on my Instagram stories. For more content photoshoot ideas check out this post here.

xx Francesca