What to shoot

puyjapin · Feb 12, 2009

I have had my SLR 3 months now...I seem to be a bit short of stuff to shoot, here in dreary England this time of year. Everything is a shade of grey! I still have a lot to learn as we did have a fair bit of snow but I cant seem to shoot nice images of it. Need to brush up on metering methinks. Also I think another lens would help as im stuck with the kit 55mm. Any ideas for inspiration appreciated. Unfortunately in this area we dont have any dramatic landscapes!

mrodgers · Feb 12, 2009

Not to worry, I'm the same way. I do have kids and a dog to shoot though.

Many people suggest just finding stuff around the house to shoot. I'm not interested in stuff like that myself. I like landscapes, birds/wildlife, and my family.

A hint for shots of snow just in case you are having this trouble. Set exposure compensation up +1 or set settings in manual mode so you are reading +1 (from your normal exposure, I always expose at -1 for everything with my camera) to get the snow white. All the white tends to confuse your light meter and the snow comes out gray looking.

tsaraleksi · Feb 12, 2009

It's often really good to go someplace you don't know well-- it could be as simple as the next town over-- and look for things that interest you. In our own realms everything seems tired and familiar, but if you go somewhere else you can look at stuff in a new light.

Beth81 · Feb 12, 2009

puyjapin said:
I have had my SLR 3 months now...I seem to be a bit short of stuff to shoot, here in dreary England this time of year. Everything is a shade of grey! I still have a lot to learn as we did have a fair bit of snow but I cant seem to shoot nice images of it. Need to brush up on metering methinks. Also I think another lens would help as im stuck with the kit 55mm. Any ideas for inspiration appreciated. Unfortunately in this area we dont have any dramatic landscapes!

I am having the same problems here. I am a newbie though so maybe my creativeness just hasn't come about yet. Just keep looking around. I sometimes get inspiration from looking at others work or just thru a set of trees.

bigtwinky · Feb 12, 2009

Winter time is often harder for someone getting into photography (like me!) as we all think photography has to be landscapes and wedding portraits.

Go around your house, outside in the neighborhood and look for things to photograph close up! Tracks in the snow leading into a forest, a swing set, unmoving, with a backdrop of plain white. If the weather is dreary, then put that into your photos!

Try to find some icicles.

Or go out at night, with a tripod, in the city. Places that look dull during the day often changes totally when light up at night.

Or you can stage some shots in your house... there are a few threads around here about water drops. Even if they aren't perfect, get some practice time in.

As for a lens, a good low light lens is the 50mm 1.8. Costs about $100 and is pretty versatile. No zoom, but it makes you move your feet to get the right shot. Other than that, it depends on what your budget is for a new lens, but when asked, most people new to photography say they want a great zoom for under $200, which is not realistic.