Bff photo ideas

20+ Best Friend Picture Ideas to Celebrate Your Friendship

It’s a fact of life that friends come and go, including some of our best friends, but we can always immortalize our friendship in pictures while we’re together. With access to advanced smartphone cameras that we carry in our pockets (or handbags) daily, capturing laughter and love is only one slide and tap away. Or, if you have the means, plan a professional photoshoot with your bestie(s). After all, our best friends are really like family members that we get to choose. It’s worth going the extra mile to celebrate such a friendship. To help inspire this celebration, we’ve put together 20+ best friend picture ideas to use for reference when capturing your BFF portraits.

Reasons Why You Should Do a Photoshoot with Your Best Friend

Snapping a selfie with your best bud is great and highly recommended, but you can take your friendship photos to the next level with a professional photoshoot. While you’d probably love just about any photo that captures you with your friends, opting for a professional shoot comes with a number of added benefits.

Look Your Best

Hiring a professional photographer will help ensure you and your friends look your best in these lifetime momentos. They can help coordinate a color scheme for your outfits, recommend some hairstylists and makeup artists, and direct you into poses that allow them to capture your most flattering angles. Plus, photographers will be able to compose frames that highlight your friendship, free from distracting elements in the background.

Capture Authentic Memories

A professional photoshoot does not require standing in front of a fancy backdrop and saying “cheese.” Photographers can give you tips on how to plan an on-location shoot based on your interests. For example, if you and your bestie love to hang out at the beach, playing volleyball, riding bikes, or whatever, you can coordinate with your photographer to plan the shoot around those activities and give your best friend pictures more authenticity.

Commemorate a Milestone

Has it been 10 years since you’ve begun calling each other bestie? Maybe 20? A bestie photoshoot is a great way to celebrate a friendship milestone! It adds an air of officiality, especially with professional photos. Plus, it’ll give you another chance to spend quality time together and leave the stress of capturing the moment to the photographer.

Create a Unique Keepsake

One of the greatest benefits of doing a pro-quality best friend picture shoot is being able to have your photos beautifully printed in an album or as wall art. You won’t have to worry about standing too far back to admire pixelated photos. If you make it a point to do this every year, or every five years, you can create an elegant gallery that outlines the history you have with your friends.

Best Friend Picture Ideas You Can Try

Whether they capture the simple pleasures, like enjoying a meal or taking a walk together, or they follow a more editorial direction and capture dramatic portraits worthy of a Vogue cover, your best friend pictures should convey the unique relationship you have with your best friends. That said, here are some best friend picture ideas you can try yourself or with a photographer!

1. Reenact an Older Photo

Is your bestie your childhood friend who has managed to stick around? If so, there’s a good chance you’ve been photographed together during your childhood. Why not choose an older photo and reenact it as your grown-up selves?

2. Display Your Love for Food

People bond over food. There’s no doubt about that! People also love sharing stories and reminiscing good times while enjoying a meal together. This goes beyond just eating. Why not make the meal as well? No need to go gourmet (although you can). Incorporate food into your photoshoot and create a new story to discuss during your next meal.

3. Carry Each Other Piggyback Style

Piggyback rides are downright hilarious, especially as you get older! No matter how young or old you are, however, it would no doubt prove challenging to give a friend a piggyback ride and not laugh. Capturing candid moments of laughter and fun will naturally make your photoshoot memorable and awesome.

4. Have Fun with Your Funny Faces

Quirky besties have no problem showing off their funny faces. Make the moment even more authentic while telling hilarious jokes with each other, or strike an unusual pose to complement your facial expressions.

5. Wear Something That Matches

Whether it be graphic tees, shoes, hats, or other pieces of clothing, sport something that matches to add a bit of quirkiness to your best friend pictures.

6. Blow Bubbles for a Nostalgic Feel

There’s something nostalgic about bubbles that most of us seem to love! Incorporating bubbles into your photoshoot can provide a fun way to celebrate your friendship.

7. Live in the Moment with Some Action Shots

There’s nothing more energizing than seeing best buddies send it! Go for a jog, jump, do a cartwheel, ride a bike, play sports, or do any of the activities you both enjoy. The options are limitless.

8. Include Your Pets for a Furry Experience

So long as nobody’s allergic, pets can mix it up in best friend portraits, too! Let your furry babies jump in on the fun and steal the spotlight!

9. Hit an Amusement Park

An amusement park is always a great place to go for tons of fun and laughter. Eat cotton candy, munch on a corndog, go on rides, and laugh it up, fuzzball.

10. Take It Poolside

If you’re into it, you can keep it laid-back and simple with an outdoor shoot basking poolside under the sun. Or, if you prefer, you can jump in the water to catch some unique portraits in the pool.

11. Let Your Friendship Blossom with Flowers

A walk in the middle of a blossoming field is a symbolic way of cherishing a flourishing relationship with your best friend.

12. Show Off Your Secret Handshake

Best friends are measured by the trust and love they share for each other, not to mention secret handshakes. Capture it in a series and let the secret out.

13. Walk Under the City Lights

The sights of the city lights are tantalizing to witness. Especially with your bestie. Enjoy the night lights with your bestie hand in hand for a stunning photograph.

14. Show Off Your Silhouettes

Camera-shy? That’s okay! Coordinate with your photographer for a setup that will create amazing shapes and silhouettes.

15. Go Classy with a Black-and-White Shoot

Aiming for a classic yet elegant photo? Why not try a black and white approach? Timeless photos are born out of this photographic style, so remember to keep the smiles going.

16. Get Stylish with a Lot of Bling

Fashionistas by heart? Strut your style in an ultra-glam best friend photoshoot! Such a best friend picture idea may seem cliché at first but, when executed properly, it’s undeniably flawless!

17. Capture the Season’s Colors

Make the most of the season by incorporating it with your photos. Jump in a pile of autumn leaves. Make a snow angel. Create sandcastles. Fly a kite.

18. Play a Game Together

Getting the ball going (literally) is a fun way of encouraging laughter and smiles. If you and your best friend don’t play ball games, try your hand at board games. Even computer games will do!

19. Proclaim Your Friendship with a Signboard

Shout your love to your best friend by immortalizing it in photos with a customized signboard.

20. Go Bottoms Up

Why not make your photoshoot wilder by having a glass of champagne, beer, or other drinks? Just make sure to drink responsibly!

Doing a photo shoot with your best friend is a fantastic way of celebrating and commemorating your friendship. We hope our collection of best friend picture ideas will help you make the most of your BFF photoshoot!

31 Fun Photoshoot Ideas with Best Friend Poses

Best friends know each other’s poses and expressions so well that they can easily mimic them in front of the camera. This makes for some great photo shoot ideas, as you can see from our examples of excellent friend poses.

The Top 10 Best Friend Poses for Photoshoots

Best friend photoshoots are so much fun. The atmosphere can be amazing. With non-stop smiles and laughter, it’s a real special occasion. And while the atmosphere is electric, you can get some fabulous best friend pictures they’ll love and cherish.

But it’s not as simple as turning up and firing away with your camera. You need to be ready with photoshoot ideas and friend poses. The friends can laugh and joke around. But the photographer needs to steer the ship in the right direction. You want to avoid total mayhem.

You can have fun too. And friend photoshoots can be excellent fun for the photographers too. But you have to remember this isn’t about you having fun. Your job is to create unique photos that display the magic of a special friendship.

To get the best out of the photoshoot, you need to give the friends some direction. You can suggest locations for the photoshoot. If they don’t want a photography studio, you need to be ready with alternative location ideas.

You’ll also need a few pose ideas up your sleeve. If the friends lose their energy and focus, you can liven things up with some fun best friend poses. You’ll need to know a lot in case some fall flat. And different groups of friends respond to different ideas.

A best friend photoshoot is all about the atmosphere. You need to be ready with poses and ideas. But you also need to go with the flow. Don’t force anything when it’s not necessary. Let the true nature of their friendship shine through.

31 Fun Poses and Ideas for a Best Friend Photoshoot

Get ready for our list of the best poses for best friend photoshoots. We have poses for every situation and a variety of locations. We’ll leave your brain exploding with fabulous best friend picture ideas.

1. Hold Them Close

Best friend photoshoot ideas don’t always need to be complicated. And this pose is a great idea for getting your models warmed up. If they seem a little nervous with a camera around, this pose will help them relax.

It’s a simple pose that’s a great way to start any best friend photoshoot. It can be done in any location and it’s symbolic of a strong bond. An arm around the shoulder demonstrates care and affection.

2. Now, From the Back

It’s the same pose but from a different angle. This one is excellent for camera-shy friends. And it’s packed with pathos.

This pose works also well on location as you’ll create some fantastic best friend pictures if you have a stunning view or a sunset to walk into.

3. The Sillier the Better

You need a few friend photoshoot ideas to get people warmed up. You might not have the fun atmosphere you want at the start, so you need a few tricks to get the party started. Pulling funny faces is the perfect way to do that.

Pulling faces is a cheap and easy way to generate a bit of fun. You don’t need any equipment, just a bit of silliness. It works well with friends of any age group, from children to adults. And you’re guaranteed laughs.

4. The Titanic

Recreating iconic scenes from movies is always a fun idea. But this pose will resonate with millennials in particular. Titanic was a box office mega-hit, and this pose is from one of the most iconic scenes.

It’s over-the-top and cheesy, but that’s the point! Fight for the roles of Jack and Rose. It’ll create a memorable moment, and there’ll be some laughter for sure.

5. Show Your Love

This is a simple idea that’s packed with symbolism. You can do it with two or more best friends. And it works well in beautiful outdoor locations.

The friends need to use their hands to create a heart shape. Each person is half a heart, and they become a whole when they put their hands together. It represents how friendship can feel, with your best friend filling the gaps to make a whole.

6. Give Them a Ride

If you’re feeling a lot of energy in the photoshoot, this is a great pose to do. It’s heaps of fun. And it’s sure to get everyone laughing.

You can do this pose with two friends or in larger groups. But you will need an even number. The main concern is safety, so only propose piggybacks if the models are appropriately aged. But if everyone’s fit and able, you’ll get some fantastic best friend pictures.

As fun as it might be, it also demonstrates the supportive nature of friendship. It’s a metaphor for how best friends help each other through life.

7. Get on the Ground

There are many excellent friend photoshoot ideas when they’re on the floor. Both friends need to lie on their backs with their heads next to one another. You stand over them to get a double portrait from above.

With their heads together, you’ll be able to get some great best friend pictures of the two laughing. It’s an unusual position, so you’ll surely get some unique looks and smiles.

8. A Toast to Friendship

Many best friend photoshoot ideas can come from the environment. And a cheer or a toast is the perfect photo idea if you’re in a bar. It’s a naturalistic pose that captures a genuine moment between friends. It’s perfect for a large group of friends.

A cheers pose may seem silly. But the toast is a brief moment of reflection before things get messy. It’s a toast to health and the future.

9. Synch Up

You need best friend photoshoot ideas that generate energy for a special atmosphere. And this is one of those ideas. It’s perfect for friends of all ages, from young children to teens and adults.

You can have fun with synchronized jumps in the photo studio. The friends can strike poses in mid-air while you get the perfect shot.

It also works well on location. The jumps look fantastic in front of a stunning view. It could be a mountaintop or a sun-soaked beach. You’ll have some fun best friend pictures no matter where you try it.

10. Get Wrapped

This is one of those best friend picture ideas that works well on location. You can have a picnic scene in a meadow. Or it can be a sunset on a sandy beach. You can replace the blanket with a towel for seaside settings.

It’s ideal for sunsets, as the friends huddle together in the blanket for warmth. You’ll have a beautiful backdrop and some sincere smiles.

11. Throw a Picnic

A picnic is a great idea for a best friend’s photoshoot. You’ll have a stunning location for some excellent pictures. Add a few glasses of wine, and you’ll have a fabulous afternoon.

If you’re lucky enough to have a sunny day, you’ll have wonderful natural light. And once the wine and conversation start to flow, you’ll be able to snap the perfect best friend picture with an air of spontaneity.

12. Appreciate the Open Road

There’s nothing better than a road trip with your best friends. It’s just a couple of friends, a playlist or two, and the open road. It’s the best way to create special moments and lasting memories.

And for best friend photoshoot ideas, the car is the perfect prop for a road trip theme. Whether it’s a car or a camper van, friends can sit on it. They can sit on the roof of a van. Or, if it’s a car, they can sit on the hood.

13. Get in the Way Back

This idea will give you more fun photos if you need more friend poses for your road trip photoshoot. If you’ve ever been on a road trip, you’ll know a lot of action happens in the car’s trunk. It’s the place where you rustle up some grub or change your clothes.

14. Approach the Horizon

Backpacking is another superb idea for creating best friend pictures if road trips aren’t their thing. You can combine stunning landscapes with the romanticism of going on an adventure with your best friend.

Having the friends walking into the distance together makes for a fantastic shot. You can have the road in the foreground, with the wilderness beyond them. It’s the beginning of a new adventure.

15. Get Wet

The pool is an excellent location for best friend pictures for friends who like to holiday together. Everyone’s guaranteed to have a good time, so you’ll snap some fun photos. And there are loads of props you can use for extra excitement.

Using an underwater camera is a great idea. But if you don’t have one, be careful with your camera gear.

16. Rest Your Head

The head-on-lap pose is great if you’re looking for more intimate friend photoshoot ideas. It’s a simple pose anyone can do on a sofa or a bed. Or you can try it on location, in a meadow, or on a beach.

It shows trust and security. There’s a tenderness and a sense of caring, which is why it’s such a fabulous best friend picture idea.

17. Bottom Up

You always need a few best friend picture ideas for a large group. And this is perfect for groups of two to eight or even ten people.

The photographer needs to lie on the floor with the camera facing up. All the friends stand in a circle, looking down at the camera. They can smile or pull funny faces.

18. Up Top

A gesture as simple as a high five can produce some fantastic photo ideas. You can do it anywhere, and you don’t need extra props.

It’s something done to celebrate a triumph, so a high five is always a happy moment. And if they miss, that’ll be a funny photo too.

19. Get in the Sack

The classic sleepover is an excellent source for best friend photoshoot ideas. It’ll give you great photo ideas for friends in their teens. Or it could be a nostalgia-fueled photoshoot, where older friends recreate their teen years for some fun pictures.

Laughing in bed is what sleepovers with friends are all about. If you can recreate the energy of a sleepover, you’ll get some fab best friend pictures.

20. Fight it Out… With Pillows

The best part of any sleepover is the pillow fight. And it’s a fun activity for friend photoshoots. They can jump on the bed and really wallop each other with the pillows. And with feathers flying, you’ll be able to capture some exciting best friend pictures.

21. Dance Dance Dance

This is another one of those best friend picture ideas that recreates the classic sleepover. Dancing on the sofa is an act of free-spirited rebellion. And this idea can add anarchic energy to your best friend pictures.

22. Stack Yourselves

The stacked heads pose might be one of the more unusual photoshoot ideas. But it works well when you have more than two friends. It’s ideal for three or four. And it’s a fresh take on a standard portrait.

Perhaps a little unnatural at first. But this pose symbolizes togetherness and unity within the friendship group. It shows they have a tight and tender connection.

23. Go for a Parking Lot Adventure

When it comes to best friend picture ideas, it’s hard to think of something more fun than a shopping cart. With this best friend picture idea, you will need to keep health and safety in mind. But you’ll be guaranteed high energy and laughter for your photoshoot.

There are a few photo ideas you can generate from the shopping cart. One friend can push the other around. They can take turns pushing and riding. Or they can both get in at the same time. The shopping cart is one of the best props for high-energy best friend picture ideas.

24. Get Extra Close

Tweaking a classic type of photo can give you some excellent best friend photoshoot ideas. And this is a great way to add interest to a standard portrait photo.

You need to have the faces of your models touching cheek to cheek. You want a standard portrait composition, but you want a tightly cropped frame. The outer sides of their faces will not be in the picture.

Both friends will only have half their faces in the picture. But their faces cheek to cheek symbolizes that they together create a whole. It reflects a close and personal relationship.

25. Go Blind

You always need a good collection of prop-free best friend picture ideas. And this is another excellent option. It’s simple and easy to do, even with shy models.

One friend covers the eyes of the other with their hands. It creates an interesting visual for a best friend picture. But the photo also has a message of trust, with the friends allowing the other to take control.

26. Embrace the Fall

If you need fun best friend picture ideas for autumn, you can’t go wrong with this one. You need an outdoor location with plenty of trees. The fallen leaves are the perfect prop for an autumnal best friend picture.

Throwing the leaves gives your photos energy and movement. And it creates a shower of reds, oranges, and yellows. It’s also a fun activity that your friends will enjoy, giving you some genuine moments of excitement and laughter.

27. After the Fall, Comes Winter

When autumn turns to winter, you’ll need a new set of best friend picture ideas. And if you’re lucky enough to have a location with snow, there are some great photo ideas to be had.

Snow can turn the dullest location into a winter wonderland. That alone makes it an excellent environment for best friend photoshoots. But when you use the snow as a prop, it brings your photos to life.

The friends can build a snowman or throw snowballs. You’ll have some action-packed images filled with energy and movement no matter the activity. And everyone will be having loads of fun.

28. I’ll Never Tell

Best friends’ photoshoot ideas are about expressing the key aspects of friendship. And a large part of that is trust and sharing. Best friends tell each other their secrets, sometimes things they don’t share with their family.

This pose puts that on display. It’s a demonstration of two friends sharing a secret. It could be something funny, or it could be something serious. Either way, you’ll have a strong and meaningful best friend picture.

29. Go Back to Back

Best friend photoshoot ideas don’t always need to be about action. This pose is an easy option for any pair of friends. And it’s an excellent option for starting a photoshoot with nervous models.

Sitting back to back gives you an interesting composition for a double portrait. The two bodies provide you with symmetry. And having the friends sit back to back gives a physical representation of the support they provide for one another.

30. Get Physical

Some best friends can be very competitive. And you can harness that energy for some superb photoshoot ideas. Handstands are a great pose option if you’re working with athletic models.

Only suggest this pose if you’re models are capable. You don’t want anyone falling on their head. But handstands are popular with everyone, from martial artists to yogis. You can do it in the studio or on location.

31. Freeze Frame

Holidays are one of the best sources for best friend photoshoot ideas. And when you have a group of friends next to the hotel swimming pool, you won’t be short of photo ideas.

This kind of picture works well with two friends or a larger group. You have them jump into the pool at the same time. And to add extra excitement, each person can strike a different pose in mid-air for an extra fun freeze frame.

Conclusion

There’s nothing quite like a best friend photoshoot if you’re a professional photographer. They’re fun, high-energy photoshoots that have everyone laughing and having a good time.

But just because they’re fun doesn’t mean they’re easy. You need to have a head full of best friend picture ideas. You need to bring out the emotions, and you have to direct the mayhem.

Now you’ll have plenty of best friend poses and ideas, so you’re prepared for your next photoshoot.

Check out our Profit from Portraits ebook to ensure your friendship portraits come out the best they possibly can!

52 photography ideas

Working on photo projects with different themes is a great way to break away from routine photography and focus on the creative process of creating photos. Limitations in subjects and equipment sometimes really make you resort to very creative solutions.

We have prepared 52 great ideas for filming in 2015. For every week of the year. We've divided them into three sections: easy home projects you can do today, ideas you can do outdoors, and temporary projects you can start right now. nine0003

Idea photo for the house

1. Manipulation with water drops

To implement this idea, you need to install a water container with a small hole through which water drops will pass. Your task is to press the shutter button at the moment when the drop will be formed or already flying. The most important thing is to determine the time to close the shutter as accurately as possible. We achieved the best results with two flashes set to the lowest power setting (1/128th). The aperture value was set to f/22. To give the water a more viscous consistency, we added a little food thickener to it. We also used a device from the SplashArt Kit series, which helps to regulate the size of drops and the frequency of their fall. nine0003

2. Photographing a Water Splash

For this project, you will need a remote control flash, a water tank with clear, transparent walls, a colored background and a tripod. Set up a container of water and a colored background, then place a flash over the container. Place your camera on a tripod and switch to manual focus mode. At f/8 and ISO 200 set the fastest possible shutter speed. Don't forget about flash sync. So, throw an object into the water and press the shutter button as soon as it touches the surface of the water. nine0003

3. The art of painting with smoke

Many photographers, for example, lovers of still life, enjoy using smoke in their photographs. But what if you go to the next level and use the intricate shapes of swirling smoke to compose paintings? You can create an unusual art project in Photoshop. So, after taking some nice shots of swirling smoke, create a new blank document in Photoshop. Then copy and paste one of the resulting photos onto it. Set the blending mode to Screen and use the Warp Transform command (Edit > Transform > Warp) to change the shape of the smoke. Keep experimenting by adding more pictures to the document. nine0003

4. Cross polarization

This fun idea is based on the effect that polarized light creates when it hits plastic objects. You will need two polarizing filters, ideally one of them should be a sheet of polarizing film. An A4 sheet of Lee 239 polarizing film can be purchased for around £50. A sheet of film should be placed on a lightbox or any other light source. The iPad screen and most computer screens have a built-in polarizing filter, so if you don't have a polarizing film, you can create a blank white document to fill the screen and use your gadget. Attach the polarizer to the camera and rotate it so that the colors appear on the transparent plastic parts. nine0003

5. Edible landscapes

Spice up your food photography! All you have to do is creatively place figurines like Hornby on the food. They are perfect, as the men of this company are offered in a variety of poses. It is important not only to put the figures, but also to tell the story. In this photo, you watch the two heroes giving advice to a rock climber trying to climb a mountain of potatoes.

6. Food as art

Turn your dinner food into photo art with a light box and a very sharp knife. Cut fruits and vegetables as thinly as possible and then place them on the lightbox. Position your camera directly above your subject, use Live View to manually focus on details. Set the aperture value to f/8 for optimal depth of field. It is worth resorting to exposure compensation and setting it to +1-+3 stops, because the bright light from the lightbox can mislead your camera's exposure meter. nine0003

7. Flowers in ice

A relatively inexpensive way to get great macro photography is to freeze flowers in plastic containers filled with distilled or de-ionized water. The flowers will float, so take care how to secure them in one position. Place a piece of ice on the surface of a transparent glass or bowl in a white sink or other container, then the light will be reflected from all surfaces of the container. Place the flash on one side and point down, and place the camera on the opposite side. nine0003

8. Oil and abstraction

Oil smears spread over the surface of the water are a great idea for creating bright abstract photographs. This project uses the refractive quality of the oil to bring out and distort colors. All you need is to pour water into a transparent bowl and add a few drops of regular vegetable oil. Place the bowl approximately 25 cm above the table. Place multi-colored paper under the bowl, illuminate it with an ordinary table lamp or with a flash. nine0003

9. Oil reflections

This idea echoes the idea described in the paragraph above. But in this case, the color pattern is created using a colored overlay for the lamp, and not a multi-colored background. To begin, make a table lamp cover using solid colored paper, cling film, and duct tape. For safety, make sure the paper does not touch the light bulb. Place a container of water in front of a table lamp and add a few drops of oil to the water. Spread the oil on the surface, bring the camera as close as possible and shoot. nine0003

10. Psychedelic Soap Film

This project is a great idea for a bright desktop or abstract wallpaper for a wall. You will need liquid soap mixed with glycerin, this combination forms a resistant soap film. Arm yourself with a wire loop, a black background, and a macro lens like a 100mm. The colors formed by the soap film appear only at a certain angle of incidence of light. Position yourself near a window and find the right angle for shooting.

11. Refraction effect

Passing through water, light has the peculiarity of being distorted, i.e. refract, as a result, objects under water visually change their appearance. This phenomenon is called refraction, and we will use it as part of this small photo project. All you need is a few clear glasses, a flash, a tripod, and a background with a black and white pattern. Just place the glasses of water on the patterned background and shoot.

12. Macro photography in the kitchen

Your kitchen is the perfect place for macro photography. Its reflective surfaces can be used to create interesting backdrops for shots, and its shallow depth of field can transform the most mundane subjects. Putting a few pictures together can make for a great décor piece for your own kitchen, but before you start shooting, consider how the shots will resonate with each other. Our series consists of three photographs taken at the same angle and with the same depth of field. nine0003

13. Bokeh

Something as simple as a wrinkled piece of foil can easily become the basis for a beautiful photo project. Place your subject on the glass, and place a piece of dark material under the glass. Keep some ordinary kitchen foil in your hands, then straighten it and place it as a background. Direct the light from a table lamp or any other source onto the foil. With the camera on a tripod, open the aperture as wide as possible. Light up the foil with a flash while shooting. nine0003

14. Bokeh Bubbles

Small lights always create beautiful bokeh. The garland is perfect for this. Place the garland so far away that when the aperture is open, its bulbs are out of focus. The subject, in this case the glass, should be close to the camera and the focus should be on it. Position the garland itself in such a way that the bokeh eventually takes the form of multi-colored bubbles flying out of the glass. This technique is also used to create this flow of bokeh from mugs of hot drinks. nine0003

15. Light Paintings

Light streaks and light drawings can be used in a wide variety of genres of photography and are ideal for still lifes. To do this, you can use a simple flashlight, and to make the light less scattered, you can remove the top cover, thereby exposing the light bulb. Attach a piece of colored paper to the flashlight with electrical tape. Set your shutter speed to about 30 seconds and your aperture around f/8. While exposing the frame, make smooth circular movements around the bottle, drawing a spiral. nine0003

16. Light Spirals

Tie the lantern to a string and hang it from the ceiling. For this photo, you will need the widest lens you have in your arsenal. Mount your camera on a tripod and point it straight up at the ceiling. With the light on in the room, manually focus on the tip of the flashlight. Set your aperture to about f/11 - f/16, use Bulb mode and remote shutter release to shoot. Keep the shutter open for about a minute after launching the flashlight. nine0003

Ideas for Outdoors

17. Brenizer Effect Portraits

The Brenizer method, also known as portrait panorama or bockerama, provides an excellent basis for a series of portrait photographs. The method was invented by New York wedding photographer Ryan Brenizer. This technique allows you to create photos with the effect of an ultra-wide-angle lens. The meaning of this method is to create a series of photographs that, when stitched together, form a full-fledged frame. You can assemble the mosaic together using the Photomerge option in Photoshop or in a program designed for gluing frames. Use manual camera settings, from white balance to focus, so that all shots will have the same settings. Take 30-80 frames to create one photo, and do not forget that each subsequent frame should overlap the previous one by about a third. nine0003

18. In the right place with the wrong lens

Force yourself to see things differently. When you go for a walk with your camera, choose a lens that is the opposite of the one you would most likely take with you. Take a wide-angle lens to the zoo, for example, or limit yourself to a telephoto lens the next time you go out to photograph landscapes.

19. Landscapes piece by piece

Try to explore your surroundings in a new way by creating compositions from several fragments taken during a walk. Go outside for literally 20 minutes. Don't spend a lot of time on settings, just select aperture priority mode, don't take a tripod and various filters with you, give up intricate techniques. Take pictures of anything that grabs your attention. Upon returning home, create a document with a grid in Photoshop and insert the resulting images into its cells using layers. nine0003

20. Minimalist Landscapes

Instead of cramming the view in front of you into one boring shot, try shooting a series of minimalist landscapes at slow shutter speeds. The symmetrical composition and square format will help emphasize the simplicity of the frame. You will also need an ND filter, which will give you the ability to use long exposures throughout the day. Use a tripod and remote shutter release.

21. Starscapes

To capture the perfect starscape, you need a perfectly clear sky. It is desirable that the moon does not fall into the frame, otherwise many details may be lost. For a high-quality shot with clear, unblurred stars, you should photograph at fairly short shutter speeds, to do this, go to the manual setting mode, set the ISO value to about 1600 or 3200 and a shutter speed of two seconds. Even with these settings, you will have to set the aperture wide open: f/4 or even f/2.8. nine0003

22. Take pictures of things that never inspired you

Write a list of things or places that you find uninteresting, boring, or even ugly. Now force yourself to take attractive and interesting photographs of these unphotogenic places and objects.

23. Searching for an abstraction in a car park

You don't need to travel to distant countries to make an interesting photo project. Photo opportunities are plentiful, and even in a mundane place like a car park, it's possible to create something interesting. All you need for this project is a digital camera. Without focusing on technique, look for and photograph various textures, color combinations, curious shapes and ornaments. nine0003

24. Selective colors

Instead of using the notorious techniques to make the subject stand out from the rest of the frame (for example, when the main subject is left in color, and everything else is converted to black and white), try to choose a color and look for its embodiment in all its diversity peace. Draw attention to this color by using the right composition.

25. Night photography

Take night photography. Limit yourself to the use of additional light sources, take the maximum from the available lighting. nine0003

26. Optical illusions

As part of this project, we invite you to play with perspective, which affects the viewer's perception of the relationship between objects of different sizes that are in the frame. It's best to take as a basis objects whose sizes are known and not in doubt, and make them interact with larger objects in the background. For these kinds of photos, shoot with a small aperture to provide a greater depth of field. nine0003

27. Miniature world

Shoot miniature toys and models in the natural environment. Such projects are popular and very common today, in addition, there is nothing complicated in their implementation. Just take a small figure or toy with you and shoot it in different situations, anywhere and anytime: while traveling or on a walk or even on your way to work. In order for the figurine to blend into the surroundings, you should, firstly, shoot it from a close distance, and secondly, properly balance the lighting. nine0003

28. Create a tilt-shift effect

The well-known and beloved “toy town” effect is obtained by using a special expensive tilt-shift lens. But you can get a similar effect in Photoshop by blurring everything in a photo except for a small area where you want to focus. For greater believability, photograph from a hill and preferably in sunny weather.

29. Photo alphabet

No, we do not offer you to search for letters of the alphabet in the inscriptions on shops, road signs, etc. Instead, look for items and objects that are shaped like the letters of the alphabet. You should not go far for an example, let's take a children's swing on the playground. What does their frame look like from the end? That's right, the letter A. A curved river from a bird's eye view of the English letter S.

30. 1 to 100

Just like we suggested you create a photographic alphabet, you can expand this project a little and try to find illustrations for numbers.

31. Faces in strange places

Another simple and fun idea for a photo project. Sometimes we can observe how the usual things of our everyday life, and just the surrounding objects, have some similarities with a human face or take on a form that remotely resembles facial features. Learn to look at the world of things differently. For inspiration, check out the blog dedicated to this topic. nine0003

32. Orbit of light

Painting with light gives you endless possibilities for photography. But what about a series of shots with light orbits? You don't need sophisticated equipment. All you need is a bright, battery-powered LED light and a hoop to wrap the light around. Mount the camera on a tripod, choose the optimal shutter speed and just rotate the hoop.

33. Burning Steel Wool

For this project, make sure to shoot in an open area away from flammable objects. Put steel wool in a metal whisk and attach it to the chain. Then set fire to the wool and rotate the whisk on the chain, burning sparks will scatter around. You'll need a dedicated volunteer, a tripod, and a shutter speed of around 15 seconds at f/11 and ISO 100.

34. Movement of the car

For a change, try to capture the movement not from the outside of the car, but from the inside. Shooting, of course, should be at night. Ask a friend to drive smoothly and slowly on a well-lit road. Set the shutter speed to about 30 seconds. Place a tripod on the passenger seat and use the remote shutter release.

35. Intentional Mistakes

Make a list of the most common mistakes a photographer can make. And then try, deliberately making these mistakes, to create a beautiful photo. You may overexpose or underexpose a frame, crop your subject incorrectly, or focus on the background instead of the subject. nine0003

36. Cinemagraph

Create a series of animated Gifs illustrating subtle movement. This project requires a little work in Photoshop. You will have to create not just frames, but a video sequence, but the result may exceed all your expectations. You will need a tripod; the background should remain the same throughout the entire video sequence. Choose a scene in which some action happens continuously or cyclically so that the start and end points in the finished cinemagraph are not conspicuous. Record movement, such as the wind blowing the leaves on a tree. nine0003

37. Intentional camera movement

You are used to doing your best to make your photos as clear as possible. But to make a photo metaphorical and mysterious, try the opposite. With relatively slow shutter speeds, intentionally move the camera. Shoot in shutter priority mode. For inspiration, check out the work of British photographer Chris Friel (http://www.cfriel.com).

38. Retro effect

Various noises and distortions are very easy to add in Photoshop or Lightroom. As a result, you will get a more colorful and atmospheric photo, but you should think about its final style already during the shooting. The retro effect works well with simple, uncluttered photos where the subject is easily recognizable. nine0003

39. Time-lapse photography

Many of us may well find time to engage in time-lapse photography, which is on the verge of video and photography. The subject of shooting can, in fact, be any phenomenon of your daily life. Master this fascinating technique in 2015.

Long-term projects

40. Project 365

A classic project that requires you to take a photo a day for an entire year. There are two possible paths you can take: limit yourself to just one shot per day for a given project, or take multiple photos and then choose the best one. Can't spend that much time on photos? Then think about an alternative project for which you need to take photos per week, respectively, there will be 52 photos in total.

41. 50 strangers

This idea isn't new either, but that doesn't make it any less exciting. You should get acquainted, start a conversation with people you do not know, and then, with their permission, leave their portrait as a keepsake. The number of strangers you have to photograph is up to you. The most important thing is to overcome yourself and take the first step.

42. Project 50x50x50

It's simple: 50 days, 50 photos taken with a 50mm lens. An extremely simple project that will help develop your vision as a photographer. nine0003

43. Creative selfies

Of course, you can take self-portraits at home, but how boring! Why not challenge yourself to create a series of self-portraits outside the walls of your home? Check out a series of beautiful self-portraits by acclaimed photographer Vivian Maier. She portrayed herself as part of some big scene, playing with light, shadow and reflections. It will be easier for you if you choose a specific topic for the project, as, for example, photographer Alex Bamford did as part of his series of works called the 'Sleepwalking' project (http://www.alexbamford.com/sleepwalking). nine0003

44. The world under your feet

Every day at the same time of the day, take pictures of what is under your feet. Arm yourself with a wide-angle lens and look for new and interesting places.

45. Portraits without a face

Take portraits of different people, but do not include their faces in the frame. Try to convey their individuality in other ways. Use colors, environment, lighting, paraphernalia, and even parts of their body - especially their hands - all of which will help you expose their character to the viewer. nine0003

46. Photo game

Ask someone to write 30 things on paper cards. Things can be very different, but always easily accessible. At this time, you will describe 30 different aspects of photography (50mm, black and white photo, slow shutter speed, tilt-shift effect, etc.). Take a card from each pile and start the task.

47. Monochrome Month

The name of this idea gives exhaustive information. Force yourself to take exclusively black and white photographs, forget about color for a month. You will learn to see the most suitable scenes and subjects for shooting in black and white. This project will help you develop your vision. Shoot in Raw format, but change your camera settings in advance to monochrome mode. As a result, during the shooting, you will be able to see the scene already in black and white, and the picture itself will store all the color information. You can use this information to process the photo. nine0003

48. Four Seasons

Unlike the project, which involves shooting every day, here you have to shoot the same object every three months throughout the year. The idea of this project is to show the change of seasons. Choose your subject wisely, imagine in advance how the chosen scene will look after the transformation caused by the change of weather. A lone tree in a field is definitely the perfect fit for this project.

49. Geocaching

Download the geocaching app on your smartphone and head to the hiding place to artistically capture your surroundings. Do not photograph the cache itself, because you do not want the people who go looking for it to lose interest.

50.

Create a texture library

Textures can be used to give your photo a special look. You can apply texture to a photo in several ways, such as using the multiple exposure mode. It is much easier to use Photoshop for this purpose and apply textures through layers. Although you can find textures on the Internet, you will agree that it is much more pleasant to use your own. Wood, old crumpled paper, plaster peeling off the walls, and other things can serve as a great texture for your photo. nine0003

51. Pinhole photo

Turn your expensive camera into an analog of a pinhole camera and try to shoot without using newfangled technology.

52. Make a photo book

Base on the project you worked on last year. Think about the structure of the book, about the placement of photos on its pages. Try to distribute them according to color scheme, theme or style of execution.

Author: Marcus Hawkins

17/02/2015 Views : 579996 Source: digitalcameraworld. com Translation: Anastasia Rodriguez

PHOTOSHOOT IDEAS: TOP BEST STORIES FOR EVERY OCCASION

For many, a photo shoot is not just an ordinary event, but a whole event during which you can capture bright, memorable moments of life, spending time with your family, growing up children and even your own youth. nine0003

The resulting pictures will help to turn back time more than once, so any participant in a photo shoot wants the shots to be as catchy, emotional, and “real” as possible. And this is not easy to achieve.

Beautiful clothes, make-up, paraphernalia and even a professional photographer are not enough for the success of the event. The plot is also important. We invite you to get acquainted with the most winning images and ideas that will turn your photo shoot into an entertaining process. nine0003

Contents

1 Things to remember when planning a photo shoot idea
2 What a photo shoot could be like
3 Photo shoot ideas for a girl
4 Secrets and ideas for a family photo shoot
9025 Photo shoot ideas 5 Ideas for a man's photo shoot things to keep in mind when planning an idea for a photo shoot
The plot should always match the overall setting, the number of participants, the genre. Agree, shots with a model in the image of the 80s will look awkward if the shooting is done in an apartment “packed” with the latest technology or in the city center, where bright shop windows and modern transport flicker all the time. nine0003
Everything should be in harmony and blend in the pictures. This applies to everything: image, environment, attributes.

It is also important that the participants like the idea, and the image is suitable both from an aesthetic point of view and from their own vision. After all, who would want to see themselves in the photo as a pilot or stewardess, if the participant in the staged shooting is simply afraid to fly and could never even imagine himself in such a way? What emotions can a photo evoke in this case, even after a while? nine0003
It is better to give preference to stories that are interesting to you or that you may have dreamed about. This will significantly affect the process of the photo shoot and its result. Indeed, in this matter, natural emotions and a good mood are extremely important.

What a photo shoot can be like

Before jumping straight into ideas for a photo shoot, let's take a look at subjects and shooting styles. Today, already quite a wide classification is constantly supplemented by more and more new types, genres of photo shoots. The latter are constantly being modernized, intertwined, stimulating the emergence of dozens of directions. nine0003
We won't talk about all of them because there are too many of them. We list only the main and most popular:
- Portrait. It is one of the most popular genres. It involves shooting both one person and in full growth. The image can be anything. The same applies to the location of the photo session;
- Family photo. From the name it becomes obvious that this type of shooting is focused on photos with the participation of all family members. Often, the closest relatives are also attracted to the photo shoot, for example, grandparents; nine0244
- Fashion shooting. Typical for advertising fashion brands. Fashion photography can be attributed to the type of demonstration, selling shots of the fashion industry;
- Beauty. This genre is close to the one described above. The photos show close-ups of models to showcase professionally applied makeup. And sometimes it can be very unusual;
- Children's photo session. It involves photographing children of any age, from infancy; nine0244
- Street and city photography. The first one displays people, all kinds of objects, in general, everything that surrounds us on the street. Staging for street photography is not required, shooting is done "as is". Urban photography differs only in that the background is architecture;
- Wedding photography. During it, the newlyweds can be captured throughout the wedding day. It all depends on the "scenario" and the program of the event.