101 Things to Photograph (with examples & exercises!)
Today, I’m sharing 101 things to photograph when you feel you’ve got absolutely nothing in front of you you can take a picture of!
This post was inspired by one of my Auto to Awesome students, who wrote to me saying she didn’t feel she had anything “good” around her to take photos of.
And she’s most definitely not alone - we’ve ALL had that feeling like there is absolutely nothing around us to photograph (or that we’ve just photographed it all already) so we need to get ourselves off to an exciting location, or visit a new place just in order to find something.
The truth is, there is always things to photograph, both at home, or in your local area. It doesn’t matter where you live, what your house is like, or whether you live in a built up location like a city or near a park; there WILL be countless subjects worth taking a photo of….you just have to open your eyes to them!
That said, I also know that sometimes we just need a gentle little nudge (or an almighty kick up the rear end) in order to even start thinking about things to photograph. This is where this list comes in!
You can simply have a look through the list and choose one of the subjects, or better yet, start at the top and work your way down, only ignoring the ones you really don’t have any access to, for example at a beach and you’re about 6 hours away from the nearest one.
I’ve given you examples for several of these suggestions, but not all, because 101 photos would slow the page down so much that you’d give up 😁
To make up for it, there’s also links scattered throughout for activities that you can do that can unlock your creativity (and give you even more example photos) plus links to “how to” blog posts, so there’s a lot more than just a simple list here!
One final thing I want to say: for all of these subjects, it’s not the subject that makes the photo, it’s the person holding the camera. I can (when in the mood) create an interesting photos of just about anything, because I understand light, and how to get the look I want with my settings, and how to use what’s around me to create a more interesting composition.
Those things are the backbone of ANY photo, so make sure you spend time getting to know them - you can make a start today by downloading our free camera settings cheat sheet!
Got that?! Then let’s crack on with the list of 101 things to photograph when you’re stuck:
#1 Lego Figures
These little toys make such wonderful subjects, mainly because you can totally “humanize” them like in the image below. Think about how you can put them in “real world” situations, and you’ll have a wealth of options right in front of you!
#2 Children’s Toys or Dolls
Lego figures are great, but just about any toys or figurines can make excellent subjects. The trick is to think about how you can incorporate light and shadow into the image to lift it from being just an everyday image.
One of my favourite ever photographers for this type of work is the fantastic Melissa Gibson - go check out that link and you’ll see some examples from her blog to inspire you!
#3 Christmas Lights
It’s coming up to Christmas as I write this so you’ll have lots of options soon! Think about the different ways you can capture the lights - perhaps creating light bokeh, or intentionally blurring the light, or creating beams of light, or even making your own “shaped” bokeh. Check out this Christmas Light Photography post which will give you some ideas and how to’s!
#4 Shadows (great for sunny days)
Just photographing the shadows can make a really interesting photograph - why not head out and see what shapes you can see on the ground?
#5 Street Lights
Get out at night and photograph the street lights around you, and whatever they illuminate!
#6 Pets
Lucky enough to have a pet? Then you have a built in model! (Fair warning though, I’m not sure what’s harder to photograph, pets or toddlers. Just sayin’)
#7 The Sky at Sunrise or Sunset
Head out at the golden hour (the hour before sunset or the hour after sunrise) and point your camera up at the sky. Hopefully you’ll see some gorgeous clouds and colours!
#8 Birds
No pets or interesting animals around you? Then there are bound to be birds (again, they don’t have to be “fancy” birds, a pigeon will do in a pinch!) Even a flock of birds is good - this image has both sky and birds so you can tick 2 off your list in one :)
#9 Single fruit
A really common subject for painters is a piece of fruit, such as a pear or apple. Put it in interesting light, or spray it with water to get droplets on the skin.
#10 Bowl of fruit
Larger bowls of fruit make great still life subjects, or bowls containing smaller fruits like strawberries or blueberries.
#11 Marbles
You can get such beautiful marbles that they are wonderful to photograph on their own (especially if you have a macro lens) or group together for a texture style shot, or just photograph a bowl of marbles with a few lying around too.
#12 Hands
If you have someone available to photograph but they don’t like getting their photograph taken, why not photograph just their hands? They can tell so much about a person! This is great for older people, as the hands show the age (despite how much bloody hand cream I apply)
#13 Shells
As I live near a beach I’m always picking up little shells, and they make great things to photograph!
#14 Jewellery
Got some interesting jewellery, or a family heirloom? Photograph it!
#15 Interesting textures
Have a walk around your home and neighbourhood and specifically look for textures such as a rusty door, some wood or tree bark, iron etc
#16 Ornaments
Just like with toys, ornaments can make great subjects, especially if they are in human form, as again, you can humanise them! I haven’t done that with this image below (I used Christmas lights to create that backdrop, see number 3 on this list) but now I think about it, that’s what I’m going to do next time!
#17 Outdoors shooting in
Another great idea is to photograph one of your rooms from outside looking in. This could be from outside the house completely - perfect for when it’s dark out and you have lights on in the room, or just the dark landing peeking into a lit room. Keep some of the doors or windows in the shot to frame it.
#18 Indoors shooting out
Now go the other way and photograph what’s outside your window, keeping the window frame in the shot to act as a frame and reference point.
#19 Silhouette
You can take a silhouette shot indoors, but you might find it easier to head outside and capture a silhouette, particularly at sunrise or sunset.
This doesn’t need to be of a person, a tree or other type of recognisable structure will work too! (Not sure how to get a silhouette? Check this out)
#20 Your daily chores
Since that seems to be what 90% of every day consists of, you’ll often find me photographing chores like cooking, emptying the dishwasher, or like below, ironing! Why not try capturing a day in your life as a photography project?
#21 Leaves on indoor plant
Wander around your house and grab an interesting pot plant. Photograph the leaves (maybe even as a macro close up) or the whole plant. Spray water on them to get water droplets to add even more interest.
#22 Leaves on trees
Nothing interesting inside? Then head out and find the nearest tree! How can you use the light available to make the leaves look more interesting? Try shooting the shadows of the leaves too!
#23 Tall grass
Tall grasses and reeds also make wonderful subjects - particularly during the golden hour!
#24 Everyday Scenes
Some of my favourite photos are of my everyday scenes - like this pre-baking scene. You’ll never run out of things to photograph this way!
#25 Windows
If you can find interesting windows, such as stained glass windows on a church, or a porthole style one, or one with paint gently peeling of it, all the better!
#26 Glass bottles or jars
These can look so pretty if you can use the light to catch off the glass.
#27 Rain
Horrible rainy day? try capturing the rain - get people walking past with their umbrellas, or the rain on the window pane.
#28 Your Lenses!!
I love my little lens babies and photograph them all the time…
#29 Footprints
If you are anywhere muddy, or down the beach, have a look for footprints and use them as a leading line.
#30 Roads
Try photographing a road at a place where it is safe to do so - getting down and shooting low will give you a nice triangle shape! Or find a winding road and photograph it from above to lead the viewer’s eye through the frame.
#31 Kitchen Utensils (e.g fork)
A lot of people take macro photos of kitchen utensils, but you don’t have to go macro! For example, you can use a kitchen colander to create wonderful dappled light.
#32 Your lunch / dinner / breakfast
I love my food, so my meals it’s another source of inspiration for me. (I don’t normally eat this well though - I must have been on one of my health kicks when this was taken!)
#33 Indoor Staircases
You can get some really interesting staircases! Try going to the top and photograph the stairs as you look down.
#34 Wildlife (such as squirrels / frogs / spiders)
I’m not a big wildlife photographer, but you can also capture some local wildlife - this is obviously going to depend where in the world you are!
#35 Zoo Animals
If you want something more exotic (and you have one local) head to the zoo instead!
#36 The Humble Egg
One of my favourite exercises is the 10 photos of 1 subject, and my favourite subject for it is the egg! You can see more example photos taken of the humble egg at that link!
#37 Front door
What’s going on at your front door? Just photograph the door itself - particularly good for Christmas or Halloween when the door is decorated in some way.
#38 Outdoor Steps
Head out into your local community and find some steps - either photograph just the steps themselves, or the steps and where they lead to.
#39 Flowers (from a florist)
Head to the florist and pick yourself up a bunch of flowers - hours worth of interesting subjects right there!
#40 Flowers (outdoors in nature)
Of course, you don’t need to go to a florist, just head out to your garden, or a local park. Look for interesting textures and colours.
#41 Street photography
Head to the town or city centre and just capture what’s going on in the streets. Check out these photos by Kevin Kargel for inspiration!
#42 Marina
Lucky enough to live near a marina? Photograph the boats and people there!
#43 Boat
Of course you don’t need a whole marina full of boats, just one will do, on water, or beached on the dock. Heck, we even have a old boat in our local playpark that will do in a pinch.
#44 Vegetables
Let’s get back inside shall we? Vegetables are another source of interesting textures - try photographing them with contrasting colours for even more of a punch!
#45 Reflections
Just like with shadows, photos with reflections can be really interesting. Have a look for shiny surfaces and see what you can find!
#46 Candles
Grab a candle, light it, and turn out the lights for an interesting play of light and shadow.
#47 Sweets
Who doesn’t love a good sweet! And the array of colours, textures and shapes make them really interesting subjects.
#48 Your morning coffee / evening hot chocolate
Pretty darn self explanatory this one!
# 49 Shoes
Most wedding photographers will take photos of the brides shoes - try it with your own footwear!
#50 Kitchen at night
When everyone else has gone to bed, take a photo of the kitchen with just lamp or cupboard lights.
#51 Light from the refrigerator
Whilst you’re there, open up the fridge and let the light spill out into the dark room.
#52 Your oven
Oooh, another kitchen appliance! (it’s dinner time, so maybe I have the kitchen on the brain)
Photograph the contents of your oven, just use the oven light as the light source.
#53 Bubbles
Love photographing bubbles when the light catches them and creates all those beautiful colours you see below.
#54 Snow
Live in a part of the world where you get snow? Photograph a winter wonderland scene, or the snow on a branch.
#55 Ice
If you have a macro lens you can get amazing shots of ice! I’ve never quite managed this myself but it’s on my bucket list :)
#56 Rocks or stones
I tend to find interesting or nicely coloured stones and photograph them in situ, whilst lying on my tummy!
#57 Mirrors
Go for a selfie like the image below, or just photograph your room through the mirror.
#58 Smoke
Photograph the smoke from a cigarette, or a fire.
#59 Steam
Capture the steam rising when cooking, or from your morning brew!
#60 Moonlight
Get outside when there’s a full or 3/4 moon and photograph either the moon itself, or something from the light of the moon.
#61 Water from a sprinkler or hose
Turn on the hose or sprinkler and photograph the water.
#62 Waterfalls
Try using a slow shutter speed to get a blurred water effect.
#63 Pathways or trails
Find a path or trail and use that to lead the viewers eye into the scene.
#64 Abandoned Buildings (be careful that these are SAFE)
If you have an abandoned building nearby, and it’s safe to photograph there, you can often get interesting photos of windows, broken glass, weeds growing out of areas, items left behind and so on. Just be careful!
#65 Puddles
Get down low and photograph the reflection on a puddle.
#66 TV
What are you watching? Photograph what’s on the TV, or the room by the light from just the TV.
#67 Clouds
Point the camera at the sky and photograph the clouds.
#68 Farm Animals
Head to a local farm and capture the animals there.
#69 Panning
Panning is when you move your camera along with a fast moving subject, so that the subject is crisp, but the background is blurred (often used in motorsports!)
#70 Family heirlooms
Got a family heirloom? Challenge yourself to take an interesting photo of it.
#71 Indoor Fire
If you’re lucky enough to have a roaring fire, capture it!
#72 Sea / Ocean
I live by the coast, so the sea is a great source of inspiration for me, because it can look sweet and peaceful or menacing depending on the weather!
#73 Aquarium
My son used to love an aquarium, so I’ve got more pictures of fish that I know what to do with, but aquariums are amazing places to photograph. All that low light, beautiful colours, and all the subjects you could want floating around in front of you!
#74 Glass buildings
Head back to the city and find a modern glass building - they are great for reflections.
#75 Mealtimes
In case you haven’t figured this out by now, even daily “events’ like mealtimes can produce amazing images! Try to capture your next mealtime in a documentary way.
#76 Bathtime
Ditto for bathtime, either yours or the kids.
#77 Archways
These can be indoors or outdoors, and are great for using framing for your composition!
#78 Hobbies
What hobbies do you have (other than photography!) - go forth and capture it!
#79 Campfire
Get around the campfire, and toast up a few marshmallows!
#80 Car trails
Use a slow shutter speed to capture the trails of light by cars. (find out more about how to photograph motion blur here)
#81 Self Portrait
You always have at least one subject - yourself! Learn how to take a self portrait here.
#82 Portraits
Bribe your child, mother, sister or friend into letting you take their portrait. You can experiment with both indoors and out.
#83 Clothing
Do you have a beautiful piece of clothing? Photograph it!
#84 Photos
Get a pile of old photographs and photograph THEM - you could just have them in a pile on a table, hang them on a washing line, have someone hold them….
#85 Other People’s Feet
Lie down on the ground on your tummy and photograph the world from this angle!
#86 Signs
Look around for interesting signs, place names, or use the sign as a leading line into a view.
#87 Sliced Fruit
Take some fruit like a lemon or lime, and slice into it. You can also pop the fruit into a glass of fizzy soda like lemonade, and photograph the way the bubbles cling to the fruit.
#88 Statues
Statues also make wonderful human subjects when you don’t have real human to hand. Move around the statue and see which angle is best to photograph from.
#89 Your Feet!
Point the camera at the ground - what’s at your feet. It could be a pile of autumn leaves, your pretty shoes, lush green grass or chalk paintings or sayings.
#90 Cafe / Eating Out
Head to your local cafe and photograph what’s going on inside - just sit at a table and capture the world in of the cafe!
#91 - Pencils
Grab a bunch of pencils, and photograph them, either the smaller details of one pencil, or as a bouquet.
#92 - Colours
Look around you for colours in nature that work together, either in harmonious or contrasting colours schemes.
#93 - The Sun (BE CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE!!)
Capture a starburst with the sun in the frame but be extra, extra, extra careful NOT TO LOOK AT THE SUN THROUGH YOUR VIEWFINDER. You will damage your eyes, and you don’t want that. Check out how to create a starburst here.
#94 - Find the alphabet
This is an age old photography project - find all the letters of the alphabet and photograph them. For example, a tree trunk might create a Y shape, or you find the C in some railings, or an L in the corner of a window frame. Off you go!
#95 - Cityscape
Get somewhere high, like a hill or climb a local monument, and capture the city below you. You can also do this at night when it’s all lit up (remember your tripod!)
#96 - Your Home
If you had to photograph your home for a design magazine, how would you do it? It’s an interesting exercise AND it forces you to move that pile of laundry from the living room chair where it’s lived since 2010.
#97 Water and Oil
Sometimes the simplest things to photograph are the best! Just grab a clear bowl of water, and add some olive oil! Put a colourful scarf or dishtowel underneath it to create beautiful colours, like in the image below.
#98 - Light Bokeh
Grab a bunch of fairy lights and set them up over a backdrop. Take ANY subject - for example, a hot drink, jar of cookies, doll, santa ornament, and photograph the subject with the lights blurred into circles in the background.
#99 - Drinks
Make yourself a cocktail or grab a whisky, and photograph the drink. Mix up the light sources to try different things!
#100 - Go intentionally out of focus.
Turn off the focus on your lens and photograph the world around you slightly out of focus. Move the focus ring to experiment with having everything so out of focus it becomes unrecognizable, or just slightly soft and blurred.
#101 - Use Tablet Light
Grab your iPad or laptop, and photograph someone using the tablet, or prop up a toy in front of it. Use the light from the tablet only!
Gosh, that was like a brain vomit of 101 things to photograph - I hope it helps you out next time you feel stuck about what to photograph, both in home or just around you.
The CRUCIAL thing to remember is that the subject does not make the photo. The location does not make the photo. The camera and lens do not make the photo.
YOU do. Your knowledge of what camera settings to use, how to use the available light effectively, and how to add a little bit of wow with your composition is what’s important. And of course, a little bit of creativity 😉
But most importantly, don’t forget to join us in Auto to Awesome the next time the doors are open for enrollment! (It might be sooner than you think 😉😉😉)
Auto to Awesome is our step by step framework for mastering your camera, light and composition, so that you can take photos that you love, and your friends can’t stop raving about….no matter what the subject is :)
Until next week,
Audrey xx
P.S Got any questions, or any other things to photograph you’d like to add to the list? Pop ‘em in the comments below, or come say hi over on Instagram!
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