Your first home photoshoot | Photography tips

Tips for successful photography at home...

Regular readers will already be aware of our fantastic Happiness Project. We have put together a wealth of creative ideas for you and the family to give you plenty to do during lockdown. Check out some of them here.

One aspect of the project is our Photo Challenge Competition. We will publish a series of photographic challenges and you will be able to enter your photographs for as many of the challenges as you would like. There will be gold, silver and bronze prizes and special junior entry winners for each challenge.

As part of our competition we have produced a free guide on Top Photography Tips, written by our Creative Director Alicia Hall. You can learn about how to plan and take a really good photograph, and have fun while doing it.

We do hope that our photo challenge competition will spark your interest in photography generally, and that you will want to do it more and more.

At Venture we are passionate about photography, in particular its unique power to tell a story. This is what our photography experiences are designed to do. To tell a story: your story. We have a range of photography experiences to celebrate your unique current circumstances.

For example:

• Individual
• Family
• Mother and daughter (includes styling)
• Babies - including newborns
• Pets
• Cars
• Motorbikes

We hope to welcome you at one of our special experiences once lockdown is over. But in the meantime, why not have a go at setting up a home photoshoot?

Here are five key things to remember for your home photoshoot:

Equipment

This is a great opportunity to use the best equipment that you have, whether this is a digital camera or iPad or phone. Make sure that your kit is clean and fully charged and that you are familiar with the various settings available. It’s a good idea to practise beforehand so that you will be confident about what you are doing.

Setting

It’s your photoshoot so choose the best setting for it. If you are taking photographs inside the home then make sure there is as much natural light as possible. If this is not enough light, you will need to use any combination of your main room lights, other available lighting such as fairy lights or candles, and/or flash. Be careful what is in the background of your photographs. Remove anything that does not need to be there, but also make sure that anything relevant to the story is kept in and can be seen.

If you and your family are outdoor types then why not choose to have your photoshoot in the garden? There will be great natural light to work with, and a variety of colourful backgrounds to choose from. Or, if you're spending time in the front garden we've also created a great guide on how to take the perfect doorstep selfie; check out the video below:

   

Props

Good props can make a huge difference to the success of your photoshoot. At Venture we actively encourage our clients to bring props that are relevant to their story. So ask your family to gather their favourite props, ready for action. Whether this is sporting equipment, toys, pets, musical instruments, baking items or various technical gadgets, you want to feature items that capture the personality of each person in your photograph.

People

This is the hard bit! Many people don’t like their photograph being taken and may start to act - and look - unnatural in front of the camera. In a Venture photography experience our skilled photographers take plenty of time to get to know each person and put them at their ease. So in a home photoshoot, even though you already know the people, start by having some fun with them to get them relaxed. Maybe put some music on and get them dancing, or play a silly game or ask everyone to tell their favourite joke. Anything to make them feel at ease.

Why not also check out our series of videos with tips from Alicia Hall about how to get the best out of people in front of a camera? For example, the video below has some great ideas about how to photograph young children.

   

Taking the shot

Only when you are happy with all the above should you then give your full attention to taking your shot. Check out Alicia’s photography tips for how to get that truly great shot. And remember, if you get a photograph that you just know we will love, why not enter it in our fabulous photography competition?

We hope that your home photoshoot goes well, and that you enjoy learning more about photography with the help of all of us at Venture Studios.

Do check back here soon for more photography and creative tips from Venture Studios.