Often we go places and look only at the big picture. In the mountains, we look at all of the peaks instead of seeing that small patch of mushrooms growing on the side of a nearby fallen tree trunk. Even in our own backyard flower beds, we only see the flowers, and almost always miss the ladybug on a blade of grass right underneath it. Finding new subjects to shoot is the cheapest part of photography. You do not have to buy a single new piece of photo equipment, nor do you need higher education. In fact, the ONLY thing that it does require is a few more minutes of your time, and only enough to stop and really look around you. It isn't enough to just "look" at things though. You have to "see" them for a change. The old saying; "Stop and smell the roses" is not just a collection of words. For the serious photographer it is a way of life. You can't take a picture if you don't see what's there, and you can't sell a picture if you don't take it. Like good composition, you have to look and see everything that is around you. Not just what is in front of your nose. For those of you who need a jump-start, I have composed a list of 150 photo subjects, and/or themes. It was meant to be 101 items for my own subject ideas, but I kept finding more and more things to add, the more I looked. (In fact I ended up with over 300 subjects that I edited down to those here that relate mainly to travel and nature for TPN readers.) This will happen to you as well. The more you learn how to see, the more things you will find to shoot. In fact, if you stick with it you will find yourself with more things to shoot than you have time to shoot them. Then you will have a new thing to complain about - but better too many subjects to shoot than too few. It is best to create your own list though. That way it will be tailored to your personal likes. I have found that the best way to create your own subject list is to first pick a "theme" to work from. One of my personal favorites is "old things." From there all you need to do is start writing down all of the old things you can think of. (Mother-in-laws are optional.) Just thinking about all of the old things that are in your own hometown should fill most of a page right there. As you fill the list for your first theme you will see how easy it is to find new subjects to shoot for other themes as well. You will probably even be amazed at how simple an idea it really is. It's not even anything that requires practice. Subjects just seem to flow right to a good theme. After you get all of your subjects listed and start going out to shoot a few of them, you will probably find out that you could also create a sub-list for most of them. As each of my illustrations here shows, there can be many variations to each main subject. "Old cars" can mean classics in a custom car show, or what's left of one in a junkyard. "Seasonal" can be snow covered trees, or a funny Halloween scarecrow. "People" can be people, or a local costume one wears. "Architecture" can be a church temple that looks more like fortress walls. "Dunes" can work for shadows and/or curves, and carnival rides at night can turn into great special effects. One theme can include many different subjects, just like one subject can relate to many different themes, therefore, the different things you will find to photograph just keep multiplying. "There goes your excuse to stay home again!" Learning to find new subject matter will also mean learning to see those subjects in all of their forms, and working on new ways to capture them. A lot of subjects may seem easy to shoot at first, but that is a fairy tale. I mean, how hard could it be to photograph a two-week old lion cub? I found out it's about like shooting a two-year old child that does not want to be there. With the little one shown here, every time I'd lay down to get on his level, he'd get right up, come over and climb up on top of me, or lay down under my arm. This kind of subject will also teach you how to shoot "real fast." Make up a pocket size list and take it along on all of your travel, and vacation trips. You will be amazed at all of the new things you will notice, that you probably otherwise would have just walked past. Subject lists are not just a way to keep from getting bored either. Many of the shots I ended up with in my files from these subject themes have paid a lot of bills. The flower and the carnival shot here have been used on magazine covers, and Nikon used this dune image on one of their web pages. The lion cub was used on one promo postcard, and the Knoxville Zoo used six other images from these day-shoots in a postcard pack. Working with subject themes is not just a great way to find more things to shoot, but you could even make it pay some bills at the same time. GOOD SHOOTING! My "Photographer's jump-start" list of ideas
About the AuthorPaul W. Faust is a self-taught Photographer, Writer, Digital Imaging, Photo Restoration, and Photo Stock Service professional. His work has been published in American Photographer, Camera 35, Camera and Darkroom, Popular Photography, Photographic, Photographers Forum, www.apogeephoto.com and here at TPN. Past assignments have included many cover images, full-page spreads, and also shooting stills for both Hollywood movie sets, and for star hopefuls including Bo Derick, Heather Locklear, and Pricilla Barns, among others. Paul's images have also been used by; NikonNet, Bogen Photo Imaging, East Tennessee Film Commission, and The Knoxville Zoo, to name a few, including their web sites. Paul can be reached at pwf_iol@yahoo.com If you have any comments regarding the TPN articles, please contact us at: editor@travelphotographers.net.
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