10 Ways to Work on Photography While Confined to Your House /  by Todd Henson

Sometimes we’re stuck at home, unable to get out and about as usual. Perhaps this puts a damper on some of our photographic pursuits. But that doesn’t mean we have to completely put aside photography during this time. There are photographic activities we can pursue right in our own house, and below I share 10 ideas to keep you active.

Reading

Read a book, any book.

This could be a great opportunity to catch up on some reading. Pull out some of your photography books and pore over the amazing images. Spend some time on each photograph. What is it you like about this photograph? And why not pick up some non-photography books also? Perhaps you have a book about painting? Or architecture? Or even some great non-fiction and fiction books that could provide inspiration and ideas for your photography? Just start reading.

Education

If you have time at home you may want to consider taking some online classes. You could learn a new skill or improve on an existing one. There are lots of sources of great education out there, such as CreativeLive, KelbyOne, and YouTube.

Learn Your Gear

Pull out your camera and manual and start getting to know your gear.

Now may be a good time to pull out that camera manual you never read. Start going through it, learn some of the features you never knew your camera had. Practice with your gear, learn the placement of all the controls so well you can use them in the dark.

Learn About Light

With time on your hands you could setup a small photoshoot to practice with lighting, both natural and artificial using whatever lights and modifiers you have available. Learn how light falls on different subjects. Change the angle of the light, position it closer or further from the subject, control the intensity of the light. Watch the subject throughout the day as the sun changes position. Notice how all this changes the look of the subject and the scene.

Photography Projects

Work on photography projects right in your house, such as this matcha display.

There are plenty of things around the house you could photograph. Think outside the box, find things you may not usually photograph. Try photographing a cup of coffee or tea. Maybe photograph a book shelf or a set of stairs. Bring out a bottle of wine to photograph. Come up with small projects you can work on right here at home. Consider it practice. Have fun experimenting and learning.

Clean Your Gear

When was the last time you cleaned your gear?

When was the last time you cleaned the outside of your gear or the glass of your lenses? Maybe it’s time to clean your sensor. Bring out your blowers, brushes, and lens wipes and get cleaning.

Reorganize Your Gear

Where do you store your gear? Is it clean and organized, or could it use a little tidying up? What about your camera bags? Are they full of too much stuff accumulated over the years? Is there a better way to reorganize their dividers? Let’s get organized.

Post-processing

This is a perfect time to work on your back catalog, processing photos you maybe have been meaning to, but just haven’t gotten to yet. It’s also a great time to organize your catalog, tag and rate your photos, etc.

Learn Your Software

Try something new with your photography software.

There’s always something new to learn with software these days. And I find it’s also good to practice things I’ve done before to be sure I remember how. So spend some time with your software. Pick an image, any image, and try to learn a new feature. Experiment. Play. Have fun.

Brainstorm

Maybe you can’t head out now and photograph, but you can brainstorm ideas for when you are able to get out. Take some time and consider ideas for future photographs or projects. Make some plans. Think about things you’d like to photograph. What time of day would work well in that location and with that subject? What season? Maybe research locations you’ve yet to visit.

I hope this list has given you some ideas of ways to stay active and productive even if you can’t leave your house. There’s almost always something we can do to keep learning, to better our craft and better ourselves.

Keep learning. Have fun. And stay positive and healthy!

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Cherry Blossoms by the Jefferson Memorial /  by Todd Henson

Cherry Blossoms by the Jefferson Memorial

Spring has come to the region and it’s the time of year when many flowering trees bloom, such as the famous cherry trees in Washington, DC. There are usually many events surrounding the cherry trees, most associated with the annual Cherry Blossom Festival. But this year will be different. Many, if not all, of the events have been cancelled. I don’t know what the scene will look like this year, and I don’t expect I’ll be a part of it, but I thought I’d share how the scene looked in the Spring of 2011.

This photo was taken on April 2, 2011, along the shore of the Tidal Basin facing the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. I liked how the cherry blossoms reached overtop the paved path, hanging over the water, with people walking below them, sometimes stopping to photograph a group of blossoms. I was pleased to capture a couple of paddle boats in the scene. And I chose to partially obscure the Jefferson Memorial with the cherry blossoms. On this day there was still construction at the waterfront of the memorial. I’d have liked to capture an image without construction, but it doesn’t stand out too much, and it is what it is.

Overall, I’m pleased with the outcome, though I worry I may have done too much in post-processing. I worked on this image more than I do most, trying to create a realistic impression of the scene, but also push it a bit, trying for a more three dimensional look, enhancing contrast and color. It’s always a fine line when trying to create art as an idealized view of life, reflecting more what we felt at the time than exactly what we saw.

Let me know in the comments below whether you feel I pushed too far in post, or whether you think it works as it is. Would you have done anything differently?

Wherever you are I wish you well. Stay safe, and stay healthy!

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

The Building of a Doomed Nest /  by Todd Henson

An osprey returns to find the previous years nesting site destroyed by strong storms.

It’s early March as I write this, and having been out hiking and driving near the bay this weekend I’m realizing it’s almost time for the osprey to return and begin nesting. Each year they arrive in Northern Virginia in early spring to freshen up existing nests or build new ones. They stay through the summer raising the next generation, before once again heading south to warmer waters.

Branch in talons, the osprey surveys the surrounding area.

Returning osprey most often reuse the same nest from the previous season. It saves them a lot of work. They just need to repair any damage that’s occurred since they left, adding a new layer of nesting material. But sometimes they return to find their nest gone. This weeks post looks at such a situation.

Wings extended, the osprey flies back to its nest site with a new branch.

This pair of osprey had, many years back, found a perfect nest location, the top of a duck hunters blind sitting in the waters of the bay just offshore of a wildlife refuge. Year after year they returned and reused this location. In some years there might be a horrendous storm that blew the nest apart, but most years the osprey were successful in raising their young.

The osprey lifts off after dropping another branch on the doomed nest.

This particular year, though, they returned to find not only the nest, but the entire hunters blind destroyed. Strong storms had collapsed the structure, leaving just a small pile of boards sticking out of the water. But being very persistent and tenacious, the osprey attempted to rebuild the nest upon their return that spring.

This photo shows how close civilization is, with large expensive homes along the distant shoreline, as the osprey flies in with another branch.

These photos show one of the osprey pair attempting to build the nest before its mate returned to the area. Unfortunately, the entire process was doomed to failure. There just wasn’t enough of the structure left to provide a suitable base for the nest. And the collapsed blind was too close to the water. We can get some strong storm surges in this area that would easily engulf the new nest.

Wings extended, the osprey lands atop the collapsed duck blind with a branch.

I don’t know where this specific pair of osprey ended up nesting after this failed attempt, so I also don’t know if they were successful that year. But given nature’s strong push to survive and reproduce I’m hopeful they made a successful go of it. The surrounding area is always home to many nests of these miraculous birds, and I hope it stays that way. I return each year to observe the osprey, and look forward to doing the same this year.

In this photo we see the osprey flying in with another branch, with the houses on the distant shore and a couple people fishing from a boat in the waters of the bay.

Looking back, though, I do miss that location. It was very close to the path along the shore, so us photographers and nature enthusiasts had great opportunities to observe nesting osprey behavior up close. I recall watching young osprey being fed and attempting to fledge from that nest. I’ve not yet found a site as perfect as that one, but I keep looking, and hoping.

Zoomed out a little, we can see how little remains of the duck blind as the osprey attempts to rebuild a nest that will never produce any young.

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!