Back in June of 2010, I wrote a post about using your very own background or even a local park as a place to practice photography and build a creative eye. Today I still believe in this concept. From time to time I go out in my own front yard and backyard to take pictures. I do this to practice newly learned techniques, or to experiment with different camera settings, lighting and so forth. At this point I have probably taken pictures of just about everything that is in my front yard and backyard, but each time I retake a photograph it has a whole feel to it. The reason for that is because factors change. It could be different lighting, different angles, different location, different editing technique and so on.

We have a nice size backyard and plenty of objects to photograph or use. We have flowers, roses, lanterns, lights, cacti, bird houses, two canopies, a large table, two chair swings, two grills, a shed and of course the fencing. Each area of the our background presents some sort of challenge, such as lighting and /or composition. If you don’t have a large backyard and local park will also make a great place to practice. I do encourage everyone who has a backyard or a local park to get out there and photograph anything and everything. You will be amazed at the results you can achieve. After all, we are in an industry that is always changing and evolving, which means we must also do the same.

Here are the images that I shot this evening:

When I began photography I had no idea what I should be photographing. So there I was with my camera thinking to myself, what could I be photographing?. At that time nothing was coming to mind, so the only time I pulled out my camera was when I was heading to either the San Diego Zoo, Wild Animal Park or Seaworld. It was not until I received my first DSLR that I begin to look for things to photograph, after all who wouldn’t when you have such a fine piece of equipment in your hands. That’s when I discovered that my own background would become the Ultimate Practice Grounds.

We have a nice size background and plenty of objects to photograph or use. We have flowers, roses, lanterns, lights, cacti, bird houses, two canopies, a large table, two chair swings, two grills, a shed and of course the fencing. Each area of the our background presents some sort of challenge, such as lighting and /or composition. The goal when backyard shooting is to not move anything, and use your brain instead. For example, if you want to photograph a flower, but you keep getting an ugly backdrop try moving five steps to the left and then five steps to the right. This changes your composition which may help you avoid that ugly backdrop. Another example, if want to photograph a flower, but half of that flower is in shadow and the other half is in direct sunlight what do you do? At this point you can begin to learn how to modify light in your favor. You can use a flash to fill in the shadows, you can use a reflector to fill in the shadows, or you can use an object to block or diffuse the direct sunlight. All are possibilities.

I do encourage everyone who has a backyard or a local park to get out there and photograph anything and everything and put use some of the examples I listed above. You will be amazed at the results you can achieve. Still to this day, I use my own background as a practice ground and I still continue to learn new things. After all, we are in an industry that is always changing and evolving, which means we must also do the same.