You don’t always need a lot of gear to be creative with photography. Even if you’re stuck at home, which is the case for many of us these days, you can have a lot of fun with just one light and your camera.
Self-study versions of ten of our most of most popular and free online photography classes are now available. Each of these classes is a great way to stretch your mind and put your skills to the test.
Taking a portrait with only one light source
This portrait was lit only with a softbox, which shows how flexible it is to work with a single light source.
Portrait photography is a great way to pass the time when you’re stuck at home with your spouse or a friend. You can choose from a few different ways to take a one-light portrait. They all use standard, low-cost equipment and can be done in a small studio or outside.
Use a flash for photos taken in natural light
This is an example of a creative portrait taken with only one Speed lite and a mix of natural light and flash.
If you have the chance, take some portraits outside in the garden or in a nearby park. You can take these portraits with a studio light or a Speed lite. This is a great chance to see how well you know how to use flash and how aperture and shutter speed work together.
A challenge for taking photos of still life.
Still, life photography makes it easy to be creative, and you don’t need a lot of gear to get started.
Try out different still-life photography ideas to see how many different ways you can take a picture of the same object I did for my live performance “Lighting Control: The Egg Challenge.” You can test your lighting control with just one thing and devise many different ways to use light.
This bubble image is a fun way to show your artistic side, and it’s not as hard to take as you might think. Take a cue from product photographer Jonathan Knowles’s famous O2 Bubbles photo and try this arrangement. You only need a camera, a Speedlight, and a fuel tank.
All you need is some liquid and light for a fun and unique way to test your knowledge.
Taking simple splash pictures like this is fun to play around with light and flash speed. When only one light source is needed, there are many ways to be creative. You can make your “Liquid Art and Motion” live show more enjoyable by coloring the liquid or putting glasses in it. If you don’t have enough room to squirt juice around, you can also try the quick and easy splash shot in the video below. It only needs one Speed lite.
As you can see from these two photos, you don’t need more than one studio light to take good pictures of products. Even if the shoot is easy, it’s a great chance to push your creativity. You can try out different best friend (BFF) photoshoot ideas, colors, and arrangements to see what you can come up with.
