Winter Photography Projects: Photographing Winter Birds
35. Photograph Winter Birds in Your Garden
For a spot of wildlife photography from the comfort of your home, try this. Choose a vantage point from one of your windows that offers a good view of your garden. Set up your camera on a tripod, with a long zoom lens attached, and frame up on a selected area of the garden – preferably one that gives you a natural background such as plants or grass, rather than, say, a brick wall. (For best image quality shoot through a slightly open window, rather than through the glass.)
To maximise your chances of getting good shots set out a bird table with some food on, but for natural-looking shots don’t point your camera at this, but at a nearby tree branch or twig where the birds may stop en route. Now, from your camera position, keep an eye on your chosen spot, but keep very still and avoid sudden movements that may scare the birds away.
36. Shoot a Group Family Photo, Print and Frame it
When was the last time you had a family photograph that was good enough to put on the wall? If the answer is ‘more than a year ago’ then you need to do something about this. Christmas is the ideal time to shoot one. Everyone is all together and off work and school, and you may have extended family round who can either press the button or be in the portrait too. Failing that, there’s always the self-timer.
37. Produce a Slideshow
Use a simple photo-editing suite
to create a personalised slideshow of your best pics. Add a music soundtrack and some tasteful transitions for a more professional presentation. Then invite some friends round for a good old-fashioned audio-visual extravaganza. Don’t forget the popcorn!
38. Read Your Instruction Manual Properly If you’re like most people this is probably something you’ve never done. Even if you have, it was probably a while ago and a refresher may remind you of some feature or function that you’d long forgotten you had.
39. Print a Portfolio
You may well have a great web gallery but unless you carry a laptop around it’s difficult to share it person to person. So set yourself the task of producing a proper portfolio of mounted A4 or A3 prints and put them in one of those nice black portfolio cases that students use.
40. Moo!
Moo cards are small but perfectly formed calling cards featuring
your best photos. You can create unique customised stickers, business
cards and note cards using your own work. To find out more visit: www.moo.com. They even have a selection of their own images to choose
from.
41. Make a Photobook
Shoot or assemble a set of portraits
of your family and make a photobook out of them. Photobooks are the Next Big Thing in family albums, and represent the fastest-growing sector of the photo-printing industry, which is why virtually every online lab now offers them.
42. Make Greeting Cards for Friends and Family
There’s nothng like giving your friends and family cards you have made yourself. So why not select a picture of a winter scene, or maybe a home studio shot, open it up in Photoshop Elements, and follow the the step-by-step turorial in the program. You can purchase foldable card, and don’t forget to put a message inside.