Practice 12

Your favorite places

A destination or your own home
Illustrate what you like
Take as long as you like
It may be your home or a room in it, the place you work, or work out, hang out with friends, or your house of prayer. Go to one of the places you are grateful to have in your life and photograph it. While you’re working, think about what is so compelling, uplifting, fun, comfortable, or comforting about it? Take a few photographs of the whole place, fitting as much into your shot as you can. Don’t worry if you can’t get the entire space into your picture. Wide shots are easier outside where you are more likely to be able to get farther away. Try standing on a bench or chair, perhaps even using a ladder.

If its views make a room special, shoot the views from the window. As you work, think of all the things you appreciate about this favorite place, and move in closer to them.
You can photograph sections of a room, furniture, the way the light comes through the windows, whatever pleases you.

If your special place is outside, it will be easier, not necessarily better, but easier. Shoot the whole scene and parts of it. Zoom in on what attracts you. If its architecture you like, try getting as much of the building as possible. You may to cross the street. Come closer to shoot architectural and decorative details. If you are somewhere beautiful, try to capture the beauty. If it’s something special you like decor, try zeroing in it.
Photograph anything that tells your story.
You could spend hours doing this assignment, but you don’t need to, ten minutes will do. Just one photograph you really like is enough. Don’t be hard on yourself if your photographs don’t fully express what you like about the place. This kind of photography is challenging. You’ll get better, the more you do it. It’s especially challenging if what you love about the place, perhaps people is missing. Remember to say thank you, not out loud, throughout your practice. You never have to say that thank you out loud unless you have asked permission to take the photograph in a place that is not your own or if there are people in your shot. Saying thank you silently is not a bad habit to get into, with benefits I could have never anticipated. See how it works for you.