Atmospheric images without leaving the house

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Looking for an enjoyable pastime that costs nothing extra and doesn't require you to leave the house? Try creating low-key atmospheric images at home. I gave it a go and had a great time!

With our social freedoms once again being restricted, my gaze is turning more inwards. I'm shifting my focus from nature portraits to atmospheric photography at home.

A friend had lent me a book about Urban Exploring and I was immediately struck by these intriguing images of abandoned rooms and cellars, where filtered sunlight finds its way in through windows, shutters or doors. The interplay of shadow and light is captured in a fascinating way.

Inspired by this, I wanted to create the same atmosphere, but at home. A fun challenge. As the sun is low at this time of year, you get long shadows that you can use beautifully. You still have to find a suitable subject and setup.

So, time to hunt for suitable objects. Preferably with a story from the past, or something vintage. I never expected the few antique heirlooms we have to be perfect for this way of photographing.

Think of small treasures such as a silver jug with a spoon, a pre-war Mont Blanc fountain pen, and a cup and saucer from my grandmother. The atmosphere of old objects calls for a play of light and shadow.

With the urbex photos still in my mind, I wanted to create that same atmosphere of stillness and abandonment. The less-is-more principle is particularly useful here. And it's actually quite a challenge to create as much atmosphere as possible in a photo with so few resources.

To filter the sunlight to some extent, I hung up net curtains. To direct it, I came up with the idea of using the spindles of a chair back. This created a really great effect, which naturally resulted in a mysterious atmosphere. Choosing to shoot low-key also contributed to this.

The natural light keeps changing, and even a minimal change to the setup or the camera angle has a major effect on the image. It either works or it doesn't.

And it's a matter of searching and trying, until what I have in my head comes through in the camera. You need the patience of an angel, and perhaps you shouldn't expect too much the first time.

Don't be sparing with taking photos. By reviewing your compositions afterwards on your screen at a small size (grid view), you can see which photo stands out. For example, I had about ten photos of the same setup, yet only one of them had the right view.

These photos were taken with a Lensbaby, which allows me to shift the point of focus while also blurring parts of the image by using a very shallow depth of field.

You can of course also use a standard or macro lens, as long as the background is calm too.

It kept me occupied for a while, but I really enjoyed doing it. I genuinely felt like a child in a playground again. Give yourself some time to get creative and have a good 'fiddle'. It's wonderful to forget all about time (now and then)!

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