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5 creative photography ideas that you can do in your backyard

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Are you feeling uninspired? Is your daily itinerary filled with nothing but lying on the couch all day? Terrified by the doom of the world looming on the horizon, but also feeling powerless because this is just a sign of the greater problem of climate change and ecosystem collapse? Well, this article is for you.

This is a scary time. A lot of us are in tough spots right now and it’s hard to focus on photography. But regardless, we do hope that this blog will bring a bit of light, reignite that creative spark if you will, and remind you of why you started photography and why it’s so important to all of us.

So without further ado, here are 5 creative project ideas that you can do right in your own backyard.

1. Meet Your Neighbours

In 2009, Clay Bolt and Niall Benvie founded the Meet Your Neighbours (MYN) project, a photographic initiative that reveals the vital but under-appreciated wildlife that live amongst us. Bolt, a longtime supporter of women in nature photography and Advisory Board Member of Girls Who Click, says the main goal of the project “is to help people connect with the wildlife in their own communities.” 

Unlike a lot of wildlife photography, MYN is centred around using an inexpensive field studio, letting the beauty and uniqueness of local species stand out on a pure white background. “One of my personal goals for MYN is to dispel the myth that rarity equates to more important, more amazing, or more beautiful.” says Bolt.

There are conservation photographers all over the world involved with this project, raising awareness for wildlife we often overlook (including GWC’s Karine Aigner). But any passionate photographer is welcomed to join. All you need is a white background, some lights/flashes, and curiosity and empathy for the biodiversity that live around us. Check out this video or the MYN Youtube or this interview from B&H for more information on the project and how to get started with your very own field studio!

Photographing wildlife against a white background highlights the beauty of local species like this red salamander (Pseudotriton ruber), and gives the MYN project its characteristic look. Photo by Clay Bolt.

2. Create a nature photography sanctuary

Not finding enough diversity in your backyard? You can take matters into your own hands and bring wildlife to you (ethically), and that means creating wildlife habitat.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to set up a bird feeder. Once birds discover a feeder, it can become a site full of diversity and activity, providing perfect photo opportunities.

Before you start, Lynda Richardson advises that it’s important to consider the location of your feeder, both from a photographic and ethics point of view. For example, what’s the light like? Is the background clean? Is there somewhere you can conceal yourself (i.e. being indoors or using a blind) so that you can get amazing behavioral shots without disturbing the subjects? Are there shrubs nearby that birds can shelter in so that they don’t get attacked by sneaky raptors or the neighborhood cat? 

Once everything is set up, experiment! Set up a branch so that the birds land on it before going to the feeder. Capture birds in flight. Push the limits of your creativity.

If you have a little more time and resources, you can also make your backyard into a full-blown nature sanctuary, like Mary Ann and Joe McDonald. 

Named Hoot Hollow, the McDonald backyard is filled with vernal pools, bird feeders, and a variety of pollinator-friendly plants. “It’s our little piece of heaven here. We can walk right out the back door and photograph.” Mary Ann says, “It’s really cool to be able to get out there and say, ‘Wow, we helped bring them here, because we developed this for them.’ It’s fun to be able to give back so much by creating this habitat.”

To help you get started, Mary Ann has been working hard to create a series of backyard photography tutorials for GWC. At this time, the videos are still being produced, but they will be shared soon.

3. Go outside your comfort zone

“This is not your ordinary macro lens. It’s a speciality lens that will photograph from 1:1 life size to 5-times life size.” says Kathy Adams Clark in her latest blog post.

She’s talking about the Canon MP-E 65mm lens she rented. This heavy duty lens even has an extremely shallow depth of field at f/16 and requires a focusing rail. Long story short, it’s not an easy piece of equipment to maneuver.

But with the extra time at home, Kathy was able to test out this lens as well as a few other setups to capture a monarch butterfly egg on a milkweed plant. In doing so, she was able to truly understand the pros and cons between different super-macro photography equipment, and write an awesomely informative blog post about it.

After three different camera setups, Kathy Adams Clark finally got this super-macro photo of a monarch butterfly egg. Photo by Kathy Adams Clark

So, if you have a technique you’ve been dying to try out, but have been scared to do so, now is the perfect chance. Whether that’s super macro, studio portrait photography, light painting, etc, go and experiment! If you don’t own the right gear, you can rent some from Borrow Lenses (a company that is a generous sponsor of GWC workshops).

Struggling with ideas? Definitely check out Denise Ippolito’s blog post for fun creative photography techniques you can try at home to create some stunning abstract shots.

Stuck at home? Create some interesting macro photos using water droplets and Rain-X. Photo by Denise Ippolito

4. Give yourself an assignment

If you’re looking to practice your storytelling skills, take this idea from a recent podcast episode of Impact: The Conservation Photographer’s Podcast by Jaymi Heimbuch.

In the episode, Jaymi suggests looking at a familiar place or activity from a new perspective by giving yourself a “photo assignment”. That means looking at your “boring” routine, finding a story, and then shooting it like you would as an assignment for a magazine.

For Jaymi, that “boring” routine was taking her dog to the beach every morning. She figured out what her story was by creating a shot list for her photo essay. And she looked at other photographers for inspiration and ways that she can push her own photography out of her comfort zone.

With a plan in mind, Jaymi went out every morning, same as always, but with a new purpose. Take a look at her results on here, and also give her entire podcast a listen! One of her recent episodes focuses on conservation photography projects you can start today. Another source of inspiration.

To break through a creative block, Jaymi Heimbuch gave herself an assignment, to photograph her dog at the beach. Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch

5. The little joys

Last but not least, photograph what makes you happy. Often, our homes are one of the most special places in our hearts, and the one that we overlook the most. So why not take some time to document it through photography?

So what makes you happy? What are the little joys that are getting you through the day?

Maybe it’s your dog happily bounding in your backyard.

Maybe it’s your second cup of coffee in the morning.

Maybe it’s the warm afternoon sun slanting into your living room.

The important thing is that you now have the time to look and experience the magic all over again. 

As Brenda Tharp says in her blog post about “The Value of Home”: “Sometimes after coming home I see more deeply the things in my garden, and around my neighborhood. I view it with fresh eyes – eyes that have been ‘washed’ with nature’s beauty elsewhere are now able to see a-new the beauty right around me.”

So stop, look closely and remember. Remember the things that made you feel light. Remember the small wonders that captivated your mind. 

And capture it. Because ultimately, isn’t that what photography is all about?

Nature’s beauty can be right in front of you, but only if you look for it. Photo by Brenda Tharp

Written by Alice Sun 

Growing up, Alice’s dream was to become a National Geographic photographer. This passion led her to spend much of her high school years photographing and sharing stories of wildlife in her own backyard, which earned her a spot in the 2016 NANPA High School Scholarship Program. She then went on to pursue a degree in environmental biology and a graduate certificate in environmental visual communication, sharpening her skills and building a foundation for a career in visual storytelling. Today, she is a freelance science communicator and conservation storyteller based in Vancouver, Canada. Inspiring young people to pursue the same dream she had is something that Alice is passionate about, and why she’s extremely be on the Girls Who Click team! Visit Alice’s website (alicesun.ca) to see the stories she has told over the years. 

Even Wildlife and Nature Photographers Cook!

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Easy Trail Mix Cooking Recipe for Girls Who Click from Mary Ann McDonald at Hoot Hallow Farm.

Mary Ann McDonald is a kick-butt wildlife photographer. She is also quite the chef. Mary Ann and her husband Joe created this cooking video for Girls Who Click. The trail mix recipe is easy to make and delicious!

Mary Ann and Joe run Hoot Hallow Farm. They have many recipes available from the Hoot Hallow Farm Cookbook available on their Facebook Page.

Watch out for the surprise ending!

To see what Mary Ann and Joe do when they are not stuck at home, visit their website at https://www.hoothollow.com/.

Women in nature photography: A brief history

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March is Women’s History Month, so what better time than to explore the history of women in nature photography? So, let’s dive in.

The rise of women in photography

Our story begins with Constance Fox Talbott (1811–1880), the wife of inventor Henry Fox Talbott. Working alongside her husband, Constance briefly experimented with the photographic process, creating a handful of hazy images. Her earliest surviving image was taken in 1839, making her what we believe to be the first woman to ever take a photograph. 

The title of the first female photographer, however, would go to Anna Atkins (1799–1871), as she pursued photography more seriously. Anna was also a friend of Henry Fox Talbott, and worked especially in botany. Throughout her career, she produced a collection of haunting beautiful images of plants, which she published as a book in 1843 titled: ‘Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions’.

Constance Talbott, wife of Henry Fox Talbott, is believed to be the first woman to ever take a photo. Photo by Henry Fox Talbot, circa 1840, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
Anna Atkins was the first ever female photographer, specializing in plant photography. Photo by Anna Atkins, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

Note that for both of these women, their pursuits in photography was because they were close to Henry. This was the case for most women at the time, where many would-be professional photographers work in studios alongside their husbands, brothers, or friends. 

But photography, unlike other arts, required little formal training, and the basic equipment only needed a moderate investment. As a result, by the mid-1800’s, many middle-class women were able to set up their own “daguerreotype studios”. Some took over their husband’s business after their deaths, like Geneviève Élisabeth Disdéri (1817–1878), whereas others like Thora Hallager (1821-1884) started their own successful businesses from scratch.

As time went on, women were also able to rise to the top of their field, as they had a knack for certain things that men did not. Notably, female photographers were especially successful with portraits of women and families. One of those photographers was Alice Hughes (1857–1939), who was a leader in her work with royalty, fashionable women and children.

By the end of the 19th century, women were well-established in studio photography. In 1897, Ladies Home Journal published an article called ‘What a Woman Can Do with a Camera’, And in 1900, British and American censuses estimated that there were more than 7000 professional female photographers, making up 20% of all photographers. This was astounding, especially for a time where the only choices for most women were either staying at home or working in the service industry.

Women in photojournalism

Dorothea Lange’s photo, “Migrant Mother”, is one of the most reproduced images in the world. Photo by Dorothea Lange/Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

In 1914, National Geographic featured its first ever images from a woman. They were taken by Eliza Ruhamah Scidmore for a story of Japan, which made magazine editor Gilbert Grosvenor comment, “Women often see things about the life and ways of people which a man would not notice …”

Due to this ability to see the world differently, women have accomplished many things in photojournalism since then. 

The most well-known example is Dorothea Lange (1895–1965), who created her iconic image ‘Migrant Mother’ in 1936, later becoming one of the most reproduced photographs in the world. Gerda Taro (1910–1937), one of the first female war photographers, was especially celebrated for her intimate and emotional images of the Spanish Civil War. In 1954, Virgina Schau (1915–1989) became the first woman to win a Pulitzer Prize for Photography for her gripping photo “Rescue on Pit River Bridge”.

Women in wildlife photography

Wildlife photography, on the other hand, wasn’t really a popular hobby with anyone prior to the 1960’s. Gear was simply too cumbersome, restricting photographers to static subjects like nesting birds. Even a safari shoot needed someone to hire an entire expedition crew for it to be possible. It wasn’t until 1963, when the 35mm film camera became more automated, that wildlife photography became much more accessible and widespread.

But women didn’t start becoming prominent in the field until many years afterwards.

The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition saw its first female winner, Cherry Alexander, in 1995, followed by Angela Scott in 2002. Pioneers in conservation storytelling also started to make their mark in the 1980’s and 90’s, such as Beverly Joubert, Tui de Roy, GWC partner photographer Mary Ann McDonald, and Melissa Farlow, a GWC partner photographer whose images have transformed our understanding of the people, landscape, and environmental issues of the American West. These trailblazing women continue to create powerful images of wildlife and conservation to this day.

By the beginning of the 21st century, a small number of women were relatively well-established in wildlife and nature photography. Many female photographers, including a number of GWC partner photographers such as Ami Vitale and Jaymi Heimbuch, got their start in their careers around this time. Through their lenses, they brought poignant images full of emotion and soul to the world, changing how we saw our relationship with wildlife and important conservation issues.

  • Photo by Melissa Farlow. The image shows Phantom, a charismatic mustang in Shingletown, CA, and was taken for a story on wild horses and vanishing of the wild American West.
  • Photo by Jaymi Heimbuch. Photo taken for the Urban Coyote Initiative, a team of photojournalists assisting scientists and cities across North America working on changing the narrative around coyotes.
  • Photo by Cathy Hart. After waiting ten days, Cathy managed to capture this stunning shot of a bear catching a fish in northern British Columbia.

Some notable female photographers founded organizations in the industry, where Cristina Mittermeier, with the help of GWC partner photographers Cathy Hart, Amy Gulick, Michele Westmorland, and Karen Kasmauski, founded International League of Conservation Photographers (ILCP) in 2005 and solidified conservation visual storytelling as a discipline. In 2017, Suzi Eszterhas founded Girls Who Click, where we guide the next generation of powerful female photographers to one day make history of their own.

Even more recently, women’s voices have been getting louder. Passionate young women have been flooding social media with images documenting our natural world, such as Ashleigh Scully and Erin Ranney. Not only that, we’ve also been seeing more diversity, as minorities like Celina Chien and Rathika Ramasamy have been able to gain international reputations in wildlife photography and visual storytelling. However, we still do not see many women of color among the mostly white female photographers. This year, GWC looks forward to interviewing trailblazing photographer Karen Kasmauski on this very important topic!

More and more young women from diverse backgrounds have been entering the field of wildlife photography in recent years, such as environmental activist Celina Chien. Photo by Sebastian Kennerknecht.
GWC spokeswoman and award-winning nature photographer, Ashleigh Scully is a teen that’s leading and inspiring other girls her age to enter the male-dominated of nature and conservation photography.

But this is just the beginning, and we still have a long way to go.

Today, only 20% of all photojournalists are female, and unlike the early 1900’s, now is a time where women can choose their professions. The number for wildlife photography is likely even lower, as many say that nature photography still remains an “old male” world. The landscape is also predominantly white, a place where few minorities have broken into.

But if this timeline reveals anything, it’s that change is possible. 

Just look at how far we’ve come since that first click of a shutter by Constance Talbott in 1839. We’ve had women who started their own businesses in a time where it wasn’t possible for many. We’ve had women that created powerful images that changed our perspectives. We’ve had women that revolutionized the entire industry.

So here’s to all the pioneers, women that are brave enough to push the boundaries, and the ones that will continue to do so in the future. Let’s take the time to celebrate them, because without them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Happy Women’s History Month!

Workshop Participant’s Photo Published in New Jersey Monthly Magazine!

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Annabel with her winning photograph!

GWC workshop participant Annabel Weiman was surprised when she found out that her photograph was runner-up in New Jersey Monthly magazine’s cover photography contest.

We are very proud of Annabel and encourage all of our participants and followers to enter photographs into local and national contests: you never know what the results might be!

Annabel was a participant in our August workshop in New Jersey. The workshop was taught by Ashleigh Scully and Denise Ippolito. It took place at The Raptor Trust, a wild bird rehabilitation center in Morris County, New Jersey. Workshop participants were allowed to learn about these amazing creatures and photograph them outside of their enclosures. This was a rare treat for our participants: it is not often that we get to see these birds at a close distance. These birds can be dangerous and we were lucky to have Raptor Trust staff present to work with the wild birds. The Raptor Trust captured some great photos from all participants.

Annabel is a sophomore in high school. She’s loved photography since 8th grade because she’s “able to find unique things and capture them.”  Her mother encouraged her to develop her skills and Annabel eventually invested in a nicer digital camera.

The GWC New Jersey workshop! Photo courtesy of Denise Ippolito and The Raptor Trust.

Annabel uses a digital SLR and zoom lens. Her winning photograph was taken when Raptor Trust handlers took out the Kestrel falcon from its enclosure. The striking aspect of Annabel’s photo is she was able to remove the background through zooming in on the subject while also capturing the falcon’s direct gaze. Capturing an animal’s direct gaze helps the viewer relate to the animal and creates a personal connection — one that can develop into a deep appreciation of nature, even at a young age! Conservation photographers depend on building these relationships between subject and viewer in order to create awareness about conservation.

We got the chance to ask Annabel a few questions after she won big!

What was your favorite moment during the workshop?  My favorite moment in the GWC workshop was taking photos of the barred owl.  When I used my zoom lens and looked at it, I got really excited because I knew the pictures would come out good.  One of them was actually used in a Raptor Trust Facebook post!

Did Denise and Ashleigh teach you anything in particular that helped you improve your photography?  Denise and Ashleigh were great teachers; they were nice and they let us work independently yet they were there for us when we needed some advice.   Advice they gave me that made my photography more appealing was using the “rule of thirds” guideline in making our compositions. 

What did you learn about raptors and conservation at the Raptor Trust?  The Raptor Trust is a great place for injured birds of prey.  They try to cure them so they can be released back into the wild. 

Check out Denise Ippolito’s blog post about Annabel!

GWC Featured in Sierra Magazine!

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GWC was featured in Sierra Magazine. In an interview with GWC founder Suzi Eszterhas, Sierra Magazine dove deep into why GWC was founded, what we do, and why the work is important for the next generation of female photographers.

As Suzi mentions, the workshops are not just about teaching photography, there are about learning to see and learning to be. She says in the interview “Confidence is huge, particularly with teen girls. We don’t just teach photography. We try to be good role models and strong women. Strong is the new sexy. We’re trying to impart that strength on our girls.”

You can read the full Sierra Magazine interview at SierraClub.org!

Sierra Magazine is the storytelling branch of the Sierra Club. It is a “national print and digital magazine publishing award-winning journalism and cutting-edge photography, art, and video dedicated to protecting the natural world.” We are proud to be a part of the magazine!

Win two spots in a Sea Otter Photography Workshop on December 11 2019 in California!

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*Above image of Sea Otter (Enhydra lutris) mother carrying pup on belly, Elkhorn Slough, Monterey Bay, California

Sebastian Kennerknecht’s Sea Otter Photography Workshop in Monterey, CA

Date: December 11th, 2019
Time: 6:45am – 5:00pm
Location: Moss Landing, California

THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED. Enter by November 5th! We will announce winners on November 9th! This contest is open to girls 13-18. You will need an email address. **Travel to Monterey, CA, accommodations, and meals are not included.

Details: You can win two spaces in photographer Sebastian Kennerknecht’s Sea Otter Photography Workshop in Monterey, California on December 11th, 2019. One spot will be for you and one is for your adult chaperone to accompany you on this special day. This day-long workshop will include photographing sea otters from land in the morning, a break for lunch, and going out on the Elkhorn Slough in a pontoon boat in the afternoon to take more pictures. You will have a great time improving your skills with Sebastian while learning more about California’s sea otters. 

Sebastian Kennerknecht (@pumapix) is one of Girls Who Click’s biggest supporters. He has generously donated these two spaces in his workshop to support Girls Who Click and the next generation of female photographers. 

Sebastian Kennerknecht is a wildlife and conservation photographer. He has over fourteen years of experience covering wildlife and environmental issues internationally. He has a particular interest in photographing wildcats. His work has been featured in BBC Wildlife, Smithsonian, The Economist, Science, and Conservation International, among others. He has a degree in  Ecology and Evolution from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

You can see Sebastian’s work on:

Instagram

Sebastian’s Website

Facebook

“Learning to See” with Karine Aigner at Corkscrew Swamp

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Photo credit: Alli Smith, biologist

Last month in Florida, the amazing Karine Aigner joined forces with local biologist and University of Florida graduate student Alli Smith,  for our July photography workshop. They took a group of ten girls out in the breath-taking Corkscrew Swamp, a National Audubon Society sanctuary located in southwest Florida; just North of Naples. Girls Who Click awarded two scholarships for the workshop. These girls were able to use professional cameras provided by Borrowed Lenses.

Karine Aigner starts her workshops discussing composition, light, and focus — but the real work, she says, is “learning to see.”  She wants her students to look past their initial gut observation.  It’s not just looking at a flower: it’s noticing what is on it, around it, in it; seeing it as a part of the landscape, or, individually, or in terms of the pattern and designs of its shape.   The farther the group progressed into Corkscrew Swamp, the more they saw.

Photo credit: Alli Smith, biologist

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary occupies approximately 13,000 acres in the heart of the Corkscrew Watershed in Southwest Florida, part of the Western Everglades. It is primarily composed of wetlands. These include the largest remaining virgin bald cypress forest in the world (approximately 700 acres), which is the site of the largest nesting colony of Federally Endangered Wood Storks in the nation. In addition to the Wood Stork, Corkscrew provides important habitat for numerous other Federal and State listed species, including the Florida Panther, American Alligator, Gopher Tortoise, Florida Sandhill Crane, Limpkin, Roseate Spoonbill, Snowy Egret, Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, Big Cypress Fox Squirrel and the Florida Black Bear. Several rare plants are also found here, most notably the Ghost Orchid.

Photo credit: Alli Smith, biologist

The girls not only got to experience the watershed up-close-and-personal by walking the wooden boardwalks through it, but they also got to see the Ghost Orchid, as well as some of the wildlife it’s known for!  They spotted alligators and otters, and even survived a short Floridian squall that lent itself to some amazing shots with water droplets.  At one point, an over-habituated and over-friendly juvenile ibis approached the group looking for food (see above). Karine and Alli took the opportunity to explain that while it is a fun experience to have a wild animal approach you (and in this case gnaw on your fanny pack)  a tame ibis is not a good thing.   While it seems fun, the ibis has learned that it’s easy to get food out of humans, but most human food is not nutritionally valuable to the bird.  Some parts of Florida have problems with people feeding ibises so much bread that they essentially don’t eat anything else—and they’re in very poor body condition because of it;  bread is not nutritious.