Creative Photography Project: 9 Different Photos of the Same Object

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Creative Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground

Creative Photography Project

Sometimes, life can feel overwhelming, and it’s in those moments that I turn to my camera.

The simple act of picking it up and focusing on capturing the world around me creates a space of calm and clarity.

A creative photography project is a wonderful way to step into the present moment, offering a sense of peace and purpose when things feel uncertain or uninspired.

Mindful Nature of Photography

This is what I call the mindful nature of photography.

Wanna dive deeper into Mindful Photography? Check out 5 Simple Mindful Photography Tips

In my experience, simply starting to create something can be a powerful antidote to feeling stuck, uninspired, or disconnected.

Engaging in a creative photography project is not only a way to reignite your creativity but also an opportunity to see the world through fresh eyes.

Photography allows us to uncover beauty in the everyday and transform the ordinary into something extraordinary.

A Simple Yet Transformative Project

One of my favorite ways to keep my creative energy flowing is by taking on a specific creative photography project or challenge. Over the years, I’ve found that one particular project stands out as both simple and transformative: photographing the same object in nine different ways.

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Unlocking Creative Possibilities

This project is a brilliant exercise, whether you’re feeling creatively stuck or simply looking for a fresh perspective. It’s a chance to discover new angles, explore light and shadow, and push the boundaries of your imagination—all with a single object.

Keep reading, and I’ll guide you through this exciting creative photography project. Together, let’s get creative with the same object and discover as many different photos as we can.

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Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground
Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues with houses in the background ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground
Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: an open bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground

Magic Happens

I prefer to make nine different pics because then I can display them in a grid should I want to. But ten is also used quite often. Whatever you decide, commit to a number before you start. 

The thing with this exercise is that the magic starts to happen after the first few images. Your first three to four photography ideas will be sort of obvious. It’s after you went through those first ideas that you’ll start to tap into the more unique and imaginative ideas. So, don’t stop after the first three to four photos! Keep going until you have at least nine different ones.

I’ll give you a few photography tips and project ideas to get you started but not to much because that would be beside the point of this photo project. Which is to get your creative juices flowing! 

#1 Choose Your Object

The possibilities are endless, of course, but it’s best to limit yourself to something small. Ideally, choose an object you can interact with—something you can play around with, unpack, cut open, or even cook.

The classic choice is an egg. But fruit or a vegetable works great as well. If you wanna take this one step further you can even choose an object you can break or bend. 

I decided on small, off-white meringues in see-through packaging. 

#2 Play With Light

After you’ve decided on the object the first thing you can do is to play with light. Observe where the light is coming from and move your object to places with different lighting conditions. Assuming you’re doing this photography project at home the best light source is window light. 

Click here to find out more about natural light photography.

I did my entire shoot in the kitchen of a house I was staying at the coast in Portugal. From the moment I entered the kitchen, I fell in love with the light. 

Creative Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: an open bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground
Creative Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground
Creative Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues with houses in the background ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground

#3 Explore Different Angles

Once you’ve found the best natural light spot in the house you can start to explore different points of view of your object.

You can come close and photograph a small part of the object, you can turn the object upside down or rotate it so you can photograph it from different angles, you can shoot it from above or from further away.

This is an entire photography project in itself. Try to make as many different pictures as you can. You can pick the best ones later in the editing phase. 

I photographed a part of the object, the top part to be precise because I liked the fragility of it. And I also photographed it from above.

#4 Discover Different Backgrounds

Usually, when people are photographing, they’re entirely focused on the subject—or object, in this case. However, the background is just as important.

Backgrounds can be minimalistic or overcrowded and everything in between. Making sure the background is an addition to your picture is an essential step in improving them. 

You can use this photography project to practice with a variety of backgrounds and what they do to the overall impression of your photos. You’ll discover that the background is vital in telling a story. 

The photo of the bag of meringues in front of the window gives it a completely different vibe. I exposed for the area outside making the bag of meringues almost a silhouette. By doing that the houses outside attract more attention than the bag of meringues itself.

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Looking for Everyday Magic?

Discover the mindful nature of photography and unlock a new perspective. Download the Free Mindful Photography Playbook to connect to your creativity and find beauty and joy in everyday moments.

#5 Create Different Arrangements

So far, you’ve explored some essential photographic elements—light, point of view, and background. Now, let’s shift focus to what you can do with the object itself.

This is where choosing the right object pays off. If you selected something versatile, like a box of cookies, a carton of eggs, or even a bag of meringues (as I did), you’re in for a treat. These types of objects offer endless possibilities for creative arrangements.

I opened up the bag and spread the meringues out on the countertop. By including the bag it becomes the kind of photo you’d find in a cookbook. It’s an illustrative photo that mostly conveys a mood. The same is true for the photo of the meringues in the blue bowl.

Creative Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: an open bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground
Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground
Creative Photography Project: 9 photos of the same object, famous photography projects, creative photography ideas| Photo: a bag of meringues with houses in the background ©Karin van Mierlo. Photography Playground

#6 Take it Out of Context

Now here’s where the creative fun really begins. This is the moment to let your imagination run wild and explore without limits.

Follow your creative impulses, trust your instincts, and go with whatever brainwave enters your mind. 

Don’t overthink—let spontaneity guide you. The beauty of this process is that there are no rules, only endless opportunities to see your subject in new and exciting ways.

This is your chance to play, experiment, and discover the magic of letting your creativity take the lead.

In one photo I meticulously arranged the meringues next to each other on the window-sill. One of the things that happen is that the scale is lost and they become more of a sculpture than a meringue. You can also clearly see that each meringue has a slightly different shape. In another photo, I put them in a tea candle holder taking it completely out of context. But the shape and size of the meringues reminded me of tea lights. So, there you go.

 

#7 Alter its State

If you chose something edible, consider cutting it open to reveal interesting textures or even cooking it to add a unique twist to your photos.

For breakable items like an old cup or a bottle, handle them with care—safety first!

Once you’re set, let your creativity take over. Whether it’s the shards of a broken cup or the glistening edges of a cut fruit, these details can add a whole new layer of visual interest to your shots

For my creative photography project, I took a knife and sliced one meringue as if it were an onion. Not only did I alter its state I also took it out of context again. 

No Rules

The most important thing with this creative photography project is that there are no rules. You’re totally free to do whatever you want. 

If you want you can impose some rules for yourself if that gets your creative juices flowing more abundantly. Quite often restricting yourself can expand your creativity. For instance, I restricted myself to shooting in the kitchen and with one lens only. 

Did you try this awesome creative photography project? Share your photos on Instagram and mention @photography-playground!

Wanna immerse yourself in the mindful nature of photography? Check out See Fresh | Mindful Photography Course!

Free E-book

Looking for Everyday Magic?

Discover the mindful nature of photography and unlock a new perspective. Download the Free Mindful Photography Playbook to connect to your creativity and find beauty and joy in everyday moments.

Hi, I’m Karin

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