Amazing photos you can shoot while staying at home

We are in the middle of a hard and crazy times forced to be isolated for an unknown period of time. Most of us are forced or asked to stay at home and take preventing measures to stop virus spreading over. But it does not mean that stucking inside can stop our imagination and creativity. No matter where you are, in large apartment, small room or garage, there are still a lot of ways to keep shooting and brush up your skills using things, tools around.

Here we introduce some amazing ideas from Tokina fans how to shoot great photos while staying at home. Hope that this content will inspire you and help to improve your skills.

Go ahead and share your photos to the world!

#shootathome #teamtokina #tokinalens #tokina

"Flower"

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It's the Easter long weekend and I would usually be on the coast camping with the family. Exploring and taking photos at any chance I could get. But not this year. I'm at home and the options to explore are limited to my back yard. So why not put the Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF MACRO lens to task for what it was actually designed to do... shot macro photography. I've created a very cheap DIY Home Macro Studio consisting of a cheap storage basket and two dimmable battery operated lights. I've collected some flowers from the yard and it's time to shoot.

I've mounted the camera on the tripod. The flower is positioned and I've taken shots to try and focus stack the entire image. I've made small adjustments in Lightroom to the white balance and lens profile. Each image was stacked, aligned and auto blended in Photoshop. A few further adjustments in Lightroom and I'm happy with my first macro shot! All I the project took approx. 2 hours (including a couple of test runs).

"Ice and candle light" and "Plant"

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The idea is to create photos with the simplest things we have at home and still transmit the sensation of movement and contrast, making strong and unique photos. Both images were taken on a chair seat with a black tissue in the background to create a studio effect. I just used the lights of my room and the light of my smartphone. The photos were taken with a Canon 1Ds Mark III with Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX (24-70mm f/2.8) at 70mm, with ISO3200, f/5.6 and 1/60 sec and ISO800, f/11 and 1/5 sec, respectively.

"Foggy water"

 Back stage images

In brief, the idea is to reproduce at home and with the simplest tools available some desired aspects of the landscape shots, like fog and water movement. For this purpose, I used glasses with hot water to create a foggy environment and executed long exposures, thus a tripod is mandatory. Light sources were a candle and my smartphone's lamp.

Shot with Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX (24-70mm f/2.8) and Canon 1Ds3

"Bubbles"

This image was composed during the Enhanced Community Quarantine here in the Philippines. All my event bookings are canceled and I'm stuck here in our house. One day I thought "What will i do? I want to shoot some photos during ECQ".

I found a five-gallon aquarium and poured a little water and a tablespoon of cooking oil in it. I then mixed them to create some bubbles. I used my smart phone to download a colored wallpaper and placed it under the aquarium, then I put the aquarium over two rounds of masking tape. I used Nikon D750 and Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8). My settings: 1/200 sec, f/4.2, ISO1000.

"City scape"

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Twenty eight days of Enhanced Community Quarantine here in the Philippines. I'm bored. No events, no photography group activities, and since I'm staying at home, no views of city buildings and skyscrapers. I decided to create a Cityscape using some screws, staple wires, and cable connectors. I put them on a white plate with a little water to create reflection, and I used LED light and a smart phone with colored wallpaper for the light sources. I used Nikon D750 and Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8). My Settings: 1/100 sec, f/7.1, ISO4000.

"Floating fruits"

One morning while quarantined here in the Philippines I woke up and said to my self: "I want to shoot using my Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8) lens." I decided to set up, but in the back of my mind, "what is my subject?" Then I found lemon and sliced cucumber inside the refrigerator.

I set up my five gallon aquarium, put water inside, and I used a black t-shirt for background. Set my camera to timer mode, set the focus, then I dropped the subject into the water timing it with my camera. I used Nikon D750 and Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8). My settings: 1/2000 sec, f/5.6, ISO200.

"Glass"

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This shot was made from crystallized glass, LED light, and a smart phone with colored wallpaper. I put the crystallized glass on top of the LED light and the smart phone behind the glass. I used Nikon D750 and Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8). My settings: 1/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO1000.

"Water droplet"

I know, we can't go out because of all this corona virus situation… So, why not having some fun with some shots here at home? For example, I just took this photo in my shower! It's a bouncing drop of water and here is how I captured it. Make sure the shower water pressure is very low, even better if water drops come out one by one. Set a bowl with plenty of water under and shoot the moment when the water drop hits the water surface bouncing up. The drops of water will move randomly each time, so it got even more interesting that I thought! And it's a very simple shot to take.

First of all I took my Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8). Set the lens on the camera and set it on a tripod (but it's also OK to hold the camera with just your hands if you don't have a tripod). Focus on the spot where the water drop will fall hitting the water surface. While doing so, make sure your camera and lens won't get wet in the process! Keep camera and lens as far away as possible to avoid it getting wet. Now, the actual shooting! When shooting in close quarters, even a free-falling water drop requires a fairly high shutter speed.

To make sure to take this photo I made the following settings: 1/8000 sec (for cameras without 1/8000 sec setting of, you can challenge yourself with a 1/4000 sec), f/8. Considering that the point when the water drops fall is not identical, this settings will help to increase the depth of field. As for white balance, I shot in daylight but wouldn't it be interesting to try different light conditions it according to your own image and ideas? You could also shoot from a different angle, or shoot the water drop as it falls in a glass of water. Or, it would be also interesting to light up only the place where water drops fall and have fun playing lights and shadows. It's up to you!

If the corona virus makes you stay home, try some shots anyway and you may discover some new interesting shooting techniques!

"Flowers for wedding anniversary"

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Last week we celebrated our marriage: the 25th anniversary. We got several beautiful bouquets of flowers. The idea came up to take some nice pictures with them. I looked for a black dress as a background. With pegs attached to the closet. And played with my Nikon Z6 and the Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8) and Tokina AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX (16-28mm f/2.8). I also used a flashlight to light certain flowers.

"From day to night"

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I chose a time lapse project and decided to shoot it from the roof of my house. The main subject was capturing transition of day to night with a city-scape of Tehran. The results show this transition and more over how natural lights in dusk replaced with artificial lights of a city as reflected by clouds.

I used Tokina opera 16-28mm F2.8 FF on my full frame D610 body. For a panning maneuver, I used Kenko SKYMEMO S Portable Tracking Platform in horizontal orientation and all set up puts on a SLIK DX 400, my old and sturdy tripod along all these years!

"Racing time"

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Covid-19 disease has caused a lot of problems around the world. However staying at home doesn't mean we cannot be creative. Tokina invited me to participate at #shootathome challenge. The goal was to create a small project with things that are available in our houses. In terms of gear I used the Tokina FíRIN 100mm F2.8 FE MACRO lens with a HOYA PROND32 filter. The lens was attached on a Nikon Z6 camera via TZE-01 adapter. For motion control I used a DJI Ronin SC gimbal on a SLIK PRO CF 833 tripod and the motion was tracked via the Ronin app. Lastly, as lights I used two (2) portable YN360II LEDs and the filming "stage" was a large white soft-box with black background.

If you enjoyed this video, please like, comment, & subscribe. Thanks!
* You can read my review on the Tokina FíRIN 100mm F2.8 FE MACRO lens.

"Book's breath"

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It is the photo of a book captured in long exposure. My goal was to capture the movement of book pages, to make it look more ethereal and dreamy. I used Tokina opera 50mm F1.4 FF on Nikon D850. The lens & camera were placed on a SLIK tripod. A HOYA PROND32 filter was also used. The book was placed inside a large white soft-box with black background. I used an off camera speedlight and a simple hair dryer to "create" the movement of book pages.

"Taken by the sea of protection"

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The composition is called "Taken by the sea of protection", shot at home studio. The idea is that the current situation where everyone seems to be shaken and taken by a rough sea of soap, of protection, without actually seeing the end. The small bowl that I (the model) is on makes the whole issue even harder because this has nothing to hold on to, and in such uncertainty all I can do is to row in the water in hope to get out of the situation. The waves and ocean were taken with Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8). The bowl that I'm seen on was taken through the Tokina opera 50mm F1.4 FF and I was taken through the Tokina AT-X 16-28 F2.8 PRO FX (16-28mm f/2.8).

"Flower in chiaroscuro lighting"

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The tools I used for my shot were:
- Black backdrop screen
- Tripod
- Nikon D610 camera
- Tokina AT-X 70-200 F4 FX VCM-S (70-200mm f/4) lens
- Nikon speed light

I don't have a permanent studio set up in my home, so I generally will set up a makeshift one in our spare room. To shoot still life, I always use a handheld speed light. It allows me to play with different angles of light and have more creative control over what I want to achieve. I really love light and shade and the idea of chiaroscuro lighting and I often attempt to replicate it in my own still life works. I tethered my camera to my laptop so that I could check lighting, focal points and composition. Settings: 10mm, f/9, 1/200 sec, ISO100.

"Flame"

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During these times of social distancing and hibernation, it can be hard to find ways around the house to be creative. Sometimes it's about looking around and using what is in front of you. It's coming into the cold weather where I am and we have had our wood burner on every day. I decided to capture the flames using my ND filter in an attempt to capture the fluidity of movement. Using the Tokina AT-X 24-70 F2.8 PRO FX (24-70mm f/2.8) lens and ND1000 filter, I put my camera on a tripod for stability and reduce any external movement.

Exposure settings: 70mm, 5 sec, f/2.8, ISO200.

"Usual things can have different look"

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"Space opera"

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I used a simple set-up, a glass tray and a colored image on my phone as backlight. The light intensity was set to maximum and the screen time-out was set to 5 min. Then, I used water and oil and shot handled at burst mode to avoid out of focus shots. I varied the light, my position and angle to get the desired effect.

Settings: f/5.6, 1/100 sec, ISO640
Nikon D750 with Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8)

"Apple and the light spiral"

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I used a crystal glass to raise the apple. The pin light was used to light up the apple for around 5 sec and avoid light spill. Afterwards, I used the torch with the colored light to make a spiral around the apple and then extended it up. It took me some time to get the best exposure and the best pattern.

Settings: f/32, 30 sec, ISO100, 10 sec timer
Nikon D750 with Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8)

"Book"

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"Lemon slice"

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I used my tablet as a reflective surface, a fine knife to fix the lemon in place and a pin light. Some variations in the angle of view and position of light were made to get the desired effect. I shot this handheld.

Settings: f/14, 1/160 sec, ISO320
Nikon D750 with Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8)

"Pen spring"

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I placed the spring on my tablet and used a colored bag to create the background. I used the Nissin 662 MK II and bounced the light from the ceiling, which is white. After that, I processed the photo in photoshop and used Topaz impression to get the painterly effect.

Settings: f/6.3, 1/160 sec, ISO100
Nikon D750 with Tokina AT-X M100 PRO D Macro (100mm f/2.8)

"Bottle of vine #1"

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- Nikon D610
- Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF MACRO
- Exposure: f/11, 1/125 sec, ISO100
- Main speedlight 1/16
- Fill speedlight 1/128
- Tripod
- Light Stand
- 2x SPEEDLITES
- Wireless Flash Controller
- 2x Wireless Flash Trigger Transceiver
- Umbrella Flash
- Black Acrylic Sheet
- 3x Photo Studio Collapsible Reflector
- Gray card
- Remote control

In this project I chose to do a product shots using three shooting methods from using various reflectors and lights to get a pleasant result to just using one light and blending all in photoshop. From what you see in the images behind the scenes, the limited space must not become an impediment in obtaining a good result.

So in my first shoot I use two lights and a combination of soft light diffuse through a collapsible reflector and two more, one as a background and the other one to fill the shadows. When you work with products especially glass and metal it is important to use gloves to limit the deposition of fat from your fingers, which will later increase the editing time or ruin your shoot. I also recommend using a room as dark as possible to limit the reflection on the glass, and to get a sharp and easy to edit image it is good to have a stable tripod and a remote control. If you don't have one you can use the camera timer. In my case I can trigger my flash remotely do to wireless flash controller and transceivers. Also if possible I recommend that the product pictures be taken using a tethering system and you will need some editing knowledge.

"Bottle of vine #2"

Back stage images

- Nikon D610
- Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF MACRO
- Exposure: f/11, 1/125 sec, ISO100
- Main speedlight 1/8
- Fill speedlight 1/16
- Tripod
- Light Stand
- 2x SPEEDLITES
- Wireless Flash Controller
- 2x Wireless Flash Trigger Transceivers
- Black Acrylic Sheet
- Photo Studio Collapsible Reflector
- Diy snoot pringles
- Foam Board
- Gray card
- Remote control

In this shoot I use two lights. This method is ideal for obtaining a contour of the bottle in a limited space. The first speedlite is placed behind the glass and black foam and is directed towards the white reflector that act like bounce for the edge of the bottle. The second speedlite with diy snoot is used to direct and illuminate the label and background.

"Bottle of vine #3"

Back stage images

- Nikon D610
- Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF MACRO
- Exposure: f/11, 1/125 sec, ISO100
- Speedlight 1/64
- Tripod
- Light Stand
- SPEEDLITE
- Wireless Flash Controller
- Wireless Flash Trigger Transceiver
- 2x Black Acrylic Sheet
- Umbrella Flash
- Gray card
- Remote control

This is the easiest way to photograph a product if you only have a speedlight but need some editing skills. It only involves moving around the product to get good lighting to be able to combine properly in photoshop.

Food photography

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In these crazy times, while being stuck at home, I shoot with the things and ingredients I have on hand – mostly small-batch bakes that don’t require a lot of eggs, since those are scarce. My styling is minimalistic: only a few crucial props, allowing the food to shine. Here, the emphasis is on playing with the light, getting the highlights and shadows just right, making the food look mouthwatering. The Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF MACRO lens is perfect for this, giving my photos a beautiful sharpness and clarity. Above all, I shoot things that bring me comfort and allow me to get creative.

"From the old collection"

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Don't worry if you don't have a studio or even a dedicated space to shoot photos. Here's a hint, no one sees your set-up, only your end result. This photo was taken on my kitchen counter using a knife stand, boxes and wine bottles to hold up the heavy albums. The photo used the light from an open window, you can't get any more simple than that.

Shot with Tokina atx-i 100mm F2.8 FF MACRO

"Dreamy landscape from the rooftop"

This crisis makes us see things we usually fail to see not because they are hidden but because they are right in front of us. Same goes for life and photography. I am not much of a landscape shooter, I prefer to have people in my photos, their faces, motions and emotions which is quite hard to achieve in this new social distance world. So making these photos made me go out of my interest zone and look for things I usually wouldn't go out looking for. You use what you have and this is what I did. I wanted to shoot photos of the old buildings I'm surrounded with. They are full of history and I wanted to give them life. I chose to do so in the sunset to enhance the overall dreamy feeling. The only way to do it was to use the rooftop which was fun and not without danger of falling. But fun before anything else. I went for the color grade which is over the top for my standards but I wanted to accentuate the grittiness of the environment and give it that very moody, filmic look. I just went by the feeling and stepped outside of my standard editing workflow.

Tokina FíRIN 20mm F2 FE AF is what is considered to be a landscape lens. I find this focal length very useful for the type of photos I usually do. It is wide to have the entire scene in picture but not too wide you wouldn't be able to focus on a specific detail. I love this focal length because I can utilize it in a number of different ways. With Sony α7III it's a perfect combo and I really don't see myself taking my camera without this lens wherever I go.