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Using Themes in Photography

Bird Carving on the staircase at the Library of Congress

A theme is a concept or idea that is used as the central focus for a photograph or a series of photographs. A theme can be a great way to jump-start your creativity or expand the boundaries of your photography by trying new genres. The key is to pick a theme and “complete the assignment”, which will help you to expand your photographic techniques and (hopefully) help you see your subject in new and different ways.

By learning to see your subject in new and different ways in the context of a theme, you can avoid distractions and concentrate on a particular concept or idea. You can also work on developing your own unique vision and photographic style in the process of creating a cohesive body of work.

A theme can span any period of time, from a day, to weeks, to years. There are many photographers that photograph windows or doors while they are traveling, so their theme continues for an indefinite period of time.

There are a wide array of themes in all genres of photography – lists are available on the web to inspire you – or you can develop your own, based on your surroundings. In the DC area, we are blessed with a wide array of historic buildings, monuments and memorials, which have gorgeous details just waiting to be photographed!

If there is a subject that you love, think about photographing it in new ways and create a theme! Love trains? Take the B&O Railroad Museum Safari and photograph trains to your heart’s content! Love airplanes? Go to the Steven Udvar-Hazy Annex of the Air & Space Museum! Love flowers? Take the safari to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens to photograph the Lotus in full bloom! Love night photography? Take the Diyanet Center at Night safari! And the list goes on…

Or create a theme based on a technique you’ve been wanting to learn, such as focus stacking a detailed subject that you cannot capture in sharp focus from the foreground to the background in one image. Many late-model cameras have a focus stacking feature, so working on a theme would be a great way to learn how to use it!

We look forward to seeing your ingenuity and inspiration displayed in a theme! Send us your photos and we’ll post them on our Social Media platforms!

Photo by Sherryl Belinsky

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