Aerial View Maps

What should I photograph for an assignment titled "Uncovering the hidden in the familiar"?

I take a class a 35mm black and white film class at ICP and we've gotten out first take home photo shoot assignment. the full assignment is: "Uncovering the hidden in the familiar"- Photograph something you see everyday in a new way. Use different angles, compositions, and points of view. I enjoy candid portraits and wildlife photography the most so I thought of doing something with animal paws at an interesting angle with maybe macro to enhance the composition? I also had an idea of an aerial view of someone or a group of people standing in a local field that's lush with trees but I don't have a helicopter handy so I don't think it's a realistic idea. Does anyone have any ideas that I could possibly use to help me pick subjects to shoot?

Public Comments

1. I liked the ideas of paws, that was really cute. Ten years from now I foresee my mom's living room decorated in paw photos from a whole revolution which you inspired..lol I'm just going to toss some ideas out, by no means am I telling you to do them.. just ideas though. The secret life of dust bunnies - We all have them, they breed under our sofas and beds, behind tables and chairs... Hunt them down and make really serious compositions of a humorous subject. XD You could always visit more rural or poverty stricken areas.. or even photograph homeless in more wealthy areas.. they are there, but people try to pretend they aren't... Would also be nice to kick them a couple bucks if you photograph them, or buy them a coffee. =) Another interesting idea would be scars. People tend to hide them, but some people have really interesting scars.. get really close up so you see the textures of the unmarred skin and the silkiness of the scar.. if done right they might even resemble textured landscapes. Go to a grade school and watch the children at the playground. Instead of focusing on the kids laughing and playing.. look for the underdog who is not part of the action. Capture the essence of their isolation in contrast to the other kids playing. Go to an airport and take pictures of families and couples reuniting, the emotion. Downfall - you might get questioned about being a terrorist so be sly. Visit a local hospital or elderly home and take emotional portraits of the people there, a woman bedridden looking with longing out the window. Two old men playing chess. There's beauty even in these things. I have more ideas, but they might be less doable - If you have a toll booth near you, see if you can't zoom in on people to catch the variety of expressions as they pay the toll.. some will be frustrated, annoyed, laughing, whatever is going on. Or go to a factory and and turn what most would consider mundane into a pictorial of things we take for granted which we never think about. I keep thinking of the field you mentioned. And then I keep thinking about when I used to volunteer at a children's handicapped school. Wouldn't it be bittersweet to find some handicapped children to play in that field for you to photograph? People tend to try to put the idea of handicapped or sick children out of their mind, but if you photographed them in a beautiful way I think the images could be quite extraordinary. In any case, good luck with your project!
2. One of the most simplest: Flowers. You said that you have a macro lens, so shoot it at an extremely close angle... usually works. You don't need a helicopter per se, you just need a height advantage. You could rent a cherry picker from a local industrial rental facility. 25-30' up, you'd be surprised how the world changes.