Creative Sunday Practice #23

If you clean a vacuum cleaner, does that make you a vacuum cleaner?

I genuinely laughed when I heard that joke. And then I thought — wait. That's this week's subject.

For the final Creative Sunday Practice, I'm inviting you to photograph your vacuum cleaner. Yes, really. That unglamorous, bulky, slightly dusty thing living in your hallway or cupboard — the one you walk past every day without a second glance. That one.

Because here's what 23 weeks of this series has taught me: the less photogenic the object, the more interesting the challenge. And the more interesting the challenge, the more you actually grow.

Why the Vacuum Cleaner Is a Better Subject Than You Think

Creativity is a muscle. And like any muscle, it grows strongest when the conditions aren't easy. Anyone can photograph a sunset. It takes a more trained eye to find something worth looking at in a household appliance.

I took mine apart. Removed the dust bag section, got in close, and started shooting. What I found was geometry I'd never noticed — textures that felt almost industrial, shadows that turned a mundane object into something that could pass for abstract art. Your phone camera doesn't care what it's pointed at. It just responds to light, shape, and the decisions you make.

Getting Set Up — A Few Practical Notes

No special settings needed. Just open your camera app and keep a few things in mind:

🌀 Tap to focus. 
Don't let your phone decide what's sharp. Tap directly on the detail you want — a vent, a ridge, a seam.

🌀 Get closer than feels natural. 
Most people stand too far back. Move in until the subject fills the frame, then move in a little more.

🌀 Turn off the flash. 
Always. Natural light, even on a grey day, will give you something far more interesting.

🌀 Try disassembling something. 
Remove a part. Open a compartment. The inside of a vacuum is a completely different world.

Five Creative Directions to Try

If you need a jumpstart, here are a few creative directions for you to try:

🔌 Get close to the details
Nozzles, vents, joints, the cord. Forget it's a vacuum. Hunt for shapes.

🔌 Disassemble something
Remove a part and photograph the inside. You'll find textures you never expected.

🔌 Chase the shadows
Place it near a window and let the ridges and grooves create something dramatic.

🔌 Go full flat lay
Lay the parts out on the floor and shoot straight down. Industrial still life.

🔌 Find the absurd angle
Shoot up at it, or get level with the floor. Make it monumental. It deserves it.

What to Do With Your Photos Afterwards

Taking the shot is only half of it. Once you have a few you like, spend five minutes in Snapseed App or Lightroom Mobile — it's free and excellent. Try pulling up the shadows, bringing down the highlights, nudging the contrast. You'll be surprised how much is hiding in a photo that looks flat straight out of the camera.

And if you've been following along since the beginning — go back through your Sunday Practice folder. 23 weeks of images. That's not nothing. That's a body of work.

Try it today. You might never look at your vacuum cleaner the same way again.

P.S. This is the 23rd and final prompt in the Creative Sunday Practice series. 23 Sundays. 23 everyday objects. 23 reasons to pick up your phone and look a little closer.

The prompts stop here. But the practice doesn't have to. Tap Creative Sunday Practice tag to explore all 23 themes — they're not going anywhere. Pick one you missed, revisit one you loved, or use them to start your own Sunday ritual.

The camera in your pocket is still there. So is the light coming through your window or the nearest lamp. Go make something! 🤳