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The Photo Argus

Fresh photography ideas, useful tips and creative inspiration.

45 Excellent Pictures of Eggs

April 6, 2023 · Steph Nelson

Eggs have been a popular subject in art for centuries. They carry symbolic meaning, representing ideas like hope, fertility, and new life. In some cultures, they also represent wealth or luck.

But besides their symbolic power, eggs are a fantastic subject because they’re simple. Their smoothness and symmetry (when unbroken) make them well-suited to all kinds of lighting and compositions. When broken, their bright yolks create a pop of color that instantly catches the eye.

Whether you’re a beginner having fun or a professional honing your skills, eggs are a great subject to work with. For inspiration, here are some excellent egg pictures and ideas you could try out.

Ideas and Inspiration for Egg Pictures

Create a light/dark contrast.

If you’re shooting white eggs, you can create a striking light/dark contrast simply by placing the eggs against a dark background. You could put them in a black bowl, for example, or use a black backdrop if you have one.

Otherwise, you could create a light/dark contrast by photographing the egg’s dark shadow. In this case, you’d want to use a white background instead, so the egg’s shadow will stand out.

Mike Byrne
Mike Byrne

Scott Ralston – egg
Scott Ralston - egg

Henk Langerak
Henk Langerak

Arnold Watson
Arnold Watson

Dye or decorate the eggs.

Dyeing and decorating eggs is a long tradition in many cultures. While the practice is often associated with Easter and Christianity, people have actually been dyeing and decorating eggs for thousands of years. Archeologists have even discovered engraved ostrich eggs in South Africa that date back 60,000 years.

In other words, even if you have no cultural or religious connection to dyeing and decorating eggs, it’s a fun activity that’s open to everyone. And it can lead to beautiful photos, too!

kristycho7 – Eggs dyed naturally in cabbage, turmeric and beets
kristycho7 - Eggs dyed naturally in cabbage, turmeric and beets

Horváth Dániel – Traditional Easter Eggs
Horváth Dániel

Daniela Fluerasu
Daniela Fluerasu

Eva Kristensen
Eva Kristensen

Find eggs that are naturally speckled or unique.

Eggs at the supermarket may all look the same, but in reality, eggs are incredibly diverse. Every species of bird lays eggs that look different from other species. You can even find great variety within the same species. For instance, different breeds of chickens lay eggs of different shades and colors, speckled or unspeckled.

Even within the same breed, you can find eggs that vary in shade and texture, particularly with young hens laying their first eggs. To capture this amazing variety in a photo, you can visit a farm or raise chickens yourself. Or, if you’re up for a challenge, you can find a nest with unique eggs in the wild.

Kenny Wayne – Natural “Colored Eggs” from young hens just beginning to lay
Kenny Wayne

Paula Queener
Paula Queener

Ragnar Th Sigurdsson/Arctic-Images – Guillemot eggs collected from the cliffs at Ingolfshofdi, Iceland
Ragnar Th Sigurdsson/Arctic-Images - Guillemot eggs collected from the cliffs at Ingolfshofdi, Iceland

WR Takiguchi – Little Eggs
WR Takiguchi - Little Eggs

Photograph the eggs in a nest.

A nest is a natural way of framing eggs in a photo. While you could certainly find and photograph a nest with eggs in the wild, you could also take the easier route and make a nest yourself with branches, straw, and other natural materials. Then, you can put the eggs (real or fake) in the nest for a laid-back photoshoot at home.

Roberta Leaverton
Roberta Leaverton

Joanna Kovalcsik – Love Nest
Joanna Kovalcsik - Love Nest

Karen Link – Kill Deer Eggs on Nest
Karen Link - Kill Deer Eggs on Nest

george bowron – Killdeer Eggs
george bowron - Killdeer Eggs

Take a close-up or macro photo.

Plain eggs may seem like uninteresting subjects for macro photos at first since they lack intricate details or fascinating textures. However, macro or close-up pictures do more than just highlight details. By removing background distractions, a close-up can make any subject the star of a photo. Even small and neutral-colored subjects like eggs, which may be easy to miss in larger compositions, can become interesting in a macro photo. Give it a try!

Bobbie Smith
Bobbie Smith

Robin Weisz
Robin Weisz

Connie Johansen
Connie Johansen

Kate Neels
Kate Neels

Xahra Yusuf
Xahra Yusuf

Play with lighting and shadows.

The plainness of an egg is a perfect canvas for shadow art. It’s also a great subject for playing with lighting, as its oval shape and smooth surface go well with just about any type of lighting.

Due to the egg’s smooth shape, you’ll also be able to notice every change in lighting, especially if you’re using a plain white or black background. You can learn a lot about lighting, and best of all – the egg won’t complain if you’re taking too long.

Paul Ransome – Goose Egg
Paul Ransome - Goose Egg

Diane Rice
Diane Rice

Ferzan Uğurdağ
Ferzan Uğurdağ

Elisabeth patchwork – shadows on the egg
Elisabeth patchwork - shadows on the egg

Capture the classic egg-on-forks photo.

Yes, other photographers have done this kind of photo before. That doesn’t make it any less fun or creative. After all, landscape photographers can shoot the exact same view, yet end up with very different photos. That’s part of the challenge: taking an established idea and making it your own.

Cat Girl 007 – Egg and Forks
Cat Girl 007 - Egg and Forks

Lesley Blevins
Lesley Blevins

Paula Greco – EGG-CELLENT
Paula Greco - EGG-CELLENT

Will Edwards
Will Edwards

Use funny or clever props.

Forks aren’t the only prop that works well with eggs. Before the shoot, look around your home for objects that would create a funny or interesting image when paired with eggs. With the right props, you can create a story that makes your viewers smile.

Carolyn D’Alessandro
Carolyn D'Alessandro

Debra Hall – Here’s hoping the second one turns out right
Debra Hall - Here's hoping the second one turns out right

Zeynep Ugurdag
Zeynep Ugurdag

ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΚΟΥΡΟΥΜΠΛΗΣ
ΔΗΜΗΤΡΗΣ ΚΟΥΡΟΥΜΠΛΗΣ

Try conceptual photography.

Another way to approach the shoot is to first think of an idea you’d like to capture using the eggs. It takes some imagination, but eggs are an amazingly adaptable subject for conceptual photography.

Chinmoy Biswas
Chinmoy Biswas

John Abbott
John Abbott

Peter Waagenaar
Pete Waagenaar

AustinGartman – Marking the Days till Freedom
AustinGartman - Marking the Days till Freedom

Cook the eggs.

Most of the photos in this post focus on the exterior of the egg, or its shell, since that’s the simplest way to photograph eggs. However, cooked eggs (whether fried, poached, or boiled) can be interesting subjects, too.

Although food photos can feel cliché with all the cooking blogs and Instagram snapshots out there, you can still find your own voice in food photography. Think outside the box, experiment with different angles, and create a unique image that reflects your style!

Jade Holing
Jade Holing

Bill Donohue
Bill Donohue

Karen Woollatt
Karen Woollatt

Ragnar Th Sigurdsson/Arctic-Images – Man eating fresh guillemot eggs that were collected from the cliffs a few hours prior, Ingolfshofdi, South Coast, Iceland
Ragnar Th Sigurdsson/Arctic-Images - Man eating fresh guillemot eggs that were collected from the cliffs a few hours prior, Ingolfshofdi, South Coast, Iceland

Get weird and creative with special effects.

Want to experiment with Photoshop or different shooting techniques? Eggs are a nice subject for low-key, creative shoots that boost your knowledge. Get as weird as you want, and above all, have fun!

Graham Marshall – Zoom burst on eggs
Graham Marshall - Zoom burst on eggs

Ian Wade
Ian Wade

Paula Greco – No Comment
Paula Greco - No Comment

Joel Tejeda – Floating Eggxcellence
Joel Tejeda - Floating Eggxcellence

All of the above images come from our creative community of professional and amateur photographers, both on Flickr and via our newsletter. We had a photography challenge for the subject “Eggs,” and many of these photos are from that challenge. Thanks again to all the photographers who submitted their images!

To participate in future challenges, join our newsletter list. Then, you’ll be among the first to hear about every challenge.

Filed Under: Inspiration

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