Studio time
Every once in a while I play around with lights around my office. I look around the house for those odd looking items to take pictures of. Some of them come out really nice. Produce is always a great subject. Odd looking candles make for great subjects but capturing the flame is always an issue for me. I end up making one up with Photoshop most of the time.
The art of capturing still life can help a newbie learn the camera settings and capabilities. Since one is alone most of the time, messing up is not an issue and reshooting the subject is always easy. Rearranging the lighting around, moving some of the items, changing perspective, taking a moment to rethink your life's purpose, all things you are able to do without worrying about the model. While playing around in my spare room I learned about selective focus, depth of field, composition, and a plethora of other very useful skills I still practice.