basic photography assignments

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40 Practical Photography Assignments to Reinspire You

Here are a list of photographic assignments that I hope help you. You can skip around and choose the assignments that appeal to you:

#1. 5 yes, 5 no

If you’re interested in street photography, often the fear of rejection is worse than the rejection itself.

If you want a simple assignment to build your confidence, try the “5 yes, 5 no” challenge.

The concept is simple: approach a bunch of strangers and ask for permission to make their portrait. You have to keep asking until you get 5 people to say “yes” and 5 people to say “no.”

You will discover it is harder to get a “no” than a “yes”.

If you’ve got all 5 “yes’s” but not 5 “no’s”, you need to purposefully go out and look for the scariest people you think will say “no.”

The purpose of this assignment is to help you face rejection. In life, photography, and everything else, we are slaves of fear. This will help you face your fear head-on.

#2. “10 no”

If you’re really, really afraid of getting rejected, try out this assignment (a variation of the 5 yes/5 no assignment).

Go out and try to get 10 people to reject having their photos as quickly as possible.

If you go out and try to find people to say “yes” to getting their portrait shot, you might become paralyzed. Instead, only approach people who you think look unfriendly and will say “no.”

Funny story: you will find that often the scariest/meanest looking people are the nicest (and vice-versa).

#3. Exposure compensation

I am a big proponent of shooting in “P” (program mode). Essentially the camera chooses the aperture/shutter speed for you, as well as the exposure.

If you want to get better exposures in your photos (in P mode), try experimenting with exposure-compensation.

Ask a person to stand in the bright sun, and take a series of different photos (with different exposure compensations):

0, +1, +2, +3, -1, -2, -3

Then look at your LCD screen, and look at the exposure of each photo. Then look at the real world — how does your exposure-compensations change how your photos end up looking?

Don’t get too nerdy with this. Figure out what exposure-compensations work well for your camera, in different settings. Each camera thinks differently and has different exposure compensation modes. So treat this assignment as a way for you to better understand the light, and how your camera thinks.

If it is really bright outside, I generally photograph at -1 exposure-compensation, to make the skin tones of my subject look more natural, and also to darken the shadows. I love the dramatic look this gives my images.

Furthermore, if you’re shooting in the shade, you will often need to shoot +1 exposure-compensation to light your scene better.

But once again, experiment with different exposure-compensations, and figure out what works best for you.

#4. 1,000 photos in a day

If you’re a photographer who only takes 1-2 photos of a scene and tends to run away, try this assignment.

The assignment: take 1,000 photos in a single day.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to learn how to “work the scene”. If you see a good scene, try to take at least 10 photos of each scene. This will allow you to capture better perspectives, angles, and moments.

I don’t want you to always take 1,000 photos everyday. But this might help you break through “photographer’s block.”

#5. Eye contact/no eye contact

When I’m shooting street photography, I’m not sure whether a photograph with eye contact or without eye contact will be better.

Solution? Try to get both.

If I’m shooting candidly, I will get close to my subject, and take multiple photos, until they notice my presence. Then I wait for them to notice me, and then I take a photograph when they make contact.

Then when I go home, I have the decision of choosing between two version of a photo: one with eye contact, and one without. Sometimes eye contact works better, sometimes it doesn’t.

There is a saying that “eyes are the windows to the soul.” I generally find photos with eye-contact to be more compelling, soulful, and intense for the viewer.

However at the same time, sometimes having photos with the subject looking away from the camera gives you a more moody feel.

I often like to study famous (painted) portraits of people in the past for inspiration. Look at the paintings with eye contact, and without.

#6. Ask your subject to look up, down, left, right

If you approach a stranger, and ask permission to make their portrait (or if you’re photographing a model), it is hard to direct your subject.

One tip I learned: ask them to look in different directions.

For example, ask your model to look into the camera, and don’t smile. Then ask them to look up, down, left, and right.

Often people have a “better side.” Not only that, but by having your subject look up and down, you change the mood of the photo.

When your subject is looking up, they look more confident, encouraged, and powerful.

When your subject is looking down, they look more downtrodden, depressed, and negative.

Another tip: ask your subject to look at your hand while you’re photographing them. Then move your hand, and see how their eyes track your hand.

Changing the eye and head position of your subject will change the emotion of the photo. Experiment with different head positions with your subject, and you will have more photos to choose from.

#7. Only photograph things on the ground

When it comes to photography, we often just photograph what is in front of us, at eye-level.

Yet we never look down, and we never loop up.

As a simple assignment, do a photo project of just photographing stuff on the ground. You will find lots of interesting subject-matter if you look closely enough.

The world is a rich and beautiful place to take photos. Sometimes we complain that there is “nothing to photograph.” Yet in reality, we’re just not looking hard enough.

Change your perspective and view. Don’t just look ahead. Look down. Look up. Look into cracks in-between walls. Be curious, and change your perspective.

#8. Take at least 10 photos of each scene

I mentioned this tip a bit earlier, but the mistake we make as photographers is that we’re easily satisfied with 1-2 photos, and we move on.

The problem with only taking 1-2 photos (and then checking our LCD screen) is that we don’t push ourselves. When in doubt, try to photograph 25% more than you think you need to photograph.

This will force you to be more creative. You will try to photograph your scene from different distances (close, far) and from different angles (left, middle, right). You can also switch up your positioning (crouching, standing, or tippy-toe).

It is rare to see a good photo-moment. Don’t settle with just 1-2 photos. “Work the scene” and try to take at least 10 photos of each scene. Then you will push your creative boundaries, and be more likely to make a good photo.

#9. Limit yourself to only 36 photos in a day

For this assignment, you’re only allowed to take 36 photos in a day (same amount of photos in a roll of film).

This exercise will help you learn restraint. It will balance out some of the other assignments which encourage you to take more.

If you only had 36 photos you could take in a day, how much more selective would you be with your shooting? What superfluous photos would you not shoot?

I also find that by taking fewer photos, I appreciate each scene more.

You can do this assignment on a digital camera, or on a film camera.

#10. Shoot 1 street corner for an hour

In street photography, we’re impatient. Rather than sticking in one good area and waiting for our subjects to come to us, we run around (often wasting our energy) to just find a few good photos.

The solution: find an interesting street corner, don’t move, and photograph it for an hour.

The purpose of this assignment is to realize that it can be more effective to find a good scene, background, or area, and wait for your subjects to come to you.

Not only that, but if you stay put in one area, you will get to know the area better. You will observe the flow of subjects, and get a feel of a place better. Not only that, but you will be more “invisible” in the scene — people will ignore you.

#11. Delete all the photos from your social media account

An occasional purge is good for our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Try to do this every once in a while: delete all the photos from your social media, and start from scratch.

Don’t delete the original photos. Keep them on your hard drive, print them out, or archive them.

However if you have a lot of photos cluttering your social media account, make a practice of doing a 100% purge. Delete all the photos (or mark them private), and then re-start from scratch.

Often we let our past work prevent ourselves from innovating and creating new future work.

Purge your past. And start refreshed.

#12. Go a month without using social media

Often as photographers we fall victim to the “social media” treadmill of always uploading a photo everyday, just to feel relevant. We want it for the likes, the comments, the new followers. Yet we get addicted to social media like heroin. Without our daily “hit” of external affirmation, we feel our photography is pointless.

Yet photography should be a personal pursuit. Why care about what others think about your photos? How do you feel about your own photos?

Uninstall all the social media apps from your phone (don’t worry you can re-install them after a month). Don’t upload any photos, look at anyone else’s photos, and try your best not to cheat.

By “fasting” from social media from a month, you will get a better sense of why you make photos. And I can guarantee you, you will feel less stressed and anxious to keep up with the “social media rat race.”

#13. Only shoot black and white for a year

We don’t see the world in monochrome. Black and white is an abstraction in the world. That is why it looks more “artistic” to the average person. It is novel, unique, and different.

However it takes a while for you to train your eye to see the world in monochrome.

Many photographers shoot black and white their entire life, and still never master it. I’ve also found that if I switch between black and white and color too often, I can never learn how to really see the world in one.

The assignment is to shoot only black and white for an entire year. You can shoot RAW+JPEG with a black and white preview. And perhaps you can just use the black and white JPEG’s. If not, apply a simple black and white preset to all of your RAW photos (upon importing them).

How would you visualize the world in monochrome? I’ve found myself looking more for emotions, mood, smoke, shadows, lines, graphical elements, and minimalism.

This will be different for you, but learn how to see in monochrome.

#14. Only shoot color for a year

The opposite assignment to the prior one; shoot only color for a year.

To see the world in color is different than seeing the world in black and white.

Personally, I’ve found shooting color to be more difficult than shooting black and white. Why? Because color leads to more complexity. You need to compose and frame a scene well, but also think about the color-combinations of a scene.

Not only that, but different colors evoke different moods and emotions.

Monochrome is easy to use because it reduces and removes distractions. Color introduces more complexity and distractions.

I would personally recommend most photographers to first try to master monochrome before taking on color photography .

Color photography also requires your exposures to be better, and for you to shoot in better lighting conditions. For color photography, try to shoot sunrise and sunset ( golden hour ), or use a flash.

Train your eyes to become sensitive to different colors and play and have fun with it. See how you can mix different colors in a scene, whether they be complementary colors or contrasting colors.

#15. Only shoot JPEG for a month

RAW and post-processing is a blessing and a curse. The problem is that many of us modern photographers over-rely on fancy post-processing techniques to improve our (mediocre) photos.

I’m guilty of it — I’ve added HDR to my photos, added selective color, intense vignettes, and “overly-processed” many of my photos (thinking that they would make the photos better).

But no matter how much you polish a turd, it will still be a turd.

Shoot only JPEG for a month.

If you’re really anxious, shoot JPEG+RAW (but only use the JPEG’s) for a month.

This way you can’t rely on fancy post-processing techniques to “salvage” your photos. A great photo shouldn’t require any excessive post-processing.

#16. Only shoot with your smartphone for a month

We often make the excuse that we don’t always have our cameras with us. I know personally when I owned a DSLR, it would be a pain in the ass to carry with me everywhere I went.

But today we’re blessed by modern technology, especially with the smartphone. The smartphone is the ultimate camera: it is always with us, fits in our front pocket, and can also be used to edit/post-process/publish our photos.

If you have a big bulky camera and never take photos, take this challenge upon yourself: only shoot with your smartphone for a month. Lock up your “real” camera in a drawer, and see how you can be the most creative with just your smartphone.

The purpose of this assignment is to realize that photography is less about the gear and more about your personal vision, and how you see the world. The tool isn’t as important as your eye.

This assignment might also teach you the importance of just always having your camera with you, ready, and prepared to click.

#17. Stick to one camera, one lens for a year

We’re rich. We live in a culture of abundance. Most photographers I know aren’t starving. Most photographers have an over-abundance of cameras, lenses, and gear.

If you’re a photographer who has too much “choice anxiety” from owning too much gear, only stick to one camera, one lens for a year. Lock up your other gear in a drawer, better yet, sell it or give it away to friends.

If you really want to hone in your photographic vision; you don’t want to be distracted by gear. Also it takes a long time to get to know one camera and one lens/focal length quite well.

By sticking with consistent gear, you will have fewer gear distractions, which will give you more creative focus.

#18. Only shoot horizontal, vertical, or square for a month

I believe in “creative constraints”: by having fewer options, you are forced to be more creative.

For example, take framing. Try to only shoot horizontal (landscape), vertical (portrait), or square-format for a month.

Framing and composition is all about knowing what to leave out of the frame.

Restrict yourself to one orientation for a month and you will find more visual consistency with your work. And you will be forced to compose more creatively.

#19. Only shoot one square block for a month

With unlimited options, we become paralyzed. We don’t know what direction to take our creative work.

Restrict yourself geographically. For a month, only shoot one square block (both sides). This way, you will really have to dig deep, and find something very interesting in that one square block.

The benefit of this project is that you know exactly where to shoot. Just one specific area. And I think it is better to get to know one area very well, rather than knowing a lot of different areas superficially.

Being a great photographer isn’t about traveling the world, to exotic places, and making interesting photos overseas.

Being a great photographer is making the best out of what you have. For not complaining where you live; and being the best photographer in your own home town.

#20. Shoot everyday for a month

The only way to become a better photographer is to shoot more. The more you shoot, the more feedback you will get, and the more connected you will feel with the world.

For a month, take at least 1 photo everyday. It can be with your smartphone, DSLR, or whatever camera you have.

Just make sure it is something personally meaningful to you. Don’t just take the photo for the sake of it. Take a photo everyday of something that stirs your heart. That makes your soul sing.

The Zen masters recommended having a “daily practice.” By repetition, we reach a deeper understanding of “truth.”

In photography, we can read a hundred photo theory books, and still not learn anything. We only learn through taking photos, repetition, feedback, critique, and constantly seeking to improve ourselves.

Don’t put pressure on yourself that everyday the photo has to be great. But just build the habit.

#21. Don’t shoot for a month

To balance out the prior experiment; try to go a month without taking any photos.

You’re not allowed to take photos for a month.

Ironically enough, this assignment might be the best way to re-invigorate your passion for photography. Why? We take photography for granted. But when something is taken away from us we appreciate it more.

#22. Shoot “selfies” for a week

Many of us complain that we don’t have interesting subjects to photograph.

Not true; your best subject is yourself. Because you’re always available, and you won’t say “no” to yourself.

There are different ways you can shoot ‘artistic selfies’ of yourself. Photograph your shadow, reflection, or put your camera on a tripod and setup a scene and shoot yourself.

To photograph yourself is an incredibly intimate experience. It is an experience that allows you to be comfortable on the other side of the camera. Not only that, but it makes you realize that no matter what, you can always photograph something — who better than yourself?

#23. Have your portrait (professionally) shot

I learned this lesson from Sara Lando: if you don’t like being photographed, have another photographer (professionally) shoot your headshot. You will learn what is comfortable (and what isn’t comfortable) being a subject.

If you are a photographer, yet you don’t like having your own photo taken, you debilitate yourself. You assume everyone else doesn’t like having their photo taken (not true).

The secret is how can you make a photo of others (and of yourself) that makes the subject comfortable, at ease, and happy to be photographed?

#24. Shoot with a focal length (you’re uncomfortable with) for a week

We all have our preferences for a certain lens or focal length. If you want to push your creative boundaries, shoot with a focal length that you are very unfamiliar or uncomfortable with for a week.

If you’re a 28mm guy, try shooting only with a 200mm lens for a week. If you’re usually a 200mm telephoto type of person, try a 35mm lens. If you usually shoot with a 50mm lens, try a 28mm lens.

By shifting our focal length, we shift our perspective, how we see the world, and how we approach our subjects.

By pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone for a week, you will gain a new perspective and also perhaps find more gratitude for the focal length you’re already comfortable with.

Or better yet, you might find a new focal length you prefer that can help you be more creative and innovative with your work.

#25. “.7 meter challenge” (1-arm length challenge)

I learned this assignment from my buddy Satoki Nagata. If you’re uncomfortable getting close to your subjects, pre-focus your lens to .7 meters (about 1-arm length distance), and only shoot that distance for a month.

This assignment will force you to get physically and emotionally closer to your subjects.

You don’t need to shoot all your photos candidly. Ask for permission.

The more comfortable you’re shooting at a close distance, the easier it will be for you to take a step back.

#26. Decapitate heads for a week

I often find photos of hands, feet, or body gestures more interesting than faces. So the assignment is to take photos of your subjects without including their faces/heads in the photo.

Try it out: for a week “decapitate” your subjects (don’t photograph their faces). This will force you to see the other characteristics and attributes of your subject on a deeper level.

#27. Buy a mannequin (and use it as a test subject)

I learned this assignment from my friend Charlie Kirk: if you want to learn how to make better portraits, how to better use studio/flash, or how to frame, buy a mannequin as a test subject.

The great thing about having a mannequin is that you will always have a willing subject.

Try using different focal lengths, different settings, different apertures, shutter-speeds, different lighting setups, and anything else you want to experiment with.

This will allow you to better understand how to use your camera technically, how light (especially artificial light) works. Not only that, but you will have a forever patient subject at your disposal (whenever).

#28. Only shoot with a flash for a week

There is a bias in photography against shooting with a flash. People say it looks “harsh” and unnatural” when compared to using natural light.

Yet the flash helps us overcome difficult lighting situations. It gives us more freedom to shoot at different points in the day, when the light might not be so nice.

For a week, experiment taking photos only with a flash. You will discover how the flash works during the day, in the shade, indoors, and other effects it might have on your images.

Having a flash is a good tool in photography. It can help you open up creative doors and opportunities. It will give you more freedom to shoot at all points during a day.

You don’t always need to shoot with a flash, but try to learn it to the best of your ability, and you can use it in special situations (or in all situations).

#29. Put together a photo album

Today’s world is (mostly) digital. In photography, we spend 99% of our efforts sharing our photos online. Very rarely do we print our work, arrange and edit our work, and create physical objects with our photography.

Buy a cheap photo album at the store or online. Print a bunch of your photos as small 4×6’s. Then put together a photo album.

Do it with your partner, children, or friends. Make a theme, concept, or a story. Have fun. Spread the 4×6 prints on the floor, and figure out what kind of pairing, sequencing, and flow you want to add to your album.

Handling physical prints is a different experience than just looking at them on your computer or phone. The physicality of photography adds another dimension for us to be more creative, to find more by-chance connections, and for us to be more engaged with others.

Making a photo album is a nice communal activity, something that families did a lot in the past. Making photo albums can help us re-connect ourselves with the past, but also create physical documents that will be well-preserved into the future.

#30. Print your portfolio

Most of us have our portfolios online. Few of us have printed portfolios.

Look at your entire library of images, and ask yourself: Which of these 10 photos represent who I am as a photographer?

Then print out those photos at any size you like. Figure out how you would like the photos to be sequenced. Then carry them around with you, and share them with your friends. Ask them to sequence your photos according to their emotion and feeling.

Learn to show your photos as prints, rather than just a phone or computer. See how people react differently to your photos, and see how it feels different for you as a photographer.

Photos don’t exist until they’re printed. When photos exist in atoms, we have a deeper connection with them as humans. When we can hold a photo, or a memory in our hands, it feels more real. We appreciate it more, and we feel more connected with them.

I find a nagging sense of incompletion if I don’t print my photos. I appreciate my photos on my computer, but I love them when they’re printed.

This assignment will also give you a good opportunity to re-evaluate your entire body of work and ask yourself: What photos really show who I am?

#31. Give away a photo everyday (for a week)

I feel the best gift you can give others as a photographer is prints. Why? Because prints are meaningful, easy to transport, and relatively inexpensive to print.

As an assignment, print out a bunch of your photos, and for a week, give out at least 1 print a day (to a stranger, friend, your barista, family member, etc). See how it affects their mood, and your own mood.

Photos are about sharing moments, art, and history. Share a little bit of your own soul by giving away your photos. You might discover that giving away your photos for free is more meaningful than selling them.

#32. Start your own photography blog, and blog consistently for 30 days straight

I’m not a big fan of traditional “social media” – because you have no control. You’re a slave to the platform, and you don’t have as much ownership and creative opportunities.

When you create your own blog, you have more flexibility. You can publish your photos, text, and ideas in different format. If you own the blogging platform (I recommend wordpress.org) you then really own your content.

Blogs are great because they are historical documents of our past. Blogging is more difficult than sharing photos on social media, but it is also more personally meaningful.

Furthermore, if you have a blog, it is easier indexed by Google. And anyone with a web browser can access your work rather than only people on a certain social media platform.

The assignment is to start your own blog, and blog consistently for 30 days straight. It can be about anything. You can just upload a photo everyday, upload photos that inspire you, or share some personal stories behind your favorite images. Don’t take it too seriously, but try it for a consistent month.

By making a blog, you gain more ownership of your own photography, creativity, and work on the internet. If you’re a slave to a social media platform, your influence is very limited and you don’t have as many different ways to express yourself creatively.

I see blogs as the future of photography — don’t be left behind.

#33. Write down a list of photographic subjects you don’t like to photograph

How do you know what your “style” is in photography? For me, it is knowing what you don’t like to photograph.

For this assignment, figure out what genres of photography you dislike. Write them down, and simply avoid taking those photos.

Then, by process-of-elimination, figure out what kind of photographer you are (based on what you don’t like to photograph).

Most people I know who are interested in street photography don’t like to take photos of sunsets and landscapes. People I know who like to shoot flowers don’t like to take photos of people. Photographers who like to shoot monochrome generally dislike shooting color (and vice-versa).

Find out who you are via subtraction and process-of elimination. Treat your photographic style the same.

What do you not like photographing? Then just don’t photograph it — photograph the opposite.

#34. Intentionally try to take bad photos for a week

One of the biggest barriers in our photography is that we always try to take really good photos. But it is rare that we make good photos.

So flip the concept upside down: try to intentionally shoot “sh**ty photos” for a week. Get rid of your concepts of good composition, framing, and light. Just take bad photos of whatever you find interesting.

Follow your gut, soul, and instincts. Just click. Don’t think too much.

Then after a week, see if you feel more loose in your photography, less “blocked” creatively. Do you take yourself less seriously? Are you having more fun?

Perfectionism ruins us. Seek to make “good” photos. And in order to do so give yourself permission to make bad photos.

#35. Create your own photography portfolio website

If you want to be more serious with your photography (and taken more seriously), make a photography portfolio website. It can just be your firstnamelastnamephoto.com (or better yet, firstnamelastname.com).

Make your own photography website, and put on your 3 best projects (restrict each project to your 10 best photos). This way, you will be able to think more about long-term projects, rather than getting swept away in the social media madness of just uploading a single (random) photo a day.

When you pass away, what kind of body of work do you want to leave behind? Do you really think that your social media profile will exist after you pass away? Will anyone even look at it?

Having a website (instead of just having social media) is better, but not the best.

Aim on creating a body of work, and several bodies of work, then publish them as books.

#36. Buy one photo book a month (for a year)

I’m a big proponent of photography books and education. For a simple motto, remember the phrase: “Buy books, not gear.”

Gear quickly gets outdated. A great photo book will increase in value over time, both monetarily and its value to you as a photographer.

I recommend trying to invest in at least one photo book a month (for a year). You don’t need to buy an expensive photo book — invest in a book that you plan on re-reading over and over again.

I also recommend buying photo books whenever you have the urge to buy a new piece of gear. Why? Photo books will actually help improve your photography, and the novelty of a new photo book will inspire you.

Every photographer needs inspiration from somewhere. Most of us get our inspiration online, on social media.

There are great photographers online, but if you really want to learn the work of the masters, invest in photo books. Photographers spend many years, thousands of dollars, to create their own book. Therefore you’re more likely to get better images in a photo book, than just when looking online.

A good photo book will last for your entire life and will always be a great source of inspiration for you.

#37. Look at all the portfolios of all the Magnum photographers

You are what you eat. If you look at the work of great photographers, you will aspire to make great photographs.

I also go this assignment from my buddy Charlie Kirk: go to the Magnum Photos website and study all the portfolios of the Magnum photographers.

Write a list of which photographers you admire. Analyze their work, and ask yourself, “Why” you like their work.

Furthermore, when you find a photographer whose work really speaks to you, buy all their photo books, watch all their YouTube interviews, and learn as much about them as you can from them.

The more great images we look at, the more inspired we will be to make great photos. By analyzing great compositions and images, we will subconsciously take better photos when we’re shooting.

Also you will find there are a lot of Magnum photographers whose work you don’t “get” or “like.” That is fine — just think to yourself, “What about their work do I not like? And why would other people like their work?”

#38. Attend a photography workshop

I think photography workshops are great because you get a “shortcut” in your learning and education.

For a workshop, you get a distilled source of information from your teacher, often in a few days or a week.

I personally think that photography workshops are a much better “bang for the buck” than photography schools. And they’re much shorter, focused, practical, and hands-on.

Find a photography workshop on a topic that interests you. And know that you’re investing your money into your education, which is always one of the best investments for your money.

If you want practical instruction in photography, to learn, have any questions addressed, attend a workshop or two.

#39. Learn how to process black and white film

I don’t think digital is better than film, nor is film better than digital. They’re different. But more similar than dissimilar.

I feel the process of shooting film, and learning how to develop it, makes you appreciate the art and process of photography much more.

When I started off in digital photography, I took for granted that you could take a photo and instantly see it on the back of your LCD screen.

Shooting film has taught me patience, appreciation for the process, and the tactile hands-on approach.

If you’ve never processed your own black and white film, give it a try. There are tons of YouTube tutorials on how to do it. By processing your own black and white photos , you will feel a lot more connected with your images. You might fall in love with the process and the magic.

After shooting film for several years, I came back to digital photography with new enthusiasm. I appreciated digital photography so much more in terms of the convenience, the flexibility, and the modern technology.

If you’ve never processed your film before, give it a go. And not only that, but try to print your photos in a darkroom at least once — the experience might totally change how you view photography.

#40. Photograph only hand gestures for a day

I think that great photos tend to have two things: 1) Great composition and 2) Great emotion.

We all know how to make better compositions. Few of us know how to capture emotions.

A practical way to capture better emotions: capture hand-gestures and body language of your subjects.

So for a whole day, do nothing but photograph people doing interesting hand-gestures. Not only that, but afterwards, look at your photos (with hand-gestures in them), and mimic the hand-gesture. This will help you connect emotionally, and empathize with your subjects.

Photos of people just walking (and doing nothing with their hands) tends to be boring. Hand-gestures are much more dynamic, interesting, and emotional.

Much of communication is body-language and hand-gesture based. Photos are silent and don’t say words. But hand-gestures do.

I hope this list of 40 photography assignments will help inspire and uplift you. It is hard to stay motivated in your photography, but know that photography isn’t a race. Photography is a personal journey for yourself. You want to take your time, enjoy the process, and gain personal meaning through your photography.

Never compete with any other photographer. Don’t compare yourself to other photographers by how many followers/likes you have on social media.

Only gauge your progress in photography by your own standards of yourself, and by your own gut.

Know that dips in motivation in photography are natural and part of the game. What matters the most is how are you going to overcome these mental blocks and barriers in your photography. Are you going to let them encourage you to try harder? Or are you going to give up photography all-together.

Tenacity and staying in the game of photography is the goal. Never give up friend. Let’s stick in photography together for the long-haul.

About the author : Eric Kim is an international street photographer. You can find more of his photography and writing on his website and blog . This article was also published here .

15 Photography Assignments to Challenge and Inspire

By Tata Rossi 23 days ago, Amateur Photography

Photography assignments allow you to experiment with something you have never tried before and play around with different photographic approaches. With such an assignment, you will challenge yourself and develop your skills.

15 Ways to Make Photography Assignments

This list of photo assignments consists of 15 points, so I am sure that you will find the idea to your liking.

1. Self Portraits

The first task is a no-brainer: just take a self-portrait picture each day. Don’t forget to use a tripod and shutter release aside from regular shooting with your arm extended and holding a camera.

Since you will be the model, feel free to unleash your creativity with all sorts of make-up, outfits, poses until you figure out a proper look. Remember to use props as well. Then share your shots with the world via social networks or the dedicated Flickr and Twitter groups.

2. Color Challenge

Here is one of the greatest color photography assignments for the urban environment photos . Bring the camera with you and take pictures for several hours. Pick a color (or ask a friend to choose it for you to complicate the task) and photograph subjects of the chosen color only.

Once you are done, you will find yourself seeing this color everywhere! Then pick the best shots and merge them into a collage or mosaic in Photoshop .

3. After Dark

Practice with night photography and try taking pictures after dark. In case you are outside the city, you may shoot moonlight or star trails. While being in the city, capture light trails of vehicles or buildings with the light-up windows. Regardless of the location, experiment with light-painting by means of long exposure photography and moving a flashlight across areas of the scene.

4. Crop or Rotate All your Photos a Specific Way

One of the best photography practice assignments is to neglect your comfort zone and try something new for a change. For instance, if you have a tendency to snap the same kinds of photos, you should modify their perspective.

Try an approach to cropping or rotating your next 50-100 shots that differs from your regular one. Play around with square photos, 180° rotation or whatever else you can come up with. Once you get out of the familiar artistic routine, you will be able to perceive the world from another angle and get creative.

5. Quit Social Media Temporarily

Social networks can serve as an excellent source of photography inspiration or lead to a complete lack of it. If you use social networks without critical thinking, you may start comparing yourself to other photographers, which will be a total waste of time and effort.

While it may be one of the hardest photography assignments these days, taking a hiatus from social networks is highly important. Log off your Instagram account for some time or uninstall apps that leave you in a bad mood.

In case your job requires staying online on a daily basis, devote some of your time to non-Internet tasks, like taking pictures or gaining knowledge on photography. I suggest taking some online photography courses .

6. Shoot Every Day for a Month

If you wish to become a better photographer , you shouldn’t stop shooting. By taking pictures constantly, you will receive more feedback and will be interacting more actively with the world.

One of the most widespread photography class assignments is to take one picture each day for a month. Do it with the help of the smartphone, DSLR camera or any device that can photograph. But don’t take meaningless pictures just because you have to. The shots you take should resonate with you in one way or another and be valuable to you.

The Zen masters suggest that you have a “daily practice.” When we repeat something, we become closer to recognizing the “truth”. You may read a great number of photo theory books , but you won’t be able to shoot properly. Only through practice, repetition, feedback and constructive criticism, you can grow as a photographer. Remember that this assignment is about forming a habit, not about taking a perfect picture each day.

7. Experiment with a Completely Different Genre

The array of photography genres is truly vast. Underwater photography , glamour, smartphone, landscape photography , portrait photography – that’s only a beginning. If you feel like you are losing interest in photography, switch to another genre.

Try staying away from your primary photography genre for a while. In case you shoot portraits, go outside and capture the area where you live in. If you are involved in photographing pets , play around with self-portraiture. By getting familiar with various photography genres, you are widening your photography horizons and gaining new knowledge that may come in useful one day.

8. Put Together a Photo Album

We live in a digital world, and even nowadays’ photography comes mostly in a digital form. We constantly find ourselves sharing our photos online. It is a rare thing to print photographs, even touch them, let alone create something physical out of them.

That’s why one of the greatest photography tasks is to compile a photo album. You can buy one at a store or online. Print the desired shots in the small 4×6 size. I suggest collaborating on this task with your friend, child or partner. Think of the main idea, theme or story of the album. Put all the printed shots on a surface and consider how you will lay them out in an album, how you will pair them and in what sequence.

No wonder that our parents and elderly relatives used to create a photo book together. It is a nice way to preserve precious memories in a physical form and bring back the moments that we sometimes tend to forget over time.

9. Take Creative Self-Portraits with a Friend

While you may enjoy your own company while taking self-portraits, you may feel bored or lonely after some time. In this case, you can implement one of the most entertaining photography assignment ideas and take self-portraits with a friend (pets are welcome as well!).

Don’t forget to think through the poses, set up the tripod and find the perfect photography light. As you will be engaged in all these activities, you will be able to get a hang of a photographer’s workflow. Then, when it comes to a real photo shoot with the clients, you will be more skilled at dealing with the camera and lights.

10. Attend a Photography Workshop

Photography workshops is an excellent investment in your education as a photographer and one of the most helpful beginner photography assignments.

Pick a workshop that is dedicated to the topic relevant for you. Thanks to workshops, you will get not only theoretical but also practical information. Also, you will have your questions answered by real professionals.

11. Photograph the Same Person or Object Every Day

In case you aren’t as excited about photography as before, try capturing one and the same person or object each day for a week or month. Similar to the smartphone photography challenge, as a result, you will realize the importance of having the freedom to photograph anything you wish.

While snapping pictures of the same object, you will boost your lighting skills. To make the shots differ from each other, don’t hesitate to play around with various types of lighting and photo editing apps .

12. Go a Month Without Using Social Media

Being the photographer of the 21st century, you may find yourself in the never-ending trap of feeling the need to post photos on social networks each day. It all turns into some sort of addiction – all you crave is likes, comments and new followers. If you don’t receive the online praise you need, your photography stops making sense.

In fact, photography is something you should pursue on your own. What truly matters here is your personal thoughts on your shots, not the opinion of users online. Simply uninstall all the social network applications from the smartphone (you can bring them back once the assignment is over). Posting photos and looking through photos of others is prohibited.

If you manage to stay away from social networks for a month, you will acquire a clearer purpose of your photography work. Besides, you won’t be so obsessed with the imaginary social network competition that everyone seems to be involved in.

13. Shoot with a Limited Amount of Equipment

Regardless of whether you are an experienced, amateur or a beginner photographer , you are likely to be after all sorts of photography gear to enhance your results.

How about photography assignments where you have to use a restricted amount of shooting equipment? You can photograph strictly with one camera body or camera lens . There is no need to do it for an entire month.

For this assignment, I suggest coming up with a plan, and do it, for instance, only once a week. Working with the same gear every day will give you more flexibility in both the creative and physical aspects of the process.

So, in case you deal only with a zoom lens, you will have to experiment whenever you shoot indoors . With a wide-angle lens only, you will need to work on cropping and correcting distortions.

14. Limit Yourself to X Photos a Day

Similar to the previous assignment, limiting yourself to 10, 20, 30 or more shots per day, week or month will help you realize what your true creative needs are. Besides, with a photo limit, you will understand what subjects or scenes you are more inclined to photograph.

Another benefit of a photo limit is that it will bring more patience and creativity into the process. You won’t be able to take numerous pictures of one place, so you will be forced to risk and play around with various perspectives.

15. Take Photos with Your Smartphone Camera Only

Take pictures only with a smartphone camera for a week. For better results, download a top-notch camera app and try to figure out all of its settings. A modern smartphone will help beginning photographers get acquainted with the technical side of the shooting process.

To complicate the task, I suggest recreating some of your portfolio photos with the smartphone camera. With this assignment, you will learn all the intricacies of shooting with a smartphone and may even start taking shots not only with a standard camera but with a smartphone one as well on a regular basis!

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10 Photo Assignments to Inspire and Challenge Your Skills

Liz Masoner is a professional photographer and she shares her tips and techniques on photo editing and how to photograph nature, portraits, and events with film and digital cameras. Liz has over 30 years of experience and she is the author of three books on photography.

The best way to learn photography is to practice, though sometimes you can get stuck in a rut and not know what to shoot. That is why photographers love assignments; they give us a purpose and an idea of what to photograph. 

Why Are Assignments Important?

Self-assignments are key to any photographer's growth. Even professionals with decades of experience will work on personal assignments that they may never get paid for. The goal of any self-assignment is to spur creativity, solve problems, learn new techniques, and challenge yourself.

As you start out in photography, you're probably filled with excitement and ready to shoot anything you can. That being said, sometimes a little direction and guidance are necessary.

Below, you will find ten photography assignments. Each covers a new topic, skill, or concept and they were chosen to help you learn how to see as a photographer. They are meant to be a personal challenge that you can complete at your own pace and with no outside judgment, simply as a means to practice and improve your photography. Hopefully, you will learn something new with each assignment and be able to use that in every photograph you take in the future.

Remember when composing your images to keep in mind the basics: the rule of thirds,  shutter speed , aperture,  depth of field , and  exposure .

Assignment #1: Up Close

This assignment encourages you to get close and personal with your subject. It is an exercise in viewing a common object in a new way and examining its finer details.

• Choose an object that you see or interact with every day.
• Focus on a small part of it, get as close as your camera will allow you to focus, and shoot away.
• Try to capture different angles and unusual lighting to add to the mystery of this tiny world.

From the whiskers of your cat to a fragile Christmas ornament, and even common soap bubbles, there is an entire world that we often overlook because we don't get close enough.

Assignment #2: Motion

Photography is a static medium which means that it doesn't move. Conveying a sense of motion is often crucial to capturing a scene or emotion and it is an essential skill for photographers to practice.

The goal of this exercise is to understand how shutter speeds can be used to convey motion.

• Choose a subject or series of subjects that will allow you to convey motion in your images.
• It can be slow motions, like that of a turtle, or fast motion, like a speeding train.
• Blur it, stop it, or simply suggest that there is motion in the photograph.

Challenge yourself to capture the same motion in different ways. For instance, you might go to a race track and stop the movement of the cars completely in one image, then leave the shutter open and allow them to blur out of the frame in the next. 

Assignment #3: Shadows

Shadows are everywhere and they are vital to photography because this is the art of capturing light. With light comes shadows and when you begin to look at shadows as a photographer, your world will open up.

• Take a look around for shadows and record them with your camera.
• You could show the shadow as the total focus of the image. Perhaps the shadow is incidental to the subject.
• Is the shadow natural or created by flash?

Shadows are integral to creating depth in a two-dimensional medium such as photography. Take some time to seriously explore the "dark side" of the light.

Assignment #4: Water

Water is everywhere in photography and it presents many challenges. There are reflections and movements to work with and in this exercise, you will take a deeper look at water.

• Find water anywhere: lakes, streams, puddles, even the glass on your kitchen table.
• Pay attention to reflections and use them to your advantage in the photographs. Use this opportunity to get familiar with a polarizing filter (a very useful tool in your camera kit) so you can accentuate or eliminate reflections.
• Play with the motion of a stream or the crashing waves. Notice the difference between stopping the flow of water and allowing it to blur to create a real sense of movement.

Be sure to make water the subject and not an accent to the image. Water alone is beautiful and mysterious and your challenge is to explore all of its potential as a subject.

Assignment #5: Leading Lines

A classic assignment in photography schools, 'leading lines ' is a popular and fun subject. The goal of this assignment is to learn how to direct the viewer to your subject using lines.

• Choose a subject then look around for lines in the scene that you can use to 'lead' the viewer to the subject. 
• Find an interesting line then determine what the subject of your photograph is.
• Remember that lines can be man-made or natural. For instance, the yellow line down the middle of the road or a tree branch. Even a person's arm can be a leading line of their face.

Use this assignment as an excuse to take an afternoon photo excursion. Walk downtown or in the woods and look around you for interesting lines that lead the eye to a subject. There is an amazing assortment of lines out there in the world and once you begin to see them, you won't be able to stop. 

Assignment #6: Perspective

How do you normally stand when you shoot? If your answer is straight up like a 5-foot-something human being then this assignment is for you. The perspective assignment challenges you to view the world from an entirely new perspective, which in turn gives the viewer a new look at the ordinary.

• Take another afternoon or evening for a photo excursion wherever you like.
• This time, every time you find something to photograph, stop!
• Ask yourself: How would a squirrel see that tree? How would a robin view that birdbath? How would a snake view that log?
• Take your photographs from very high or very low angles. Get on your belly or stand on a chair, whatever you have to (safely) do to get the 'right' angle on your subject.

If you pay attention to professional photographs, many of the images that have the WOW factor are photographed from extreme angles. People enjoy these photos because they've never seen an object from that viewpoint. It is new and unique, and you can train yourself to shoot with this in mind.

Assignment #7: Texture

You may have captured a few textural details in the 'Up Close' assignment, but this assignment takes that to the next level. The goal in this one is to study textures and forget about the object itself: the texture becomes the subject. You will also begin to realize how light affects the appearance of texture.

• Find a few objects that have very detailed textures like trees or rocks, even knit sweaters or woven rugs.
• Photograph them as close as your lens will allow.
• Use different angles and capture the same texture as the light changes. Notice how the different lighting directions and camera angles can change how much texture appears.

Textures are all around us and many of the best photographs in the world play up the textural element. This assignment should teach you how to recognize and accentuate those elements in your photos.

Assignment #8: Color Harmony

Color is important to photography because the world is full of color. This exercise requires a bit of study in color theory, which you will then put into practice in your photographs.

Do you remember art class in elementary school? You may have learned that yellow and blue make green, but color theory goes beyond that. There are cool and warm colors, complementary and contrasting colors, neutral colors, and bold colors.

It can get quite complicated, and photographers should have a basic understanding of color so you can use that when composing photographs. You don't have to study color like a painter would but can use tricks used by interior designers to influence your color decisions.

• Once you have an idea of color theory, take another photo excursion and put what you've learned into practice.
• Capture photographs with the primary or tertiary colors.
• Look for complementary colors then contrasting colors to photograph.
• Try finding a scene to photograph that is filled with neutral colors, then one that uses a bold color to 'pop' from the scene.

This is an advanced lesson, but one that any photographer working with color images will find useful. As you practice working with colors, it will become second nature and you will know how to work with color to change the feel of your images.

Assignment #9: Emotions

Take a photo of a person smiling or scowling, right? Not so. The intent of this assignment is to convey emotion in photographs  without  a face.

• Take photographs that express each of the basic emotions: happy, sad, and mad.
• How would you express the feeling of anger with no person? What about happiness? Sadness?

This is a purely conceptual assignment, but it is important to be able to relay emotion in your photographs and you might not always have a person available to do that with. Challenge yourself to think deeper about this one.

Assignment #10: Don't Look!

Are you ready to put your photography skills to the test? In today's world of digital cameras and the ability to see image captures right there on the LCD screen, photographers are losing some of the skills needed to visualize a photograph.

In this assignment, your challenge is to shoot as if you were using a film camera. That means that you will not look at the photographs you've taken until they are downloaded on your computer. Instead of relying on the camera's screen to see if you 'got the shot' you will rely on your instinct and knowledge, just like photographers did before digital photography. Can you do it?

• Plan a photo excursion to a particular location and permit yourself to photograph only 36 images (a roll of 35mm film).
• Turn off your camera's LCD screen so it does not show you the image after you have taken it.
• If you cannot turn off the camera's screen, cut a piece of thick paper and tape it over the screen. Use masking or painter's tape so you don't leave a residue on the back of your camera.
• Go out and shoot your 36 frames, thinking carefully about each image because you don't have an endless number of shots. Bonus points if you turn your camera to completely manual settings for focus and exposure.
• Don't peek at your photos until you get home and download them.

How did you do? Were you able to get good exposures on your own? How did it feel to be 'blind' and not know how your image turned out right away? 

This is similar to what it is like to shoot with film and it does require you to think harder about every image you take. Next time you shoot, slow down and pay attention, pretend that the screen is not there and rely on your own skills to create a great image. You will be a better photographer in the end.

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12 Exciting Photography Assignments to Challenge and Inspire

You can also select your interests for free access to our premium training:

Everyone likes a good photo challenge. But photography assignments can also be very discouraging if they’re approached the wrong way. A good photography challenge will strengthen your photo skills and inspire you in multiple ways. A bad one will leave you wondering why you even tried photography in the first place.

12 Exciting Photography Assignments

Here are 12 exciting photography assignments to help you find the right one.

1. Shoot With a Limited Amount of Equipment

2. Take a Photo Every Day for a Year

3. Limit Yourself to X Photos a Day

4. Take Photos With Your Smartphone Camera Only

5. Experiment With a Completely Different Genre

There’s a wide variety of photography genres out there. There’s underwater, glamour , smartphone , landscape , and portrait , to name a few. Trying something new can help you fall in love with photography all over again. So take a temporary break from your main photo genre. If you’re a portrait photographer , take panoramic photos of your neighborhood. If you spend lots of time photographing animals, improve your self-portrait photography skills. When you expose yourself to different genres, you’ll learn many valuable lessons. And they will be useful long after the photography assignments end.

6. Photograph the Same Person or Object Every Day

7. Quit Social Media Temporarily

8. Create a Stop-Motion Video Using Photos

9. Take Creative Self-Portraits With a Friend

10. Crop or Rotate All Your Photos in a Specific Way

11. Include the Same Object in Every Photo

12. Invest in a Photo Book and Complete Every Assignment in It

Conclusion: Exciting Photography Assignments

You don’t need to travel the world or break the bank to improve as a photographer. A single assignment that lasts at least a week can teach you many lessons. And it’ll help you become a better photographer. All you have to do is find photography assignments that work for you. Then, dedicate some time to it, and watch your photo skills strengthen!

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27 Engaging Photography Exercises For Beginners To Learn From {FREE PDF}

Many times we start our photography journey with just noticing things around us. What we should also do is to start learning different ways to communicate through our images. If you didn’t yet hop on the 52 week photography challenge , we have added these 30 engaging photography exercises for you to develop your skills during the next few months.

Table of Contents

Why Should You Do These Exercises ?

The question actually is, why shouldn’t you?

Have you been monitoring your journey as a photographer, and what kind of changes have you been seeing?

When you decide to start moving to the direction of intentional practice, the development will follow.

27 Engaging Photography Exercises

Every exercise will force you to inspect your images from a different perspective, so try to focus on only one exercise at a time.

These exercises vary from photographic ones to ones that will have you inspecting your work as an artist. Each of them is essential in learning new ways of creating images.

1. Photograph something you love

This can be anything you decide. It can be an event, a place or an object. You can also choose to photograph people, but since it might require more effort than choosing to photograph other elements, we recommend you get back to it once you’re mastered to be comfortable with your camera.

2. Photograph something round

This is pretty self-explanatory. We have alot of organic and non-organic round shapes around us, so the framing will ultimately determine what round objects you let into the image.

3. Photograph someone close to you

Family members, other relatives or friends. People you already feel comfortable being with. See how directing them and having the access to be close to them might affect your way of photographing.

4. Photograph an object / subject that is moving

Running people, passing by cars or other vehicles. Can you use your cameras setting so that you stop their movement – or on the other hand – set them so that the movement is visible and can be seen in the final image?

5. Learn to use negative space

Negative space is an important element when creating your image; it gives more stillness and room for other elements to pop up in your work. How you decide to compose it, is up to you. In landscape negative space is a natural way of creating imagery, but how can you add it to let say, portraiture?

6. Focus on an object in the frame

Once depth of field is nothing new to you, start implementing the focus point only on the subject you want to emphasize. You will be able to truly bring the focus point to the elements that you want to show. This is a highly effective way of photographing, especially if there is surrounding noice in your frame.

7. Play with shadows

In this one try to focus not on the object itself, but on the shadows that the objects / subjects have. What kind of shapes can you find, and are they even more interesting that the objects itself? Can you frame them in a way that creates an abstract image?

8. Shoot analog

Many photographers say that photographing with a digital camera might feel convenient, but also steals the image of it’s moment. Since there is no rush in taking the image or no surprise whether you’ve had the shot you were looking for, you will approach it differently. At least at some point, try to photograph with an analog camera, and see how your approach changes. The best film cameras to start out as a beginner, are listed here.

9. Create a self-portrait

We are quick to photograph others, but what if you turn the camera to yourself? You can better practice lighting, but self-portraiture is a great way to start accepting ourselves as we are, without judgement. You can also practice as long as you feel like it, since theres not pressure in succeeding.

10. Play with reflections

Take a walk and look around; notice any mirrors, ponds or glass windows? They can be a great tool for seeing the world differently. Using them as self-portrait elements or just reflecting two different surfaces into one image.

11. Analyze your images

If you can, print out your favorite image you’ve made and look at them critically; what are the main themes you like to work with? Do you have a specific way of composing the elements in your images (ie. always horizontal / vertical) ? Are you great at photographing people, or are you more intrigued by moments or small details in your life? Looking deeper into what you’re good at and what you like to focus on, can determine better who you are as a photographer.

12. Use objects to frame your image

It’s called ‘frame-within-a-frame’ – look for elements which you can use as a frame within your image: branches of trees, window panes or doors can all work when framing your main object / subject in the image. But you can get creative and use a cut out fabric or a cardboard to create this frame.

13. Look at things through shapes and lines

Once you manage this one, it will support your photographic journey in every image you’ll ever take. When looking at great photography locations, noticing how the surrounding elements will play out in your images will determine whether they will work or not. Seeing lines immediately or noticing if the place already has an organic shape which you can use in your images, will help you to better build impressive images.

14. Create a photo essay

Creating a photo essay is another great way to find your visual language. How do you form a story through images, what kind of different images are you combining to tell an intriguing story? Try to shoot 5 images alternating between different angle of views and practicing composition.

15. Use less light in your images

When starting out photography, we often think the image is created around the light. Which it essentially is, but tweaking the amount of light you let in, is what can drastically change the mood the image. Shed only a beam of light on your subject or or let the light be reflected from an illuminating surface like screens, will give just enough light to build interest.

16. Learn to read the light in the space

Eventually this will be essential if you don’t want to always guess what settings you’re going to adjust when you’re about to shoot. Being able to look around you to verify; what is the main light source in the room and how or if you’re going to fill it with any additional light. And if not, how are you going to set your camera to support the lighting circumstances that are present.

17. Try to shoot black and white

For the aesthetic purposes and the feel of film, it’s quite nice and is definitely worth a try. Black and white film will also let you understand the importance of color, once it’s absent, you will notice how the viewer focus will move once the colors are not colliding with each other. Will they focus more on the narrative in the image instead of reading the colors ?

18. Create a theme before you start photographing

One way of shooting is this intuitive way of noticing details and thins you want to take a picture of. Another way is to plan ahead; what elements are you looking for to photography, and why? This is also much needed if you’re planning on doing a photoessay, or possibly even small commission job – staying ahead with knowing how you create the storyline.

19. Create a new photo by cropping

Some days you’ll notice later how you could’ve created an amazing image if you you’d go closer to your subject or object you were shooting. Instead of starting to crop the images and not moving an inch closer, try to crop it the way you’d like the image to be. Then next time, use this image as a guideline to go closer and create the actual image.

20. Recreate a photo you like

Maybe don’t choose the most ambitious one as your first picture, but do choose one that for some reason you feel is well created or -lighted or just sparks your interest in some way.

21. Learn to create a moodboard

If you want to plan more on what you photograph, creating a moodboard will bring you more focused view on what it is the photos are going to look as whole. We often just want to photograph without much thought, but it brings another level of reward once you see the end result of multiple ideas come into one.

22. Use a disposable camera in one day

This has a similar effect then photographing with an analog camera, except that you cannot do fancy settings or think much about the images. Disposable cameras will not give you the best quality in images but it will give its own feel to them. Photograph one full roll in your disposable camera and see what comes out. To find the best disposable cameras, I’ve made an extensive list for them here . For additional challenge; create small photo essays of the images you make.

23. Photograph something abstract

We are prone to trying to find meaning in our images, but what if you decide that there isn’t any and just look for things that you find aesthetically pleasing? It can be texture, color collision or just something you turn into nothing specific.

24. Choose a spot to photograph from

Trying to find new ways of looking at the same things; choose one spot you create 3 images for 3 days in a row. You can direct your camera upwards or downwards, or however you see fit. But do not change the spot you’re photographing from. Think about the time you shoot the images at and if they differentiate from each other.

25. Photograph a person without any faces

If you feel you’re not familiar with photographing people just yet, start by photographing them without showing their face. This will let them be at ease but you will also find it easier to access their space when you do not have to think too much about identifying them in a specific way.

26. Create a fictional journalistic image

Having even the slightest interest for journalism and the visual aspect of it, this will work as a stepping stone in understanding how journalistic images are created. Usually, of course these events are actual, but how a photographer decides to portray the event is always a responsibility and it can change the viewpoint of how the viewer will see it. Create a fictional happening and build an image that could easily be published in your local paper.

27. Go closer

This was almost covered in one of the earlier exercises, but is such an important aspect of photography overall that it needs to be underlined. As much as changing your viewpoint changes the content of your images, so does the distance you have between you and your subject. As Robert Capa once said: “If your photographs aren’t good enough, you’re not close enough”.

These photography exercises can be found in the free PDF below . Follow your development and how you perform these exercises.

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DIGITAL PHOTO MENTOR

Photography tips, tutorials and guides for Beginner and Intermediate Photographers.

10 Creative Photography Assignments to Inspire You Into Action

by Andrew S Gibson | Last Updated: November 8, 2022

Finding interesting things to photograph can be one of the most difficult things for a photographer to do.

You’re surrounded by potentially interesting subjects, but you might not realize it if you’re stuck for inspiration. I have been stuck, so I know what that feels like.

The good news is that the world is full of interesting ideas and subjects. All you have to do is find the good ones and develop them into personal photography projects that work for you.

Of course, wouldn’t be easier if you could find lots of ideas in one place?

That’s why I wrote an ebook called 100 Creative Photography Assignments . It gives you lots of ideas for projects that you can do close to home, without traveling to exotic locations.

The book is structured into 20 broad themes, with five assignments for each theme.

To give you a taste of what’s in the book, and to help you get inspired into action here are 10 of my favorite assignments. (The theme for each is shown in brackets after the assignment number and name)

Assignment 3: Urban trees (trees)

Humans have planted trees in formal gardens for centuries to bring nature into towns and cities. Photographing trees in urban environments gives you something that is different than traditional landscapes.

How can you explore the juxtaposition of man-made and natural items?

In the photo below, the tree, which is obviously well-cared for fits in perfectly with the historic home. The two go together, as intended.

But in other situations, you might find a jarring contrast between the natural and urban environments. That is called juxtaposition and it can make for some really striking images.

Assignment 8: People and the sea (or a lake)

How do people interact with the sea?

The sea has strong links to leisure, sport, and industry, all of which have plenty of potential photographically. Think beyond simple photos of people on summer holidays. How can you explore the relationship between people and water in more depth?

Another approach is to show scale and photograph people in a way that shows the vast size and scope of the ocean. Yet another is to show people battling the weather, perhaps fishermen at sea.

Assignment 20: Framed by color (frames)

Some frames are visual rather than literal. One way to make a visual frame is to look for compositions where the main subject is surrounded by a solid block of color, as in the photo below.

This is another assignment that tests your observational skills. It also has the potential to make an interesting series. What happens when you group a set of photos that use color as a frame together?

Assignment 24: Weathered surfaces (texture)

Old buildings of all descriptions are made of materials with interesting textures. The definition of old is relative, your chosen building might be hundreds of years old or just a few.

The important thing is that it looks old. That means visible signs of weathering, like the metal wall and wooden door frame in the photo below. Some texture surfaces, like rust, also have interesting colors that you can use to your advantage.

Assignment 31: On the outside (buildings)

One approach to photographing buildings is to include as much of the building as possible in the frame. But what happens if you take another approach?

Have you ever stopped to notice the interesting things that people put outside buildings?

In Italy, I found a shrine on the outside of a colorful red building in Venice (below). In the United States window boxes and mailboxes are commonplace. Nearly everywhere you go you’ll see plants in pots outside people’s homes.

All these items make potentially interesting subjects and have the potential to be turned into an interesting series.

This assignment gets more interesting when you do it in different places, and compare the things you find outside buildings in one place with those in another location.

Assignment 39: Urban decay (your local neighborhood)

Some buildings can look good for centuries if they’re well maintained. But others soon fall into decay, especially if they’re not kept up. Look for the beauty in decayed or run-down buildings.

You expect older buildings to be in a state of disrepair, especially if you live in a country that has plenty of ruins. But more modern, urban decay can be just as interesting.

Why do modern buildings fall into disrepair? What stories do they tell about their neighborhoods, towns, and cities?

Another approach to this idea is to photograph urban decay in other countries, and then compare the results with what you capture in your local area.

Assignment 54: Capture the character of a place (b/w)

The absence of color gives you another way of capturing the character of a place. Yes, it’s true that in some areas color is an essential part of the essence of the place. But in others, it’s less important.

Working in black and white gives you a chance to see through the colors and get to the essence of a place. Visually speaking that’s texture, contrast, and tone.

But in another way, black and white images seem to help you see further and deeper. They’re moody, atmospheric, and timeless. Use these characteristics to create a set of photos that capture the character of a place.

It’s also an assignment you can do when you travel. It’s easier because you get to see everything with fresh eyes. But for a real challenge try it in your local neighborhood, where familiarity can prevent you from seeing things that might be obvious to newcomers.

Assignment 62: Embrace hard light (light and shadow)

In this assignment, your brief is to photograph a scene on a sunny day when shadows are falling across the subject in an interesting way.

Look at the way the sun casts shadows across the scene during the day. How do the shadows move as the sun moves across the sky? Do the shadows make interesting shapes?

For example, in the photo below the shadow falling across the building comes from a neighboring house and you can clearly see the chimney.

Assignment 71: Signs (everyday objects)

We’re surrounded by signs – signs that tell us which way to go, what to do, that advertise to us, state the name of a business, or tell us about roadworks.

Signs are designed to be informative, but they can also tell a story. Signs in the American mid-west look different from signs in New York City. Signs here in the UK look different from the ones in rural France. Old signs have character and tell you something about the place.

What interesting photos can you make using signs?

Assignment 94: People in the landscape (landscape)

Some landscapes are empty or void of visitors. But others are closer to large population centers and therefore you’re more likely to see other people there in the scene. The idea of a pristine landscape untouched by man is appealing, but it’s also interesting to see how people interact with the scene.

One way to approach this assignment is to use people for scale. A human figure can anchor a composition and show the width and breadth of the landscape. A small figure in the frame emphasizes the size of the landscape, and the idea of people being small compared to the beauty of nature.

The photo below juxtaposes two elements of human interaction. The stone pillar is part of a Neolithic settlement, and the people on the right are modern visitors who came to see it.

Taking it further – traveling and exploring your archives

You’ll get the most from these assignments if you make new photos for them. They’ll get you thinking about your local neighborhood – and areas a little further afield – in a new way.

The beauty of these assignments is that most of them are repeatable. You can select your favorites and use them as themes to follow when you’re traveling away from home.

You might also find that you can go through your archives and find photos that match a particular assignment. It’s an interesting exercise because you’ll start to see themes and connections that you didn’t realize were there.

For example, I have photos that fit Assignment 39: Urban decay from Alaska, Chile, and my hometown (see above). And I can continue to explore this theme when I travel to new places as well.

These ideas are explored further in Creative Photography Assignments: Themes & Projects, a bonus ebook that comes with 100 Creative Photography Assignments.

100 Creative Photography Assignments

Buy 100 Creative Photography Assignments now for just $14 USD.

Buy it now and get out there taking photos!

Note from Darlene: This is perfect if you want to get out there doing some photography. But maybe due to covid, finances, or other circumstances you can’t currently travel. Look no further than your front door to get started! To really challenge yourself do the 100 assignments one a day for the next 100 days!

About Andrew S Gibson

Andrew S. Gibson is a writer based in England’s southwest. His interest in photography began when his parents bought him a Ricoh KR-10m camera more than 20 years ago. Since then, he’s taken photos in over 60 countries, studied for a degree in photography, and worked as Technical Editor for EOS magazine. Today, he makes a living helping people make better photos through ebooks and photography courses.

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Do These AI Generators Really Create Vector Images That Look Crisp at Any Size?

This note-taking system finally made schoolwork easier for me, your disney+ subscription is worth the money: 10 reasons why.

Despite how easy it looks, photography is hard, with three learning curves to conquer: the technical aspects of the camera, the theory of light and shadows, and the actual composition of a photo (sometimes called "seeing the shot").

That last part is the hardest thing for beginners to grasp. Composition has an artsy component that can't be easily taught. It must be discovered by the photographer themselves.

Fortunately, there are photography exercises that can help "develop your photographic eye". And with practical experience being the only guaranteed way to understand composition, these are the most effective photography exercises we've found.

1. Crop Someone Else's Photos

Great photography starts with the eye, not the camera. This means it should be possible to develop your photographic eye without ever touching a camera or lens. And it is! For this photography composition exercise, all you'll need is one of the easy-to-use photo editing programs like Paint or GIMP.

First, learn the fundamental rules of photo composition . You don't have to know every single one of them right now, but you should know at least one, as this exercise will force you to put these rules into practice. We recommend starting with the Rule of Thirds .

Next, go to a free photo-hosting site like Flickr or 500px and download a bunch of images to your computer. (The easiest way is to right-click and "Save Image As"). Any kinds of images will work, but this exercise works best with portraits and landscapes.

Now, open one of the images in your photo editing program of choice and start cropping. Try all of the standard aspect ratios, including 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, and 16:9. Try cropping vertical photos as horizontal, or horizontal photos as vertical. Move the subject around. Be creative.

The point is to experiment and see how different crops can change the look and feel of an image, and how certain crops are more aesthetically pleasing than others. This experience is invaluable when you start framing your own shots through the viewfinder.

NB: You can play around with someone else's images, but do NOT upload them or republish them on the internet in any way. That would be a violation of copyright law unless you have express permission from the image's original owner.

2. With One Subject, Shoot 10 Photos

Here's a common mistake made by newbies: always taking photos from the same height and from the same angle. It's natural to stand up straight and take snapshots from eye-level, but that's boring. After all, everyone knows what the world looks like from eye-level.

If you want your photos to be more compelling, change things up. Capture the world from unusual angles and positions: viewpoints that are foreign to most people.

This photography exercise helps train your sense of angles. First, find a subject. Any subject. It could be a stove-top kettle, a pet dog, a fire hydrant, a herb garden, a manhole cover. Anything works.

Then take 10 photos of it. No two photos should be alike. Try looking directly down at it. Then try looking directly up at it. Shift the angles. Look at the front of the subject, then the back, then the sides.

The possibilities are countless, and even the smallest tweaks to the angle can have a large impact on the resulting photo. Do this for hundreds of subjects and you'll start seeing angles everywhere you go without even trying.

Related: Photography Terms All Photographers Should Know

3. With Three Objects, Shoot 10 Photos

In some cases---like landscape, astronomical, and street photography---the idea is to capture scenes in the moment as they are. In other cases---like portrait, food, and product photography---the idea is to construct your own scenes.

As you imagine, this isn't easy. There are many factors to juggle such as lighting and background, but one particular aspect that newbies find difficult is how to position multiple subjects within the frame.

That's what this photo composition exercise is about. Find three random objects, such as action figures, fruit, bowls, candles, plants, or whatever else you have to hand. It doesn't matter if they're related to each other or not, although it will be easier if they're all similar in size.

Now position them however you wish. Think of it as if you're composing the objects for a photo shoot (that is what you're doing, after all). Do this 10 times, rearranging them in different ways each time. Over time, this will stretch your creative muscles and develop your eye.

4. With One Lens, Shoot 1,000 Photos

The focal length of a lens controls more than just the zoom factor of a shot. Yes, all things being equal, an 18mm lens requires you to be closer to the subject than a 50mm lens or an 85mm lens. But different focal lengths can evoke different feelings from a photo, too.

For example, the wide angle of an 18mm lens comes with a lot of distortion, which can produce a comical or whimsical effect. On the other hand, a 200mm lens has a compression effect that makes the photo seem flatter than, say, an 85mm or 50mm lens.

In short, different focal lengths require different approaches when composing shots. That's why we recommend mastering one kind of lens at a time, preferably starting with a 50mm prime. Read up on the common camera lenses and when to use them .

For this exercise, all you have to do is stick with one focal length for your next 1,000 photos. It's easiest with a prime lens, but if you only have a zoom lens, just pick a focal length and leave it there. Switch to another focal length when your 1,000 photos are complete.

By the end, you will have a better understanding of how to use the different focal lengths at your disposal to achieve the shot you're after.

5. Hula-Hoop Photo Walks

Creativity is often seen as something that's infinite, and full of possibilities. And while there's technically nothing wrong with that, the truth is that creativity needs limits and constraints to really flourish.

If you've ever felt like you wanted to take photos but didn't know where to start, where to go, or what to shoot, then you'll know what I'm talking about. Restrictions are good, and that's how this photo exercise is going to unlock your creative potential.

Take a hula hoop and go outside. Toss it up into the air, then let it bounce and roll around until it eventually comes to a stop. Now stand inside the hula hoop, take a look around, and shoot 10, 20, or 50 photos of anything. But try to make them good.

When you're done, toss the hula hoop into the air again and repeat the process. If you don't have a hula hoop, just pick a random direction and walk a random number of steps to find your next spot. Pretty soon your creative juices will start flowing, guaranteed.

6. Weekly Photo Challenges

Weekly photo challenges are popular on the internet, but different photography communities have different names for them: Photo of the Week, 52 Photos Project, Sunday Photo Prompt, etc. The key is to take 52 photos over the course of one year.

Ideally, you'd take part in some kind of community version of the challenge because this gives you a chance to see the photos of other participants, and a chance for others to critique your work. But if you'd rather do a personal challenge instead, that's fine too.

Sometimes each month has a theme, but not always. It's up to you how you want to do it. We recommend setting a regular weekly deadline and sticking to it. Need inspiration? Check out 52 Weeks Photography Challenge , 52 Frames , or 52 Weeks of Photography .

7. Recreate Someone Else's Photos

Once you feel a little more comfortable behind the camera, you may want to try recreating photos that others have shot. Browse Instagram, Flickr, or 500px, pick a few that seem within your skill range, and have at it!

The goal here isn't to make an exact 1-to-1 replica of your source material, so don't be discouraged if you can't get that far. Rather, this photography exercise is meant to get you thinking in ways you haven't considered. To push you outside your comfort zone.

At first, your imitation photos will look like garbage compared to your source photos. That's normal. Keep at it, however, and you'll start to see fast improvements. Along the way, you may even start to discover your own voice and sense of style as a photographer.

Photography Is a Long But Rewarding Journey

Don't expect to unlock your photographer's eye overnight. It's a gradual process that could take weeks, months, or even years before you really start to "see" photographs before taking them. But the journey is well worth taking, so don't give up!

If these photography exercises weren't enough and you need even more ideas, then we highly recommend checking out these free lessons to learn the basics of photography .

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Five Self Assignments That Teach You To See

A Post By: Rick Berk

In my 20 years in photography, I’ve seen a lot of different assignments teachers have given their students.  Most I have heard, or been given myself from time to time, have centered around learning to use the camera.  Things like “Use Only One Exposure Mode”, “Use Only One Lens”, or “Use One Aperture Setting”.  The most interesting to me, from a photographic standpoint, involved learning to see.  The reason I say this is that simple camera use can be easily learned. It’s basic math when you boil it down.  But learning to see creatively, learning to compose a shot, takes much more than learning buttons, dials, and controls.  These self assignments force you to look around you, to really see what you’re shooting and try to make interesting images.

1. Pick A Color

Pick up your camera and choose a color for the day. Go out and make images with that color as a dominant element in the image. Find as many different ways as possible to do this.

This image I went in search of things red. 1/320, f/7.1, ISO 1000. EOS 5D Mark II, EF 100mm f/2.8L IS Macro.

2. Pick A Shape

Choose a shape and create images which use that shape in an interesting way. It could be features in architecture, artwork, or juxtaposition of multiple structures. Squares are relatively easy. Start there, and then search out triangles, circles, or combinations of shape.  Again, look for the most interesting composition you can to highlight that shape in your image.

I ventured into Central Park in New York City without a real game plan in mind. I found a sundial and started shooting that, and then went in search of more circles. Found this ironwork and used it to frame a pair of lovers in a rowboat. 1/160. f/2.8, ISO 100. EOS 5D Mark III, EF 24-70 f/2.8L II at 24mm.

3. Shoot Something Different

If you’re like me, you probably have one type of subject you gravitate to more than any other.  But it’s easy to get too comfortable, and miss opportunities to make great images, when you’re only looking for one thing.  Once in a while it’s a good idea to change things up and shoot something different.  If you’re a sports shooter, try shooting a still life.  If you’re a landscape artist, try shooting macro.  These types of exercises forces you out of your comfort zone and helps you learn to see in a new way.

Normally I’m a landscape guy first. But I decided I wanted to try a still life of one of the tools of my trade. I used some black plexi as the table, and black matte board for the background. I used a single speedlite in a softbox above and behind the subject. EOS 5D Mark II with EF 24-70 f/2.8L II. 1/200, f/8, ISO 100.

4. Shoot Reflections

Reflections are a powerful element in photography, but I’m almost embarrassed to admit how long it took me to actually start SEEING them.  I had a “lightbulb moment” one day when shooting with a friend of mine, and since then, I am constantly looking for reflections as an element in my work, whether it be portraits, landscapes, or still lifes.

This is probably the most photographed puddle in New England, but it’s great for producing a reflection of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse. Reflections add interest to images so always be on the lookout. EOS-1D Mark IV, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II. ISO 100, 1/20, f/16.

5. The 15 Foot Circle

Stand in the center of a room, or wherever you happen to be.  Make photographs only of subjects that happen to be within 15 feet (or 10, or 5) of where you’re standing.  Give yourself a time limit. Exhaust all possibilities. Get as many images as you can using only that area before moving on.  This kind of exercise forces you to really look at things and work to compose interesting images.

I was standing in a dining room at the holidays last year and decided to try the 15 foot circle. This was a line of candles on a fireplace mantle. EOS-1D X with EF 70-200 f/2.8L IS II. ISO 400, 1/250, f/2.8.

For beginners, these assignments are great for learning to see. For more experienced photographers, these are great ways to stay fresh, to restart the creative eye when you’re feeling blocked, or to just do something different.  What other self assignments have you tried to refresh your photographic vision?

Read more from our Tips & Tutorials category

is a photographer based in Freeport, Maine, shooting a variety of subjects including landscapes, sports, weddings, and portraits. Rick leads photo tours for World Wide Photo Tours and his work can be seen at RickBerk.com and you can follow him on his Facebook page and on Instagram at @rickberkphoto.

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Composition in Photography: Assignment Discussion

By Romanas Naryškin 17 Comments Last Updated On January 20, 2022

A few months ago, I started working on our Mastering Composition” series articles. The idea behind them was to cover all the basics of composition in photography (and, consequently, visual arts in general) starting with some extremely simple concepts, and also provide assignments for beginner photographers to make the educational process fun and engaging. With some luck and effort from our side, the project would gain momentum and we’d be able to not only touch more advanced composition rules / theories and discuss specific examples sent in by our readers (eventually), but also organize a few online and offline workshops along the way. In this article, I will discuss the task and the answers provided by our readers under the first article of the series .

Table of Contents

The Assignment

Before we begin, let me just remind you what the assignment was. I asked you to name basic varieties of composition you were familiar with. I also wanted you to list just one variety and try not to repeat types that have already been named by someone else – to make the assignment more interesting. The following image was provided as a hint for one of the more basic compositions types:

Basic Types of Composition

As we’ve already learned , there are two basic types of composition – open and closed. But I wouldn’t have given you a task that has just two possible answers, that would have been a little boring! There is a bit more to it. Each of the two types of composition has different basic varieties. We will be covering these varieties in separate articles with appropriate images to illustrate them. For now, I will simply list them for you and provide a short description for each one. Notice how many of these you’ve actually seen – possibly without knowing what they were called. More than that, you’ve probably used quite a few yourself. That only proves theory isn’t everything – a lot of these things come naturally, as they should.

1) Open Composition

• Asymmetrical composition – a way of placing the elements within the frame in a way that is not symmetrical in relation to the center or central axis of the image. Primitively speaking, asymmetrical composition is an opposite of symmetrical composition and means that elements on one side of the image are different in shape, size, color and/or number to elements on the other side. Asymmetrical composition in its nature is quite dynamic and expressive, although it is not always the case. Mind you, whilst balance in composition is a subject we will touch on later, I feel I must stress out that asymmetry does not mean that the composition of that particular photograph is inherently unbalanced.
• Diagonal composition – this way of composing an image is based on placing elements along one or several diagonal lines (which can intersect) within the frame.
• Fragmental composition – when the objects (or subjects) within a specific photograph are only a part of their surrounding environment and that surrounding environment is shown going off beyond the edges of the frame, such a photograph is employing fragmental composition. Basically, it shows a part of a bigger scenery/story.
• Spiral composition – elements within the frame are placed in an extending spiral in relation to a vertical or diagonal axis. This composition variety has a lot to do with the Golden Mean (aka Rule, Spiral, Ratio, etc), which we will cover in a separate article.
• Vertical composition – elements within a frame are positioned along one or several vertical lines, which creates a sense of vertical movement. This does not mean all vertically framed photographs employ vertical composition, nor does the photograph have to be framed vertically at all. So why is vertical composition considered to be more dynamic than if the objects were placed horizontally? Well, placing the objects horizontally also “grounds” them, it is similar to laying a person down rather than having him stand up. Simply put, a person who is laying down is just visually more static.

2) Closed Composition

• Symmetrical composition – this is one of the easiest varieties to distinguish. Symmetrical composition is, as you probably realize, a complete opposite of asymmetry. It is a way of composing the image (elements in the frame) in relation to a vertical, horizontal or diagonal axis symmetrically, meaning there are elements that are very similar to each other (not necessarily identical) in their shape, size and color on both sides of the axis. A very good example of such composition is the first image in this article, the one that was provided with the assignment. The rainwater pipe is not only a symmetrical element of the photograph, but it also very clearly matches the axis in relation to which the elements (the two windows, etc) are placed within the frame. Similar elements placed around the center of the frame (in a circle, for example) also make for a symmetrical composition.
• Antithetic composition – this variety is actually very, very similar to symmetrical composition. The biggest difference is that there isn’t always a distinguishable axis around which the elements are placed. Such composition contains elements that mirror each other, but are not identical, merely similar. For example, a photograph of a man and a woman looking at each other (taken in profile) can be considered to employ antithetic composition.
• Central composition – a way of composing the image whilst emphasizing the elements that are at the center of the frame.
• Frontal composition – photographing a subject or object directly from the front, “head on”, results in a frontal composition. The photograph that you see at the top of this article that we’ve already identified is symmetrical also employs frontal composition.
• Pyramidal composition – placing two or more elements to form a triangle within the frame results in a pyramidal composition. A basic example would be a tightly framed portrait of a young family with the father in the middle (as the tallest person), the mother on one side and the son on the other, both leaning into the father slightly (who’s hugging them, of course!) to create a sense of closeness.

Something to Keep in Mind

These are not all varieties, but a lot of them don’t get used much in photography and are more common in other forms of visual art, such as painting. More often than not, photographers will employ several varieties at the same time without even thinking about it. What’s more, some photographs might have features of varieties that seemingly belong to a completely different type of composition. For example, a particular photograph can be symmetrical (a variety of a closed composition) and fragmental (a variety of an open composition) at the same time, even if that is a relatively rare case. So all the information that I have provided above is, like many things when it comes to arts and composition, not set in stone.

Your Answers

As I have already mentioned, a lot of these theoretical concepts come naturally in practice. This means that you have absolutely no reason at all to feel bad for not guessing the answers previously, if you haven’t. So don’t feel bad, not even for a minute – we are all here (including the whole Photography Life team) to learn from each other, after-all. I am not an expert at this myself and learn quite a lot while writing the article – there’s always a lot of research going on “behind the scenes”. That also means corrections and suggestions are always welcome! More than that, not all of you might have gotten the answers right, but, simply by guessing, you’ve mentioned plenty of other very important aspects of composition that we will eventually cover in our Mastering Composition series. These include rules and guidelines of composing images (Rule of Thirds, Golden Ratio), ways to direct the viewer’s gaze (Leading Lines), elements of composition (Perspective) and so on. I hope you will continue to take part in these assignments for beginners and have fun while at it!

A special mention goes to Sherman J. Buster, who listed symmetrical and asymmetrical compositions, and also Dan, who mentioned diagonal composition. Well done! Hope you did not Google it :)

Quick Assignment for Beginners

At first I thought of providing visual examples (photographs) to go with the definitions above and analyzing them for you so as to give a better idea of what is what . But even though this is an assignment discussion article and we are supposed to learn the right answers to the previous assignment, it feels wrong not giving you even the slightest bit of homework. So I will :)

Based on the varieties of compositions mentioned in this article and their short descriptions, analyze the two following photographs and:

• Identify the main type of composition (open or closed)
• Identify composition varieties (there might be several that suit a single photograph) of both images according to your conclusions of part 1) of this assignment
• Leave a comment with your answer below

Now, three days have already passed, so here are the correct answers for each photograph. It gives me great pleasure to say most of you were very accurate, good work!

The First Photograph

This photograph by Nasim uses a closed central, frontal, symmetrical composition. Some of you also thought that it might be diagonal because of the angle of the sun rays. However, what you must remember is to judge the general composition and the main object of focus, not separate elements in the photograph.

The Second Photograph

This photograph uses an open diagonal, fragmental composition with just a hint of vertical lines, too. Again, most of you were very accurate, I am impressed!

I was very happy to see so many of you take a shot at this and I’m also glad you liked the article and the assignment! More to come, I promise.

About Romanas Naryškin

A student and a wedding photographer with a passion for cinematography and writing. You'll see me buying film even when there's no food in the fridge. Follow me on Google+ , Facebook or visit my wedding photography website to see some of my work.

Hi Romanas, have really enjoyed this series so far and learned so much from it, thankyou for taking the time to share your knowledge. Will the series be continued? Eager to learn more as this is the area I feel least confident in!

Hello, Lisa. Certainly. Just be patient. :)

Wow, a real article on photography written by a real photographer (who also shoots film, too). And not one word about gear, megapixels, resolution, sensors, oil spots, sharpness, VR, buffer, frame rate, etc.

Bravo, Romanas! There’s actually hope for this website!

I see the first photo as being primarily a closed image that is symmetrical, with a central and frontal composition.

The second photo is an open image that is primarily asymmetrical with a diagonal composition. It has vertical and horizontal lines, too, but the diagonal lines dominate.

photo 1: closed; symmetrical, central, frontal photo 2: open; asymmetrical, possibly diagonal or fragmental (difficult for me to classify this one)

1st photograph: Closed composition – Symmetrical, Central and Frontal. 2nd photograph: Open Composition – Diagonal, Fragmental

Hi Roman, Image 1: closed, symmetrica, frontal and pyramidal Image 2: open, asymmetrical, fragmental and vertical Nice exercise :)

I think first one is closed central and second one open diagonal

Image 1- open and closed, symmetrical,central,diagonal. 2-closed, diagonal,antithetic

First photograph: Closed, Antithetic light beam to the left of the axis. Second Photograph: Open, Diagonal, Vertical, Fragmental.

Great lesson!

Image 1 – I feel it shows both, open and closed. Open; fragmented, there’s more to the image not shown. Closed; pyramid – the light beaming down in relation to the ladder

Image 2 – Open; displays both diagonal and fragmented composition.

Thank you for sharing with us!

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Online Photography Classes - 31 Best Picks for Beginners

Are you just starting out with photography? Here are the 31 best online photography classes to help you build a strong foundation.

The internet has contributed to a faster flow of information, resources, and services. This is never truer than in the realm of education and learning services. Once upon a time, to learn a skill you had to seek out experts in the field to teach you, enroll in a college or university, or grab a textbook. Today, online classes and courses offered by many platforms have made the process of learning easier, more accessible, and cost-effective.

From amateurs with YouTube channels to Ivy League university programs, the number of online photography classes available grows every year. Many of these are free photography classes online, but the highest quality courses need to be purchased or viewed using a subscription service. 

Which are the best online photography classes?

The answer to that depends on your learning levels, current skill levels, and the time and money you can invest in a photography class online. Here are the top 10 best online photography classes:

1.  Beginner Photography Course Bundle from Creativelive  2.  Introductory Photography Course from Udemy  3.  Certificate in Photography from iPhotography Course 4.  Your Road to Better Photography - Free Online Photography Classes by Udemy  5.  Portrait Photography Bootcamp from Creativelive  6. 365 Photography Course from PhotographyCourse.net 7.  A Crash Course in Photographic Composition from Skillshare  8.  The Essential Guide to Photoshop from Craftsy 9.  The Complete Guide to Photography from The School of Photography 10. DSLR Photography-Photography Course from Skillshare

Which are the best photography classes near me? This question has been made irrelevant by the vast selection of photography classes online that have circumvented the need to find learning opportunities near your location. You now have access to a plethora of quality content from around the world at your fingertips. The best online photography courses require a lot of time and knowledge to put together, and when done well, they can be just as useful as doing an apprenticeship or taking up photography classes near you. 

We have curated a list of the most popular online photography courses, that cover multiple areas and skill levels, to make you a better photographer. Here is an list of  top photography website templates  for your use. 

Here are the Best 31 Online Photography Classes:

1.  beginner photography course bundle from creativelive.

A great offering on Creativelive's course platform is the four-course bundle for beginner photographers. These four courses, when taken together, cover everything from basic camera settings, composition, lighting, and digital post-processing. The Fundamentals of Photography is a learner-centred online photography class that encompasses 107 video lessons and is a great introduction to the basics of photography.

The following online photography courses are included in the bundle but are also available separately.

• Fundamentals of Photography by John Greengo

• Understanding Light by Mark Wallace

• Adobe Lightroom: The Complete Guide by Ben Willmore

• Practical Adobe Photoshop Basics by Khara Plicanic

2.  Introductory Photography Course from Udemy

This hour and a half long video-based online photography class from Udemy offers a lot of value to shutterbugs who are at the start of their photography career. The course covers camera basics including controlling autofocus modes, exposure and metering modes, and the depth of field. The course goes beyond camera settings and introduces compositional concepts like the rule of thirds and leading lines.

The introductory online Digital Photography Course is just one of the online photo classes offered by Udemy. Many courses on the site cost around $10, but they offer a money-back satisfaction guarantee. Many of the online photography courses are about five hours long, but several masterclasses cover over 20 hours of material. Topics range from how-to guides like "Mastering Off-Camera Flash" to specialized niche topics like "Newborn Photography Secrets."

3. Certificate in Photography from iPhotography Course

iPhotography offers a wide range of online photography courses and editing courses that are designed for beginner and amateur photographers.

Its popular flagship course, iPhotography Course, is an in-depth 18-module course covering all the essentials of photography from the basics like camera settings, equipment, light, through to advanced posing, composition, camera tricks and editing in Photoshop.

Each course comes with a Certificate of Achievement, practical tutor-assessed assignments and access to an active community which includes photo contests and a photo feedback gallery that receives over 3,000 uploads a month. Students can upload their photos and receive feedback and ratings from tutors and fellow students.

iPhotography also offers a free photography course called The 30-Day Photographer which delivers a new class each day for 30 days. Each class takes less than 60-seconds to complete and teaches the basic principles of photography.

4.  Your Road to Better Photography - Free Online Photography Classes by Udemy

This free online photography class offered by Udemy, encourages students to get out of the automatic camera modes they've been experimenting with and explore the world of manual control. By teaching you to master the exposure triangle for aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, you can enjoy complete creative freedom with whatever type of camera you pick up 

5. Portrait Photography Bootcamp from Creativelive

If you are looking for a more hands-on, specific course for portraiture then look no further. Lindsay Adler's course is a well-thought-out lesson that covers all of the essentials of shooting portraits and is an excellent reference for all photographers. From the basics like camera settings, lighting, and lens selections, to advanced posing techniques for individuals and groups, this course covers it all. Creativelive offers quite a few specialized online digital photography classes in photography, as well as a few general beginner's courses for aspiring photographers. No matter what topic you are interested in or what skill you need to master, Creativelive has a specialty course for you.

6.  365 Photography Course from PhotographyCourse.net

If you’re looking to make a commitment to your photography abilities and learn a little every day, this course is the right fit for you. The daily bite-size lessons are taught by award-winning photographer Kevin LJ, who has been an industry leader for over 30 years and is a master teacher himself for close to a decade. The course guarantees a solid understanding of how to use your camera in every lighting scenario imaginable. What sets this course apart from others is the one bite-sized lesson you receive every day along with a practical challenge to test what you learned.

365 Days of Photography will help you:

• Gain a solid knowledge of your camera
• Develop your camera-operating speed and accuracy
• Understand different types of light
• Compose your photographs confidently
• Identify the best time to take your photos
• Learn to work in any situation; with the use of natural lighting or flash

7.  A Crash Course in Photographic Composition from Skillshare

Another great photography course online offered by Skillshare focused entirely on composition. In over two hours of videos and materials, the course covers all aspects of composition, geometry, and lines.

8. The Essential Guide to Photoshop from Craftsy

Among the many online digital photography classes offered on Craftsy, this Photoshop essentials course is a gem. No list of online photography courses would be complete without at least one Photoshop course. Even if you don't personally use the program, chances are you will use it to address the skills and attributes at a job or at some point in your photography career. Other photo editing software programs that you might use have undoubtedly been designed to look and feel like Photoshop , so learning Photoshop has become a de facto requirement for being a digital photographer.

This course, presented by Skott Chandler, consists of 14 video sections and covers basics like using Bridge and Camera RAW to organize files and import camera RAW files. Retouching is divided logically by the type of photograph you are working with, be it portraits, landscapes, or vintage photo restorations.

9.  The Complete Guide to Photography from The School of Photography

The team at The School of Photography has been teaching since 2002 and the extensive experience shines through in their courses. Their flagship photography course focuses on teaching you the technical aspects from the ground up. This in turn will give you full control over your camera and the visual effects of photography that all good photographers need. They also offer courses in Photoshop, Lightroom, studio lighting, and other specific genres of photography. This is your go-to place if you are looking to learn professional photography from expert academics.

10.  DSLR Photography - Photography Course from Skillshare

Skillshare is a diverse community of online video courses. The site offers many free online photography courses to try out, but a reasonable monthly subscription fee gets you access to over 24,000 classes. The site provides a one-month free trial, so you can probably even complete one or two of the best online photography courses it offers for free.

The DSLR Photography course consists of 11 chapters of videos that cover using your camera for everything from street photography to portraits. Even the free online photography classes like this one on Skillshare have a lot to offer. Additionally, there are several introductions to photography courses, as well as several Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials. Classes include projects which you can share and compare with others in the Skillshare community.

Each lesson takes less than 5 minutes to complete, with an aim to make learning part of your daily photography journey.

11.  Photography Basics and Beyond from Coursera

Coursera is a leading online platform provider for MOOCs, or massive open online courses. Many of the MOOCs offered on the site are provided by accredited universities and colleges. The photography specialization is available from Michigan State University. This is a seven-month program with flexible deadlines and scheduling to meet your needs. Upon completion of the program and the hands-on projects, you earn a certificate in photography, which is excellent for your resume and employment options. As a freelance photographer , certifications help bolster your marketability and credibility with clients.  Here is the guide for  how to build a resume website .

The following five courses are included in the Photography Basics and Beyond specialization.

• Cameras, Exposure, and Photography

• Camera Control

• Principles of Photo Composition and Digital Image Post-Production

• Photography Techniques: Light, Content, and Sharing

• Photography Capstone Project

12.  Professional Diploma in Photography from Shaw Academy

One of Shaw Academy's stated goals is to "reskill and upskill the world." Their professional diploma programs are accredited by the European Qualifications Framework. Their courses and programs vary from photography and video to design, marketing, and even health and wellness. 

Here are a few popular professional online photography courses:

The Wedding Photography course will teach you professional techniques and in-depth skills to ace wedding portraits. 

The Professional Online Video Production and Cinematography Course offers basic skills to create videos, understand compositional techniques and movement, syncing the audio with video, and shooting fully manual to have complete creative control over your videos and to become a professional cinematographer .

Specifically, their Diploma in Photography consists of five modules, each taking four weeks of study time. The first module alone includes many of the basics skills photographers might be looking to master, including composition, lighting, and equipment basics. The first seven days of membership with Shaw is free, and then each month is billed as a membership.

Once you have mastered the Basics in the Diploma Course, you can go on to Intermediate and Advanced courses in Photography, to learn about types of photography and hone your skills to create stunning images. Shaw Academy also offers Online Courses on Lightroom, Photoshop, Smartphone photography. Read more in detail here .

13.   Beginner Digital Photography - Online Photography Classes by Alison

Alison  is an Irish-based web learning company that offers diploma and certificate courses online. Their online classes are free and wide-ranging. From learning a foreign language to master web design, Alison has great courses available to be taken anytime. Alison offers a photographer career path that includes 16 different photography classes.

Alison offers several free online photography courses with certificates, including a diploma program for digital photography. Beginners can try out their course offerings by taking Digital Photography for Beginners course. This online photography class covers basic image composition, using and picking digital cameras, and other great tips to help you get off on the right foot.

14.  Beginner Photography Courses from Sleeklens

Sleeklens is a Danish-based company with a well-known reputation in Lightroom Presets & Brushes. Since 2018 they have extended their product range to list online photography courses.

Discover the "Beginner Photography Course" by Sleeklens, covering a broad range of topics relevant to photographers today,

This is an 8-hour course split into eight different modules, covering from gear basics to composition, working with external flashes, photo editing in both Lightroom and Photoshop – and if all that weren’t enough, offering detailed guides on Landscape, Portrait, Real Estate, Food, and Travel Photography. Here is a top real estate photography tips from the industry.

The course is authored by Jordan Younce, a professional Real Estate Photographer with more than ten years of experience in the field.

15.  The Practicing Photographer from Lynda

Lynda is the professional training website from business social media giant Linkedin. Lynda's courses feature high-quality video training of any number of topics to help you build marketable skills and expand your knowledge base. These are some of the best online photography courses out there, but they do come with a price tag. Luckily, Lynda offers a free month to try out their courses so you can see if it's a good fit for you before beginning a subscription.

The Practicing Photographer is a quick 30 minutes web course designed to give students a feel for what it's like being a working photographer. This overview course quickly dives into different styles of cameras, lighting techniques, and post-processing programs. For a quick session, it covers a lot of ground.

If you are interested in getting more in-depth information, Lynda offers learning paths specifically tailored to photography. Their photography lessons online feature hands-on projects and learning assessments to ensure mastery of the material. What's more, their photography section includes over 600 courses and more than 25,000 video tutorials.

16.  Beginners Start Here from Kelbyone

Kelbyone, the website started by a professional photographer and author Scott Kelby, is full of the best online photography classes. Fifteen courses are available if you sign up for a free membership, the rest of the 1,000 plus video catalog requires a paid Plus or Pro membership. Industry-leading photographers and expert academics teach classes, so there are probably a few instructors whose names you'll recognize.

Kelby's own "Beginners Start Here" course covers the basics of photography, and several other free courses cover topics of interest to aspiring photographers. You will find classes that include every aspect of photography, from lighting and composition to business techniques and equipment reviews.

Check out the site for  free weekly webinars  and some popular webcasts on photography, plus discounts on memberships.

17.  Ditch Auto - Start Shooting in Manual from Jerad Hill’s Courses

Jerad Hill is a wedding photographer and website designer with an eye for the business of making money online from photography. In this well-designed yet free photography class course, you'll learn the basics of camera settings and all that you need to master the exposure triangle and light. Jerad Hill's website also includes other courses, some paid and some free. Many courses cover topics like using Foursquare or Instagram to promote your business, which is extremely handy for photographers looking to start their own companies.

18.  Reddit Photo Class by Alex Buisse

Designed initially for Reddit, lifestyle photographer Alex Buisse put together this immensely popular class on his website. The text-based course takes the student through thirty lessons, from "What is a Camera" to "Sharing your Work" and "How to Go Further." The course is easy to follow and covers all the essential basics, plus some professional-level insights into RAW files and using tools like the histogram function in your camera. Each lesson includes an assignment to hone your skills. Alex's stunning photos help illustrate points. Best of all, the site isn't bogged down by advertising or sales gimmicks.

19.  Photography Courses by David

David Molnar is a celebrity and advertising photographer whose clients include Google, Pepsi, & Sony among many others. David is now focusing on sharing his knowledge with others by being a photography mentor and creating world-class photo education, inspiration & resources. David's photography courses are structured for beginners and span the entire spectrum of learning photography from mastering your camera, understanding lighting, and composition and learning how to edit and organize like a pro.

20.  Masters of Photography

 Masters of photography brings you some of the best online photography classes created by the most celebrated photographers in the world. They currently have courses by three photographers, namely Steve McCurry, Joel Meyerowitz, and Albert Watson wherein you get lifetime access to hours of content. Once you have finished the course from them, you will also get a personalized certificate.  

21.   Basics of Digital Photography from Craftsy

Craftsy is a website dedicated to educating craft makers and artists using quality video lessons. Topics on the site are wide-ranging: from knitting and cooking to gardening and photography.

The Basics of Digital Photography course was created in collaboration with the Santa Fe Photographic Workshop and features nine HD video photography classes given by instructor Rick Allred. Topics included in this online digital photography course cover light and exposure, shutter speed, aperture, ISO, lenses, and composition and creativity.

22. The Elements of Effective Photographs from Lynda

Another photography course from Lynda's extensive catalog, The Elements of Effective Photographs covers more of the creative side of the art. This course is taught by Natalie Fobes, a National Geographic photographer. It covers topics like composition, leading lines, and exposure. The course also highlights the use and control of light, whether in the studio or outdoors. This focus on compositional elements, using movement to capture the emotion, and proper lighting will be refreshing if you're getting bogged down in the technical side of camera settings and equipment.

23. School of Visual Arts Photography Lectures

The School of Visual Arts has created a YouTube playlist that serves as a free photography class for beginners. It contains more than 100 lectures related to photography and is presented by their Masters in Photographic Studies program. This free online photography course is called i3: Images, Ideas, Inspiration, and includes lectures by experienced photographers in various fields like fashion photography, documentary photography, etc. 

24. Continuing Education in Photography from the School of Visual Arts

There are two online photography classes provided by Continuing Education.

Creative Seeing: This paid course focuses on the creative vision of the photographer and aims to expand it. The course includes photography exercises as well as those which focuses on seeing. Photographers in their early stage and those who want to improve their perspective of how they see the world can enrol in this course. 

Queering the Portrait: The course will teach portrait photography that is far from average. It also includes subjects such as lighting, direction, and location choosing. Weekly and long projects will be assigned to you, and feedback will be given for it. 

25. Annie Leibovitz MasterClass

Annie Leibovitz's world-famous photographer known for photographing people such as John Lenon. Her iconic photographs appeared in magazines such as Vanity Fair and Rolling Stones. She believes in telling stories through photography. Her years of experience are taught through this MasterClass that allows students to get an online peek into her studio and live shoots. This online portrait photography class contains fifteen video lessons.

26. Jimmy Chin adventure photography MasterClass

If you are into adventure photography, then this online photography course is for you. Jimmy Chin is well known in the world of adventure. He is a National Geographic photographer who teaches how to plan, capture and edits the adventure photographs taken by you. Whether it is for a commercial shoot, editorial projects, or your passion, Jimmy teaches you to take your photography to a new level. 

27.  Seeing Through Photographs

As the name suggests, this free online photography course wants the learner to understand the photograph, not just look at it. When a photo is made, there are different ideas and approaches, which the course will help you understand. The course provided by the Museum of Modern Art also aims to help you understand the different ways a photograph is seen and used, whether as a way of documentation or as a way of artistic expression. It is one of the best free online photography courses that can be done in 16 hours and is suggested to be divided into six weeks. 

28. New York Institute of Photography

The New York Institute of Photography (NYIP) offers professional photography courses. These courses are taught by illustrious photographers, who will mentor students throughout the comprehensive program, course study, and assignments and help them improve their skills and take better photographs. They have a special limited-time offer on the photography courses listed here . 

Do check out these online photography courses, that are aimed at inspiring photographers to improve their creative skills. We had put together an article listing 25+ Creative Photography ideas and techniques to try in 2021. Some of these courses are available for free throughout the month of April. With stay-at-home and lock-down orders going up all over the world, you can also use the time to learn something small that will be of value to you later. It is a perfect time to use your camera in a new way! For more ideas, do read our list of  10 Things for Photographers to do while in Covid-19 Lockdown .

29. Nikon School - Online

Designed to inspire creators, these courses will help you journey from the fundamentals of photography, to intricacies of portraiture, child and pet photography ,  macro photography, to exploring dynamic landscape photography and the art of making videos. The classes are available through live video streaming on Nikon’s official handles of Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. These in-depth videos offer great tips and techniques to help you take your photography game to another level!

30. Free Online Photography Classes by Creativelive

Besides the above-mentioned classes, Creativelive is offering Free Photography Classes for the creative community. So if you are looking at mastering key photography skills or glean industry insight from experts, there are lots to learn for every skill level.

31. Free Online Photography Courses by Leica 

Leica Akademie is offering free courses and talks for photographers. Their series of free Instagram live discussions will be led by renowned photographers, musicians, actors, and other creative professionals.

32. Home with Olympus Sessions

Home with Olympus sessions is designed to connect users with Olympus technical experts. You can either sign up for a one-on-one session or participate in a group session to get to know about Olympus cameras or talk about specific photography genres and gain insights from industry experts.

Conclusion 

The above-listed photography classes for beginners aren't the only online photography courses out there, but they will provide a great foundation for your photography knowledge base. Photography is a varied field with many specializations and areas where we can all learn more. Thankfully, online learning has empowered us all to keep learning and to keep improving our skills. What skill do you want to learn next?

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start learning photography? The easiest way to start learning photography is to find “the best photography course for you.”  If you are really struggling to find the best course, we have curated a list of “Top 31 Photography Courses” to help you get started.  

Which online photography course is the best? If you are new to photography one can start with courses such as “Beginner Photography Course Bundle from CreativeLive”. On the other hand, if you want to learn something niche in photography, refer to courses such as “Portrait Photography Bootcamp from CreativeLive.” 

How do photographers make money? The digital world made it easier for photographers to generate multiple revenue streams and make a huge sum of money. Photographers make money by selling stock photos and prints, organizing workshops and tours, collaborating on different projects, editing, and retouching photos, etc.

Disclosure : This post may contain affiliate links, which means when you click the links and make a purchase, we receive a commission.

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40 Practical Photography Assignments

Dear friend,

One of the most difficult things in photography is to stay motivated and inspired.

I know that I have hit “photographer’s block” many times in my career.

Sometimes it is good to try out different photography assignments— to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, try a new approach, and to take action. Simply sitting on your bum and thinking about photography won’t improve your photography. You can only re-spark your passion for photography by making photos, or doing something hands-on.

Here are a list of photographic assignments which I hope help you. Feel free to skip around, and choose the assignments which appeal to you:

1. 5 yes, 5 no

If you’re interested in street photography, often the fear of rejection is worse than the rejection itself.

If you want a simple assignment to build your confidence, try the “5 yes, 5 no” challenge.

The concept is simple: approach a bunch of strangers and ask for permission to make their portrait. You have to keep asking until you get 5 people to say “yes” and 5 people to say “no.”

You will discover it is harder to get a “no” than a “yes”.

If you’ve got all 5 “yes’s” but not 5 “no’s” — you need to purposefully go out and look for the scariest people you think will say “no.”

The purpose of this assignment is to help you face rejection. In life, photography, and everything else — we are slaves of fear. This will help you face your fear head-on.

If you’re really really afraid of getting rejected— try out this assignment (a variation of the 5 yes/5 no assignment).

Go out and try to get 10 people to reject having their photos as quickly as possible.

If you go out and try to find people to say “yes” to getting their portrait shot— you might become paralyzed. Instead, only approach people who you think look unfriendly and will say “no.”

Funny story — you will find that often the scariest/meanest looking people are the nicest (and vice-versa).

3. Exposure compensation

I am a big proponent of shooting in “P” (program mode). Essentially the camera chooses the aperture/shutter speed for you, as well as the exposure.

If you want to get better exposures in your photos (in P mode) — try experimenting with exposure-compensation.

Ask a person to stand in the bright sun, and take a series of different photos (with different exposure compensations):

Then look at your LCD screen, and look at the exposure of each photo. Then look at the real world — how does your exposure-compensations change how your photos end up looking?

Don’t get too nerdy with this — figure out what exposure-compensations work well for your camera, in different settings. Each camera thinks differently and has different exposure compensation modes. So treat this assignment as a way for you to better understand the light, and how your camera thinks.

If it is really bright outside, I generally photograph at -1 exposure-compensation, to make the skin tones of my subject look more natural, and also to darken the shadows. I love the dramatic look this gives my images.

Furthermore, if you’re shooting in the shade, you will often need to shoot +1 exposure-compensation to light your scene better.

But once again — experiment with different exposure-compensations, and figure out what works best for you.

4. 1,000 photos in a day

If you’re a photographer who only takes 1-2 photos of a scene and tends to run away, try this assignment.

The assignment: take 1,000 photos in a single day.

The purpose of this assignment is for you to learn how to “work the scene”. If you see a good scene, try to take at least 10 photos of each scene. This will allow you to capture better perspectives, angles, and moments.

I don’t want you to always take 1,000 photos everyday. But this might help you break through “photographer’s block.”

5. Eye contact/no eye contact

When I’m shooting street photography, I’m not sure whether a photograph with eye contact or without eye contact will be better.

Solution? Try to get both.

If I’m shooting candidly, I will get close to my subject, and take multiple photos, until they notice my presence. Then I wait for them to notice me, and then I take a photograph when they make contact.

Then when I go home, I have the decision of choosing between two version of a photo: one with eye contact, and one without. Sometimes eye contact works better, sometimes it doesn’t.

There is a saying that “eyes are the windows to the soul.” I generally find photos with eye-contact to be more compelling, soulful, and intense for the viewer.

However at the same time, sometimes having photos with the subject looking away from the camera gives you a more moody feel.

I often like to study famous (painted) portraits of people in the past for inspiration. Look at the paintings with eye contact, and without.

6. Ask your subject to look up, down, left, right

If you approach a stranger, and ask permission to make their portrait (or if you’re photographing a model) — it is hard to direct your subject.

One tip I learned: ask them to look in different directions.

For example, ask your model to look into the camera, and don’t smile. Then ask them to look up, down, left, and right.

Often people have a “better side.” Not only that, but by having your subject look up and down, you change the mood of the photo.

When your subject is looking up, they look more confident, encouraged, and powerful.

When your subject is looking down, they look more downtrodden, depressed, and negative.

Another tip: ask your subject to look at your hand while you’re photographing them. Then move your hand, and see how their eyes track your hand.

Changing the eye and head position of your subject will change the emotion of the photo. Experiment with different head positions with your subject, and you will have more photos to choose from.

7. Only photograph things on the ground

When it comes to photography, we often just photograph what is in front of us, at eye-level.

Yet we never look down, and we never loop up.

As a simple assignment, do a photo project of just photographing stuff on the ground. You will find lots of interesting subject-matter if you look closely enough.

The world is a rich and beautiful place to take photos. Sometimes we complain that there is “nothing to photograph.” Yet in reality — we’re just not looking hard enough.

Change your perspective and view. Don’t just look ahead. Look down. Look up. Look into cracks in-between walls. Be curious, and change your perspective.

8. Take at least 10 photos of each scene

I mentioned this tip a bit earlier — but the mistake we make as photographers is that we’re easily satisfied with 1-2 photos, and we move on.

The problem with only taking 1-2 photos (and then checking our LCD screen) — we don’t push ourselves. When in doubt, try to photograph 25% more than you think you need to photograph.

This will force you to be more creative. You will try to photograph your scene from different distances (close, far) and from different angles (left, middle, right). You can also switch up your positioning (crouching, standing, or tippy-toe).

It is rare to see a good photo-moment. Don’t settle with just 1-2 photos. “Work the scene” — and try to take at least 10 photos of each scene. Then you will push your creative boundaries, and be more likely to make a good photo.

9. Limit yourself to only 36 photos in a day

For this assignment, you’re only allowed to take 36 photos in a day (same amount of photos in a roll of film).

This exercise will help you learn restraint. It will balance out some of the other assignments which encourage you to take more.

If you only had 36 photos you could take in a day, how much more selective would you be with your shooting? What superfluous photos would you not shoot?

I also find that by taking fewer photos, I appreciate each scene more.

You can do this assignment on a digital camera, or on a film camera.

10. Shoot 1 street corner for an hour

In street photography, we’re impatient. Rather than sticking in one good area and waiting for our subjects to come to us, we run around (often wasting our energy) to just find a few good photos.

The solution: find an interesting street corner, don’t move, and photograph it for an hour.

The purpose of this assignment is to realize that it can be more effective to find a good scene, background, or area — and wait for your subjects to come to you.

Not only that, but if you stay put in one area— you will get to know the area better. You will observe the flow of subjects, and get a feel of a place better. Not only that, but you will be more “invisible” in the scene— people will ignore you.

11. Delete all the photos from your social media account

An occasional purge is good for our physical, mental, and spiritual health.

Try to do this every once in a while: delete all the photos from your social media, and start from scratch.

Don’t delete the original photos. Keep them on your hard drive, print them out, or archive them.

However if you have a lot of photos cluttering your social media account, make a practice of doing a 100% purge. Delete all the photos (or mark them private), and then re-start from scratch.

Often we let our past work prevent ourselves from innovating and creating new future work.

Purge your past. And start refreshed.

12. Go a month without using social media

Often as photographers we fall victim to the “social media” treadmill — of always uploading a photo everyday, just to feel relevant. We want it for the likes, the comments, the new followers. Yet we get addicted to social media like heroin. Without our daily “hit” of external affirmation — we feel our photography is pointless.

Yet photography should be a personal pursuit. Why care about what others think about your photos? How do you feel about your own photos?

Uninstall all the social media apps from your phone (don’t worry you can re-install them after a month). Don’t upload any photos, look at anyone else’s photos, and try your best not to cheat.

By “fasting” from social media from a month — you will get a better sense of why you make photos. And I can guarantee you, you will feel less stressed and anxious to keep up with the “social media rat race.”

13. Only shoot black and white for a year

We don’t see the world in monochrome. Black and white is an abstraction in the world. That is why it looks more “artistic” to the average person. It is novel, unique, and different.

However it takes a while for you to train your eye to see the world in monochrome.

Many photographers shoot black and white their entire life, and still never master it. I’ve also found that if I switch between black and white and color too often— I can never learn how to really see the world in one.

The assignment is to shoot only black and white for an entire year. You can shoot RAW+JPEG with a black and white preview. And perhaps you can just use the black and white JPEG’s. If not, apply a simple black and white preset to all of your RAW photos (upon importing them).

How would you visualize the world in monochrome? I’ve found myself looking more for emotions, mood, smoke, shadows, lines, graphical elements, and minimalism.

This will be different for you — but learn how to see in monochrome.

14. Only shoot color for a year

The opposite assignment to the prior one; shoot only color for a year.

To see the world in color is different than seeing the world in black and white.

Personally, I’ve found shooting color to be more difficult than shooting black and white. Why? Because color leads to more complexity. You need to compose and frame a scene well, but also think about the color-combinations of a scene.

Not only that, but different colors evoke different moods and emotions.

Monochrome is easy to use because it reduces and removes distractions. Color introduces more complexity and distractions.

I would personally recommend most photographers to first try to master monochrome before taking on color photography.

Color photography also requires your exposures to be better, and for you to shoot in better lighting conditions. For color photography, try to shoot sunrise and sunset (golden hour), or use a flash.

Train your eyes to become sensitive to different colors— and play and have fun with it. See how you can mix different colors in a scene, whether they be complementary colors or contrasting colors.

15. Only shoot JPEG for a month

RAW and post-processing is a blessing and a curse. The problem is that many of us modern photographers over-rely on fancy post-processing techniques to improve our (mediocre) photos.

I’m guilty of it — I’ve added HDR to my photos, added selective color, intense vignettes, and “overly-processed” many of my photos (thinking that they would make the photos better).

But no matter how much you polish a turd, it will still be a turd.

Shoot only JPEG for a month.

If you’re really anxious, shoot JPEG+RAW (but only use the JPEG’s) for a month.

This way you can’t rely on fancy post-processing techniques to “salvage” your photos. A great photo shouldn’t require any excessive post-processing.

16. Only shoot with your smartphone for a month

We often make the excuse that we don’t always have our cameras with us. I know personally when I owned a DSLR, it would be a pain in the ass to carry with me everywhere I went.

But today we’re blessed by modern technology— especially with the smartphone. The smartphone is the ultimate camera— it is always with us, fits in our front pocket, and can also be used to edit/post-process/publish our photos.

If you have a big bulky camera and never take photos, take this challenge upon yourself: only shoot with your smartphone for a month. Lock up your “real” camera in a drawer, and see how you can be the most creative with just your smartphone.

The purpose of this assignment is to realize that photography is less about the gear — more about your personal vision, and how you see the world. The tool isn’t as important as your eye.

This assignment might also teach you the importance of just always having your camera with you, ready, and prepared to click.

17. Stick to one camera, one lens for a year

We’re rich. We live in a culture of abundance. Most photographers I know aren’t starving. Most photographers have an over-abundance of cameras, lenses, and gear.

If you’re a photographer who has too much “choice anxiety” from owning too much gear— only stick to one camera, one lens for a year. Lock up your other gear in a drawer, better yet, sell it or give it away to friends.

If you really want to hone in your photographic vision; you don’t want to be distracted by gear. Also it takes a long time to get to know one camera and one lens/focal length quite well.

By sticking with consistent gear, you will have fewer gear distractions — which will give you more creative focus.

18. Only shoot horizontal, vertical, or square for a month

I believe in “creative constraints” — by having fewer options, you are forced to be more creative.

For example, take framing. Try to only shoot horizontal (landscape), vertical (portrait), or square-format for a month.

Framing and composition is all about knowing what to leave out of the frame.

Restrict yourself to one orientation for a month — and you will find more visual consistency with your work. And you will be forced to compose more creatively.

19. Only shoot one square block for a month

With unlimited options, we become paralyzed. We don’t know what direction to take our creative work.

Restrict yourself geographically. For a month, only shoot one square block (both sides). This way, you will really have to dig deep, and find something very interesting in that one square block.

The benefit of this project is that you know exactly where to shoot. Just one specific area. And I think it is better to get to know one area very well, rather than knowing a lot of different areas superficially.

Being a great photographer isn’t about traveling the world, to exotic places, and making interesting photos overseas.

Being a great photographer is making the best out of what you have. For not complaining where you live; and being the best photographer in your own home town.

20. Shoot everyday for a month

The only way to become a better photographer is to shoot more. The more you shoot, the more feedback you will get, and the more connected you will feel with the world.

For a month, take at least 1 photo everyday. It can be with your smartphone, DSLR, or whatever camera you have.

Just make sure it is something personally-meaningful to you. Don’t just take the photo for the sake of it. Take a photo everyday of something that stirs your heart. That makes your soul sing.

The Zen masters recommended having a “daily practice.” By repetition, we reach a deeper understanding of “truth.”

In photography, we can read a hundred photo theory books, and still not learn anything. We only learn through taking photos, repetition, feedback, critique, and constantly seeking to improve ourselves.

Don’t put pressure on yourself that everyday the photo has to be great. But just build the habit.

21. Don’t shoot for a month

To balance out the prior experiment; try to go a month without taking any photos.

You’re not allowed to take photos for a month.

Ironically enough, this assignment might be the best way to re-invigorate your passion for photography. Why? We take photography for granted. But when something is taken away from us — we appreciate it more.

22. Shoot “selfies” for a week

Many of us complain that we don’t have interesting subjects to photograph.

Not true; your best subject is yourself. Because you’re always available, and you won’t say “no” to yourself.

There are different ways you can shoot ‘artistic selfies’ of yourself. Photograph your shadow, reflection, or put your camera on a tripod and setup a scene and shoot yourself.

To photograph yourself is an incredibly intimate experience. It is an experience that allows you to be comfortable on the other side of the camera. Not only that, but it makes you realize that no matter what, you can always photograph something — who better than yourself?

23. Have your portrait (professionally) shot

I learned this lesson from Sara Lando — if you don’t like being photographed, have another photographer (professionally) shoot your headshot. You will learn what is comfortable (and what isn’t comfortable) being a subject.

If you are a photographer, yet you don’t like having your own photo taken, you debilitate yourself. You assume everyone else doesn’t like having their photo taken (not true).

The secret is how can you make a photo of others (and of yourself) that makes the subject comfortable, at ease, and happy to be photographed?

24. Shoot with a focal length (you’re uncomfortable with) for a week

We all have our preferences for a certain lens or focal length. If you want to push your creative boundaries, shoot with a focal length that you are very unfamiliar or uncomfortable with for a week.

If you’re a 28mm guy, try shooting only with a 200mm lens for a week. If you’re usually a 200mm telephoto type of person, try a 35mm lens. If you usually shoot with a 50mm lens, try a 28mm lens.

By shifting our focal length, we shift our perspective, how we see the world, and how we approach our subjects.

By pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone for a week, you will gain a new perspective and also perhaps find more gratitude for the focal length you’re already comfortable with.

Or better yet, you might find a new focal length you prefer— that can help you be more creative and innovative with your work.

25. “.7 meter challenge” (1-arm length challenge)

I learned this assignment from my buddy Satoki Nagata. If you’re uncomfortable getting close to your subjects, pre-focus your lens to .7 meters (about 1-arm length distance), and only shoot that distance for a month.

This assignment will force you to get physically and emotionally closer to your subjects.

You don’t need to shoot all your photos candidly. Ask for permission.

The more comfortable you’re shooting at a close distance— the easier it will be for you to take a step back.

26. Decapitate heads for a week

I often find photos of hands, feet, or body gestures more interesting than faces. So the assignment is to take photos of your subjects without including their faces/heads in the photo.

Try it out— for a week “decapitate” your subjects (don’t photograph their faces). This will force you to see the other characteristics and attributes of your subject on a deeper level.

27. Buy a mannequin (and use it as a test subject)

I learned this assignment from my friend Charlie Kirk — if you want to learn how to make better portraits, how to better use studio/flash, or how to frame — buy a mannequin as a test subject.

The great thing about having a mannequin is that you will always have a willing subject.

Try using different focal lengths, different settings, different apertures, shutter-speeds, different lighting setups, and anything else you want to experiment with.

This will allow you to better understand how to use your camera technically, how light (especially artificial light) works. Not only that, but you will have a forever patient subject at your disposal (whenever).

28. Only shoot with a flash for a week

There is a bias in photography against shooting with a flash. People say it looks “harsh” and unnatural” when compared to using natural light.

Yet the flash helps us overcome difficult lighting situations. It gives us more freedom to shoot at different points in the day, when the light might not be so nice.

For a week, experiment taking photos only with a flash. You will discover how the flash works during the day, in the shade, indoors, and other effects it might have on your images.

Having a flash is a good tool in photography. It can help you open up creative doors and opportunities. It will give you more freedom to shoot at all points during a day.

You don’t always need to shoot with a flash, but try to learn it to the best of your ability, and you can use it in special situations (or in all situations).

29. Put together a photo album

Today’s world is (mostly) digital. In photography, we spend 99% of our efforts sharing our photos online. Very rarely do we print our work, arrange and edit our work, and create physical objects with our photography.

Buy a cheap photo album at the store or online. Print a bunch of your photos as small 4×6’s. Then put together a photo album.

Do it with your partner, children, or friends. Make a theme, concept, or a story. Have fun. Spread the 4×6 prints on the floor, and figure out what kind of pairing, sequencing, and flow you want to add to your album.

Handling physical prints is a different experience than just looking at them on your computer or phone. The physicality of photography adds another dimension — for us to be more creative, to find more by-chance connections, and for us to be more engaged with others.

Making a photo album is a nice communal activity — something that families did a lot in the past. Making photo albums can help us re-connect ourselves with the past, but also create physical documents that will be well-preserved into the future.

30. Print your portfolio

Most of us have our portfolios online. Few of us have printed portfolios.

Look at your entire library of images, and ask yourself: Which of these 10 photos represent who I am as a photographer?

Then print out those photos at any size you like. Figure out how you would like the photos to be sequenced. Then carry them around with you, and share them with your friends. Ask them to sequence your photos according to their emotion and feeling.

Learn to show your photos as prints, rather than just a phone or computer. See how people react differently to your photos, and see how it feels different for you as a photographer.

Photos don’t exist until they’re printed. When photos exist in atoms, we have a deeper connection with them as humans. When we can hold a photo, or a memory in our hands— it feels more real. We appreciate it more, and we feel more connected with them.

I find a nagging sense of incompletion if I don’t print my photos. I appreciate my photos on my computer, but I love them when they’re printed.

This assignment will also give you a good opportunity to re-evaluate your entire body of work and ask yourself: What photos really show who I am?

31. Give away a photo everyday (for a week)

I feel the best gift you can give others as a photographer is prints. Why? Because prints are meaningful, easy to transport, and relatively inexpensive to print.

As an assignment, print out a bunch of your photos, and for a week, give out at least 1 print a day (to a stranger, friend, your barista, family member, etc). See how it affects their mood, and your own mood.

Photos are about sharing moments, art, and history. Share a little bit of your own soul by giving away your photos. You might discover that giving away your photos for free is more meaningful than selling them.

32. Start your own photography blog, and blog consistently for 30 days straight

I’m not a big fan of traditional “social media” – because you have no control. You’re a slave to the platform, and you don’t have as much ownership and creative opportunities.

When you create your own blog, you have more flexibility. You can publish your photos, text, and ideas in different format. If you own the blogging platform (I recommend wordpress.org) you then really own your content.

Blogs are great because they are historical documents of our past. Blogging is more difficult than sharing photos on social media— but it is also more personally-meaningful.

Furthermore, if you have a blog, it is easier indexed by Google. And anyone with a web browser can access your work — rather than only people on a certain social media platform.

The assignment is to start your own blog, and blog consistently for 30 days straight. It can be about anything. You can just upload a photo everyday, upload photos that inspire you, or share some personal stories behind your favorite images. Don’t take it too seriously— but try it for a consistent month.

By making a blog, you gain more ownership of your own photography, creativity, and work on the internet. If you’re a slave to a social media platform, your influence is very limited— and you don’t have as many different ways to express yourself creatively.

I see blogs as the future of photography — don’t be left behind.

33. Write down a list of photographic subjects you don’t like to photograph

How do you know what your “style” is in photography? For me, it is knowing what you don’t like to photograph.

For this assignment, figure out what genres of photography you dislike. Write them down, and simply avoid taking those photos.

Then by process-of-elimination — figure out what kind of photographer you are (based on what you don’t like to photograph).

Most people I know who are interested in street photography don’t like to take photos of sunsets and landscapes. People I know who like to shoot flowers don’t like to take photos of people. Photographers who like to shoot monochrome generally dislike shooting color (and vice-versa).

Find out who you are via subtraction and process-of elimination. Treat your photographic style the same.

What do you not like photographing? Then just don’t photograph it — photograph the opposite.

34. Intentionally try to take “shitty” photos for a week

One of the biggest barriers in our photography is that we always try to take really good photos. But it is rare that we make good photos.

So flip the concept upside down — try to intentionally shooot “shitty photos” for a week. Get rid of your concepts of good composition, framing, and light. Just take shitty photos of whatever you find interesting.

Follow your gut, soul, and instincts. Just click. Don’t think too much.

Then after a week, see if you feel more loose in your photography, less “blocked” creatively. Do you take yourself less seriously? Are you having more fun?

Perfectionism ruins us. Seek to make “good” photos. And in order to do so give yourself permission to make bad photos.

35. Create your own photography portfolio website

If you want to be more serious with your photography (and taken more seriously) — make a photography portfolio website. It can just be your firstnamelastnamephoto.com (or better yet, firstnamelastname.com).

Make your own photography website, and put on your 3 best projects (restrict each project to your 10 best photos). This way, you will be able to think more about long-term projects, rather than getting swept away in the social media madness of just uploading a single (random) photo a day.

When you pass away, what kind of body of work do you want to leave behind? Do you really think that your social media profile will exist after you pass away? Will anyone even look at it?

Having a website (instead of just having social media) is better— but not the best.

Aim on creating a body of work, and several bodies of work — then publish them as books.

36. Buy one photo book a month (for a year)

I’m a big proponent of photography books and education. For a simple motto, remember the phrase: “Buy books, not gear.”

Gear quickly gets outdated. A great photo book will increase in value over time — both monetarily and its value to you as a photographer.

I recommend trying to invest in at least one photo book a month (for a year). You don’t need to buy an expensive photo book — invest in a book that you plan on re-reading over and over again.

I also recommend buying photo books whenever you have the urge to buy a new piece of gear. Why? Photo books will actually help improve your photography, and the novelty of a new photo book will inspire you.

Every photographer needs inspiration from somewhere. Most of us get our inspiration online, on social media.

There are great photographers online, but if you really want to learn the work of the masters, invest in photo books. Photographers spend many years, thousands of dollars, to create their own book. Therefore you’re more likely to get better images in a photo book, than just when looking online.

A good photo book will last for your entire life— and will always be a great source of inspiration for you.

37. Look at all the portfolios of all the Magnum photographers

You are what you eat. If you look at the work of great photographers, you will aspire to make great photographs.

I also go this assignment from my buddy Charlie Kirk — go to the magnumphotos.com website and study all the portfolios of the Magnum photographers.

Write a list of which photographers you admire. Analyze their work, and ask yourself, “Why” you like their work.

Furthermore, when you find a photographer whose work really speaks to you, buy all their photo books, watch all their YouTube interviews, and learn as much about them as you can from them.

The more great images we look at, the more inspired we will be to make great photos. By analyzing great compositions and images, we will subconsciously take better photos when we’re shooting.

Also you will find there are a lot of Magnum photographers whose work you don’t “get” or “like.” That is fine — just think to yourself, “What about their work do I not like? And why would other people like their work?”

38. Attend a photography workshop

I think photography workshops are great— because you get a “shortcut” in your learning and education.

For a workshop, you get a distilled source of information from your teacher — often in a few days or a week.

I personally think that photography workshops are a much better “bang for the buck” than photography schools. And they’re much shorter, focused, practical, and hands-on.

Find a photography workshop on a topic that interests you. And know that you’re investing your money into your education — always the best investment for your money.

If you want practical instruction in photography, to learn, have any questions addressed, attend a workshop or two.

39. Learn how to process black and white film

I don’t think digital is better than film, nor is film better than digital. They’re different. But more similar than dissimilar.

I feel the process of shooting film, and learning how to develop it, makes you appreciate the art and process of photography much more.

When I started off in digital photography, I took for granted that you could take a photo and instantly see it on the back of your LCD screen.

Shooting film has taught me patience, appreciation for the process, and the tactile hands-on approach.

If you’ve never processed your own black and white film, give it a try. There are tons of YouTube tutorials on how to do it. By processing your own black and white photos, you will feel a lot more connected with your images. You might fall in love with the process and the magic.

After shooting film for several years, I came back to digital photography with new enthusiasm. I appreciated digital photography so much more — in terms of the convenience, the flexibility, and the modern technology.

If you’ve never processed your film before, give it a go. And not only that, but try to print your photos in a darkroom at least once — the experience might totally change how you view photography.

40. Photograph only hand gestures for a day

I think that great photos tend to have two things: 1) Great composition and 2) Great emotion.

We all know how to make better compositions. Few of us know how to capture emotions.

A practical way to capture better emotions: capture hand-gestures and body language of your subjects.

So for a whole day, do nothing but photograph people doing interesting hand-gestures. Not only that, but afterwards, look at your photos (with hand-gestures in them), and mimic the hand-gesture. This will help you connect emotionally, and empathize with your subjects.

Photos of people just walking (and doing nothing with their hands) tends to be boring. Hand-gestures are much more dynamic, interesting, and emotional.

Much of communication is body-language and hand-gesture based. Photos are silent and don’t say words. But hand-gestures do.

I hope this list of 40 photography assignments will help inspire and uplift you. It is hard to stay motivated in your photography — but know that photography isn’t a race. Photography is a personal journey for yourself. You want to take your time, enjoy the process, and gain personal meaning through your photography.

Never compete with any other photographer. Don’t compare yourself to other photographers by how many followers/likes you have on social media.

Only gauge your progress in photography by your own standards of yourself, and by your own gut.

Know that dips in motivation in photography are natural — and part of the game. What matters the most is how are you going to overcome these mental blocks and barriers in your photography. Are you going to let them encourage you to try harder? Or are you going to give up photography all-together.

Tenacity and staying in the game of photography is the goal. Never give up friend. Let’s stick in photography together for the long-haul.

Always, Eric

Street Notes: A Workbook & Assignments Journal for Street Photographers

If you want to stay inspired when you’re shooting on the streets, pick up a copy of “ Street Notes ” — essentially a workshop that can fit into your back pocket.

Many of the assignments in the book are mirrored in this article, but I’ve personally found it much more motivating to have a printed book (than just looking at information on my phone). Plus there are lots of space for you to journal, reflect, and mark your progress.

See you on the streets.

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52 Assignments: Black & White Photography

Description.

52 Assignments: Black and White Photography is a year’s worth of inspiring weekly assignments to kick-start your creativity.

From capturing clouds, reflections, and water to shooting cityscapes, architecture, and vehicles, all the assignments in this book have been written to inspire you to embrace this timeless art and convey the essence of your subject through shades of light and dark alone. Whether you’re photographing natural elements or man-made landscapes, each assignment encourages you to look at the world in a new way, relying on shape, texture, and the source, direction, and intensity of light, rather than color, to create eye-catching images. Full of technical advice and professional tips, the book includes journal space for you to add your own notes, lists, and tech specs, creating a unique journal in which you can record the journey you have made with your imagery. Complete the assignments weekend by weekend over the course of a year, or dip in every time you need to bring a new concept or creative approach to your monochromatic photography.

Sales points:

• A year’s worth of weekly photography assignments to kick-start your creativity
• Innovative briefs from a leading photographer 
• Black-and-white photo challenges in a format to fit in your camera bag 
• Aimed at beginners and enthusiasts
• Assignments include: Reflections, Texture, Long Exposure, Tall buildings, Streets at Night, Cityscape, Creative Selfies, Silhouettes

About the Author

Brian Lloyd-Duckett is the Principal and Course Tutor at Streetsnappers, a specialist in street photography workshops and tutorials in London and cities across Europe. A highly successful commercial and editorial photographer, he teaches as a Visiting Lecturer on photography degree courses. He has worked for many leading newspapers and commercial organizations, but his hobby and passion is street photography. He is the author of Mastering Street Photography (Ammonite Press).

Praise for 52 Assignments: Black & White Photography

“Lloyd Duckett’s years of experience and own strong style make this the perfect hybrid of “how-to” and inspiring visual feast. . . .  Lloyd-Duckett’s years teaching workshops shine through, as he seems to know the answer to every possible question” --Digital Camera World on Mastering Street Photography “Give your street photography structure with this fantastic guide… a great way to get inspiration and there are visual ideas and techniques aplenty to get you thinking.” ---Photography News on 52 Assignments: Street Photography “If you want to fill 2022 with creative monochrome projects, Brian Lloyd Duckett’s 52 Assignments: Black & White Photography is a great inspiration."---Black+White Photography

Other Books in Series

52 Assignments: Drone Photography

52 Assignments: iPhone Photography

52 Assignments: Underwater Photography

52 Assignments: Portrait Photography

52 Assignments: Travel Photography

52 Assignments: Experimental Photography

52 Assignments: Nature Photography

52 Assignments: Photographic Exposure

52 Assignments: Street Photography

52 Assignments: Macro Photography

52 Assignments: Instagram Photography

52 Assignments: Landscape Photography

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