cool photo 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 .

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.

52 photography projects: a great technique to try every week of the year

Our pick of the perfect weekend photography projects

Home photography projects
Outdoor photography projects
More outdoor photography projects
Long-term photography projects

Looking for photography projects to stimulate your creativity? Whether you’re a beginner who’s just learning the ropes or a seasoned snapper in need of inspiration, trying out a new technique can help you grow as a photographer. That’s why the list below features our pick of the best ideas to try with your camera.

From painting with light trails to capturing twilight landscapes, there are countless creative ways to use your camera and its lens. This round-up of our favorite weekend projects features suggestions to suit every skill level – whether you’re shooting with a smartphone or a ‘proper’ camera like a DSLR.

Some you can do from the comfort of you home, while others will have you heading out in search of specific scenes. Whether it’s a novel technique or an inventive suggestion for finding fresh subjects, every idea below has one thing in common: it should challenge you to try something different and find a fresh perspective.

Most of the projects can be attempted using the equipment you already own. Those that do require additional materials should all be achievable with pocket-money purchases – and if there’s any crafting involved, it should be well worth the effort when you see the results.

We’ve shared 52 of our favorite suggestions to do in 2022 below. Try them all and, in a year’s time, there’s a good chance you’ll be a better photographer, with a keener understanding of your camera and what it’s capable of. Plus you’ll be all set to attempt the final project: self-publishing a photo book.

The best home photography projects:

1. water drop art.

The basic idea with this project is to suspend a container of liquid and let drops fall through a small hole, then capture the resulting splash. Timing the shutter as the splash is created is everything. We achieved good results using two flashguns set to their lowest power (1/128th), an aperture of f/22 and water mixed with Xanthan gum to make a more viscous solution. We also used a SplashArt water drop kit from PhotoTrigger , which helped to regulate the size and frequency of the drops.

2. Indoor splash shots

For this project you'll need a flashgun that you can fire remotely, a container with clear sides for your water, a coloured background and a tripod. Set up the container and backdrop, then position the flash over the container. With the camera on a tripod and set to manual focus and exposure - f/8, ISO200 and the fastest shutter speed that will work with your flash - drop the object into the water and fire the shutter as it hits.

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3. Shapes of bokeh

Out-of-focus orbs of light can add magic to any image, but the bokeh effect needn’t be limited to standard circles. From love hearts to stars, a simple cutout filter can transform background sparkles into brilliant shapes.

Using your lens cap as a guide, draw a circle on a piece of card. Cut out the circle, score a small shape in the centre using scissors or a craft knife, then push the card onto the front of your lens (or attach it with an elastic band). When you next shoot a scene, any unfocused light will take the form of your shape.

Use a wide aperture to maximize the effect and remember that, as the filter restricts the amount of light entering your lens, you’ll want to set a longer exposure or higher ISO. Try simple shapes such as triangles to get started, before progressing to stars, hearts, crosses and more.

4. Create smoke art

Smoke trails are a firm favourite among still-life photographers. But how about taking it to the next level and using the shapes in a creative Photoshop project. Once you've taken a few good smoke art photos, make a blank document in Photoshop, then copy and paste one of the smoke images into it. Set the blending mode to Screen and use Warp Transform to reshape it. Continue the process to combine a range of smoke shots into a new image.

5. DIY lightbox

Lightboxes are used to illuminate objects evenly against a plain background, often for the purposes of product or food photography. Luckily, you don’t have to have a pro budget to make one at home. All you need is a cardboard box, some white paper and a table lamp.

Remove the top flaps, stand the box on one end and cut window holes in either side. Line the box with a single, seamless piece of white paper and cover the holes with thin paper or fabric, taped in place. Then it’s as simple as positioning a desk lamp on one or both sides: the paper will diffuse the light, evenly illuminating whatever object you put inside.

Or for an even simpler setup, use a single piece of paper as the backdrop, with one white wall made from card, and position near a window (as pictured). Experiment with aperture and shutter speed to shoot subjects with totally white backgrounds or some shadow for a sense of perspective. Then mix things up with color backgrounds. If the quality is high enough, you could list your images for sale on a stock photography website to earn some lockdown pocket money.

6. Lubricate your lens

Want to give your housebound portraits added glow? If you have a spare lens filter lying around, try an old Hollywood trick: smear a layer of Vaseline on the glass to give your images a soft, dreamy look, keeping aperture wide to emphasize the ethereal effect with a shallow depth of field.

Get experimental by leaving the middle of the filter free from Vaseline to create a halo effect, with the centre in clear focus but the outer elements blurry and soft. Don’t want to sacrifice a filter? Stretch cling-film tight across the lens and keep it in place with an elastic band, before using the Vaseline in the same way. If you’re not into portraits, try the effect when shooting a light source for a unique style of diffusion.

7. Make your own filters

It’s no secret that color is a major element of any image, but you don’t need expensive filters or editing software to experiment with saturation. In fact, you don’t even need to leave your home: all manner of household objects can function as color filters to bring new hues to your photography – and to transform mundane moments into brighter snaps.

Attach tissue paper to your lens with an elastic band for an instant change of scene, or try shooting through thin fabric with a light source placed behind. Too easy? Take a snap through a laundry capsule for a liquid tone adjustment or use a whisky bottle for sepia shades with a hint of distortion. Petals are pretty effective, too, as are translucent sweet wrappers.

8. Try cross-polarization

This fun project exploits the effect that polarised light has on some plastics. You'll need two polarising filters - ideally one of these should be a sheet of polarising film. You can pick up an A4 sheet of Lee 239 polarising film for £50 (try www.robertwhite.co.uk or www.pnta.com ). The sheet of film should be placed on a lightbox or in front of the only light source. An iPad screen and most computer screens have a polarising filter built in, so if you don't have a sheet of polarising film you can always experiment by creating a white document to fill the screen. Simply attach the circular polariser to the camera lens and rotate it to make the colours appear in clear plastic items

9. Food landscapes

Spice up your food photography! All you need is a set of model figures - Hornby 00 gauge figures are perfect, as they're available in a wide range of poses. Preiser has a great range too. The most important aspect is to establish a sense of narrative. Here you can see that there's a conversation between the characters, with the mountaineer on the 'mash face' being helped by his colleagues on the ground.

10. Fine-art food

Try turning your dinner ingredients into photo art using just a lightbox and a very sharp knife. Slice fruit and vegetables as thinly and evenly as possible, then place them on the lightbox. With the camera positioned directly above, use Live View to focus manually on the details. Set an aperture of f/8 to give adequate depth of field, and dial in some exposure compensation of +1 to +3 stops as the bright light can fool the camera's meter into underexposure.

11. Flowers in ice

A relatively inexpensive way of taking 'kitchen sink' close-ups that look great blown up as wall art. Freeze flowers in plastic containers of distilled or de-ionised water (available through your local auto or hardware store). The flowers will float, so try to weigh them down or fasten them in place so that they freeze under the water. Place the block of ice on top of a clear bowl or glass in a white sink or plate, so that the light can bounce through from below. Position a flashgun off to one side, angled down towards it, and shoot from the opposite side.

12. Abstracts in oil

Oil floating on the surface of water is a great way to make striking abstracts. This table-top photo project exploits the refractive quality of oil and bubbles to accentuate and distort colours. All you need to do is place a few drops of cooking oil on the surface of water in a glass dish. Make sure the dish is supported about 25cm about the table top, then place coloured paper under it and use an anglepoise lamp or flashgun to light the paper.

13. Play with fire

It doesn’t take a pyromaniac to see the photographic potential of fire, but it does take patience, skill and plenty of precautionary measures to capture a stunning action shot of a match igniting. If you’d rather not risk singeing your fingertips, try a different type of flame photography.

Shooting by candlelight alone can lead to magical results. As with any single source of light, it allows you to experiment extensively with shadows – especially if you’re capturing a portrait – while the soft, warm tone and flicker of the flame both contribute to an especially ethereal effect.

In a darkened room, try shooting with a medium-high ISO and a relatively slow shutter speed. Start with just a candle and your subject, before introducing additional elements and playing with positioning. A nearby wall, for example, will throw the candlelight back in different ways, while glass will add to the magic with fiery reflections

Tweak shutter speed to affect the strength of shadows or try adding further flames – though you might need to adjust the white balance if things look more yellow than mellow.

14. Repaint the walls with camera obscura

Familiar with pinhole photography? That technique relies on camera obscura – a natural optical effect that occurs when a small hole in an otherwise sealed space (such as a box) projects an inverted image of the world outside onto the opposite wall. You could make a pinhole camera as an at-home project, or you could go even bigger: with the right setup, you can create the camera obscura phenomenon in an entire room.

First, you’ll need to black out a room – for example, by taping opaque sheets over your windows. Then you’ll need to make an aperture through which light can enter; the smaller the hole, the sharper but dimmer the image. Camera obscura works best in small/medium rooms, with an aperture of around 10-15mm diameter. Allow your eyes to adjust and determine whether you need to brighten the image by making a larger hole, then marvel as an inverted version of the outside world appears on the wall.

Capture the entirety of this remarkable natural effect using a wide angle, a relatively long exposure and a tripod, or focus on specific elements of your room to emphasis the effect – such as houses appearing to float upside down on your mantelpiece.

15. Camera tossing

Chucking your precious photographic equipment into the air might sound like something designed to void the warranty, but – provided you’re not too clumsy – camera tossing can deliver some truly spectacular results. Try it in a dark room with a single light source. Set a shutter speed of around one second (roughly the length of time it’ll be in the air) and, as the timer hits zero, launch it upwards. Catching it is the important part, but once you’re comfortable with the technique you can experiment with multiple light sources, different colors and even spinning your camera as you release it.

16. Psychedelic soap film

This is a wonderful project that makes for vibrant desktop wallpaper or abstract wall art. You'll need liquid soap mixed with glycerine for long-lasting soap film, plus a wire loop, a black cloth background and a macro lens of at least 100mm. The colours created by soap film only appear when hit by light from a certain angle, so set up near a north-facing window and shoot from around 45 degrees.

17. Refractive art

Light bends when it passes through water, causing the objects behind to change appearance. This is called refraction, and you'll make use of this phenomenon in this arty photo project. All you need is a few glasses, a flashgun, a tripod and a black-and-white pattern print. Simply place the pattern in the background with the glasses in front. Fill them with different levels of water and move the pattern backwards or forwards to fine-tune the effect.

18. Kitchen close-ups

Your kitchen is an ideal location for shooting a macro project. Its reflective surfaces can be used to create interesting backgrounds for your shots, and a shallow depth of field can transform the most mundane of objects you'll find there. Creating a triptych of images can result in a piece of fantastic wall art for your kitchen too, although it's important to think about how they're going to work together before you start shooting. Here, 3 objects - a fork, a bowl of cereal and coffee granules - were all shot from a similar angle, with the impression of height linking the sequence.

19. Invert the world with a crystal ball

Shoot through a crystal ball and, while you won’t see into the future, you will capture an inverted version of the scene behind the orb. Just as light is refracted when it passes through the glass elements of a lens, the same thing happens with a glass sphere. There are dedicated photography balls on the market, but the effect can often be achieved using a clear marble or even a paperweight. Nothing suitable? A water-filled wine glass can also work.

All sorts of subjects look good through an orb, from sunsets and cityscapes to abstract items and even portraits. Try shooting with a macro lens to fill the frame with the sphere, or with a wider angle to include some of the scene behind. To really play with perspectives, rotate the image with editing software so that the background is inverted but the scene in the orb is the right way up. You can also incorporate elements that support the ball into the image, such as hands, bowls or miscellaneous objects.

20. Still-life bokeh

Something as simple as a crumpled piece of foil can be the basis for a creative photo project. Position a still-life subject on a sheet of glass with a piece of dark material underneath it. Scrunch up the kitchen foil then smooth it back out and place it in the background. Shine a table lamp or torch on the foil and, with a tripod mounted camera, dial in the lens's widest aperture to create some beautiful ' bokeh '. During the exposure, shine a flashlight onto the subject.

21. Play with shadows

Photography is fundamentally about capturing light, which is exactly why shadows can be so powerful. They can create contrast with lighter parts of a composition or add texture to an otherwise plain subject. They can even be manipulated to tell a story. Incorporating shadows into your images will challenge you to think not just about the objects within a scene, but how things outside of the frame can affect the light that falls within it.

To play with shadows, all you need is a light source and a solid object to block it. This could be something natural, such as the shadow of a tree cast by sunlight. Equally, it could be something man-made, such as the outline of a street sign created by a car’s headlights. Or it could be something you create yourself: try playing puppet-master by shining a torch and dancing your hand in front of it.

You can also invert this idea by shooting a subject which is predominantly in shadow and experimenting with how splashes of light fall upon it.

22. Still life light trails

Light trails can be used in all kinds of photography, but they're perfect for a creative still life project. You can use a regular Maglite torch, but try removing the end to reveal the bulb and make the light more direct. Use some electrical tape to attach a coloured sweet wrapper, which you can use as a makeshift 'gel'. Set the canera's shutter speed to around 30 secs with an aperture of around f/8, then start moving the torch within the frame before pressing the shutter. Continue the movement throughout the exposure. Here, we suspended the torch from a piece of string and made a gentle circular movement to create a spiral around the bottle.

23. Light spirals

You'll need to attach a torch, suspended by string, to an open area of ceiling. Fit the widest lens you have on your camera, and mount it on a tripod pointing straight up. With the light turned on, autofocus on the tip of the torch and set the lens to manual focus to lock the setting in. With an aperture of f/11 or f/16 dialled in, use Bulb mode and a remote release to keep the shutter open for a minute or so as you send the torch spinning in the dark…

Best camera flash: dedicated flashguns for Canon and Nikon DSLR
Best macro lens 2018: close-up lenses for Canon and Nikon DSLRs
Macro lenses: how to choose one, and how to use it

Current page: Home photography projects

Formerly News Editor at Stuff, Chris now writes about tech from his tropical office. Sidetracked by sustainable stuff, he’s also keen on cameras, classic cars and any gear that gets better with age.

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Photo Books

Wedding invitations, 65+ photography project ideas you can start today.

Written by Shutterfly Community Last Updated: Dec 8, 2020

Do you want to sharpen your skills, learn fresh techniques or just have fun with your camera? Photography projects help you accomplish all three.

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Through themed projects, you can capture unique images that follow a certain framework or style. Your project can last a week, month or year—depending on how in depth you’d like to go. To offer you inspiration, we’ve compiled 68 creative photography projects that are appropriate for all skill levels.

Once you’ve completed your project, be sure to create a photo book with your images or select your favorite for a canvas print .

1. Self Portrait

By switching the focus from other subjects to yourself as the subject, your photography takes on a whole new perspective. When setting up your shot, choose a landmark item to use as a stand-in until you’re ready to jump in the frame.

Play with auto and manual focus with your stand-in until you get the shot just right. Then, enter the scene using the timer option.

For the wisdom project, the goal is to gather photographs of those who have offered you wisdom or a helpful perspective. You might feature grandparents or mentors—or be inclined to include young ones who have provided you a fresh angle on life.

Aim to capture individuals in their natural state, especially if it’s in a location where they shared a special moment with you.

3. Candid Photo

Photographing someone in their natural state allows for their true personality to shine through. With a candid photography project, incorporate a range of human subjects for a diverse collection, or capture the same subject across different settings and days.

Building a portfolio of several candids allows you to paint a vivid persona of your subjects.

4. Street Style Photography

Authentic street style photography allows you to snag shots of the latest fashion—all without the strut of the runway. Look for colors first (either eye-catching or stunningly neutral), then watch for the cut and structure of the clothes.

Aim for overall beauty within the frame, including the street or walkway, so the focus isn’t solely on the clothes.

5. All About The Details

Create a collection of shots with unique subjects that focus on the details. Whether the photos are for an engagement , graduation or everyday occasion, you can take portraits of smaller details, like wisps of hair, relaxed hands and prominent features. Making your subjects feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera is the first priority. Plan a single shoot for various angles to help capture what looks best on a given day or moment.

6. Natural Element

Plan for your gallery of photos to include candid shots of the subject in their element. Whether they love the beach or like to craft, you can capture your subject in their favorite space or place to go.

If a subject feels awkward in front of the camera, have him or her lean against something vertical, like a fence, wall or car. They’ll feel more anchored and their body angle will offer the photo some character without seeming unnatural.

7. Pet Photography

From cats to dogs to horses, the heart and soul of your pets can be captured with the right technique. Incorporate natural light in your shoot keep watch of your pet’s eyes. Expressions and personality often shine through and it’s a great time to capture these moments.

8. Motherhood

Being a mother is one of life’s greatest gifts. When we’re parents, beautiful moments take place along with messy and chaotic ones. Encapsulate the full spectrum of motherhood with photos from quiet moments like snuggling with your child to lively times like cooking together in the kitchen.

With any photography project, it’s important that your images tell a story.

9. Panoramic Pictures

A popular technique for landscapes, panoramic photography enlarges the viewpoint beyond the normal size of a camera lens. To ensure there are no gaps in your panoramic shot, overlap your image by 15-30%.

You’ll also want to keep your camera as level as possible to ensure the photo is even throughout. Don’t forget that panos work well for vertical shots, too, like waterfalls and deep canyons.

10. Sunsets Photos

Sunsets make for stunning photos—especially when executed well. For maximum beauty, be sure to slightly underexpose the sunset for rich and dramatic colors. Use manual mode and a fast shutter speed for underexposure, or use aperture priority with exposure compensation.

Make your sunset even more magnificent by arranging an object or scene in the foreground of the sunset, like a lake or mountain.

Mist and fog are natural elements that can enhance the beauty of your photography. Check the weather to determine when fog might pop up. Oftentimes the best lighting for fog photos occurs in the wee hours of the morning or late in the evening after sunset. The low lighting causes a slower shutter speed, which means a shakier camera.

Keep your camera as still as possible or use a tripod. The best places for foggy photos? Open bodies of water and other sweeping landscapes like fields and low rolling hills.

12. Cityscapes

Hovering skyscrapers and diverse skylines are part of what makes cityscapes such attractive photography. For a cityscapes project, try different vantage points across the city to see what works best (think: a popular lookout compared with a more secret locale).

Prepare for an after sunset shoot, allowing the city lights to pop against the dark sky. Remember to use a wide angle lens to cover as much ground as possible.

13. Water (Rain, Ocean)

Whether you’re hoping to create scenes of smooth, flowing water or capture dynamic waves crashing against a seawall, it’s critical to have better than average camera equipment. For nearly every water shot, a tripod is also essential to keep the frame still for the length of the exposure (usually two to four seconds).

Pack along a lens-friendly cloth to remove splashes and water marks. Plan to get wet if you’re banking on a stunning water shot.

14. Seasons

Each season offers its own charms—from snowy branches to colored leaves. Select a location for your seasons project where you’ll snap photos throughout all four seasons. Once the year is complete, you’ll have a collection of stunning images that tell the story of your special place over the course of a year.

15. Star Trails

Spectacular from edge to edge, star trails photography is an adventure to shoot. The first step is to find a clear sky full of stars, but free of pollution and other light interference. Anchoring your camera on a tripod, set your camera to shoot on manual mode. The faster the lens you have, the better.

Once you have your shot prepared, select drive mode for consecutive shots rather than a single frame. With your remote, let your camera take photos for thirty minutes up to a few hours, depending on the length of star trails you’re creating.

Capturing still images with a remote-controlled drone opens up the options for angles and perspectives in your photography. Consider sending a drone above a beach, golf course or mountaintop.

Increase the altitude of your drone for a more impressive viewpoint and try GPS mode for a more stable shot.

17. Food Photography

As a still life technique, food photography requires a few main ingredients: good lighting, props and style. Place your items near natural lighting or use a flash to give the photo a balanced look. When it comes to the arrangement, consider adding in table setting details like plates and silverware.

Amplify the photo’s texture with decorative pieces like colorful fruits and sprigs of herbs. For a well-rounded food photography project, shoot a variety of foods and dishes.

18. Black and White Month

Instead of using the full color spectrum, this project idea prompts you to capture images in black and white only. Two-toned photography provides a different perspective or feel to your work, and gives you a chance to highlight people, places and objects in a novel way.

For instance, a close-up of hands be enticing when displayed in color, but in black and white, the image paints the story that all humankind is united.

19. Everyday Moments

Photos that showcase a slice of regular life contain a certain genuine beauty. When preparing for everyday moment shots, make sure subjects are comfortable. People should interact as if you aren’t even present.

The true magic happens when you’re able to capture two people’s true connection.

20. Random Acts of Kindness

The random acts of kindness project prompts you to capture someone doing something thoughtful or helpful for another person. By photographing these moments, you’re telling a larger story of humanity.

To be successful in this project, you’ll need to keep a keen eye out for small acts of generosity, like a young man holding the door or a little girl smiling at a stranger.

21. Shoes For a Week

Narrow your photography focus for a week by capturing different styles of footwear. From boots to sandals to athletic shoes, diversify your image collection. Be sure to utilize a range of angles to create unique stories for each photo (i.e. a guy lounging with shoes on, two people talking while standing, a woman running).

22. Comfort Zone Challenge

Pushing the limits of your creativity often leaves you with impressive and surprising results. With the comfort zone challenge, throw caution to the wind and experiment without expectations.

Maybe that means you’ll shoot a paragliding experience, a fireworks explosion or animals in action. When you’re snapping shots, play around with your shutter speed, aperture, focal length and movement.

23. 30 Strangers

Taking a photo of someone whom you’ve only just met can be thrilling. It can also be personally and professionally rewarding. Through the 30 strangers project, you’ll capture 30 portraits of people you’ve never met before. Find people on the street, in a shopping mall or at a park.

Be sure to ask each person’s consent first before posting publicly. The 30 strangers challenge will certainly stretch you outside of your artistic comfort zone.

24. Duotone

Duotone photography refers to a multitone production of an image, usually imposed through photo editing techniques. The superimposition of a contrasting color halftone (normally black) over another color halftone enhances the middle tones of an image.

Photographs with one main object, like a flower, seashell or tree, are ideal for creating duotone effects.

25. Perspective

Perspective photography can take many forms: those shot from a low angle, ones with strong leading lines and those that look straight up into the sky. Whether your scene is a railroad track or skyscraper, your image should emphasize the angle and the unique perspective you’re hoping to give the viewer.

Train your eye to notice patterns, lines and reflections you can capture from different angles.

Not only is coffee delicious and rejuvenating, it’s also a work of art. Collaborate with a barista on a latte design or the type of mug to use. Choose a simple backdrop so the coffee remains the focal point.

A dark backdrop is best if you’re aiming to capture the steam rolling off of a warm drink.

27. Create a Photo Album

Let your memories last forever by creating a photo album for a recent vacation, an adventurous summer or a year filled with fun. Design your photo album with a theme in mind to build cohesion. Vary your layouts from page to page for texture and personality.

28. Traffic Lights

When photographing traffic lights and other light trails, the best time is during or after twilight on a night when minimal wind is present. Based on your camera angle and objects, you’ll need to adjust and experiment with your settings.

Often times, shutter priority mode is ideal along with a shutter speed of six seconds. Make stability a non-issue with a tripod, and remember you won’t be using a flash.

29. Happy Days

Allow joy to take the center stage of your photos. Whether they’re candid shots of family members interacting or a single subject, make sure the smiles are natural. Enhance the happiness level by highlighting the subject with ample natural lightening.

30. Photo Scavenger Hunt

Challenge yourself and your fellow photographers by setting up a photo scavenger hunt . Rather than choosing objects and locations to capture, create a list of photography styles to achieve. For instance, your list might include building a motion blur or catching a clear action shot. At the end of your hunt, you’ll have a collection of impressive photographs.

31. Night Scenes

Night scenes, also known as low light photography, allow you to make the most of dark scenes that are hard to capture. When less light is present, it means you’ll also have slower shutter speeds, which equals more camera shake. For this reason, landscapes and long exposures at night time require tripods.

Whether you’re shooting special moments around the campfire or gazing up at the stars, utilize a wide aperture or a low f-number to let in as much light as possible.

32. Polaroids

Polaroids offer a timeless feel and give photos a natural frame. When creating a collection of polaroids, be sure to switch up your angles and perspectives. Try a few upclose shots of objects along with macro shots of mountains and lakes.

For polaroids with human subjects, allow for plenty of natural light and aim for candids.

33. Letters/Signs

With any inanimate object, the challenge with photography is to bring it to life. With letters and signs, try to enrich the shot with the surrounding scene whether it’s greenery or a neat light fixture. Angle your lens in a way that makes the lettering most striking.

Build a full photography project with at least five to ten different signs.

34. Action Shots

To nail a clear action shot—for sports, animals or anything else—the most important aspect is to be prepared. Consider pre-focusing your shot, so when the subject enters the frame, you’re ready.

Because it may take several shots to capture even one solid photo, shoot in short bursts for a few seconds at a time. Keep extra space at either edge of your frame to allow for your subject’s movement.

35. Abstract

Fundamental to abstract photography are lines and curves. The shapes you highlight will guide the viewer’s eye to a certain engaging element. To get up close and personal with an object or design, use a macro lens. With the macro, your photo composition will have clearer resolution and sharpness. Complete your project by gathering a collection of abstract photo pieces.

36. New Lens

Your camera equipment plays a large role in your work as a photographer. Your tools, like your lenses, can fundamentally change the structure your art.

To sharpen your skills, try using a single lense for an entire month. Ideally, the lense will be new to you—allowing you to master the new tool and broaden your photography skills.

37. Architecture

Photographing architecture—whether modern or classic—presents unique challenges. Consider capturing an array of building styles for your portfolio and don’t forget to mix up your angles. Vary your shots by choosing a different weather conditions and times of day.

Through your diversity of shots, you’ll have richer story of the buildings’ relationship with the environment.

38. Thankful

To enhance your gratitude and happiness, consider completing a thankful project where you take one photo every day of something you’re grateful for. From flowers to pets to family members, find subjects that have personal meaning to you.

By capturing what you’re thankful for, you connect deeper with the people, places and things that surround you.

39. Sunday Mornings

Whether you’re enjoying a cup of coffee or a good book, snap a photo every Sunday morning for one month or a year. Capturing everyday occurrences through photography is a form of artistic journaling, helping you to document life’s big and small moments.

40. Top View

The angle of your shot makes all the difference in how appealing and engaging it is. Try a series of photos where your perspective comes from the top. Amp up the creativity by getting higher for your shoot and using a wide angle lens.

A busy environment, like a packed street or active household, can become a striking composition when using a top view perspective because it offers necessary distance from the cluttered setting.

41. Guilty Pleasures

We all have foods and activities we love despite feeling that they might not be held in high regard. Perhaps your guilty pleasure is cream-filled donuts or binge watching reruns of your favorite sitcom.

Collecting images of your guilty pleasures will likely bring you humor and levity, knowing that these items are a part of you, but they don’t necessarily define you.

42. Silhouettes

Forming a distinct contrast between light and dark, silhouettes highlight one or multiple subjects. Ensure your subject is backlit with the sun behind them. The best times to shoot silhouettes are in the morning or late evening.

Build a stunning image by setting the scene with open space, like in a field or along the beach. Set up your camera angle facing the sun, then ask your subject to stand between the sun and you. Play around with the exact angle until you have a strong contrast.

Create a collection of photos shot with prism filters on your lens or by placing a prism in front of your lens. The light that dances off of the prism will add creative effects to your photography by dispersing light before it hits the camera. Secure your camera on a tripod so you can have your hands free to play with the prism and lighting.

Prism photography can include large subjects like nature scenes and architecture or smaller objects like books and candles.

44. Symmetry

Finding subjects that offer you symmetry is the foundational step for this photography project idea. Look for symmetry in architecture and nature, but don’t leave out human and animals subjects. Smaller details, like hands or feet, often make for the perfect symmetrical photo.

Bokeh photography is denoted by one unique characteristic: a blur produced in the out-of-focus area of an image. The blur, produced by a lens, helps direct the focus of the photo. A fast lens is necessary to achieve this technique, with at least an f/2.8 aperture.

With a wide open lens, you can create bokeh with subjects like butterflies, humans and fencing around a baseball field. These photos are perfect for framing around your home .

46. Action Figures

Due to their size, action figures are easy to rearrange and shoot from multiple angles. Bring the scene to life by having the figures interact with each other. If you’re looking for an extra challenge, tell a story through your action figures, like one you would find in a comic book. Include action shots against a simple backdrop.

47. Steel Wool

Although it may seem like steel wool photography would require expensive equipment, it is a surprisingly inexpensive technique. For this project, you’ll need the following: a camera, lens, tripod, shutter cable, steel wool, string, stainless steel whisk, lighter and protective gloves. In a dark location—away from combustible items and other people—burn steel wool that’s loosely packed in a whisk.

As the steel wool burns, spin the whisk either vertically or horizontally to create the desired effect. The burning will only last about ten seconds, so you’ll want to set up for at least five seconds of exposure time. Steel wool photography creates wild and interesting images, but be sure to follow safety precautions to avoid hazards.

To enhance your skills and test out a nifty shooting technique, try macro photography on tiny subjects like insects, match-heads and flowers. Keeping your budget in mind, choose a magnification lens that lets you make super small items appear larger than life. For your macro project, vary your subjects.

Consider nature’s smallest members, miniature household items and up close shots of human elements for your portfolio.

49. Double Exposure

Double exposure, also known as multiple exposure, is a technique that combines two images in a single image. By using double exposure, you can create a distinct effect like a mirror image or ghost-like presence. The layering technique can be done with or without photoshop, depending on your equipment and skill set.

50. Escapism

Photography, like any type of art, can be a form of escapism. Through the camera, we can create images that help us step out of reality and into our daydreams. Prepare for your escapism photography project by thinking of your ‘happy places’ or locations you go to get away.

After brainstorming, head to one of those locations and shoot scenes that offer a mystical aura—whether it’s birds fluttering in the forest or the clouds lifting off of the mountains.

51. Shadow Art

Just as light is a critical element to photography, so is darkness. With shadow art, the focus is placed on the subject as it blocks light from reaching a surface, like a sidewalk or table. Experiment with the angle, distance and size of your light source to alter the intensity and scale of your shadows.

Consider humans as your subjects, but inanimate objects, too, like musical instruments, buildings and action figures.

52. Texture

From brick walls to tiled roofs to wooden fences, textures are all around us. Complete a photo challenge where you take one shot of a textured surface every day. Turn on your auto focus to ensure the object is in perfect focus. Adjust your distance from the subject based on how much detail you want in your image. This idea is perfect if you’re also looking for creative Instagram photo ideas .

Aim for a ninety degree angle when you shoot the image so your texture is lined up straight with the camera.

53. 365 Wardrobe

On each day of the year, snap photos of your clothes before you begin the day. Arrange them differently—sometimes orderly, sometimes more carelessly—to gain a sense of how your mood changed from day to day. Remember to include accessories like purses, shoes, belts and headbands.

54. Suspend Time

Photography is a powerful art medium: it can even pause time. Whether you’re suspending an item with a fishing line or taking a shot of someone jumping, you can create the look of time being stopped. Start this photography project by choosing three items or people you’d like to suspend.

55. Balloons

Bursting with color or more neutral tones, balloons make for versatile props. Let helium balloons off into the sky and capture photos as they float up. Surround the birthday girl with balloons in an otherwise empty room. Or tie a balloon to a child’s wrist and photograph them as they wander through a park.

56. Hotel Carpet

If you travel frequently, the hotel carpet project may be the right kind of fun for you. Next time you’re walking through a hotel lobby, glance down at the carpet beneath your feet. All sorts of patterns and colors are used in hotel carpets across the world. Take a snapshot (ideally at a 90-degree angle) of each carpet for a collection that will help you remember all of the places you’ve been.

Across neighborhoods and cities, doors provide insight to each home’s character. For this photography project, set out on an adventure to collect as many styles and sizes of doors as possible. Choose a macro approach, where the whole door makes the shot, or go micro by narrowing the frame to door handles and styles of wood.

58. Juxtaposition

To build juxtaposition in your photographs, place two opposite subjects next to one another. Like a blue ocean and a green forest, the contrast between the two is noticeable yet stunning. Types of juxtaposition might include a person and their shadow or a thin item next to a thicker item. For this photography project, try several contrasting subjects or locations.

Photos full of irony can be humorous or thought-provoking. Maybe you snap an image of a tow truck hauling another tow truck or you notice a descriptive sign in a place that doesn’t quite seem to fit. When it comes to ironic photos, a keen eye is needed along with a quick wit.

60. Fairy Lights

Fairy lights make for beautiful focal points. You can wrap the lights around a tree, weave them between human subjects or fill mason jars with them. Build a larger scene by ensuring no backdrop distractions are present or capture the fairy lights up close.

Regardless of what subjects and scenes you decide to shoot, proper exposure is crucial.

For this photography project, choose smoke as your primary accent. Incense sticks are easy to use and allow you to play with various colors. Your setup should ensure ample ventilation for the smoke to escape the room. Some photographers merge two photographs (one of the smoke and one of the object) to design a special scene, like one of a toy train blowing smoke or a tea kettle steaming.

62. Vintage Cars

From sporty models to classic town cars, vintage vehicles never go out of style. Look for vintage makes at car rallies and exhibitions, although sometimes you’ll come across them in your everyday happenings. The golden hours, right after sunrise or right before sunset, are ideal for shooting cars. Highlight specific parts, like bumpers, trunks and hoods for diverse perspectives.

63. Faces In Things

You’ve probably seen images that double as a face and another object. In this photography project, you’ll create a similar effect. Take a close look at nature, food and furniture to locate hidden human faces. Compile as many faces as you can, and see if your friends can guess what’s in the images.

Alter your perspective by shooting your subject through a picture frame. The frame technique works best outdoors where you can place ample distance between your lens and your subject. Consider creating scenes with a woman standing on the beach, a tree in an open field or a tall building at the end of a street.

65. Reflections

Any body of water—like a lake, river, pond or swimming pool—can act as your reflective tool for this photography project. You’ll want to avoid direct light on the water to eliminate glare. Practice using reflections on waterfront cityscapes or mountains overlooking a lake.

66. Take My Hand

When you can represent human connection in photography, the emotion of the image is strengthened. Head out on a hike or stroll through a garden to practice photographing two hands linked together.

67. Picception

A relatively new technique, picception images incorporate another camera or photo into the shot. It can be a picture-in-a-picture style or something more subtle like a photograph of someone taking a photograph. While often informal, picception shots can be formal if intentionally designed.

Often eye-catching, neon photos provide a stunning mix of light, shape and color. Whether you’re on the Vegas strip or exploring your hometown at night, take photos of neon signs with your camera’s evaluative meter exposure setting. Choose a low ISO of 200 or 100 to avoid noise. Be sure to place your camera on a tripod for stability.

No matter which photography projects you decide to complete, remember to enjoy the process and save copies of your photos. Design a themed calendar or metal print to showcase your results.

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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

photography assignments you must practice

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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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.

Learn Photography Basics

Yes, you can learn to take better photos! It’s my passion to help you learn the photography basics and take better pictures. It’s also the same reason I teach workshops, do photo travel tours, and have online photography courses available.

Enroll in our free photography basics for beginners course, or 12-part portrait photography course , also free.

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Fun Photo Challenge Ideas To Try in 2024 (+ Websites)

Photo Challenges are a fun and exciting way to hone your photography skills, learn new techniques, and find inspiration. Here's how to get started.

Learn | By Kay Warner

Shotkit may earn a commission on affiliate links. Learn more.

Trying a fun photo challenge is a creative way to refresh your techniques, learn new skills, or challenge you to step out of your comfort zone.

As a professional photographer, I participate in photography challenges when I may have a creative block or want to try new skills with others.

It helps me start my season with new energy and fun ideas.

Related: Famous photography project ideas to get you inspired

Table of Contents

What is a Photo Challenge?

Credit: Portuguese Gravity

A photo challenge is presented as a collection of creative prompts to complete, released in various intervals, sometimes with a set deadline to complete each photography challenge.

It asks photographers to pick up their camera and push creativity into each idea presented.

Fun photography challenges are a great way to hone one’s skills in photography and creative thinking.

The prompts can present challenges such as finding specific lighting, creating a self portrait, going out to capture the public in forms of street photography , or structural challenges like using negative space in a frame.

They sometimes even suggest using different camera types, alternate or modified lenses, or coming up with an eccentric idea for portraits.

I love a good photo challenge – to exercise your own portfolio and breath life into your photo routine, or connect and learn new techniques with others.

Participate and share your photo results with friends locally, or even in a challenge within an active community of photographers anywhere in the world.

110 Unique Photo Scavenger Hunt Ideas & Challenges

How Does a Photo Challenge Work?

There are a lot of different takes on how a photo challenge can work.

The answer? There is no wrong way – being creative is the ultimate goal no matter what format the photo challenge is designed in.

All photo challenges start with… concepts.

These concepts are presented to the photographer to complete in their own creative way, within different suggested timeframes, with an end goal in mind (usually growth or inspiration).

For example, in a 30 day photo challenge, your photography skills are summoned every day for a month by a new interesting concept to complete. Other challenge intervals follow similar patterns.

Once completed, posting the photo results to others (especially others participating) is a great way to get feedback. I also find a lot of inspiration from viewing others’ results.

And even if you prefer not to post your photo challenge results anywhere, taking pictures and participating for yourself is always an option and can be a fun solo experience.

15 fun photo games to play today

Types of Photo Challenges

Photo challenge lists include everything from using specific light sources to taking self portraits – the main difference are the various intervals in the lists:

365 daily photo challenge – a challenge assigned on each day to complete
30 day photo challenge – 30 ideas are posted to complete, one each day of one month
5 day challenge – a short photo series of ideas posted for 5 days in a row during the week
single challenge – a single proposal of a challenge to complete (a great way to get acquainted with the process as it doesn’t require a long term commitment)
photography challenge lists – these types of photography challenges are not released in a set interval with others, but a list of challenge ideas to work at your own pace.
seasonal photo challenge – lists of photography ideas that are applicable to the activities (and weather) that come with the season
create a photo journal

Why Participate in a Photo Challenge?

Credit: vvillis

It’s important to continue experimenting and learning in your journey, whether you’re just learning photography or decades into your career.

All these artists (new or experienced) need a jumpstart of inspiration every once in a while – but they don’t know where to find it.

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When I have the equivalent to what writers would call a “block”, I can look to challenges to help open and discover perspectives that I would not have otherwise found using old habits.

While mentoring new photographers I have observed them discover new techniques by creating challenges for them as well.

Participating is meant to inspire photographers to procure new and different images then we normally produce.

The creators of the challenges also design them to broaden skillsets and bring photographers together in a fun activity.

3 Free Photography Challenge Sites

Credit: Sajad Nori

If you search the web, you’ll find a ton of challenge ideas and lists. These might be overwhelming to surf through.

Lucky for you, I’ve done some research and found just a few of the best free resources to get you started. Whether you want to become a better photographer or start thinking outside the box, these will get you started.

Kev MRC Travel

This list is meant for one purpose, and that claim is to make you a better photographer overall while using the provided challenge.

The author of this article gets straight to the point of fundamental skills and more basic daily photo challenges for 52 weeks without any fluff.

Challenges include basic parameters involving exposure, focus, taking a technically correct picture, creating useful images, and getting more comfortable taking all kinds of photos overall.

This is the best photo challenge if you want a no-frills challenge that’s easy to get started.

Anthony Epes Photography

If you prefer a more unique direction, this site is full of eccentric and suggestive language to foster creativity and new ideas.

The challenges listed here are more abstract, and great if you don’t want to feel like you are taking a photography course.

This challenge author has hope that you will have more original photos after completing.

In that website you will find suggestions on seeking light in alternate ways, experimenting in your settings like using a slow shutter speed , and using your camera as a medium of art.

This resource has a well rounded mix of challenge types listed, and covers most bases if you aren’t sure what kind of challenge you want to participate in.

5 Photography Challenges You Can Get Started on Right Away

Credit: Cody Scott Milewski

Challenge 1: Create a 5 photo series showing a change in a variable over a length of time

Photography is telling a story. If you break down the aspects of a story, you have variables that change from beginning to end.

This challenge is meant to help you recognize a variable and show how it changes, in imagery. There is no particular limit to the amount of time passing or which variable to capture in the frame.

Challenge 2: Capture an organic interaction between subjects

Another important skill used often, but forgotten just as often while holding a camera, is observation. To practice this skill, here’s one of the best photography challenge ideas you can try.

This challenge idea asks the artist to passively watch a subject while it/they interact with another subject, and capture the organic interaction without interfering.

I find that letting go of control and letting the scene tell the story helps me to sit back and relax. This in turn shows me new perspectives in my work.

Challenge 3: Use part of the environment to frame a subject

One of the tips I teach other photographers is to use the environment you’re working in to your advantage.

As an event photographer, most everything I’ve created has come from using the environment (or empty space of the environment) around me to frame my subject matter.

Use this challenge to pay attention to where you are and what your subject has around it, and include it in the frame in a creative and purposeful way.

Only including your main subject in your composures can get boring over time.

Challenge 4: Show motion with a fast moving subject

This photography challenge leaves room for artistic interpretation, but adds a challenge of conveying the idea of motion to viewers.

Subject can be people and animals, or objects, as long as you can tell the subject is moving in the image in any way.

Challenge 5: Fill the entire frame with the subject

Forcing myself to get creative with framing is one of my favorite ways to break myself out of my mundane workflow.

While doing event photography , I notice I may use the same photo framing throughout every photo in the series.

You can challenge yourself to get creative and break away from a boring frame by consciously trying new framing outlooks.

Try to photograph a subject, but instead of balancing your frame, fill the whole frame with only your subject and see what you come up with.

How Do You Create a Photo Challenge at Home?

Credit: Annie Sprat

Not every photo you take needs to be a day excursion. You can create a photography challenge at home too.

You have all of the elements of a photograph right there in your living quarters, or a short walk around the outside of your home.

There are subjects, environments, variant light, activity (whether things, people, or pets) and hopefully a camera.

Look around you while you try to think of useful photography skills and how you usually prepare for taking photos.

Then pair one of those ideas with a photo op you see around your home and experiment with light, focus, shutter speed, or movement.

Use the pictures you take to inspire a list of challenges around your home.

Post the list to share with friends, use them for daily Instagram posts, or to share tips to your photography community and get feedback on your photos.

Final Words

We all started this journey because we love photography and taking photos, or at least that’s why I did.

If you are in the beginning of your photography experience, learning can feel overwhelming. I find that practicing and discovering without pressure can help overcome that feeling.

Sometimes we can feel stuck in our learning rut, burnt out after a long season, or things get boring. This happens to everyone, and it’s temporary and fixable by adding a little excitement with new variables.

Sometimes I just need a new perspective. Try a photography challenge to do just that. Jump on the 30 day photo challenge above and just get out there and take pictures.

Check out these 8 essential tools to help you succeed as a professional photographer.

Includes limited-time discounts.

My name is Kay, and I’ve been documenting other people’s lives professionally for over 12 years. I love a challenge, so most times you’ll find me in the middle of a wedding or event if I’m not chasing around someone’s pet or coordinating some other form of chaos. I’m self taught, but I owe my practical knowledge to studying with my dad who was an engineer (Air Force and Ford Motor) first, and hobbyist photographer second. He taught me everything I know about photography from a technical standpoint, and I adapted it to other genre applications.

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Lesson Plan

Five Photography Assignments That Invite You to Look Closely at the World

Students, try one of these exercises inspired by the visual series The Take. What can you learn about the world by looking at it through a particular lens?

A close-up of a pair of hands with chipped yellow nail polish holding a twig with a caterpillar crawling across it.

By Natalie Proulx

How often do you look — really look — at the world around you? Below, we offer five photography assignments that challenge students to do just that, all inspired by The New York Times visual series The Take .

In this series, The Times asks photographers to explore different cultural themes through images — for example, to document what they see when they look up, to capture the sounds they hear in New York City or to find dance in everyday movements.

What can you learn about the world by looking at it through a particular lens? Choose one (or more) of the five assignments below to try out. For each, we’ll guide you through a warm-up activity, a reading of the Take article that inspired the exercise and your own photo shoot. When you’re done, you can create your own visual article by putting together a gallery of your images and writing a short commentary on what they mean to you.

These exercises are meant to be accessible to anyone with a camera or smartphone, whether you’re an experienced photographer or you’re just looking for a fun visual challenge. If you’d like to experiment with some composition and editing techniques, see our related photography lesson plan .

And if none of these projects inspires you, look through The Take’s archives for more ideas.

Assignment No. 1

Most of us spend our days looking down: at our phones, computers, homework, meals. What would you see if you looked up instead? For this assignment, we invite you to photograph what you see when you turn your gaze to the sky.

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15 Project Ideas to Spark Your Creativity

A Post By: Nancy Young

Photography has never been as popular as it is today. People of all ages learn photography in various schools and online universities, and lots of talented photographers have a wonderful opportunity to reveal themselves not only as artists, but also as teachers.

By Alex Eylar

Like all creatives, photographers can sometimes experience creative block or a lack of interesting ideas, no matter what side of the school desk they are sitting on. One way for photography mentors and teachers to fight this problem is through the use of creative assignments.

In this article I’ve put together 15 creative project ideas to use in your photography class (if you are a teacher) or for yourself. When completed properly, a student assignment is a great teaching tool. If it’s well-designed and structured, it enables students to develop their technical skills and artistic vision, as well as improve their general thinking abilities and subject knowledge. So whether you’re a photography teacher looking for effective assignment ideas or a self-taught photography student focused on training your eye and critical vision, this roundup will surely come in handy.

1. 365 Project

No matter what you call it, the 365 Project or Photo a Day project, the result is the same – a photo for every day of the year. These kinds of long-term projects give you an opportunity not only to explore and learn photography, but also develop creative seeing and improve your post-production skills. 365 Projects have changed the lives of a lot of photographers, and who knows, maybe you’re next?

Further Reading : 11 Tips for a Successful 365 Project

By Olli Henze

By Dennis Skley

2. 100 Strangers

The 100 Strangers project enables you to interact with 100 strangers and take a photo of each of them. It can be quite scary to start shooting people in the street, or local cafe, if you’re an introvert. But being a photographer is not as easy as it may seem at first. Photography is all about overcoming your fears. This project will help you do that.

By Louisa Billeter

3. 52 Weeks

The 52 Weeks project is similar to 365, but this time you’re supposed to come up with a new photo each week, not each day. The difference between these two projects is that you can choose a theme for every week. For instance, you may shoot particular subjects, places, or even do some photowalks. A photowalk is an awesome way to find inspiration, discover new locations, and come up with really valuable, interesting ideas in the end.

By shutterbugamar

4. Social Awareness Project

Capturing dramatic moments that will influence the minds of their viewers is a mission that many iconic photographers are dedicated to. Spend a weekend shooting the faces on your local streets, or collaborating with a non-profit can help you develop your skills as a documentarist and photojournalist. Such photo projects are definitely not easy to work on, both emotionally and technically, but the reward of being an activist is obvious – every time you click the shutter button you create a photo that could change the world.

World of Coal by Ouie Sanchez on 500px

5. Self-Portrait

Of course, you may have taken a self-portrait many times with your smartphone. Instagram has turned self-portraits into something usual and mundane.

However, self-portraits can be quite helpful in opening up, and exploring parts of photography in which you don’t normally find yourself involved. Mix it up and stay creative with your surroundings and emotions. For example, look at the work of Kyle Thompson , who has really succeeded in self-photography.

Check out these Self Portrait Photography Tips for some hints on where to start.

By Özgün ERDEM

6. New Lens Type

You may pick one lens and use it exclusively during this project. A 50mm is a good starting point , as it forces you to move around and stay selective. A fisheye lens could also make an interesting theme.

Moreover, you may experiment with freelensing which is an inexpensive way to get a similar photo effect as from an expensive tilt-shift lens. The idea behind a tilt-shift lens is tilting the lens at an angle to the sensor to change the orientation of the plane of focus (PoF). The technique of freelensing, not only gives you the ability to change the PoF, but it also gives you some pretty cool light leaks from not having the lens actually attached to the camera.

By Nuwandalice

By David Hepworth

7. Monochrome

Try to shoot all your photos in monochrome, or convert them to black and white in post-processing . The beauty of black and white photography is that it focuses more on visual elements such as tone, texture and shapes. By starting this project for yourself, you’ll see the objects in a different light, and rather than just color, your eyes will be better trained to recognize various forms and shapes.

Photograph A Fistful of Kits by Peter Greig on 500px

8. Panoramas

Panoramas are one more way to develop your creative vision. Panoramas usually give the viewer a much wider viewing angle than normal. You can create some small panoramas by merging three photos in one, or go full 360 and make tiny globes like the ones in the picture below. It’s all up to you!

Further Reading: 8 Guidelines To Taking Panoramic Photos With Any Camera

By Johanna Herbst

Promised Land by Beno Saradzic on 500px

The Birds and the Barn by Bruce Hood on 500px

In today’s world of foodie-Instagram, everyone could be a food photographer. Especially if you’re fond of cooking, then food photography is right for you. It’s a myth that you need a super-wow camera to capture food. Food photography is all about styling and beautiful background. No matter what kind of photographer you call yourself, it’s advantageous to have some food photography skills under your belt.

Further Reading : How to Take Mouth watering photos of food

By Christopher Chan

10. Sunset and Sunrise

As dawn breaks and the sun comes up, you get to see the creeping rays of sunlight bathe everything in their shining glow. Such scenes are the perfect environment for memorable photos that you can’t pass up. Sunrises and sunsets happen every day. It may sound quite obvious and ordinary, but these times of the day are a golden opportunity to capture breathtaking images.

Read more about how to photograph sunsets and sunrises .

By Mike Behnken

By Linda O’Dell

Paradise Pier Sunset by William McIntosh on 500px

11. Single Theme

Pick an object and try to get a collection of snapshots representing it. For example, try to shoot only circular objects everywhere you go. Or pick a color, for instance blue, and try to go all day long photographing only blue things. The aim of this assignment is to learn to see the ordinary object in a different way.

La bicicleta by Adrian Hernandez Binz on 500px

12. Phone Camera

The main advantage of your phone camera is that it’s with you everywhere you go. Moreover, these days smartphones’ camera quality is much better than years ago and you may come up with images that look almost as good as if they were taken with an expensive DSLR. Using your phone allows you to put exposure on the back burner, and lets you focus more on composition instead. You may also use various photo-editing apps to add various photo effects.

By Takeshi Garcia

13. Urban Exploration

Urban exploration photography is the art of finding abandoned places, houses, locations; explore them and shoot in a unique way. It’s potentially dangerous, exciting, and a lot of fun. In order not to get scared, you should take your friends with you. Even if they’re not interested in photography, exploring abandoned places is really breathtaking.

Editor’s note: always follow the laws when doing urban exploration. Do not enter where prohibited and always stay safe. Abondoned buildings can be dangerous or illegal to enter. Be careful.

Read more about urban exploration photography .

By Michal Jan?ek

14. Perspectives

Shoot a whole set of images from one perspective, such as from a child’s the point of view. Or try to capture all photos from up high. We are used to seeing the majority of shots at eye level, why not to try something different? It’s a great way to learn how to deviate from the normal .

Fishing by Minhajul Haque on 500px

By Ken Owen

15. Film Photography

Film photography is something every photographer should practice for a few reasons.

First of all, unlike digital photography, you don’t get to see the image you took for a while. It may seem annoying, but you’ll get used to it.

Second of all, you will begin to think more carefully before pressing the shutter button. While shooting digital photography, you may take 10 photos of the same thing to choose the best shot in the end. But with film photography you will not have that chance.

Read this helpful post with suggestions on getting started with shooting with film .

By Gioia De Antoniis

Bonus Assignment

Once you accomplish your creative assignment, create a dedicated photography portfolio ( Defrozo and Koken provide website building tools for free) or write a guest post for some photography blog to describe your journey and share your experience with fellow enthusiasts. Developing your marketing and blogging skills increases the likelihood of building a prospering and successful photography business.

Resources for Inspiration

The web has so many opportunities to get fresh ideas for your next photography project. I’d like to share some resources you may get inspiration from.

Ted is aimed to amplify the ideas of students and teachers from all over the globe. Their mission is to spread great ideas and inspire students of any specialization. You may browse 1800+ TED talks on photography available on their site to spark your curiosity.

OKDOTHIS App

This smartphone app was made by a celebrity photographer Jeremy Cowart. OKDOTHIS is a photography community that inspires people to do more. It’s based on DOs which are creative tasks made by other members of the community. You may upload a photo in someone’s DO or create your own one. The app has also a built-in photo editor.

Behance is a leading online platform to showcase and discover creative work. All the creatives starting from web designers to photographers share their best artwork here. You may browse the Behance gallery in Photography to find new projects from other photographers.

Weekly Assignments in the dPS Forum

Check out the weekly assignments in the dPS forum for more inspiration. DPS nominates a topic for each week. It could be a lot of fun and a great way to improve your photography skills in various areas.

Make it Happen

What homework do you prefer to give to your students? What assignments appeal to you most? What project interests you and gets you thinking creatively? Share your experience and suggestions in the comments.

15 Project Ideas to Spark Your Creativity

11 Advanced Photography Exercises for High School Students

Whew! Eleven advanced photo assignments…did you try them all?

As I explored these photography assignments again, I had so much fun taking new photos and applying the techniques right alongside you!

If you didn’t join in on all the fun, you’ll find the complete list of photo prompts we explored below. Click on each link to see the short blurb with related tips and tricks for each prompt.

Also, if you teach photography, here’s a free lesson plan that goes along with this whole series. Click the button below and enter your email! (You can also click here to purchase the entire unit, including all the worksheets with keys, test with key and review, a complete presentation, and a project outline.)

Alphabet Photography

ABC! Ready, Set Go! Take your alphabet pictures; you may be surprised at how fun and challenging finding photography letters can be!

Extra Credit

Do you need some extra points? Here are some photoshoot ideas that will get you extra points in the grade book and give you a reason to support your school! So go [insert your school’s name here]!

Built-In Camera Flash

You may need to use the flash on your camera when you’re in a pinch! Check the link for tips to make the light look as natural as possible!

External Flash

If you’ve got an external flash, it’s time to learn to use it! It can come in very handy in low-light situations!

Candid Photography

What is candid photography? Well, it’s a bit like being a spy! You’ll need to take pictures on the sly to capture those authentic expressions you’re looking for.

Story Telling in Photography

A picture is worth a thousand words? You bet! Maybe more! Take thoughtful, rich photos that have the ability to strike emotion in your viewers.

Pattern in Photography

Pattern photography is some of the most artistic photography you can take. Finding a good pattern and then capturing the perfect angle to accentuate it is fun!

High Contrast in Photography

I think most the great photographers thrive on high-contrast photography. These photos pop out and say, “LOOK AT ME!”

Low Contrast in Photography

This type of photo is much more subdued than your high-contrast photo, but if done effectively, it can really set the mood!

Color Contrast in Photography

We live in a world of color, so naturally, we must learn how to make the colors look good in our photos! So, using the color wheel and some good old-fashioned simplicity, we’ll get some pictures with great color contrast!

Light Painting Idea

What do you get when you mix a camera (with a tripod), a dark room, and some light sticks? Light Painting! This is one of the most fun photography assignments I’ve ever done!

I hope you take the time to try all these out! Also, don’t forget to click the links above to download the worksheets and view the full articles on each.

Thank you SO MUCH for all YOU do for those budding Photographers out there. YOU are truly amazing, too!

Click here to receive the FREE lesson plan that goes with this blog series and be added to my email list so that you don’t miss a thing! (If you want to do the thing right, check out this link to get information about the entire unit! )

Want to see a sample lesson?

Enter your email below!

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Beginner Photography Projects

photo by shopformoose via iStock

While you’re stuck at home self-isolating, it may be the perfect time to start some beginner photography projects.

There are a ton of benefits to photography projects, like learning how to develop your artistic eye or figuring out how to use your photography equipment.

Plus, being forced to complete simple photography projects at home will teach you how to get especially creative with limited space and resources.

Here are some of our favorite beginner photography projects for you while you’re stuck indoors.

Photograph a Rubik’s Cube

This may seem like an odd project to start this list out with but here us out.

Rubik’s Cubes are cheap. They’re probably readily available to you and they will help you to learn how to use leading lines in your photos.

Leading lines are a wonderful compositional tool that help direct the viewer’s eye deeper into the shot. They’re often used in landscape photography, but can be used to bring attention to any kind of subject.

Master a Still Life

You should definitely include learning how to shoot a still life in your beginner photography projects checklist.

You can create a classic still life with fruit and wine, or get more creative with random objects lying around your house.

Still lifes will help you learn how to compose your images, allow you to work on lighting, and hone your other photography skills too.

Get some great tips on how to shoot still life photos in the video above by Karl Taylor .

Take a Self-Portrait

photo by SolStock via iStock

Not everyone is comfortable in front of the camera, but taking on a self-portrait project can be hugely beneficial for your photography.

Not only does taking a good self-portrait require you to think about posing, lighting, camera settings, and so forth, but you also have to think about styling, colors, the background , and any props you might want to use.

Self-portraits are also a great way for you to understand what it’s like being in front of a camera, which will help you as you grow your skills and start to take portraits of other people.

Force Your Kids to Sit for a Session

photography projects for beginners 4 image

Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash

Okay, you don’t have to force them to sit. In fact, my kids love most of my beginner photography projects because I’ll have them pull out all of their toys and have them go crazy for 15 minutes while I take their photos.

Letting kids be kids in front of the camera can get you some truly authentic and heartwarming environmental portraits. Besides, everyone likes a good candid portrait now and then too, right?

Plus, if your little one is like mine and loves to mimic you, then you can pick up this adorable camera for toddlers and let them take photos of you too.

Photograph Your Pets

photography projects for beginners 5 image

Photo by T.R Photography on Unsplash

Most photography projects for beginners include photographing things you already love and simply trying to find a new way to look at those things. So, why not photograph your adorable pets?

You already post about them on social media enough, so you may as well have some excellent photos of them for your next post.

If you need some help getting your pet to stand still, you can purchase this gadget that attaches a ball to your phone . My dog has never sat more calmly before.

Again, when you’re trying to learn the fundamentals of portraiture, your pets are a great subject. Cats, in particular, will often sit or lay there as you work your portrait magic!

Get some awesome pet photography tips in the video above by Westcott Lighting .

Learn More:

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Find Cobwebs

Photo by Jill Dimond on Unsplash

Whenever I recommend beginner photography projects to people, I try and make them as practical as possible (especially now).

Which is why many of my photography project ideas for beginners include the chance to clean up their space.

Go in search of some cobwebs in your house. You can photograph them and play with lighting before cleaning them up.

Here’s some cobweb photography ideas to get you started:

Photograph through the web toward the rising or setting sun so the light filters through the web
Head out to your yard in the early morning to photograph the web covered in dew
Use a flashlight to illuminate a cobweb at night for a shot with a bright, white cobweb and a dark background

Shoot the Sunrise From Your Window

Photo by Tarik Haiga on Unsplash

There is no better time for finding natural lighting in your home than at sunrise and sunset.

To shoot romantic photos from inside your home, try and capture the sunrise or sunset from your window.

You can focus on the scene outside your window and how the morning or evening light interacts with it.

You can also put a subject - your spouse, a child, your pet - in front of the window to take a beautiful natural light portrait . There might even be opportunities for creating a silhouette.

Just be sure you clean the window beforehand. Nothing ruins an otherwise beautiful indoor photo like nose smudges on the glass!

Look for Reflections

Photo by Maddy Baker on Unsplash

Most of these beginner photography projects are all about training your eye for photography, which essentially means seeing your surroundings in a new light.

Go search your house for reflections you can find. This may be in your morning coffee, or it may be your windows. You might find something interesting reflected in the hallway mirror. Chances are there is beauty hiding right around the corner. You just need to find it!

Practice Sun Stars

photo by Suntammy via iStock

I’m sure you’ve seen sun star photos before…

You can create sun stars pretty easily, believe it or not. Don’t believe me? Check out my video tutorial below!

As with many of these photography project ideas for beginners, you’ll find it’s easiest to capture starbursts when you’re using a tripod with your camera (even a cheap one for your iPhone will work).

Begin a Year-Long Project

Photo by Dan Smedley on Unsplash

For those of you who have been participating in beginner photography projects for a while, you’ve probably heard of Project 52.

It’s when you take a photo every single week for a whole year. Usually, all of these photos will pertain to a specific theme you love.

If you need some inspiration for your Project 52, the 52 Week Photography Challenge is filled with ideas.

Try New Angles

Photo by Shitota Yuri on Unsplash

Whether you’re shooting from the comfort of your home or are working with a client for the first time, you’ll want to know how to explore different angles. Why not try it now?

Get a step ladder and shoot objects around your house from above. Then, crawl around on the ground to figure out what those objects look like from below.

Doing so will help you appreciate how different perspectives can totally change how a subject looks.

Explore Negative Space

photography project ideas for beginners 12 image

Photo by Fabrice Villard on Unsplash

Negative space is one of the most intriguing concepts to explore in photography and it is especially difficult to explore in your home, which makes it one of my favorite beginner photography projects.

Negative space is simply blank space around your subject. It helps make the subject stronger in the frame, and is often used to create minimalist compositions.

Get some practical tips for using negative space in photography in the video above by Peter Forsgård .

Capture One Thing, 10 Ways

photography project ideas for beginners 13 image

Photo by Koen Emmers on Unsplash

If some of these beginner photography projects are too easy for you, I promise this one won’t be.

Find one object in your home. Then, try and photograph it in 10 different ways. You’ll definitely want to clear your schedule for this one and have YouTube at the ready!

Master Silhouettes

photography project ideas for beginners 14 image

If you’re one of the lucky ones that have a yard you can escape to during these times, you can practice capturing silhouettes of your kids, your pets, or strangers on the street.

If you aren’t one of the lucky ones, you can still work on capturing silhouettes, you’ll just need to do it with your windows or artificial light.

Happy shooting!

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18 Creative Photography Ideas for Beginners to Improve Their Skills

Coming up with photography ideas can be tough for beginners. These 18 creative ideas will help you find a photography subject in no time!

You've got new photography gear. You might have even taken some lessons in basic photography. But it can be difficult to get cool beginner photography ideas, whether you're at home, college, or work. It seems like such a simple thing to do, but figuring out where to point your camera or smartphone can be surprisingly difficult.

These photography ideas for beginners will have you snapping away in no time. From toys to animals to the night sky, cool photography ideas abound. All you need to do is start snapping!

1. A Rubik's Cube

Start with something simple. Many of us have a Rubik's cube lying around. If not, they're cheap!

Art lessons often begin with renderings of cubes or spheres with one or two sources of light casting shadows to immortalize. A Rubik's cube gives photographers a similar challenge, albeit also showing off your camera's ability to capture startling colors.

Its crisp lines will also introduce you to the concept of leading lines !

2. Still Life

Once you've mastered one object, it's time to throw more into a composition. We're once more taking inspiration from art courses.

A still life is simply a collection of items, typically against a plain backdrop. Fruit is a reliable example, but you could use books, old electronic hardware, or busts.

Experiment with different lighting. Adjust the proximity of a lamp and ask, how do the shadows change? Which objects are highlighted, and which are hidden? How would the piece look with the lamp as part of the still life?

The items you've chosen say a lot about you. Paul Cézanne's interest in skulls spoke of his fascination with mortality. Steve McCurry's broken sculptures speak of lost societies. Vincent van Gogh's obsession with sunflowers summed up a tortured attitude to life.

Skulls are too morbid, but what do your still life shots tell the viewers about you?

3. Self-Portrait

All art is a reflections: of creators, of consumers, of civilizations. That extends to self-portraits. So we'll take a moment here to tackle one of the most common (and controversial) photography subjects of modern life. We're talking, of course, about the selfie.

You may consider there to be very little skill in portraying yourself. Yet a vast wealth of talented folk have used self-portraits to uncover a hidden side of themselves. What expression are you making? What's in the background? What's the focus of your piece?

This will also help you get to grips with your camera's timer or selfie mode.

Related: Photography Terms All Photographers Should Know

4. Your Own Children

You've taken a self-portrait. How do you apply those skills to other people?

Your own kids are perfect subjects. If you haven't got children, ask a relative if they'd mind you taking some photos of their kids. Children differ drastically---not just in age, but in temperament and energy too.

You'll naturally want to capture your kids having fun. But what about those more intimate moments when they're worried, reading, or listening to music? These are perfect times to practice some of your creative photography at home.

Get their consent first though.

You've mastered taking a portrait of one or two people. Now try a crowd.

People are unruly. Even in a straight line, we stop and start at strange intervals. We suddenly change direction, begin conversations or break off from them, and deviate from directions.

You'll find an infinite supply of photography ideas in any crowd. Capture the movement of the crowd itself. Look for interesting shots of individuals. How do people behave? What makes some stand out? How does a large mass of humanity differ from a single person?

You're capturing people in their natural habitat: together.

6. Moving Vehicles

Vehicles offer a wide color palette, interesting lines, reflections, textures, and many other facets that photographers love.

But moving cars are another challenge entirely.

What's the main point of interest? Does an entirely blurred composition demonstrate what you're trying to achieve? Or does having one aspect in focus make the rest of the image "speed up"? Capturing moving objects will also make you experiment with shutter speeds.

Related: How to Find Photos to Study by Lens, Aperture, Shutter Speed, and Genre

7. Carnivals

Fun fairs are always better on gloomy evenings. They're more challenging for beginners and professional photographers too. You have to think about shutter speeds and composition, and add ISO into the mix.

ISO is the sensor's sensitivity to light. The higher the ISO, the better your camera will be at shooting in the dark. But higher ISO results in more "noise," grains that pockmark an image.

With lots going on all around you, you'll want to be ambitious. Restrain yourself. Remember: there's beauty in simplicity.

You've mastered people. Now try animals.

If you're looking for fun photography ideas, you can't go wrong with photographing pets. Candid shots are ideal. Trying to direct your animals to obtain a particular composition is equally challenging.

Get onto the same level as your pet. Aim to capture eyes. They're great focal points.

The best results come from extremes. Get up close or stand back: the former gives unusually intimate insight into the animal world; the latter gives context and shows playfulness.

This is one of the most difficult photography assignments you'll attempt. Why? Because you're trying to capture a virtually intangible object.

We often can't see cobwebs with the naked eye, so how can your camera do it?

The obvious answer is moisture in the air. That means early mornings or late evenings when a mist is settling on the land. Don't spray water onto them: let nature take its course.

Factor in light. Where should its source be to illuminate your subject?

10. Sunrise and Sunset

If you're trying to shoot cobwebs in the mornings and nights, there's a perfect subject in the sky: the sun.

It's dazzling. What's more, it leaves gorgeous colors streaking across the roof of the world, especially as it rises and sets. In fact, if you're ever struggling for motivation, look up. That's your challenge.

Don't look at or point your camera directly at the sun when it's high in the sky.

Have patience. A "second sunset" occurs 20–30 minutes after the sun goes below the horizon, and will produce great results.

Don't be afraid to take lots of images. You may only be happy with one in 50, but that's one of the great things about digital and mobile photography.

11. Reflections

Playing with reflections in pictures offers an opportunity for presenting unique perspectives.

Combine reflection photography experiments with the sunrise or sunset and you can create numerous points of interest and end up with a bright, rich final product. Use mirrors for every situation on this list and you might carve out an interesting niche.

12. Fountains

When it comes to creative photography ideas, it's hard to beat water. It contains infinite changing lines. It reflects light in interesting ways. It's found in so many contexts.

Fountains are a good place to start. If you miss one freeze-frame, you'll get the chance again imminently. This allows you time to prepare yourself. Start with a shutter speed of 1/500 of a second and a lower ISO: you'll capture enough detail without detracting from the overall effect.

A lower aperture typically gives you a deeper depth of field---great in natural light, but less so under artificial illumination.

Let's turn our attentions to another unpredictable element: fire.

Take safety precautions. Make sure you're in a well-ventilated area and can put out the flames easily. Don't mess around. Better yet, simply take pictures of a candle or your home's fireplace.

Begin with a shutter speed of at least 1/250 for capturing individual flames or smoke. A slower speed will help if you want to show the full glow. What happens when fire is the sole light source?

14. Weather Extremes

All extremes are great to photograph: the light and the dark, anger and happiness, construction and destruction. Few things are as extreme as the weather.

You don't have to live in hurricane territory to show the ferocity of nature. There are loads of photography ideas in more mundane weather. A deluge of rainfall is as interesting as a monsoon. So too signs of drought. Photography is about documenting the world around us,; if there's one thing that unites us, it's the weather.

Most conditions don't last long and come without much warning, so be ready! Snow may stick around for days, but its fall can come and go intermittently in minutes.

15. Graffiti

This is divisive. For some, it's art. For others, it's vandalism. Either way, it's a perfect photography assignment for beginners.

No matter your view, you can get a point across. Should you crop close? Do you give wider context? What's in the background or foreground? This is about storytelling.

If you intend to profit from your photos, however, research copyright laws. Some graffiti artists attempt to trademark their work.

16. Cityscapes

Skylines are compelling, evocative, and nostalgic. If you've got time, stay in a position for much of the day. See how the light changes the composition and think about which you want to retain on film.

Get low to portray incredible scale or intimidation. Overlook an intersection to show how busy or empty something is. Search for leading lines or patterns to draw the eye.

17. Woodland

Woods are microcosms of life!

There's the grand scope of trunks, the rough bark, branches twisting up, and leafy veins. Daylight or twilight are excellent times to shoot, but using an artificial source of light at night might give you unusual pics.

18. Astronomical Events

At night, look up. Isn't it amazing? Capturing the infinite wonder of space? Now, there's a challenge. How do you photograph stars and natural satellites?

Start with a tripod. You'll need different ISO and aperture settings depending on what you're trying to photograph.

Start with our moon. Set your DSLR to its base ISO---likely either 100 or 200. If it's the former, you'll require a shutter speed of 1/125. For the latter, 1/250. Accompany both with an aperture of f/11.

There's too much to go into here, but as long as you're inspired, you're doing it right. But if you want to delve deeper, check out our article on tips for better night sky photographs .

Discover Your Own Photography Ideas

Mix things up by combining a few of these ideas together. Experimental is the key.

And if you've experimented with all these situations, you're not a beginner anymore. You're an experienced photographer.

6 Fun Photography Challenge Ideas


	By	/

This is Gonna be Loads of Fun …and Challenging!

There are undoubtedly those who think that most talented photographers acquired their skills through years of tutelage under a demanding but conscientious instructor.

I’m quite unsure as to the validity of this idea in a historical context, but in modern times it’s unlikely to be the case.

The advent of the Information Age brought with it an ease of access to resources and sharing platforms that have paved the way for a generation of self-taught photographers.

Not to suggest that formal academic training in photography is entirely unwarranted, but it would appear that self-driven education is the wave of the future.

While learning photography on your own may require an additional measure of discipline and dedication, one of the many advantages to this approach is that it’s easier to keep things fun .

Understanding f-stops and shutter speed are vital skills, but it’s not enough to simply have a theoretical grasp of the fundamentals — photography happens when you put those skills to practical use.

And you’ve got to challenge yourself in order to develop and, eventually, master your skills .

Challenging yourself can actually be fun, and it doesn’t require you to run off to the Amazon rainforest to experience real growth. If you’re ready to strengthen and diversify your skill set, keep reading for 10 fun photography challenge ideas that will help you do just that.

1. Minimize Your Gear

Less really can be more. There’s freedom in minimalism and you can discover this for yourself by shooting with just one camera and one lens. Leave everything else in your bag.

Give yourself a predetermined time frame, pick your favorite camera/lens combo and go shoot. If you’ve gotten used to using a zoom lens or frequently changing lenses while out in the field, you’ll be forced to rethink the way you see and compose your photos.

It won’t take long before you notice that you are choosing more meaningful subjects and treating those subjects to stronger composition .

2. Turn Ordinary Subjects Extraordinary

Believe it or not, you don’t need to book a trip to another country to find interesting photography subjects; there are plenty of them right under your nose.

You may look at those things as being mundane , but therein lies the challenge: take common objects and find a way to make them beautiful .

Whether it’s how you light them, the angle at which you shoot them, the environment in which you place them — make it a point to be attentive to the ordinary objects around you and treat them as if they are special.

Ultimately, it’s an exercise in how to connect with your subjects , a skill every photographer needs.

3. Capture The Alphabet

Our third from our list of fun photography challenge ideas is deciding how you go about choosing what you shoot on any given day?

Is it something you decide on ahead of time or just figure it out as you go?

Is it a struggle?

Here’s an idea: choose a subject that corresponds with each letter of the alphabet. I know it probably sounds easy, but once you dig into it, you will see this is a task that tests your ability to find worthwhile subjects that also fit the criteria of the challenge, and some letters will surely prove to be more difficult to fulfill than others.

It’s a fun challenge with almost a month’s worth of variety built into it; the unique experiences you acquire will no doubt serve to expand your vision and sharpen your intuition .

4. Photograph Water

Water may not immediately come to mind when thinking of riveting subject matter, but rest assured it’s something you will want to spend some time with .

Two of the most common water-based projects are water droplet photography and oil-and-water photography . In addition to some basic photography gear (a flash, a tripod), both can be achieved by using items you likely have at home already.

Oh, you will also need a heavy dose of patience — rest assured there will be a lot of trial and error when it comes to lighting, camera settings and timing, but the takeaway is you’ll learn to make exposure adjustments quickly and learn some great lighting lessons.

Eventually, you'll get some beautiful photos for all your effort.

Light Stalking Tutorials

Click here for an in-depth tutorial of how to set everything up for the water droplet challenge and here for a tutorial on oil and water photography.

5. Shoot In Low Light

If you really want to dive head first into the process of mastering ISO, shutter speed and aperture, then take on a low light challenge .

Whether it’s in a dimly lit theater or night-time street photography , photo-worthy moments are happening all the time with no regard for lighting conditions.

Putting yourself through the paces of shooting in low light will help prepare you for those spur of the moment opportunities whenever and wherever they may occur.

You don’t actually have to leave your house for this challenge; using the ambient light filtering in from a window, for example, is an excellent way to practice low light photography.

What you learn here can be applied to a pretty wide variety of other situations where light is in short supply.

6. Shoot In Black And White

This is about more than converting your images to black and white in post processing.

It’s about learning to “see” in black and white .

You will need to look for textures, patterns, shapes; light and shadows. Each of these is important in color photos, but absolutely vital to good black and white photographs.

You might go so far as setting your camera to produce exclusively a black and white jpeg; if you’re using a mirrorless camera you can even set the LCD/EVF to display in black and white.

Spend a week or two seeing the world in black and white and you will begin to acquire an eye for detail that will carry over into all of your photographic efforts.

Final Thoughts

Photography challenges come in many different flavors, but the best ones exist to make you a better photographer by strengthening the skills you already possess and paving the way for you to develop new skills .

It’s serious business as far as the craft of photography is concerned, but there’s no reason why all of this shouldn’t be fun.

So, challenge yourself and enjoy!

Further Resources:

Minimalism in Action: How Placing Limits on Yourself Can Make You a Better Photographer
4 Simple Strategies to Awaken Your Photographic Creativity
The Real Truth Behind Using Less Camera Gear
30 Day Photography Challenge Project
12 Photo Challenges To Push Your Creative Boundaries
Looking For Inspiration? Here Are 12 Photography Challenges

Further Learning

We mentioned creating an assignment for yourself which focuses on creating Black and White photographs through “seeing in black and white” and this is where you can truly master the art that is “Black and White Photography.”

About Author

Jason Little is a photographer, author and stock shooter . You can see Jason’s photography on his Website or his Instagram feed.

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2 Engaging Projects for Beginning Photography Students

Photography is one of the most popular electives in my school. I think a big reason for this is because students think it’s so easy to take pictures. These days, students can snap selfies and photos anytime, with little planning or thought. However, when they try to translate their social media skills to photography class, many of them realize their skills aren’t quite as sharp as they thought.

It’s important to show students taking a good photo involves more than a click of a button. In addition, we must help students discover a new way of looking and learn to see all of the details they’ve been missing. Starting off with projects to build these skills is crucial!

Here are 2 engaging projects I use with my beginning middle school photography students.

1. Photo Scavenger Hunts

Being able to leave the confines of the classroom is a big draw of photography classes, especially for middle schoolers. Scavenger hunts are a great way to help them focus during these periods of newfound freedom. Below are two ideas to try.

The Digital “Photo-bet”

The very first project we do in my middle school photography class involves locating the twenty-six letters of the alphabet in our surroundings. This Digital Photo-bet project takes time and hones students’ patience along with their observational and organizational skills. For this project, I typically have students use iPads to take the photos. This way, they stay focused on looking for the letters instead of playing with the camera.

The parameters of the project are simple:

Students must look for objects and shapes that resemble letters. They may not take photos of actual letters.
Students cannot stage their photos or retouch their findings. They must capture the “letters” as-is.
The letters do not have to be captured in order. However, students should keep track of which letters they’ve captured as they go along.
When finished, students must create a sentence or series of phrases that use all of the letters in a single composition. Students love to discuss these pieces and discuss the “letters” they see.

During the project, students quickly begin collaborating to find images and compare their letters with each other. There are usually a few students who insist the sticks they discovered had fallen exactly in the shape of an “N.” I trust them unless proven otherwise.

After the project is complete, I often notice students talking with each other about how they see their surroundings differently. They’re paying more attention, which is the goal.

Elements and Principles

Another early project involves photographing the elements and principles of art . It’s a good way to assess students’ background knowledge and introduce them to the capabilities of a Digital SLR camera.

For lots of students, this is one of their first exposures to a Digital SLR camera, and the features and capabilities of the camera are a bit overwhelming. Therefore, it’s a good idea to present and demonstrate a few basic concepts and techniques.

Here are 3 I like to focus on with my students:

Focus Taking pictures in focus is a continual struggle because middle school students always seem to be in a rush to get things done quickly. They also have a tough time remembering their cameras might be set to Manual Focus instead of Auto. The main idea here is encouraging them to slow down and check the focus instead of snapping the picture and moving on.
Composition and Lighting I encourage my students to try and shoot with the goal of as little post-production editing as possible. Therefore, we talk a lot about using the viewfinder to compose a good image to start with. I teach them to look for distracting backgrounds or poor lighting from the get-go. Thinking in this way will save time in the long run.
Digital means you can take lots of photos! I often have students go out to shoot only to return with a handful of images. They haven’t grasped the idea that they can take a large number of photo and choose the best shot from the group afterward. Many of them believe one shot is all they’ll need. Inevitably, students end up wishing they could have taken more images to capture a specific subject or moment.

Once students have gotten to know their cameras a bit and have reviewed the elements and principles, they head out to photograph them around our school. They really try to outdo each other with their images. I’ve had students look for textures no one can guess or use their peers to represent motion.

2. Light Painting

I usually do light painting with my students toward the end of the semester. It’s a fun way for them to learn how to manipulate images through the science of photography and light rather than software.

At this point, they’ve learned how time and light are the most important factors in creating a strong photograph. Now, they get to play with the concepts.

To do light painting, you’ll need:

A flashlight
A dark space

Setting up in a dark or virtually pitch black space is best, though not a necessity. Have students set up the camera and tripod and adjust the shutter speed to a setting upward of a second. On most cameras, you do this with the TV (Time Variable) setting on the dial. Students may have to play with the actual shutter speed setting to find the ideal shutter speed length for their image, so encourage them to try out multiple variations.

After the shutter is opened, students move the flashlight around in either a shape or letter and the light is captured in trails until the shutter closes. They can write messages, create effects, and just generally play with light. I often end up with students spending multiple class periods trying to capture the perfect photo.

These engaging projects are a surefire way to get your students comfortable with their cameras and the basics of photography. As your students gain skills and confidence, you can let them explore and play a little more.

What are your favorite introductory photography projects?

With which camera features do your students encounter the most challenges when they begin working with photography?

Magazine articles and podcasts are opinions of professional education contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of the Art of Education University (AOEU) or its academic offerings. Contributors use terms in the way they are most often talked about in the scope of their educational experiences.

Raymond Yang

Ray Yang is the Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion of NAEA and a former AOEU Writer. They believe the arts can change the world.

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7 Simple (And Fun) Photography Projects for Kids

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Doing a few simple photography projects together can benefit you and your child. Our article gives you seven photography explorations you can do with your child to build a closer relationship and improve your images!

Your children can gain self-confidence, improve their creativity, and build better communication skills through photography. We live in a visual world, and photography is a universal language anyone can understand.

7 Simple and Fun Photography Projects for Kids

The most important thing is to make it fun for you and your child. A positive and encouraging approach instills a desire to continue with photography for a long time.

Here are seven photography projects with two example photos each. We also have suggestions and ideas on how to explore each topic further. You can explore several projects simultaneously or pick one that interests your young budding photographer the most.

1. Create or Look for Shadows and Reflections

You can treat these two subjects as separate themes to have fun with. But I combined light and shadow because they both involve photography, in which the main subject may not be the center of interest.

You can photograph shadows the sun naturally makes or create your own using artificial light, like a flashlight. In the forks photo below, I set up two pieces of scrap cardboard in my dark basement and moved a small flashlight around until I liked the effect.

You can find reflections everywhere . Smooth, shiny surfaces work best. Glass surfaces, shiny metal, and water are popular surfaces to have fun with this one.

An image of a woman walking down a road where shadows are prevalent - Photography Projects to Do with Children

2. Bring Cameras Closer

Close-ups and true macro photographs often reveal a world we ordinarily ignore.

The vast majority of macro photos photographers take are of flowers and insects. The variety of species and locations you can find makes these photography projects easy to delve into.

If you want to challenge your child’s (and your) creativity, try looking for other macro subjects. You can find very interesting subjects right in your kitchen.

3. Experiment With Different Textures

One of the best ways to improve your visual recognition skills is to focus on one element of photography—color, contrast, shape, or texture. Perhaps less exciting to many, photos of textures are often very simple and don’t get much fanfare.

Still, the point of these photography projects is to exercise the ability to recognize an image’s different qualities so you can capture it in an image. When light comes in from an angle, textures are usually most visible and enhanced.

Try to find textures that challenge you and your child to examine different surfaces. Look for the complex patterns found on the material you’re examining.

Shooting textures might be best if you like to find details that the casual observer may not notice. The photo below shows the ceiling of an abandoned factory, taken less than a year after a fire ravaged it.

An image showing damaged paint - Photography Projects to Do with Children

Shooting textures in black and white can also be good practice. The absence of color calls greater attention to textures and forms.

Photographers often use buildings, walls, and other artificial flat surfaces as subject matter for texture photos. But nature also has an abundance of texture subjects. Textures are everywhere!

The photo of the birch tree bark below, titled “Birch Brothers,” was taken in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The photo has no real center point of interest other than the unique subtle colors and patterns the bark reveals.

4. Shoot in Different Natural Light

Photography starts with lighting , and any list of photography projects should have at least one outing based on lighting. For this project, look for situations where something partially or fully obscures the sun.

The direct sun hitting the lens may be too harsh and tricky regarding exposure and flare. The slightest movement of your camera or the sun can make a big difference in the final photograph.

A shot of the sun piercing the trees in an outdoor environment - Photography Projects to Do with Children

You can get interesting results with silhouettes where all the light comes from behind your subject. Little or no light hits your subject on the side, viewable from the camera’s perspective.

5. Find Frames in the Environment

Framing is a way of drawing attention to the subject of an image by blocking other parts of the image with something in the scene. It’s good to teach some of the standard rules of composition , even if you don’t want your kids to mindlessly follow them.

Framing your subject within your photos is a composition technique. It gives your photo a sense of depth and leads your eye toward the main subject.

Using leaves to frame a scene of two cabins

6. Take Unconventional Selfies

The informal self-portrait (or “selfie,” as it’s lovingly known) has become commonplace. It’s a fun idea for you and your kids to experiment with.

There are several photography projects you can come up with around this idea. One suggestion is to limit the type of selfies . Have your kids take pictures of their shadows rather than shooting the typical teen selfie in the bathroom mirror.

Yes, in the first example of a selfie, we’re back to a shadow photo. But this time, we want to focus on the shape of our shadows. In the shadow selfie photo below, I was strolling around with my camera and tripod draped across my shoulder.

An image showing a silhouette as a selfie

7. Experiment With Motion Blur

Out of all these photography projects, this one might appeal most to kids who enjoy expressing themselves by moving around.

You may have to shoot several variations of intentionally blurred photos to find an appealing one, but that’s a big part of the fun. Each version you try is unique, so experimenting is part of the game.

photography projects: motion blur with subject in center of frame

Conclusion: Photography Projects With Your Child

These fun photography projects for kids are perfect for keeping them engaged and fostering artistic expression. With little guidance and encouragement, kids can develop a lifelong passion for photography.

These are my three general tips when doing a photography project with your child:

Keep a childlike curiosity when exploring each topic.
Critique your photos and your child’s with a positive, supportive attitude.
Searching for keywords on photo gallery sites like Flickr, 500px, and Pinterest can give you more interesting ideas for new photos.

Are you interested in finding some more great photography project ideas? Check out our article about 21 photography projects to try at home !

75 Fun Summer Preschool Activities

These summer preschool activities offer a blend of educational and creative play, ideal for keeping preschoolers engaged and learning throughout the summer months. You can also find free printables and tips for many of these activities.

Preschool Summer Science Activities

Bubble Play : Set up a bubble station outdoors and let preschoolers blow bubbles to their hearts’ content. For added fun, experiment with different bubble wands.

Bubble Snakes
Favorite Homemade Bubble Mixture
Bubble Experiments

Bug Hotel Construction : Build a bug hotel using recycled materials like cardboard tubes, pinecones, and small boxes. Discuss the importance of providing habitats for insects in the garden ecosystem.

DIY Bird Feeders : Make bird feeders using toilet paper rolls, peanut butter, and birdseed. Hang them outside and observe the birds that come to feed.

Gravity Quest: Grab this free printable to explore a gravity day! Kids will love checking off easy ways to explore gravity.

Ice Cream In A Bag: This ice cream in a bag experiment is fun science kids can eat!

Ice Melting : Fill containers with water, add various objects (e.g., plastic toys, colored ice cubes), and observe how they melt at different rates in the sun.

Nature Discovery Bottles: What will you find in your backyard to add to your nature bottles? These science discovery bottles would be a great activity for a group setting for many kids to use.

Nature Table : Set up a nature investigation table for preschool science. Give your kids opportunity to experiment and observe the natural world around them with simple materials.

Planting Seeds : Let preschoolers experience the magic of growth by planting seeds in pots or a small garden patch. Sunflowers, beans, or easy-to-grow herbs are great choices.

Easy Flowers To Grow
How To Make Seed Bombs
Growing Seeds In Eggshells
Grass Head Cups

Rock Activities: Pair our printable preschool rock activity pack with exploring rocks you can find outside and in your local area.

Sandbox Volcano: Building a sandbox volcano is an outdoor science activity with a quick clean-up. It’s a classic baking soda and vinegar experiment every kid needs to try.

Seed Germination Jar : Set up a simple experiment to observe how seeds germinate. Use clear plastic cups, paper towels, and seeds like beans or peas. Preschoolers can witness the stages of germination firsthand.

Shadow Tracing: Trace the shadows of objects like leaves, toys, or hands onto paper with sidewalk chalk. Discuss how shadows change throughout the day due to the sun’s position.

Shaving Foam Rain Clouds: A fun way to demonstrate how rain clouds form.

Slushie Science: Make your own sorbet for chilly science you can eat!

Sun Prints: Introduce preschoolers to solar energy by making sun prints. Place objects like leaves or flowers on light-sensitive paper and expose them to sunlight to create unique prints.

Ultraviolet Slime : Make ultraviolet slime with UV color changing beads and clear slime. Take it outdoors to test how strong the UV rays are even on a cloudy day!

Wind Vane: Make a wind vane or weather vane and take it outdoors! It’s a simple way to understand the basics of wind direction.

Watermelon Volcano: This watermelon volcano is an awesome science experiment for the whole family. You will hear oohs and ahs from everyone !

Preschool Summer Art Activities

Blow Painting: Straws instead of paintbrushes? Absolutely! Have fun blowing into a straw to paint a masterpiece.

Bubble Wrap Painting : Dip bubble wrap in paint and press it onto paper to create textured patterns. Experiment with different colors and techniques for interesting effects.

Bumble Bee Craft: Learn about the amazing life of bees and make your own bee craft.

Color Mixing : Explore the magic of colors by mixing primary colors to create secondary colors. Use paint, food coloring, or colored water in transparent containers for a hands-on experience.

Edible Paint: Use your edible paint to decorate plain sugar cookies, crispy rice, marshmallow squares, and even toast! Or use on card stock for edible finger paint for little ones!

Finger Painting: Use our homemade finger paint to explore process art this summer!

Fly Swatter Painting : While we don’t need to squash bugs with fly swatters, we can squash paint with fly swatters instead!

Frog Paper Craft: Make this adorable spring frog paper craft using our printable frog template. Also includes frog life cycle fold-out activity.

Handprint Flowers: Make a bouquet of these unique and colorful handprint flowers.

Handprint Sun : Simple summer handprint crafts can’t be beaten when you need a break from the heat!

Ice Cream Art: Make a fun ice cream art project inspired by several famous artists.

I ce Cube Painting : Freeze colored water in ice cube trays and use the cubes to paint on paper.

Ladybug Craft: Learn about the importance of ladybugs in the garden and make this fun ladybug craft.

Nature Weaving : Create looms using sticks and yarn, then weave in natural materials like grass, twigs, and flowers to make nature-inspired tapestries.

Rock Painting : Find smooth rocks and paint them with various designs using acrylic paints.

Splatter Painting : Grab a canvas and head outside to try this process art technique. This can get messy, but cleanup is a breeze if you’re outside.

Paint Splatter Technique
Pollock Splatter Fish Project
Pollock Crazy Hair Project

Squirt Gun Painting : Fill squirt guns with diluted paint and let children aim and shoot at large sheets of paper for a unique painting experience.

Nature Paint Brushes : Paint with nature. Create “paintbrushes” from natural materials.

Suncatchers : Make suncatchers using pine cones and beads. Hang in windows to catch the light!

Rain Painting : Embrace rainy days with activities like making rain paintings.

Sidewalk Chalk Art : Take creativity to the sidewalks with vibrant chalk art. Encourage preschoolers to draw flowers, butterflies, or hopscotch games.

Make Sidewalk Chalk
Sidewalk Painting
Fizzing Sidewalk Paint

Salt Dough Starfish : This easy salt dough starfish craft is fun for summer!

Turtle Dot Painting : Dot painting is a great way to develop your child’s fine motor skills, and strengthen grasp and manual control. Plus, it’s fun!

Summer Sensory Play For Preschoolers

DIY Kinetic Sand Play : Set up a sand table with toys for digging, scooping, and building.

Shaving Cream Sensory Play : Here are some fun ideas for playtime with pieces of pool noodle and shaving foam.

Sensory Bottles : Fill clear bottles with water, glitter, beads, and other small items for visual and tactile exploration. Give it an ocean theme like these [ here ].

Foam Dough : Mix shaving cream and cornstarch to create a fluffy, moldable dough that’s fun to squish and shape.

Ice Cream Sensory Bin: Create a simple ice cream sensory bin with soft pom poms and ice cream cones, and enjoy sensory play straight through the summer!

Magic Mud : Mud, glorious mud! Make your own cornstarch mud for hands-on sensory play indoors or outdoors. Also try our clean mud !

Ocean Sensory Bin : You can use items from the ocean to create a “seaside” sensory bin. Explore the beaches, meet sea creatures and more with this fun summer sensory bin.

Shark Pudding Slime: An taste safe pudding slime with a shark theme is a super fun alternative to the classic slime recipes!

Soap Foam: Soap foam is a super simple sensory play recipe that kids will love and a treat for the senses.

Tropical Sensory Bin : Kick off the summer with a tropical summer sensory bin. Flamingos are a fantastic theme for summer!

Water Sensory Bins: Try one or more of these fun sensory play ideas with water.

Summer Playdough Preschool Activities

💡 Start with our favorite no-cook playdough recipe for easy playdough in minutes!

💡 Add any of our free printable playdough mats to your playdough time this summer for even more fun and learning.

Printable Preschool Summer Activities

Outdoor Obstacle Course : Set up a simple obstacle course with cones, ropes, and hoops for kids to navigate. or try our Jedi Challenge obstacle course for Star Wars fans.

Gardening Activities: Look through these preschooler gardening activities for more fun ideas.

Ice Cream Activities : Scoop up the fun this summer with ice cream theme activities.

Play Animal Bingo : Printable bingo cards which are picture based and great fun for little ones!

Pirate Activities: Free printable pirate learning pack, search for buried treasure, make gold slime, and prepare to defend the ship (well not really), but you get the idea!

Shark Activities: Shark facts, shark games, and more shark fun in a free shark activity printable pack.

Summer Coloring Pages: Jump into summer with these simple summer coloring pages that you can print for free! Your kids can enjoy coloring activities from lemonade to ice cream to popsicles all summer.

Summer Color By Number: Simple summer theme color by number pages.

Download Our Free Sea Creatures Coloring Book

Printable Preschool Activities Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle .

What’s Included:

There are 12+ fun preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series!

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost and book suggestions add the learning time.

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IMAGES

10 Creative Photography Assignments to Inspire You Into Action
20 Photography Project Ideas for the New Year
10 Creative Photography Assignments to Inspire You Into Action
Photography Assignment Ideas, Photo Prompts & Tasks, Photography
10 Photography Assignments To Improve Your Photography
Photography Cheat Sheet: The Best Photo Assignments for Parents

VIDEO

Christopher Hosler, '21 MLIS
20 Times Project thing that i prolly didnt do correctly but tbh idrc
Fabulous Frogs Compilation
Streamers and Punches 57: Ottman: Days of Future Vacations
Jail Cell Room (3D Room Showcase)
The Assignment Ace Card #zuai #shorts

COMMENTS

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