Diving into photography challenges is a cool way to expand your skill set, pick up fresh techniques, and push yourself beyond the usual. By doing so, you can also experiment with fun, innovative ideas. They work ideally for beginners who want to improve their skills, get photo inspiration and find new creative ideas.
To attend such a walk, you need to find an event on the Internet and register. Check out Meetup or Worldwide Photo Walk to discover local groups. As a rule, such meetings are free.
Different photographers often arrange photo walks, allowing you to concentrate on snapping shots in lovely spots without venturing too far from your home. Keep in mind that you still need to cover some distances, so bring only the gear you truly need, such as spare batteries and memory cards.
Reasons to do it: A photo walk is a great way of practicing photography, exchanging experiences and meeting new friends and colleagues. Such photography exercises help you find new locations, practice portrait and real estate, as well as learn new techniques.
Come up to the stranger on the street and offer him to be your model. If the person doesn’t mind, you can even ask him to pose. Besides, you can follow the tips of the best street photographers to take pictures in a documentary style.
Reasons to do it: This challenge teaches you to deal with people. You will realize the importance of this skill when working with professional models. Practicing candid photography, you’ll learn to understand the surrounding atmosphere and find moments worth being captured.
You may be surprised to learn that disposable cameras are available for a reasonable price at small kiosks, gas stations and even pharmacies. Typically, disposable cameras cap out at 27 shots. In addition to photo number limitation, you'll also have to get along without frills of advanced cameras. No sneak peeks or fancy settings— you just have to trust your gut to take awesome images.
Reasons to do it: They're budget-friendly and less confusing than those hefty film rigs. Even though these cameras are pretty basic, the pictures they produce have all the charm of film from the colors to a nostalgic grainy vibe we all admire.
Get ready to unleash your creative side. Spice your photos up by playing around with vibrant backgrounds, exploring intriguing locations, or trying out different facial expressions. When you stumble upon that perfect spot, switch your device to self-timer mode. If timers aren't your thing, you can opt for a remote control.
Reasons to do it: By practicing self-portrait photography, you can boost your confidence, hone your photography skills, and master the art of patience. Beyond the creative side of things, delving into self-portrait photography allows finding a perfect pose.
One of the cool photography challenges for friends is to get your buddies and snap some shots with that instant film camera! Encourage them to put on wild costumes or strike goofy poses that really show off their personality. Once those pics are developed, scribble down little stories or doodle on the white edges for a personal touch. As your stack of instant photos grows, put them together in a neat photo book.
Reasons to do it: When using an instant camera, you receive images in a flash. Holding a real print is way more satisfying than staring at digital files on a screen. Moreover, instant photos have a unique nostalgic atmosphere.
The easiest way to learn how to become a professional photographer and take amazing photos is to reproduce the works of great masters while training. Try to re-create most iconic photos in your own way. In a nutshell, this photographer challenge is perfect for sparking creativity and learning from the pros in the photography world.
Reasons to do it: When you start recreating pictures taken by other photographers, you discover fresh approaches of how to photograph a subject. It's possible that you'll discern a shooting style from a completely new perspective.
In this photography challenge, there's space for artistic flair, but it also throws in the task of communicating a sense of motion to your audience. Subjects in high speed photography can range from people and animals to objects, as long as it's clear they're in motion in the image. Subtle blur in the action will serve as a storytelling tool, giving your images a dynamic touch and making them less predictable and more lively.
Reasons to do it: Objects that are moving fast naturally give off a lively vibe. Snapping that movement allows you to bring out a feeling of life and dynamism in your pictures. You can either freeze or blur the motion to show off your expertise as a photographer, putting an extra touch of technical prowess in your portfolio.
Make the most of your surroundings. Take this challenge as a chance to learn the location and what's around your subject. Incorporate them into the shot in a creative and intentional manner. When you deliberately use elements in your scene to frame your subject, you're building a visual boundary that steers viewers’ attention and amps up the overall impact of your photo.
Reasons to do it: When you nail the framing, your subject isn't just front and center; it includes bits from the foreground, background, or the space around it. Sub-framing photography not just makes your picture three-dimensional but throws in context, weaving a more elaborate visual tale. This technique improves the visual appeal and intricacy, taking your composition's aesthetics to the next level.
This photography challenge idea is all about improving your skills to notice a change and depict it visually. There's no strict timeframe or specific thing to focus on in pictures. Creating a series of photos that traces the transformation of something over time is a wonderful storytelling method. It spins a visually gripping story that stretches beyond the boundaries of a single image.
Reasons to do it: Stringing together a bunch of pictures allows telling a visual story that unfolds over time. This storytelling technique works perfectly for catching the eye of viewers and building an emotional connection with the subject. A series of photos can highlight how a subject transforms, adapting to external factors.
Currently, smartphones feature cameras that can produce crisp images and videos. So, treat this photographer challenge as an opportunity to immerse yourself in smartphone photography. Due to the lack of advanced features, you will focus on more important aspects, such as lighting, composition and balance. Plus, you will get fresh photography inspiration.
Reasons to do it: With a smartphone camera, you can take offbeat shots and get fresh ideas for your photoshoots. Mastering smartphone photography, you’ll learn to rely on your skills and senses, not the gear.
Your main mission is to create a photo series that describes a story without words. Get into the director's mindset and find ways to tell a story through your pictures. Just like a true artist, experiment with unconventional angles to capture a range of emotions. Whether it's wedding snapshots, birthday bashes, meet-ups, or festive gatherings, all these occasions serve as nice opportunities to create your unique photo essay examples.
Reasons to do it: Learning how to create a photo essay helps you share a story with the help of photos effectively. You will grasp how to combine photos to get a smooth story. Besides, you'll understand how the camera's perspective can change the overall vibe of a picture — for example, how close-up shots bring a more intimate feel compared to wide-angle photos.
Try making a DIY pinhole camera. Drill a tiny hole through the cap, screw it onto the camera's lens mount, and you’ll get a mini digital pinhole gadget. When you're ready to take pics, switch your device to manual mode, activate the shutter, and start shooting. When it's on standby, cover that pinhole with gaffer tape to keep any pesky particles from sneaking into your gear.
Reasons to do it: When you're working with your gadget manually, you'll play around with the settings to get perfect exposure. Sure, it involves a fair bit of guesswork, but the final dreamy and surreal images are worth the effort.
This is an incredibly interesting photo challenge idea. Choose a single subject to photograph and snap it from various perspectives – mix up the angles, distances, colors, and lighting. For instance, take shots of the view from your window at different times and days. You can also try out perspective photography ideas by shooting from above, below, near, far, and experimenting with both color and black-and-white snaps.
Reasons to do it: Exploring different ways to showcase a subject is a smart move. It lets you understand how each option can change the way we see it. This practice not only keeps your mind sharp but also opens your eyes to the variety of perspectives you can use when taking photos.
The photography challenge is similar to creating a photography portfolio and comes in handy if you have a great collection of shots from past photo sessions. You can lay them out and add text descriptions to tell more about your works. Alternatively, try creating a photo layout without text, letting the pictures tell the story for you.
Reasons to do it: It will help you learn various methods of shooting the same subject, as well as define useful approaches for making your photography series look different. Besides, by creating zines, you can discern how to arrange your pictures.
This photographer challenge involves exploring uncharted territory and taking photos there. Instead of seeking picture-perfect locales, go for the everyday, somewhat awkward places. Find the right angle or add some props, and you'll be amazed at how any location can turn into something intriguing. It’s also wise to start taking your budgeting seriously as a photographer. Everyone has goals, like buying a new lens, or upgrading your editing machine. These goals can be easily achieved by using budgeting apps or a spreadsheet to track and save money for your goals.
Reasons to do it: The idea is to put your creative flair, composition know-how, and retouching skills to work, transforming a photo into something fabulous no matter where you are. Posing right is important too. This challenge is tailor-made for those keen on turning their surroundings into a canvas and discovering beauty in every nook and cranny.
If you're aiming to make a timelapse video, you need to snap a bunch of pics at set intervals, like one each second, capturing the hustle of a busy street. Make sure you've got a central focus, maybe a standout building. Keep an eye on how the light shifts.
Reasons to do it: This challenge helps you learn the ropes of composing landscape photos and it's a cool way to capture unfolding moments. If you don’t want to make a timelapse video, you can always pick any single snapshot and turn it into a striking standalone landscape shot.
One of the most interesting photography series ideas is to use one color for creating different pictures. This is a challenging photography task, as you need to think over your idea in detail. Try to choose the most fitting objects in terms of shapes and textures to neutralize the lack of colors and create a stunning composition.
Reasons to do it: Going for a solo color challenge is like taking a deep dive into the world of color vibes. You'll see how a specific color can jazz up the mood of every photo. When you dedicate a series to just one color, you'll be able to tell a visual story, painting a picture of changes, clashes, and all the emotions tied to that particular shade.
The final moment of the photography challenges is photo editing. It can affect a photo for better or worse. To get a beautiful image, try to use Lightroom presets. Using these free Lightroom filters you can correct white balance, sharpness, contrast, colors, shadows, temperature, add fade effect, and more. These filters are particularly suitable for street and studio photography, when you want natural and eye-pleasing colors.
