There has been a lot of talk on the our Facebook page about potential projects for the upcoming year. I thought I would give you guys a few ideas to get you going!
Read how to start a photography blog as a place to document your photography project
1. Project 365 – This was one of the very best things I did for my photography back in 2010 when I completed my 365. I tried another one in 2011 but quiet over half way through. Check out Capture Your 365 for some great ideas of daily prompts.
2. Pick a month and shoot everyday – Does a 365 seem like too big of a commitment. Maybe you could pick a month and shoot everyday. You could use the prompt lists from Capture Your 365 for a certain month or you could do only black and white, your kids, yourself, horizontal shots. The possibilities are endless. I know my sister in the month of her birthday took a self portrait every day. I may do that with my kids birthday months this year.
3. 52 weeks – You can pick a theme for the whole project or just one for each week. You could photograph only your children, nature, still life or even yourself each week.
4. Day in the life of – I love this idea and will try and do one each month. Basically, you take photos of all the small details of your day. What a fun way to look back on how you used to spend your days.
5. Try a new skill each week – Have you taken a Clickin’ Moms workshop? Maybe you could redo the assignments each week to practice your skills. Do you have a list of skills you want to nail this month. Pick one each week or month to work on. It could be backlighting, low lighting, window light, white balance, and/or editing.
6. Photograph strangers – One of our fabulous readers is doing a project What’s Your Story by Through a Photographer’s Eye. Check out her post it’s super interesting! I love the idea of working on photographing strangers. If you aren’t outgoing like Misty maybe you could just practice street photography where you don’t have to approach your subject.
7. Photograph the Alphabet – You can pick a letter each week to focus on. You can photograph objects that start with a certain letter or even find objects that form that letter. This could be fun if you wanted to spell your last name for an entry way or your kids names for their room.
I’m doing a 52 week and will be taking on a few of these other ones to work on each month. My theme for the 52 week is to get photos of my kids together in each shot.
Are you doing a project this year?? What are you going to do?? Do you have some to add to the list??
What great ideas ….. exactly the boot in the derriere that I need!!!!! Thanks!
I finally decided which project 52 I was going to participate in! And, to kill two birds with one stone I decided to finally take advantage of my clickin moms membership! So, I’ll be participating in their project 52! :) Thank you for what you do! As I will be visiting often! Your blog is a great resource!!!
I’m going for a 366. It’s difficult right now with my camera at Nikon, but I’m trying to be creative with P&S/iPod cameras in the meantime. I have several skills I’d like to practice this year, plus street photography. And definitely more “day in the life” runs—I did one last year and it was so fun!
Great ideas Courtney, I want to try the “day in the life” this year, I tried a couple of times last year, but never manged to get organised. I love Ashley’s Scavenger Hunts over at Ramblings and photos! I love brainstorming the prompts and the social factor and time limit keeps me focused.
Funny thing is I saw your link on Facebook and clicked on it to get some ideas. Little did I know I would see my own on there. lol Thanks for mentioning it.
I think I’m going to pick a month and try to shoot everyday. And then I’ll try to do it the next month….and the next :)
I’m so excited! My photography project is a P52 of food photography!!! Check out my first one linked here :)
I’m doing another Project 52. After failing the first year, I completely made it through 2011 and was really encouraged to do it again this year – so much so that I’m hosting my own weekly linky (ambitious, I know)! But it feels good, and it’s really rewarding in the end to look back at the finished product!
Hmm… love the alphabet idea! I haven’t quite figured out my plan of action. I started last year late, so my year hasn’t ended yet! I’m definitely downgrading to a project 52 though… the 365 is hard to keep up with and if life gets in the way I feel too guilty for missing!
These are excellent ideas! Thank you for sharing them! :D
I am going to try for 365 + 1 . I am just learning so I can practice everyday! And my daugther is starting school so I know we will have alot of pictures to go along with that! But if I can not do that I am doing Project Life and doing journaling and pictures.
I’m attempting a Project Life as well!! You may need to nag me so I stay on top of it :O)
I am doing another year of Project 366 Rewind link up on my blog. :)
Oh there are so many projects I want to do this year!!! I’m doing the 52 week project, I’d like to do a day in the life every month. I’m doing What _____ looks like every month. I also want to do a alphabet book and lastly I want to do a week of shooting for B&W. I’m starting to think I’m taking on too much! HA!
Girl, you are one busy lady!! I love the idea of shooting a week in B&W!! I have thought about doing the 52 week of my girls together only in B&W. Haven’t decided for sure yet though :O)
I have been considering what I was going to do to motivate myself this year in regards to photography. I def. want to tackle a different type of photo once a month, but I am going to pin this post and try to write out some goals.
Thanks Courtney!!
I’ve just joined the My Four Hens Project 52
http://myfourhensphotography.com/photographers/2012/01/01/m4h-project-52-week-one-resolutions-40-off-sale-a-happy-new-year/
Even though I’ve still got half a year of my 365 left, I need some motivation and ideas. Plus it’s Flickr based and I want to do something with my Flickr account but it’s a bit scary and hard to know where to start.
These are great ideas! I love the day in the life and the strangers (yikes!). I’m doing project 52 and half-heartedly doing a 366 with my phone, but I could always use more inspiration! Thanks!
I’m doing a 366 Project this year!! It seems very overwhelming to think the year just started, but I’m up for the challenge! Photographing the alphabet would be very fun, my mom photographed and framed the letters of last name for a wedding gift, I love it, it’s so unique! Good luck everyone on their 2012 goals!!!
What a great wedding gift!! Good luck with your project 366!! You can do it!!
Thanks for mentioning the monthly idea lists! Love all of your ideas.
My pleasure! You put together some amazing ideas! Thank you!
I’m doing something I call “52 Faces.” I’m doing a photo a week of my son. A friend is doing something similar with her daughter and it’s been fun to see her progression and growth. Looking forward to the year with my son.
Courtney,
You inspire me every day with your blog and wisdom! I have so many goals for 2012.
But I am going to start small. I am going to try a 30 day project and each day I am going to shoot one great photo, now it may take a few or even a lot to get that one good one but that’s what is fun, right. I need to learn my camera better and I want a good editing program. Which one should I get Lightroom or Adobe photo shop? Thanks for all your hard work and continuing to inspire me to learn more and set goals.
I am enjoying seeing your 30 day challenge!! It such a wonderful way to document your life as well as practice photography! Yay!! I think I already told you but I would start with Lightroom. :O)
I am a VERY new photographer (not sure if I can even call myself that yet?!) but my goal this year is to master the manual settings on my camera, which are completely forign to me at the moment. I’d also like to make an alphabet book and do pictures of the same place on the same day of every month, or, something like 25 pictures on the 25th of every month. The options are endless, but it is fun to see what other people are doing! Wish me luck!
That is wonderful news that you are going to tackle manual mode. You will notice such a different in your photos!! Have you checked out this post – http://www.clickitupanotch.com/2010/09/shooting-in-manual-the-basics/ Hopefully it will help you figure it out. I love the alphabet book idea. And 25 pictures on the 25th sounds like fun!! Good luck!!
I’m attempting a daily photo with my DSLR and a daily photo with my iphone. Finding iphone photography such fun, and love the interaction through Instagram (I’m Janmary on Instragram).
I am sharing a weekly summary of my daily DSLR photos using digi scrapping on my blog, and I plan to create a video of my iphone pics, maybe on a monthly basis, or maybe create all the images in a slideshow of the year – which only I will want to watch!!!
That is a great idea to include your iPhone in the project. I’m hearing more and more people doing that! I’d love it if you shared some of them on the FB page! I love to see how people rock their iPhone shots!! Who cares if only you will watch it :O) I have a lot of things like that :O)
I’m doing a 365 and own a group on deviantART for a Project 52 Weekly theme, so more than likely doing that was well. My friend is more in charge of it since she’s doing that prominently this year, but at the very least I have 52 days of the rest of my 365 covered! I’m also doing a 100 Themes Challenge from deviantART this year, as well, and an Anti-Discrimination series I created in December after finishing my IDENTITY project (which I created last June). I really want to photograph strangers in a 100 Strangers series, but I’m not very confident asking people for their photo since when I do street in my area, all the retirees look at me like I’m creeping on them. :( lol These are all awesome ideas, though, if I run out of inspiration, I might do the Alphabet challenge! That one sounds fun! :D
I am doing Project Life by Becky Higgins. I’m trying to take pictures daily, but not stressing. If we have a busy/fun filled day once a week and then a slow rest of the week, I’ll use pictures from the fun day.
I am doing PL as well! I love that you aren’t putting tough restrictions on yourself! I think that is how you get burnt out really quick!
https://www.facebook.com/maryellasblessedlife
Reaaaally helpful!!
thank you
These are great ideas
Hi i found this post really interesting and motivating. as someone who is passionate about photography and wished I could do more. this surely presents that extra push. Although I am scred to start and t\finding inspiration is so hard