Ten Photography Project Ideas
My final message for participants attending my photography training workshops is to keep practising, the same advice for any newly learned skill.
So rather than waiting for a photography opportunity, create one and put what you have learned into practice. Don't worry about not being on a course; you can teach yourself. Good old trial and error can help to develop your creativity and technique.
This article is about choosing and committing to a photography project that will help you improve your photography.
Maid of the Loch, Balloch, Loch Lomond
Photography Projects
Photography projects focus on getting people out of their comfort zone to find new subjects/scenes to capture within their chosen theme. They are, of course, only effective if there is commitment and energy towards it. Ideally, a longer-term project that lasts a year will help push creativity.
What should the theme be? The answer - is whatever you like! Here are some ideas.
Photography Ideas
I have come up with ten ideas for ongoing photography projects, many of which have worked for me and been great fun. One of these may work for you or inspire your thoughts. However, my advice is to challenge yourself to work on it regularly. Try to capture new photographs for the theme as often as you can. Most importantly, push yourself creatively.
(1) Photograph an Event
Check social media and listing websites for events near you. You may go to events you ordinarily would never have attended. Why events? There's movement, excitement, colour and usually lots of photography opportunities.
Edinburgh Fringe
(2) Photography Trips & Holidays
You may have seen adverts for photography trips. They can be excellent, although expensive. However, you could organise a trip/experience, ideally to capture photographs for your chosen project.
The example below is a one-day boat trip from Oban to Staffa in Scotland to see the tame puffins that wander along the island's clifftops.
Puffins on Staffa
(3) Loving Golden Hour
Photographers love the first and last hour of the day when the sun is low in the sky, creating incredible light. But, best of all, you get a glorious sunrise or sunset. Check the times of sunrise/sunset online, or download an app that will tell you the timings dependent on where you are.
Keep generally looking, though, and be ready to react with a camera when the sky goes golden, especially in the winter when the shorter days help!
Sabandar Beach, Borneo
(4) Interesting Signs
How about signs? They tell stories often with their style, as much as the words and help you to identify and tell the story of where you are in the world. There are signs everywhere, and if you choose this as a project, you will need to look for enjoyable, beautifully made, unusual and sometimes funny signs to photograph.
Menemsha, Martha’s Vineyard
(5) Street Photography
You could hide in a busy street discreetly and point your camera towards people or scenes. However, like this example, go and ask the subject if you can take some photographs of them doing whatever they are doing. Often they say yes, and if they do, ask them to forget that you are there so you can photograph them at work. This example was a street food satay restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.
Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
(6) Different Perspectives
Go low...or go high. Capture a series of photographs NOT taken at a high level. Be on the lookout for exciting angles and perspectives. Feel free to lie on the floor or climb somewhere to get a different view from the obvious and boost your creative compositions. Recently I started taking my camera out on my kayak. I love the different perspectives you get from close to the water's surface.
Aberfoyle, The Trossachs
(7) Model Assignments
Find a willing model, plus ideally someone who can apply appropriate make-up. Then, plan and style the shoot, using the setting and clothing to create your desired look, which may sound like hard work, but if you partner up with the right people, you'll probably work well as a team. Everyone involved will hopefully be happy to work based on getting copies of the pictures, so there may be little or no budget needed.
Here are some examples from a similar assignment that I photographed in Glasgow.
(8) Landmarks
Study pictures of famous statues and landmarks online. You will no doubt find thousands of examples. For your project, look to use different angles and approaches in your photography of them to create something out of the ordinary. Weather can help, so be prepared to visit when the weather is dramatic.
(9) Lighthouses
I love photographing lighthouses, and they are always at scenic locations. On holiday in Brittany, France they were everywhere!
Ploumanac'h Lighthouse, Brittany, France
(10) Fun with Props
Finally, and for anyone attending one of my photography courses, you know I like to use heart props. Adding them to natural settings can help to create some very unusual photographs. What I like so much is that you can create many different-looking pictures in a small area. The creative challenge is where to place them and how to combine the heart with the environment. Using it, you could choose a prop and create a series of interesting photographs.
Photography Training Courses
There are just ten ideas. The possibilities, though, are endless. I hope one or more of these ideas has inspired your next photography project. So keep at the theme, work on it regularly and challenge yourself creatively. Once completed, a photo book or album may showcase your project.
I run many photography training workshops in Loch Lomond each year so if you would like to learn about camera settings and photography techniques whilst in fantastic scenery book a course. Details, including dates below.
A 2.5-hour photography training course at Loch Lomond by Professional Photographer Paul Saunders. The course takes place outside, around the beautiful village of Balmaha and is suitable for all experience levels.
Learn all the essential camera settings with ‘hands-on’ instruction on taking creatively composed and correctly exposed photographs. Purchase a voucher for each person attending.
Each course has up to 6 participants, so there are plenty of opportunities to get 1-to-1 training.
Further Reading
Looking for more ideas for creative projects? Click here to read about How to Use Smoke Bombs For Wedding Photography - Tips For Amazing Wedding Photos!
About Paul
Paul Saunders, a professional photographer, is based in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, photographing weddings, families and businesses throughout Scotland. He also runs popular short photography training courses.
Visit Paul’s other websites Paul Saunders Marketing & See Loch Lomond.
Thanks for reading this blog hope you found the 10 photography project ideas useful and they help inspire your ideas.
