Photography Projects You Should Try
If you're serious about becoming a better photographer, then you can't just shoot portraits of your friends all day. That doesn't teach you anything new, and it doesn't expand your portfolio in any way. In order to become a better photographer, you need to constantly be stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying new types of photo shoots. So, if your serious about photography, first and foremost, you should be taking an online photography course to improve your skills. Then, on your time, you should try some of these photography projects to step outside of your comfort zone.
Photos with Children
There's a saying in show business that you should never work with children or animals. This is because they can be notoriously hard to control. You can't guarantee that a baby is going to smile when you want it to, and that's why doing a photo shoot with a baby or child can be such a great learning experience for a budding photographer.
You must learn to be flexible. What you imagined may not be what ends up making a fantastic photo. Perhaps you wanted that toddler to laugh and play in the kiddie pool for your photos. But maybe capturing his temper tantrum will make some dramatic photos. Just give it a try, and remember that you should be trying to capture moments, not create them.
Photos with Animals
There's the other nemesis of everyone in show business: animals. Many photographers won't ever bother to try doing a photo shoot with animals because of how difficult it can be to take a dynamic picture. Even if you have a perfectly behaved dog that does everything you ask, it can be impossible to capture the emotion that you want to capture. Obviously, emotions on a dog's face are much harder to read than a human's, and you can't ask a schnauzer to pretend to be sad for your photos.
However, this challenge can give you an opportunity to find other ways to convey an emotion besides the facial expressions of your subject. If you want to convey a feeling of loneliness, that can't be seen in the face of an animal. But by setting the animal in a wide, empty landscape and taking a wide-angled shot, you can give the same impressions. And never underestimate the love and warmth that can be captured when you do a photo shoot of someone with their pet.
Self Portraits
The greatest challenge for many artists is learning to paint themselves. This can be the same for you as a photographer. Use your camera's timer or a friend to try taking a few pictures of yourself. It can be difficult to take a picture of yourself that you like, but that should not be your focus. Try to take a picture that you feel accurately represents you and your personality. Not only will this be a great photography exercise, but it can be an exercise in self discovery as well.
If you take an online photography course, they may suggest additional projects for you to try.
Photos with Children
There's a saying in show business that you should never work with children or animals. This is because they can be notoriously hard to control. You can't guarantee that a baby is going to smile when you want it to, and that's why doing a photo shoot with a baby or child can be such a great learning experience for a budding photographer.
You must learn to be flexible. What you imagined may not be what ends up making a fantastic photo. Perhaps you wanted that toddler to laugh and play in the kiddie pool for your photos. But maybe capturing his temper tantrum will make some dramatic photos. Just give it a try, and remember that you should be trying to capture moments, not create them.
Photos with Animals
There's the other nemesis of everyone in show business: animals. Many photographers won't ever bother to try doing a photo shoot with animals because of how difficult it can be to take a dynamic picture. Even if you have a perfectly behaved dog that does everything you ask, it can be impossible to capture the emotion that you want to capture. Obviously, emotions on a dog's face are much harder to read than a human's, and you can't ask a schnauzer to pretend to be sad for your photos.
However, this challenge can give you an opportunity to find other ways to convey an emotion besides the facial expressions of your subject. If you want to convey a feeling of loneliness, that can't be seen in the face of an animal. But by setting the animal in a wide, empty landscape and taking a wide-angled shot, you can give the same impressions. And never underestimate the love and warmth that can be captured when you do a photo shoot of someone with their pet.
Self Portraits
The greatest challenge for many artists is learning to paint themselves. This can be the same for you as a photographer. Use your camera's timer or a friend to try taking a few pictures of yourself. It can be difficult to take a picture of yourself that you like, but that should not be your focus. Try to take a picture that you feel accurately represents you and your personality. Not only will this be a great photography exercise, but it can be an exercise in self discovery as well.
If you take an online photography course, they may suggest additional projects for you to try.
