If you’ve always wanted to improve your photography skills, 2019 is the best time to work on it. You’ve got a whole year ahead of you to seize every opportunity to take better photos, so don’t waste any time! Start by taking on these challenges.
1. The 52-Week Photo Challenge
The annual Dogwood 52-Week Photography Challenge dares photographers to stick to a specific prompt every week. You’ll start by taking a self-portrait—a deceptively easy task, until you keep reading the prompt and realize that the prompt prohibits you from showing your face. When you’ve accomplished that task, you move on to showing motion in photos using the Rule of Thirds, then Black and White photography, and so on. The challenge ends with another self-portrait, one that illustrates how others see you. You can also join a Facebook group where you can talk with others who are also taking on the challenge. See all the prompts here.
2. The 365-Photo Challenge
Think the 52-Week Challenge is too easy? Try the 365-Day Challenge. Taking one photo a day looks easy on paper, but when you’ve got a million things going on in your awesome life, you might find it nearly impossible to stop and shoot. No photography prompts required—you don’t have to go out of your way to find a great subject to take pictures of. The real challenge here lies in making the mundane beautiful.
Tip: Create a folder on Google Photos for your images and sync it with your Nixplay Frame so you can view all your photos easily!
3. Go Analog
Film photography isn’t dead. It’s just lying dormant, yet ready to embrace those who discover it. One key takeaway from shooting with film is that you’re forced to be more selective with your subjects. You don’t have the privilege of taking photos of everything because you can only shoot a limited number of images, and you don’t know how the shot will turn out until much later. On the bright side, the thrill of waiting for your film to develop is incomparable, and there’s nothing like a hard copy of your photos. This year, dust off your film camera (or get a disposable one), load it up with film, and shoot away!
4. Portraits of Strangers
Humans Of New York is one of the most inspiring Instagram accounts anyone can follow. Founder Brandon Stanton’s photographs, combined with the moving stories of the people he features, make for a riveting read. This year, take a page from HONY and try taking photos of the people you encounter! It’s also a great opportunity to get out of your shell and meet interesting folks. Who knows, you might just meet someone cool!
5. Recreate Famous Photos
There are some photographs that anyone can recognize instantly. Take the 1965 photograph of Muhammad Ali towering over a fallen Sonny Liston, taken by renowned sports photographer Neil Leifer. Or, the nude portrait of a pregnant Demi Moore, taken in 1991 by Annie Leibovitz for Vanity Fair. Let these photos inspire you to make your own mark in the photography world, one frame at a time!
