A List of Photography Project Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity [Part 2]
Earlier last week, we looked at a list of photography projects to inspire your next photoshoots. The second and last part of this series is a continuation of similar ideas. These projects can help you if you’re in a creative rut or simply need new ideas to add some variety to your portfolio.
Macrophotography
Plants, water, food, your groceries – anything you find in your house can be illuminated in a new light. Macro photography is an art of its own, you just need a more powerful lens and an interesting subject.
Something so simple as water and a plastic surface can give you really impressive results. Macro photography becomes quite abstract, depending on what you’re photographing. Grab your camera, find a theme and experiment.
A day in the life of
Grab a friend, someone you know well, and photograph them throughout the day. You can do this with a group of people as well. It’s better to do this with someone you know so that they are comfortable enough with you.
Lifestyle photography is a really popular genre. Focusing on one person or a group of people also gives you something to narrow in on. Essentially your role throughout the day is being a silent observer. This project teaches you to pay attention and zoom in on details and the moments that make everyday life special.
Street style documentary
Take a stroll in your neighborhood or go downtown for an impromptu photoshoot. Take inspiration from some of the photojournalists from our article on documentaries. Every city and town has a unique culture, documenting this can become an infatuation and a great side hobby.
Fashion is all around you
As a continuation of the previous project, here’s a chance to zoom in on another aspect that is endlessly fascinating. What do people in your city wear? How do they style their clothes? If you’re brave enough, you can combine this project with the 50 strangers project.
Fashion is a way of expression and seeing people communicate through their fashion choices should be of particular interest to many photographers.
Urban exploration
Urban exploration photography is about location scouting and exploring city in a new way. This can quickly become dangerous, as many are drawn to abandoned places and buildings but it is also a lot of fun.
When you choose a theme to work with, you’re automatically changing your thinking because you’re concentrated on your task. This project can help you see the structures around you in a different way so you might as well walk around your neighborhood for a little inspiration.
52 weeks project
The idea with this one is that you have to pick a theme and photograph it each week. This project requires less time commitment but more thought. You should choose something you’re interested in and produce a photograph of it each week.
This project will leave you with a collection of cohesive images. The idea is to push yourself to be more conceptual and integrate photography into your routine.
Capturing textures
You probably spend a lot of time in post-production. Sometimes when you’re playing around with photographs, it’s good to have materials to work with. This project can help you build up a collection of textures that you can use and apply in post-production.
Sure, it’s so easy to find textures online but it’s even more fun to go out and look for them. Wood, concrete, paint, and even moss make for really interesting texture photographs. There’s something really pleasing in capturing these shots and I can only hope you feel the same way on your scavenger hunt.
Read more: A List of Photography Project Ideas to Jumpstart Your Creativity [Part 1]
