The new year is a great time to start afresh and to take stock of your goals for the year. We can help you think about what you want to achieve from your photography, as well as thinking about the personal changes you want to make. To get started, we have a selection of 24 photo projects for you to try throughout the year. To make it easier to follow, we have themed the projects into seasonal categories, starting with winter, but mix and match as you please. Creative photography projects for winter.
Project 1 is about flora.
The winter garden has plenty of photographic opportunities, and dead thistles or cow parsley are great candidates for your main subject. Bring along a bag or cushion to keep your knees dry. The style of photography that you're using should all be about the form and structure of the plant. A double or triptych is a good way to present your image.
Instead of waiting for the perfect golden hour, shoot bleak and minimal landscapes this winter and use negative space to aid your composition. This type of project can be shot in both rural and urban locations, so wherever you live, you can achieve great results. If you want to convert your image to black and white, make sure you keep the contrast to a minimum. A wide-angle lens is useful for this type of photography. Project 3: Light the way.
You can shoot light trails in the winter if you head out into the urban environment or look for a busy and interesting road. It is possible to experiment with different shutter speed settings to see how they add to the final effect.
You can make a simple still-life setup if you find some household objects when it is cold or raining. Your background choice is also important as this sets the feel and tone of the image.
The project is easy to do at home, but requires some planning, milk, and a model, although these are optional. If you don't want to use fresh milk, you can also use milk powder. If you want to achieve a clean look, bounce the flash and avoid heavy shadows. The water cools down quickly once you add the milk, and you should be ready to shoot if your model gets cold.
Bokeh is a blur or haze and can be achieved using a lens that can be opened to a wide setting. Christmas trees are perfect for this type of effect because they have small lights.
Project 7 is called Bring spring indoors.
When the first signs of spring appear, we all seem to exhale a sigh of relief… However, we are aware that April showers can go on way past April, so on those rainy days, bring the spring indoors. A flat lay is a great way to do this.
If you want to make your image bright and vibrant, colored card will work best.
If you want to reduce the shadows, place a reflector on the opposite side of your main light source.
If your shutter speed is too slow, you can either use a handheld or a tripod.
The best time to shoot animal portraits is in the spring when many animals are born. You should be patient and keep shooting because animals can be difficult to work with.
The technique of layering images on top of each other to create a beautiful effect was invented by the person who was the first to do it. To achieve this, shoot multiple images of your subject at different focus points and then build your image using an editing software program likePhotoshop, where you can blend multiple layers together.
The perfect setting for a lifestyle project is the spring garden. Placing items such as a blanket and a magazine on the table adds that lifestyle element to the scene and enables the viewer to picture themselves in that setting.
By late spring, many different types of butterfly are starting to hatch. If you have children, this is an interesting project to do if you order some caterpillar from insect lore. We were able to get the butterflies into a good position when we released them into our garden. A macro 100mm prime is the best for best results when shooting at a close proximity. For our butterfly images, f/8 was the perfect setting as it softened the background while keeping some of the butterfly sharp, which was the effect we were after.
When shooting a wide-angle shot, we usually use a narrow setting to make sure the scene is sharp from front to back. If you have a lens that can go as wide as f/2.8, you should blur the background and foreground on this occasion. If you don't have an f/2.8 lens, shoot as wide as possible and exaggerate the blur effect at the editing stage. The flowers in the fields of tulips or lines of flowers are the perfect arrangement for this technique. Shoot in softer light at the beginning or end of the day to avoid the bright part of the day.
Project 13: Splash and shoot.
You can get some eye-catching photographic results when you jump into the sea or large body of water. To make sure your shots are sharp, make sure your camera shoots in the fastest burst mode that you have, and make sure your shooting settings are set to the tracking feature so you can follow your subject. Speak to your model first to let them know where they need to jump so you can get the action shot. Sea salt and cameras don't mix, so protect your camera with a waterproof cover and a long lens.
You want to make sure your drinks are ice-cold in order to add to the effect of the picture. In the summer, an outdoor setting such as a garden is the best place to shoot. We used a pair of sunglasses to add interest to the side of the frame.
The best times to shoot in the summer are when the sun is setting. Shoot in raw format and bring those warm tones back into your image at the editing stage to make the most of it. You can use a wide-angle lens to see curves and shapes in the landscape to help you with your composition. The light is much cooler in the shadows and you may need to warm them up.
The long summer days are blissful and at the start and end of the day the light begins to lighten meaning you can achieve excellent results with your portraits. We have added a creative filter and toned the image to make the scene work together. If you are working with children, you need to make sure they are comfortable as they won't stand still for long. If you want to engage with them for longer, you need to find out their interests first. Project 17: Capture fun at a festival.
If you enjoy listening to loud music and watching people, photographing a music festival is a great way to get great results.
Look for light.
Natural or ambient light can be used to your advantage so look for opportune moments with your subject in the setting.
There are lots of images to be taken in the crowd, especially when people are unaware of your presence.
A shake of the head or someone jumping in the air is always a winner. Project 18: Shoot big group photos.
Shoot a large group of people and think of fun ways to engage them. The bridesmaids formed around their bride, creating the perfect lineup for a group picture. Make sure you use a good setting for the camera.
Project 19: Fall close-up
The small details of the season are a joy to photograph, as well as offering plenty of opportunities for wide-angle shots in the fall. We decided to use the best image-editing software program for styling your images, because we think that it is one of the best.
The first thing to do is to adjust the controls in the basic tab. The Tone Curve setting is a good place to start with further effects.
You can import or create your own profiles. You can adjust the amount applied by any profile or preset using the Amount sliders.
The Color Grading feature allows you to separate the mid-tones, highlights and shadows. Pick your color, highlight it, and then adjust the amount added by clicking further out on the circle. Project 20: location portraits.
Portrait photographers also use a setting sun in autumn when photographing a girl at an outdoor adventure club. The focus should be on the subject and you should shoot into the light. The red jumper is perfectly matched to the light conditions.
The contrast of orange tiles against a blue sky is what makes this image work. If you want to find this type of image, you don't need to go far, just look around in your local area.
You can still take great pictures at home if you need a day off. If you have a lot of things lying around, you might want to take a few pictures using a few books, plants, candles, blankets, cushions or whatever you have lying around. If you want to keep your ISO low, you should use a tripod indoors. Unless you have a library of beautiful old books that match in color and style when shooting books, turn them around so you can't see the spine to create a neutral look. If you want to make a scene with a big difference between the highlights and shadows of the image, try combining the shots at the editing stage.
If you want to shoot food photos, look for flames created by dripping meat and push the ISO up if you want to shoot in low light. The action of the flame and the hand stayed sharp because we set ours to 1600.
Take time to reflect on your photography, go through and organize your pictures, and edit them as you please. Try printing out some of your images, thinking of different ways to present them, and if you need to share images with a client or a friend then find a pleasing presentation method, such as the wooden box in our example.