Your own photo project will help you develop your skills and thinking as a photographer. In the process, you will not only take a lot of pictures, but also develop your creativity and, importantly, be able to develop your own and unique style. Through the project you will be able to tell your personal story, try something new and reach new heights in the field of photography.
You might want to share some photos. But whether you share or publish the entire finished photo set at once is up to you. But either way, getting recognition for your work will give you the inspiration to move forward and try more and more new projects.
Here are 10 ideas for creating your amazing photos
Photo of the day
Everything is already clear from the name itself. Many of you have probably already tried this technique, but the fact remains that if you need a project where you will need to take a lot of pictures, then this is a great way.
While shooting, you will try to think creatively and look for new and interesting objects to photograph every day. You can also get people interested in your project by posting one photo every day. This way, you will involve them in the project and inspire creativity!
Photograph one object
If you want your photos to be simple yet creative, then shooting the same subject can be a fun idea. Your model can be anything or anyone, a friend or acquaintance (just ask them first!).
The theme can be as simple as 'trees' or 'weather', and to ensure that all your photos have variety, you will always have to look for new angles. This is what will allow you to gain new experience and convey your idea through photographs.
Visit old places
Another way to organize a long-term project is to periodically visit the same location at different times of the day or year. The environment around us is always changing, and this can be a great idea for your photo project - photographing a specific location in all its diversity and variability.
You can return after a certain period of time - for example, once a week, a month, or even once a season. No matter how often you visit the area, take new photos and compare them to old photos so you can compare and see the changes.
How to come up with an idea for a personal photography project
The best thing is to make a photo project about what you like most. The more you photograph what you love, the more interesting your photos will be.
As an example, I will list a number of possible ideas for a photo project. I hope they inspire you to think and find your own idea.
Street portraits
These are basically close-up photographs of people's faces. Staged scenes are also appropriate. Such portraits are very convenient to shoot together with an assistant, like an interview.
The assistant is talking with the subject of the photo, while you are filming him. Ask permission to publish photos. Oral permission is sufficient.
100 strangers
A popular online photo project, very similar to the previous one. Create a photo series of 100 strangers you know nothing about
Street food
Photos of people casually and happily enjoying food on the street. Of course, not everyone will like being filmed at such a moment, but try to show your charm.
Photo by Peggy and Marco Lachmann-Anke
Try filming such scenes during the now fashionable street food festivals or city holidays.
Windows and balconies
Photos of people looking out of windows and standing on balconies.
Photos on the corners of city buildings
Photographs of interesting angles, taken with a wide-angle lens, that capture life, on the streets on either side of the corner.
People at work
Awesome theme. Propose this project to the management of any factory, enterprise or construction site in your area. In return, promise to provide them with photos to advertise their business.
And of course you yourself will film interesting moments from the life of a working person, including, for example, playing dominoes during your lunch break.
Hands full
Photo of hands busy with something. For example, hands carrying bags, hands with coins, hands with a tablet, smartphone, hands of people in public transport holding handrails, etc.
Motion with blur
photo by Brian Merrill
Mount your camera on a tripod and shoot crowded places or moving objects with very long shutter speeds, such as 0.5 sec, 1 sec, 2 sec, etc. Shoot in low light, for example in the evening, use low ISO values, you may need neutral density filters.
Capturing motion with a short shutter speed
Unlike the previous case, shoot people or moving objects with a very fast shutter speed, such as 1/1000 sec or 1/2000 sec, etc. Try to “freeze” fractions of a second in time.
Behind the glass
Photograph people and situations behind glass. This glass can be painted, broken, smeared with Vaseline, whatever.
One city corner every day for 1 year
Every day, photograph the same corner of your city of your choice, such as a public transport stop, recording the events and situations that happen there and create a collection of photographs.
Amateur photographer Oggy from the drama "Smoke"
To get inspired by the idea of this photo project, find and watch the 1995 film “Smoke”. directed by Wayne Wang. One of the characters in this drama, amateur photographer Auggie, surprises his friends with his habit of photographing the corner of Third Street and Seventh Avenue.
30 days of a certain color
Choose any color and shoot scenes where that color is the main focus. Do this for 30 days.
Project 50
Take 50 photos in 50 days using a 50mm lens.
Reflections
Photo by MichaelGaida
Make a collection of photos from reflections in puddles, glass, water, cars, mirrors, etc.
Shadows
Take a collection of photographs where shadows are the main focus and main subject. These can be shadows of people and various objects.
Bald heads
Make a collection of photographs of bald people.
Things in front of people's faces
Take a series of photographs of people with things in front of their faces. So, for example, you can place a flower in front of someone's face and shoot it as if they have a flower for a head.
Vanishing professions
Basket weaving from wicker
Try to find people doing jobs that are dying out and make a collection of photos of them at work. This project will also have historical value.
Kisses
Take photos of people kissing each other.
Femininity
Make a collection of photographs about femininity.
Smoking
Skeptic
Smokers are a fertile subject for photography. There is dynamics, smoke and a special expression on faces.
Opposites
Make a collection of photos that include opposite things. For example, a cat is looking at a dog, or a tall man is sitting next to a short man, etc.
People with dogs
Take photos of people with their dogs.
Under rain
Take a series of photos in the city in the rain. People under umbrellas, rushing to shelter from the rain, waiting out bad weather at bus stops, in entrances, traveling on public transport during the rain. Easy to say, right?
Beach photography
Take a collection of photos of people in swimsuits taken at the beach.
Self-portrait
Taking photos of yourself can be a fun way to express yourself. Don't think it's that simple. World-famous artists painted their self-portraits. Why are you worse?
Photo by Sebastian Nikiel
You can photograph yourself in different settings, in different places, using different clothes and props, changing the lighting, etc.
You'll need a tripod and time-lapse photography. Create a series of such self-portraits.
Social photo project
You can be a photo volunteer for free by offering any photo sessions to an orphanage, a church community, a home for the disabled, or an animal shelter.
This will help you develop as a photographer, communicate with new people, grow as a person, plus gain even a little fame.
Perhaps such photography will be the beginning of your large personal photography project.
In general, this list can be continued endlessly. After all, there is also macro photography, landscape photography, object photography, and studio photography. I hope that you can easily find ideas and topics for them and come up with them yourself.
How to make money from a photo project
If the idea of your photo project will be interesting to other people besides you, if the photos you take are able to touch the souls and hearts of photography connoisseurs, then you can try to exhibit your creation as an art project on the Kickstarter crowdfunding platform.
Kickstarter is an online platform for raising funds for the implementation of various projects based on the principle of crowdfunding, that is, voluntary donations from individuals.
On Kickstarter, money is raised not only by technological projects, but also by art projects. This could be the publication of a photo book of your photo project.
Of course, this is a difficult path, you need a lot of drive and courage to implement it, but it works.
First, we go to the section of the portal with photo projects, make sure that there are such projects there, and that they find interested donors, so-called bakers.
For example, a photo book project by an American taxi driver and amateur photographer, who once became interested in street photography, photographed people and situations from the window of his car, and took many beautiful photographs.
Now he is confidently raising funds on the portal to publish a book with his photographs. After its publication, he will send this book to all his bakers.
Carefully read all the conditions for submitting a project and evaluate your chances. Accurately determine the target amount for the project.
Our compatriots cannot directly apply to raise funds. Therefore, you will have to find an intermediary partner living in the United States.
The intermediary will accept funds into his account, pay taxes, and be financially responsible to those who gave money to your project if it fails. You will pay a commission for these services.
Create a video presentation of your photography project. Explain to bakers how your project will benefit them personally. After that, vigorously promote it informationally, primarily on social networks.
You can find out more about how this is done by tracking already submitted projects on the portal.
Successful photo projects to you!
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Topics that will be of interest to school audiences
There are many areas that could captivate modern schoolchildren. These could be gadgets, various products, issues of love and friendship. The following interesting topics for the project will not leave school audiences indifferent:
- Emoticons in messages. History, features of use.
- The brightest and most unusual advertising.
- What do young people think about family life?
- Is Barbie the standard for female attractiveness?
- The problem of cleanliness in public places.
- Why do you need to turn off your phone during a flight?
- Anglicisms in modern speech.
- Horoscopes and astrology - truth or myth?
- How to achieve prosperity?
- What does a person need to achieve emotional balance?
- The operating principle of a microwave oven.
- How to develop logical thinking?
- Is chewing gum good for you?
- Lies: causes and consequences. Why do people lie to each other?
- How to become a photographer?
- How 3D glasses for cinema work.
- Does the pace of the speaker's speech affect the audience's perception of the report?
- Cheat sheet - helper or enemy?
- Why does everyone learn English?
- Do our little brothers understand our speech?
- Tea traditions of China.
- What is a person like: good or evil? Examples from history and life.
- Stress and illness - is there a connection? What are psychosomatic illnesses?
- How to forgive a person? Is it necessary to do this?
- "Leopold's Cats" in modern society.
Quality is more important than quantity
Photography by Garry Winogrand
By deciding not to immediately post your images again, you can let them marinate before deciding whether they're good or not. Garry Winogrand noted:
Photographers make mistakes about their emotions when they determine whether a photo is good the moment they take it.
You should distance yourself from your work in order to see it more objectively. Winogrand also waits up to a year before he edits his photos or even just looks at them.
How to make a photo project
Choose a topic that you like, that you can do, and that you will work on with pleasure.
Determine the timing of the project, for example, a month, a year, six months. Or maybe this project will be permanent, only with periodic summing up.
Decide on publication of the results. If you are inspired to further work by viewers and comments, then you can constantly publish new works from your project on the social network.
Or do the opposite. Do not show anything until the project is completely finished, for example in a year. Then post it for everyone to see.
It’s even better to print photos from your project and make a photo exhibition, and of course, the ideal option is a photo book.
Develop your project and look for ideas
If you haven't come across a project that makes you lick your lips with anticipation, then organize your own! Think about your surroundings, the people and places you know, and see what excites you. What exactly excites you, makes you think about what moments there are that you just want to capture.
No matter what interests you, be it sports, important events or social injustice, pick up a camera and shoot! You set your own limits, so don’t hold yourself back and move forward to new heights and achievements.
We attach examples of topics for general elementary school:
Is a chicken egg strong? Does toothpaste affect the strength of teeth? Children's fantasies The mystery of the keyboard The art of creating a book Computer games - good or bad? Colors in our lives A little story about my big family Mathematics in the kitchen Meteo reports... Cartoons: what is it? The world of a child: a look through time Youth jargon in the speech of modern schoolchildren The image of a dragon in children's literature About some ways to survive in nature What footprints in the snow tell about Origami and mathematics Where do there be so many holes in bread Where did the bread on the table come from? The benefits of paper Why is the water in small reservoirs green? Why does the puddle dry up? Why don't ships sink? Why is the sea salty? Why do we cry? Where do tears come from? Why is the pillow soft and the floor hard? Why does milk sour? Why does popcorn shoot? Why is the snowdrift striped? Why is bread black and white? Why is tea brewed in hot water? The journey of a water droplet Speech aggression of junior schoolchildren or some secrets of words Russian hero: the embodiment of my dream A fairy tale is a lie, but there is a hint in it... To sleep or not to sleep? That is the question! Bread is the head of everything! Color and children What is a microscope? What is an experiment? What's in our salt shaker and sugar bowl? Miraculous transformations, or What is cheese?
The following products can be used for project activities:
— electronic (for example, websites, online discussions);
— printed (for example, articles and publications);
— creative (for example, videos, various events);
— analytical (for example, reports, models, business plans);
— results of systematization (for example, reference books, instructions).
Thus, project activity is a personal or joint activity that has goals, objectives, and methods. It is aimed at obtaining a certain result, planned in advance, representing the final product of this activity.
