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10 Photo Assignments to Inspire and Challenge Your Skills

Liz Masoner is a professional photographer and she shares her tips and techniques on photo editing and how to photograph nature, portraits, and events with film and digital cameras. Liz has over 30 years of experience and she is the author of three books on photography.

The best way to learn photography is to practice, though sometimes you can get stuck in a rut and not know what to shoot. That is why photographers love assignments; they give us a purpose and an idea of what to photograph. 

Why Are Assignments Important?

Self-assignments are key to any photographer's growth. Even professionals with decades of experience will work on personal assignments that they may never get paid for. The goal of any self-assignment is to spur creativity, solve problems, learn new techniques, and challenge yourself.

As you start out in photography, you're probably filled with excitement and ready to shoot anything you can. That being said, sometimes a little direction and guidance are necessary.

Below, you will find ten photography assignments. Each covers a new topic, skill, or concept and they were chosen to help you learn how to see as a photographer. They are meant to be a personal challenge that you can complete at your own pace and with no outside judgment, simply as a means to practice and improve your photography. Hopefully, you will learn something new with each assignment and be able to use that in every photograph you take in the future.

Remember when composing your images to keep in mind the basics: the rule of thirds,  shutter speed , aperture,  depth of field , and  exposure .

Assignment #1: Up Close

This assignment encourages you to get close and personal with your subject. It is an exercise in viewing a common object in a new way and examining its finer details.

• Choose an object that you see or interact with every day.
• Focus on a small part of it, get as close as your camera will allow you to focus, and shoot away.
• Try to capture different angles and unusual lighting to add to the mystery of this tiny world.

From the whiskers of your cat to a fragile Christmas ornament, and even common soap bubbles, there is an entire world that we often overlook because we don't get close enough.

Assignment #2: Motion

Photography is a static medium which means that it doesn't move. Conveying a sense of motion is often crucial to capturing a scene or emotion and it is an essential skill for photographers to practice.

The goal of this exercise is to understand how shutter speeds can be used to convey motion.

• Choose a subject or series of subjects that will allow you to convey motion in your images.
• It can be slow motions, like that of a turtle, or fast motion, like a speeding train.
• Blur it, stop it, or simply suggest that there is motion in the photograph.

Challenge yourself to capture the same motion in different ways. For instance, you might go to a race track and stop the movement of the cars completely in one image, then leave the shutter open and allow them to blur out of the frame in the next. 

Assignment #3: Shadows

Shadows are everywhere and they are vital to photography because this is the art of capturing light. With light comes shadows and when you begin to look at shadows as a photographer, your world will open up.

• Take a look around for shadows and record them with your camera.
• You could show the shadow as the total focus of the image. Perhaps the shadow is incidental to the subject.
• Is the shadow natural or created by flash?

Shadows are integral to creating depth in a two-dimensional medium such as photography. Take some time to seriously explore the "dark side" of the light.

Assignment #4: Water

Water is everywhere in photography and it presents many challenges. There are reflections and movements to work with and in this exercise, you will take a deeper look at water.

• Find water anywhere: lakes, streams, puddles, even the glass on your kitchen table.
• Pay attention to reflections and use them to your advantage in the photographs. Use this opportunity to get familiar with a polarizing filter (a very useful tool in your camera kit) so you can accentuate or eliminate reflections.
• Play with the motion of a stream or the crashing waves. Notice the difference between stopping the flow of water and allowing it to blur to create a real sense of movement.

Be sure to make water the subject and not an accent to the image. Water alone is beautiful and mysterious and your challenge is to explore all of its potential as a subject.

Assignment #5: Leading Lines

A classic assignment in photography schools, 'leading lines ' is a popular and fun subject. The goal of this assignment is to learn how to direct the viewer to your subject using lines.

• Choose a subject then look around for lines in the scene that you can use to 'lead' the viewer to the subject. 
• Find an interesting line then determine what the subject of your photograph is.
• Remember that lines can be man-made or natural. For instance, the yellow line down the middle of the road or a tree branch. Even a person's arm can be a leading line of their face.

Use this assignment as an excuse to take an afternoon photo excursion. Walk downtown or in the woods and look around you for interesting lines that lead the eye to a subject. There is an amazing assortment of lines out there in the world and once you begin to see them, you won't be able to stop. 

Assignment #6: Perspective

How do you normally stand when you shoot? If your answer is straight up like a 5-foot-something human being then this assignment is for you. The perspective assignment challenges you to view the world from an entirely new perspective, which in turn gives the viewer a new look at the ordinary.

• Take another afternoon or evening for a photo excursion wherever you like.
• This time, every time you find something to photograph, stop!
• Ask yourself: How would a squirrel see that tree? How would a robin view that birdbath? How would a snake view that log?
• Take your photographs from very high or very low angles. Get on your belly or stand on a chair, whatever you have to (safely) do to get the 'right' angle on your subject.

If you pay attention to professional photographs, many of the images that have the WOW factor are photographed from extreme angles. People enjoy these photos because they've never seen an object from that viewpoint. It is new and unique, and you can train yourself to shoot with this in mind.

Assignment #7: Texture

You may have captured a few textural details in the 'Up Close' assignment, but this assignment takes that to the next level. The goal in this one is to study textures and forget about the object itself: the texture becomes the subject. You will also begin to realize how light affects the appearance of texture.

• Find a few objects that have very detailed textures like trees or rocks, even knit sweaters or woven rugs.
• Photograph them as close as your lens will allow.
• Use different angles and capture the same texture as the light changes. Notice how the different lighting directions and camera angles can change how much texture appears.

Textures are all around us and many of the best photographs in the world play up the textural element. This assignment should teach you how to recognize and accentuate those elements in your photos.

Assignment #8: Color Harmony

Color is important to photography because the world is full of color. This exercise requires a bit of study in color theory, which you will then put into practice in your photographs.

Do you remember art class in elementary school? You may have learned that yellow and blue make green, but color theory goes beyond that. There are cool and warm colors, complementary and contrasting colors, neutral colors, and bold colors.

It can get quite complicated, and photographers should have a basic understanding of color so you can use that when composing photographs. You don't have to study color like a painter would but can use tricks used by interior designers to influence your color decisions.

• Once you have an idea of color theory, take another photo excursion and put what you've learned into practice.
• Capture photographs with the primary or tertiary colors.
• Look for complementary colors then contrasting colors to photograph.
• Try finding a scene to photograph that is filled with neutral colors, then one that uses a bold color to 'pop' from the scene.

This is an advanced lesson, but one that any photographer working with color images will find useful. As you practice working with colors, it will become second nature and you will know how to work with color to change the feel of your images.

Assignment #9: Emotions

Take a photo of a person smiling or scowling, right? Not so. The intent of this assignment is to convey emotion in photographs  without  a face.

• Take photographs that express each of the basic emotions: happy, sad, and mad.
• How would you express the feeling of anger with no person? What about happiness? Sadness?

This is a purely conceptual assignment, but it is important to be able to relay emotion in your photographs and you might not always have a person available to do that with. Challenge yourself to think deeper about this one.

Assignment #10: Don't Look!

Are you ready to put your photography skills to the test? In today's world of digital cameras and the ability to see image captures right there on the LCD screen, photographers are losing some of the skills needed to visualize a photograph.

In this assignment, your challenge is to shoot as if you were using a film camera. That means that you will not look at the photographs you've taken until they are downloaded on your computer. Instead of relying on the camera's screen to see if you 'got the shot' you will rely on your instinct and knowledge, just like photographers did before digital photography. Can you do it?

• Plan a photo excursion to a particular location and permit yourself to photograph only 36 images (a roll of 35mm film).
• Turn off your camera's LCD screen so it does not show you the image after you have taken it.
• If you cannot turn off the camera's screen, cut a piece of thick paper and tape it over the screen. Use masking or painter's tape so you don't leave a residue on the back of your camera.
• Go out and shoot your 36 frames, thinking carefully about each image because you don't have an endless number of shots. Bonus points if you turn your camera to completely manual settings for focus and exposure.
• Don't peek at your photos until you get home and download them.

How did you do? Were you able to get good exposures on your own? How did it feel to be 'blind' and not know how your image turned out right away? 

This is similar to what it is like to shoot with film and it does require you to think harder about every image you take. Next time you shoot, slow down and pay attention, pretend that the screen is not there and rely on your own skills to create a great image. You will be a better photographer in the end.

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DIGITAL PHOTO MENTOR

Photography tips, tutorials and guides for Beginner and Intermediate Photographers.

10 Creative Photography Assignments to Inspire You Into Action

by Andrew S Gibson | Last Updated: November 8, 2022

Finding interesting things to photograph can be one of the most difficult things for a photographer to do.

You’re surrounded by potentially interesting subjects, but you might not realize it if you’re stuck for inspiration. I have been stuck, so I know what that feels like.

The good news is that the world is full of interesting ideas and subjects. All you have to do is find the good ones and develop them into personal photography projects that work for you.

Of course, wouldn’t be easier if you could find lots of ideas in one place?

That’s why I wrote an ebook called 100 Creative Photography Assignments . It gives you lots of ideas for projects that you can do close to home, without traveling to exotic locations.

The book is structured into 20 broad themes, with five assignments for each theme.

To give you a taste of what’s in the book, and to help you get inspired into action here are 10 of my favorite assignments. (The theme for each is shown in brackets after the assignment number and name)

Assignment 3: Urban trees (trees)

Humans have planted trees in formal gardens for centuries to bring nature into towns and cities. Photographing trees in urban environments gives you something that is different than traditional landscapes.

How can you explore the juxtaposition of man-made and natural items?

In the photo below, the tree, which is obviously well-cared for fits in perfectly with the historic home. The two go together, as intended.

But in other situations, you might find a jarring contrast between the natural and urban environments. That is called juxtaposition and it can make for some really striking images.

Assignment 8: People and the sea (or a lake)

How do people interact with the sea?

The sea has strong links to leisure, sport, and industry, all of which have plenty of potential photographically. Think beyond simple photos of people on summer holidays. How can you explore the relationship between people and water in more depth?

Another approach is to show scale and photograph people in a way that shows the vast size and scope of the ocean. Yet another is to show people battling the weather, perhaps fishermen at sea.

Assignment 20: Framed by color (frames)

Some frames are visual rather than literal. One way to make a visual frame is to look for compositions where the main subject is surrounded by a solid block of color, as in the photo below.

This is another assignment that tests your observational skills. It also has the potential to make an interesting series. What happens when you group a set of photos that use color as a frame together?

Assignment 24: Weathered surfaces (texture)

Old buildings of all descriptions are made of materials with interesting textures. The definition of old is relative, your chosen building might be hundreds of years old or just a few.

The important thing is that it looks old. That means visible signs of weathering, like the metal wall and wooden door frame in the photo below. Some texture surfaces, like rust, also have interesting colors that you can use to your advantage.

Assignment 31: On the outside (buildings)

One approach to photographing buildings is to include as much of the building as possible in the frame. But what happens if you take another approach?

Have you ever stopped to notice the interesting things that people put outside buildings?

In Italy, I found a shrine on the outside of a colorful red building in Venice (below). In the United States window boxes and mailboxes are commonplace. Nearly everywhere you go you’ll see plants in pots outside people’s homes.

All these items make potentially interesting subjects and have the potential to be turned into an interesting series.

This assignment gets more interesting when you do it in different places, and compare the things you find outside buildings in one place with those in another location.

Assignment 39: Urban decay (your local neighborhood)

Some buildings can look good for centuries if they’re well maintained. But others soon fall into decay, especially if they’re not kept up. Look for the beauty in decayed or run-down buildings.

You expect older buildings to be in a state of disrepair, especially if you live in a country that has plenty of ruins. But more modern, urban decay can be just as interesting.

Why do modern buildings fall into disrepair? What stories do they tell about their neighborhoods, towns, and cities?

Another approach to this idea is to photograph urban decay in other countries, and then compare the results with what you capture in your local area.

Assignment 54: Capture the character of a place (b/w)

The absence of color gives you another way of capturing the character of a place. Yes, it’s true that in some areas color is an essential part of the essence of the place. But in others, it’s less important.

Working in black and white gives you a chance to see through the colors and get to the essence of a place. Visually speaking that’s texture, contrast, and tone.

But in another way, black and white images seem to help you see further and deeper. They’re moody, atmospheric, and timeless. Use these characteristics to create a set of photos that capture the character of a place.

It’s also an assignment you can do when you travel. It’s easier because you get to see everything with fresh eyes. But for a real challenge try it in your local neighborhood, where familiarity can prevent you from seeing things that might be obvious to newcomers.

Assignment 62: Embrace hard light (light and shadow)

In this assignment, your brief is to photograph a scene on a sunny day when shadows are falling across the subject in an interesting way.

Look at the way the sun casts shadows across the scene during the day. How do the shadows move as the sun moves across the sky? Do the shadows make interesting shapes?

For example, in the photo below the shadow falling across the building comes from a neighboring house and you can clearly see the chimney.

Assignment 71: Signs (everyday objects)

We’re surrounded by signs – signs that tell us which way to go, what to do, that advertise to us, state the name of a business, or tell us about roadworks.

Signs are designed to be informative, but they can also tell a story. Signs in the American mid-west look different from signs in New York City. Signs here in the UK look different from the ones in rural France. Old signs have character and tell you something about the place.

What interesting photos can you make using signs?

Assignment 94: People in the landscape (landscape)

Some landscapes are empty or void of visitors. But others are closer to large population centers and therefore you’re more likely to see other people there in the scene. The idea of a pristine landscape untouched by man is appealing, but it’s also interesting to see how people interact with the scene.

One way to approach this assignment is to use people for scale. A human figure can anchor a composition and show the width and breadth of the landscape. A small figure in the frame emphasizes the size of the landscape, and the idea of people being small compared to the beauty of nature.

The photo below juxtaposes two elements of human interaction. The stone pillar is part of a Neolithic settlement, and the people on the right are modern visitors who came to see it.

Taking it further – traveling and exploring your archives

You’ll get the most from these assignments if you make new photos for them. They’ll get you thinking about your local neighborhood – and areas a little further afield – in a new way.

The beauty of these assignments is that most of them are repeatable. You can select your favorites and use them as themes to follow when you’re traveling away from home.

You might also find that you can go through your archives and find photos that match a particular assignment. It’s an interesting exercise because you’ll start to see themes and connections that you didn’t realize were there.

For example, I have photos that fit Assignment 39: Urban decay from Alaska, Chile, and my hometown (see above). And I can continue to explore this theme when I travel to new places as well.

These ideas are explored further in Creative Photography Assignments: Themes & Projects, a bonus ebook that comes with 100 Creative Photography Assignments.

100 Creative Photography Assignments

Buy 100 Creative Photography Assignments now for just $14 USD.

Buy it now and get out there taking photos!

Note from Darlene: This is perfect if you want to get out there doing some photography. But maybe due to covid, finances, or other circumstances you can’t currently travel. Look no further than your front door to get started! To really challenge yourself do the 100 assignments one a day for the next 100 days!

About Andrew S Gibson

Andrew S. Gibson is a writer based in England’s southwest. His interest in photography began when his parents bought him a Ricoh KR-10m camera more than 20 years ago. Since then, he’s taken photos in over 60 countries, studied for a degree in photography, and worked as Technical Editor for EOS magazine. Today, he makes a living helping people make better photos through ebooks and photography courses.

Learn Photography Basics

Yes, you can learn to take better photos! It’s my passion to help you learn the photography basics and take better pictures. It’s also the same reason I teach workshops, do photo travel tours, and have online photography courses available.

Enroll in our free photography basics for beginners course, or 12-part portrait photography course , also free.

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PHOTOS: GLSEN Respect Awards

Marcia Gay Harden presented with Advocate Award in New York City ceremony

The LGBTQ advocacy organization GLSEN held its annual Respect Awards at Gotham Hall in New York City on April 29. Special guests included Billy Porter, Wilson Cruz, Nathan Lee Graham and Anthony Rapp. The evening included a live performance by The Scarlet Opera. Peppermint of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” served as host. Marcia Gay Harden was presented with the Advocate Award.

(Photos by Andrew Werner)

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The DC Center for the LGBTQ Community, SMYAL and Rainbow Families sponsored Gay Day at the Zoo on Sunday at the Smithsonian National Zoo. The Smithsonian observed International Family Equality Day with special exhibits and an event space.

(Washington Blade photos by Michael Key)

Covering Gay Day at the Zoo for @WashBlade . Here at @NationalZooDC pic.twitter.com/LqgGNOOAiM — Michael Patrick Key (@MichaelKeyWB) May 5, 2024

PHOTOS: Taste of Point

Annual fundraiser held for LGBTQ youth scholarship, mentorship organization

The Point Foundation held its annual Taste of Point fundraiser at Room & Board on May 2.

PHOTOS: On assignment in Hungary, Poland, and Germany

International News Editor Michael K. Lavers traveled to Eastern Europe this month

BERLIN — The Washington Blade was on assignment in Hungary, Poland, and Germany from April 2-16.

The Blade interviewed LGBTQ activists, government officials, and refugees from Ukraine who have resettled in Berlin and in Warsaw, the Polish capital. The Blade also visited Auschwitz in Oświęcim, Poland.

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Lewis Hamilton Understood the Assignment at This Year's Met Gala

The fashion community often jokes about attendees at the annual Met Gala who ignore the theme and wear something beautiful that doesn't exactly embody the year's exhibition and the story behind it. Lewis Hamilton is never one of those attendees, and his 2024 look is no exception.

This year's Met Gala celebrated the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and had a dress code called The Garden of Time, which was inspired by J.G. Ballard's 1962 short story of the same name. To adhere to the theme, Hamilton—who raced from the Miami Grand Prix yesterday to New York City for fashion's biggest night—worked with his stylist, Eric Mcneal, and Burberry Creative Director Daniel Lee to create a custom, all-black ensemble dedicated to an 18th-century gardener named John Ystumllyn.

In an interview with Vogue on the steps of the Met, Hamilton shared that he stumbled across Ystumllyn's story while he was gathering research for his Met Gala look. As a child, Ystumllyn was taken from Africa to Wales, where he was enslaved. There, he learned horticulture, going on to become the first Black gardener in Wales. "Inspired by the legacy of John Ystumllyn and the beauty of his work," the seven-time Formula One world champion captioned a slideshow of IG photos from the red carpet. "Thank you, Daniel Lee and the Burberry team."

Specifically, Hamilton wore a tailored black coat with floral bullion embellishments and an Alex Wharton poem titled "The Gardener" embroidered on the inside. Underneath, he wore a double-breasted silk suit with leather Burberry Saddle Boots. As for jewelry, Hamilton partnered with Briony Raymond, donning yellow-diamond earrings, a diamond wrap ring, and a vintage 1960s yellow-sapphire-and-diamond ring.

Scroll down to see Hamilton's 2024 Met Gala look and read an excerpt of the poem stitched inside of it.

On Lewis Hamilton: custom Burberry coat, suit, and shoes; Briony Raymond earrings and Étoile Triple-Wrap Ring ($16800)

Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns,  Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear ; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning , Diane Kruger , Katie Holmes , and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits , running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.

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Kentucky Derby post positions: Most wins from each spot at Churchill Downs starting gate

Over the course of an exhilarating two minutes on Saturday, horses will jockey (no pun intended) for position over 1 1/4 miles of Kentucky dirt, with the winner of that frenetic sprint earning a place in history as the champion of the world’s most storied race.

The winner of the 2024 Kentucky Derby , though, won’t just be determined by whoever crosses the finish line first at Churchill Downs . Historically speaking, it will be influenced by where the winning horse began the race.

Among the dozens of factors that go into prognosticating the Run for the Roses is the race’s post position — that is, where on the track’s 20-horse starting gate each competitor is before they take off.

For those who closely follow the sport and try to correctly bet on the winner of the race, last Saturday’s Kentucky Derby post position draw was an event of significant interest. Where a horse starts the race doesn’t foretell whether they’ll win it. But based on nearly a century’s worth of results, it can prevent even a top contender from galloping into the famed Winner’s Circle.

To get a better sense of what horses might be well-positioned to win the 2024 Derby, here’s a look at post positions of previous winners since the starting gate was first used in 1930, how many winners have come from each post position and more:

Kentucky Derby best post position

Post position No. 5 has produced the most Derby winners, with 10 wins in 94 starts, along with eight second-place finishes and four third-place showings.

The last winner from the No. 5 post position came in 2017, when Always Dreaming came in first by 2 3/4 lengths. For all of its historic success, however, the post position hasn’t had a top-three finisher since Audible came in third in 2018.

This year, Catalytic will occupy the No. 5 post position, though the horse isn’t among the race’s favorites. As of Thursday morning, Catalytic was at 42-1 odds to win.

REQUIRED READING: Who can beat the favorite in Kentucky Derby 2024? These are four horses to bet on

Kentucky Derby wins by post position

While the No. 5 post position has been the home to the most Derby winners, it doesn’t hold that distinction by a wide margin.

Post position Nos. 8 and 10 have each produced nine Derby winners, just one behind the lead. Mage, the 2023 Derby champion, came out of No. 8. Post position Nos. 1 and 7 have each been home to eight Derby victors.

Beyond post position No. 10, a horse’s chances of winning the Derby decrease noticeably. Only one gate from Nos. 11 through 20 has produced more than five Derby winners, while six of those 10 spots have been home to two or fewer champions, including post position No. 17, which has never been the starting spot for a Derby winner.

Here are the number of Derby champions that have come from each post position:

• Post No. 1 : 8 winners
• Post No. 2 : 7 winners
• Post No. 3 : 5 winners
• Post No. 4 : 5 winners
• Post No. 5 : 10 winners
• Post No. 6 : 2 winners
• Post No. 7 : 8 winners
• Post No. 8 : 9 winners
• Post No. 9 : 4 winners
• Post No. 10 : 9 winners
• Post No. 11 : 2 winners
• Post No. 12 : 3 winners
• Post No. 13 : 5 winners
• Post No. 14 : 2 winners
• Post No. 15 : 6 winners
• Post No. 16 : 4 winners
• Post No. 17 : 0 winners
• Post No. 18 : 2 winners
• No. 19 : 1 winner
• No. 20 : 2 winners

REQUIRED READING: Brown: Louisville trainers, with 5 horses in Kentucky Derby 150 field, out to make history

Kentucky Derby post positions 2024

What might that history of finishes from various spots on the starting gate mean for the 2024 Derby?

Here’s a look at which horse is starting from which post position:

• No. 1 : Dornoch
• No. 2 : Sierra Leone
• No. 3 : Mystik Dan
• No. 4 : Catching Freedom
• No. 5 : Catalytic
• No. 6 : Just Steel
• No. 7 : Honor Marie
• No. 8 : Just a Touch
• No. 9 : Encino (Scratched)
• No. 10 : T O Password
• No. 11: Forever Young
• No. 12: Track Phantom
• No. 13 : West Saratoga
• No. 14 : Endlessly
• No. 15 : Domestic Product
• No. 16 : Grand Mo the First
• No. 17 : Fierceness
• No. 18 : Stronghold
• No. 19 : Resilience
• No. 20 : Society Man
• No. 21 : Epic Ride

A Strong Angel, a Strange Assignment, Part 2

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• May 9, 2024 (United States)
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