This year I want to challenge myself in my photography. Each month will explore a different photographic technique or topic which I aim to experiment with. I am not a photographic expert and in fact usually stick to the auto settings on my camera though I do change the lens I use from time to time! I will attempt to use manual settings, but I don’t know how this will pan out, but beyond technical skills I want to expand my creative eye and take more thoughtful photographs.
I would be delighted if anyone else wants to join in. Dip into the archives or go out there and challenge yourself along with me.
Guidelines:
I shall post a photo each Sunday within a particular theme or technique which will change monthly. Each theme will be accompanied by a brief explanation about the topic and some hints and tips.
You are invited to join in by posting one or more of your own photographs within the month that fit into the theme and either add a link (ping-back) in your post to mine or link to it in a comment on my post.
To make it easier to find everyone’s posts, perhaps you could add the Tag #2020PhotoChallenge to each of your posts.
You don’t have to post on a Sunday, any day in the week will do and if you have loads of photos that fit into a theme then feel free to post several times or create a gallery or whatever suits you best.
Below you will find twelve photography topics, each conveying a topic, skill or concept and each week I shall be setting a new assignment with which to practice that topic.
This is a personal challenge as a means to practice and improve photography techniques, expand creativity and perhaps learn something new. (For the technical aspects of photography I’m afraid you will have to look elsewhere – there are plenty of tutorials on the Internet.)
Remember, being creative should be challenging and self-inspiring, it should be fun and not be a chore. Join in when and as often as you please.
Themes / Techniques:
click on the links to view the assignments for that month if you want to plan your photography shoots
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- January: Composition and Framing
- February: Being Creative with Patterns
- March: Being Creative with Textures
- April: Being Creative with Lines
- May: Being Creative with Light
- June: Being Creative with the Depth of Field
- July: Being Creative with Space
- August: Colour Theory
- September: What is the Point of View?
- October: Seascapes
- November:Black and White Photography
- December: Shape and Form
If you select 2020 Challenge from the Photo Challenges Menu (on the left) you will be able to look through all my posts once published.
TRAVEL WORDS 
Great idea Jude. I’m feeling very unfocused (no pun intended) about blogging — and life in general — at the moment, and this may be just what I need.
Your photos are stunning Su. I doubt this will challenge you, but I’d love to see your work. I understand how you feel, I have been feeling apathetic for a while.
Thank you Jude. I am feeling very stale photographically, and love the idea of imposing some structure and discipline. Challenges do that for me.
I always say I don’t much like challenges, but inevitably get drawn in. 🙂 🙂 I expect this one will get me too. I remember Benches! And if not, you know I’ll applaud from the wings.
It’s not really a challenge as such, more a look at techniques that can be confusing to amateur photographers, and I include myself! I rely on the auto settings a lot 🙂
Totally! I remember the days of blurred and out of focus 🙂 🙂
Like Su I have been very “unfocused” this past year. Could be I need a challenge in my blogging efforts. Ok Jude bring it on and will see if I can get with it.
I need some fresh places. And motivation to look at things differently. I’ll most likely end up with the same old photos though! The first month is a very gentle reminder of how we should view what we see through the lens.
About the only photos I take at the moment are of the garden and only once a month. I need a challenge to get me going again Jude. I shall look forward to your new challenge.
Some interesting themes in here! I’m in — though probably not for all of them. Too lazy to apply myself!
Well it will be lovely to see what you have when you feel like it. Your photo today was perfect for the shallow depth of field!
Yeah, I’m quite good at shallow depth of field (if I say so myself!) It’s definitely my favourite technique. Maybe I’ll find new faves over the course of your challenge. 🙂
What camera / lens do you use?
Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ200. It’s not a DSLR but is fairly high spec’d. https://www.dxomark.com/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz200-great-specs-for-an-all-in-one-shooting-solution/
Sometimes I wish I had a better zoom, and photos get increasingly noisy over 400iso, but overall I love it. And once I got the hang of it (quite a step up from point-and-shoot compacts!) I stopped using auto and now always shoot in manual.
Ooh I like the sound of all these, and you’re so organised with the schedule. I’m going to take another look at some of my January squares and see if any of them are suitable for composition and framing too! What fun lies ahead 😃
Karen/Elizabeth – you have the same camera as I do, but are clearly hugely more adventurous in using yours. Maybe Jude’s challenge will provide the impetus I need to get out of my comfort zone as a snap-shot-ist. Great idea, Jude – thank you!
A great idea Jude. I had intended to do a photography technique a month this year, but never got round to it. Maybe this year, and I’ll certainly join in with your themes. And your stats post is very interesting. I may do a similar analysis and post, so thanks for the inspiration.
I’m not sure how you have time to run the challenges you already do with all your travelling. I suspect you never sleep 😆
This will be fun. Is it only for new photos you take during that month, or for older photos that match the challenge too? Some months I won’t be traveling, so I hope I can find something to post, considering that my blog is only about travel. It will be interesting to learn something new. 🙂
Well I am going to use it for new photos as much as I can, but occasionally ones from the archive will suit the ‘assignment’ better. Basically it is aimed at being more creative and also considering what makes a photo great rather than just good. AND using manual settings (as if that’s going to happen) 🙄
Haha, using manual settings is about as likely for me as is learning a foreign language! But maybe you can give me some helpful hints and I can try. We’ll see if I can come up with ways to participate. I already put your challenges into my bullet journal to try this year. 🙂
I can’t believe you use auto settings Cathy, for those marvellous photos that illustrate your blogs. What camera do you use?
Thank you so much, Mari. I’m now using a Canon EOS Rebel SL-1, but I’m never happy with the pictures I take with it. The ones I took earlier (the ones in Jordan for example), before the lens broke, were from my old Olympus E-PL1. I miss that camera so much, I wish I’d replaced the broken one with the same kind, rather than getting the Canon. I really am not technical at all (I can’t even figure out remote controls!), so I can never quite figure out how to use manual settings. Call it slowness of the brain I guess!
https://nowathome.wordpress.com/2020/02/17/2020-photo-challenge-7/
Jude, I will hopefully be organised enough to participate in the March rough and smooth challenge. I enjoyed viewing your take on the rough and smooth, especially the steps and stones.
The steps and stones photo is actually one taken in New Zealand!
Well, no wonder that one captured my attention!
You are not Jude at all are you Cathy 🙂 I was reading Jude’s comment then the next minute …
Hi Suzanne, It is Jude! And I would love to see some of your textures this month. 😁
Hi Jude, I must have had a senior moment at my young age. Thanks for putting me right 🙂