18 Creative Photography Projects to Try This Year

I shared a blog post last year with a list of creative photography projects you could do in 2021, it was fun to see them pop up on instagram, I took part in a few here and there, I didn’t manage to complete a full set but I had fun in the process.

I’ve updated the list for 2022 and added a few extras, there’s some year long projects and some smaller ones that you can do in a few hours any time you please.

Here we go…

THE CLASSICS:

365 DAYS
A photo a day for the entire year. This one takes commitment. You can choose one subject matter, I did mine with Ruby when she was little. Some shots were creative and fun and some were just every day moments. You could shoot landscapes or animals, or a bit of everything. 

52 WEEKS
One image a week for the year, leaving you with 52 images at the end. Usually this starts on the first Monday of the year and you produce one image between the Mon-Sun space. 

A DAY IN THE LIFE
Once a month I would shoot a Day in the Life. Sometimes I’d shoot with friends and we would share it together on blogs, sometimes I’d wake up and decide that today was the day to shoot one. You can do these as often as you like, or as little which makes them easier and more fun. They can be anything from 3 images to describe your day or 150, however you feel describes it better.

WANT SOMETHING A LITTLE EASIER?

10 ON 10
If shooting an entire day feels a little overwhelming, this one is for you. 
10 images on the 10th day of the month, a mini Day in the Life if you will. You could even do this as a ‘stories’ project on instagram and have a highlight to look back on at the end of the year.  Having a limited number of images also makes you a little more thoughtful of what shots you’ll take and what moments are important to share.

ON THE HOUR
For a whole day you can shoot an image on the hour (or a chosen time) of the day. This one is also brilliant for instagram stories and you can add a time stamp to each image to show the time too. 

BLACK AND WHITE
I adore a black and white images, they are timeless and can make an ok image, that you weren’t very sure about, striking. Set yourself the challenge of shooting only in black and white for one day a week, or month. Or use this along with one of the other projects above. 

30 DAYS
An image a day for 30 days. Pick one subject like flowers or beaches, or mix it up and document a month of your life. You can do just one in the year or do multiple months, even make it 30 days of a season. So many fun options with this one.

ADD A BIT OF A CHALLENGE

LIGHT SEEKER
Theres beautiful light no matter where you look, streaming in from a window, kids faces lit up with a device or a tiny rainbow from a slither of light thats hitting in a mirror. Take time to look around and notice the light at different times of day in your home and document it for a whole day each month/week. 

100 DAYS
This was one of the first I found on Flickr (remember that) and you take an image a day for 100 days. Long before I had children I would photograph woodlands and sunsets, so 100 sunsets in a row would be something wouldn’t it? You can, or don’t have to stick to a theme at all, 100 days of shots of what you are grateful for would be a beautiful project to watch grow.

PHOTOBOOTHS
I adore a Photo Booth. This ones less of a challenge in the photography sense but more of a challenge to actually find a Photo Booth that produces a classic black and white strip of images. There was once a good one in Edinburgh but I’m not sure its there anymore (I shall check and report back). One from every country you visit would be such a gorgeous collection!

FAMILY PROJECTS:

FAMILY PORTRAIT
Just once a month a photo of the whole family. You can do a simple shot, or get creative with them and use some props. We would all do our own thing in each shot, or get creative using mirrors and taking festive shots in a Christmas bauble reflection. This is a really fun one for watching your family grow!

THE KIDS WERE HERE
This is a project I’ve seen done so many times and the outcomes can be hilarious. It’s exactly what it says, document the things that kids do. The squished toothpaste tubes, dirty socks on the floor, the loo roll all pulled out, sticky hand prints on the walls. Instead of letting it drive you wild, document it!

A SIMPLE PORTRAIT
Just one portrait on the first day of the month of each family member. Another fun one to see how everyone changes over the course of a year.

LET THE KIDS
Set the kids a challenge and let them take some self portraits, or family shots. Even just using a polaroid. Get them involved in the fun.

TRY SOMETHING NEW:

PICK UP A NEW TOOL
Always wanted to try a roll of film, or video? Set yourself a wee challenge to use something new once a month and build a little skill set. Shoot like you are using film. Take 1 second of video every day for the whole year (there are apps for this) or do mini day in the life’s with video. The options are endless with this one!

FILM ROLLS
12 Rolls of film, fill one a month and have them developed for New Years eve. What a way to celebrate a new year by looking over the last year in film?

POLAROID
We have a jar that we fill through the year, with cinema tickets, awards and all the fun things that happen through the year, we also love adding a polaroid in now and again.

MAKE A MINI MOVIE
There’s lots of fun apps out there, one in particular called ‘1 Second Every Day’. You record a second of video daily and at the end of the year you have a montage of the entire year. I’ve always wanted to complete this one, so adding it to my own list this year!

Have fun choosing your 2022 project, I cant wait to see your progress!

Zoe xo