Ian asks, any ideas on what I can do to challenge myself in my photography?



This is a really good question, especially for anyone that’s photographed the same type of photography, or a genre of photography all the time, you may get a little bit stagnant.



But it might not be your fault as some types of photography have restrictions, such as access to your subjects like in sports photography or you have to follow certain rules like in wedding photography. 



So the only way to grow as a photographer is to challenge yourself in other ways, if it’s not possible with your main type of photography.



Here is what I would do.



8 ways to challenge yourself as a Photographer



* Trying a different genre of photography* Limiting your equipment* Photographing in less than favourable conditions* Start a project* Recreation of old photographs* Shoot only in b&w* Limit the amount of photos* Cover up the LCD



1. Try a different genre of photography



First thing would be to try a different genre of photography. So if you photograph street photography, then do something completely different like landscape photography or sports. Try something that is so far removed from the type of photography you normally do.



You’ll learn something new, especially how light falls on the subject.



If you’re always doing outdoor  photography, get inside and do something like still life, product photography, or real estate photography. Try to immerse yourself in the new genre and you will start to see your subjects differently.



2. Limiting your equipment to push yourself



Another thing would be to limit your camera equipment. You hear a lot of people using walk-around lenses like a 50 mm and a camera body and that’s it. 



They’re using their feet to zoom in and out, I think this is a really good thing to try since you don’t need to purchase other equipment. 



If you only have a zoom, that’s perfectly fine, set it on one focal length, try the widest focal length first as you won’t need to worry about the zoom moving. Simply use your feet to zoom and that’ll be a very similar exercise. 



This will help with composing a photo or simply moving to another subject if you can’t get the right composition.



Other settings you can try are limiting your shutter speed or limiting your ISO as you move into dimly lit locations. How will you steady your camera or will you allow for some movement in your photos?



3. Photographing in less than favourable conditions



Put yourself in less than favourable conditions in your next photoshoot to challenge yourself as a photographer. 



So if you’re always photographing in a well-lit environment, put yourself in a setting where it makes you think about where you’re going to put your subject, or how you’re going to light the area. 



You can use some flash to potentially bounce off the walls to illuminate your subject, or put them closer to a window or some other light source.



It helps with lighting, dealing with less than favourable locations and forces you to have a backup plan for a shoot.



4. Start a photo challenge



Have you tried a project or photo challenge? 



Before you rush off and start a 365 or 30 day photo challenge, as it does take some planning.