When I first became obsessed with photography at the early age of 14, my mentor was an older man named Mr. Madsen.

Mr. Madsen created very large, exquisitely detailed and produced, black and white images- mostly of barns and fences.

As he taught me photography, he taught me what he knew best. How does one best photograph barns and fences?

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Being young and excited about my new hobby kept me satisfied for a while. But then the inevitable happened.

I began to get bored with barns and fences.

It’s the same with every hobby or leisure activity. For example, you buy a boat and before you know it you want a faster boat or a bigger boat.

You learn to play guitar, and suddenly you have ten guitars hanging on your wall because each one is slightly different.

When we start our photography journey, we all hang onto something we’re comfortable with. As I’ve viewed the work of thousands of students over the years, it seems most beginners are drawn to landscape photography.

However, even photography can become boring if you aren’t expanding and growing your visual prowess and technical abilities.

The only way that can happen is to step out of your comfort zone.

I have found the best way to achieve that is through specific assigned projects. I give assignments to my students while always instructing them with two different paths they can take. They can follow the example photos and guidelines to the letter, or create their own deviated version.

This is how you exercise your creative and technical muscles.

In this blog post, I will challenge you with five assigned projects. With each assignment, I will provide sample photos to guide you.

Challenge yourself and surprise me with what you create!

Challenge #1 – Tear it Up

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This is an assigned project that I have used many times over the years.

I like it because there are endless possibilities. You don’t need special equipment; even a smartphone camera is perfectly adequate. All you need is some paper and your imagination.

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So, here’s the deal with the “Tear it Up” project.

• Find some paper
• Create some ideas
• Photograph!

Pretty simple, huh? I guarantee that you will have so much fun once you get into this.

Image 002 depicts two shots that use the paper as a design element.

Image 003 uses paper with words to create a mood and story.

Here are some other suggestions.

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Rip the paper into a shape and photograph something through the opening.

IDEAS:

• You can rip the paper with your hands- or try your teeth!
• Do precision cuts and wildly imprecise tearing
• Poke holes
• Burn portions of the paper
• Combine different color papers
• Combine different texture papers

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Create a mask using paper products, and then find an excellent location to photograph a subject wearing your mask.

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Look for examples of torn paper that already exist.

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Combine torn paper with paint, ink pen, and other mixed media props to create something entirely new and mysterious!

Challenge #2 – Out of Focus by Design

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I call this project, Out of Focus by Design because I want to differentiate it from ICM – Intentional Camera Movement.

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If you’re unfamiliar with the ICM technique, the two photos in image 009 are examples. Basically, you combine a slower shutter speed with moving the camera. ICM is different from OFD (Out of Focus by Design) because the blurred image areas move along a given path.

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Image 010 of a yucca plant uses OFD instead of ICM. Notice how there isn’t any blurred movement in a particular pattern. The out-of-focus effect is even across the entire frame.

So, what can you do with your OFD project? Let’s get some inspiration!

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You can create fabulous visual stories when combining OFD with people. The mysterious shroud of blur created by the technique forces viewers to fill in the blanks within their minds.

• When using OFD, try to include at least one bright power color.
• The effect will change based on the lens you use, the aperture you choose, and how far you manually rack the lens out of focus.
• Be careful of too much detail bleeding into the background.

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Another way to play with OFD is to start with a completely focused picture and introduce the OFD using post-production.

I particularly like this variation with landscapes, trees, and flowers.

The left photo in image 012 was altered using the editing app FOCOS. This app is free and available on Apple IOS or Android. They do have a paid professional version for $12.99. I use the free version. Suppose I start with a photo that I created with my Nikon camera. In that case, I will do the fundamental editing in Photoshop and then transfer the image onto my iPhone for the OFD edit.

The right picture in image 012 was also edited on my iPhone using the editing app Snapseed.

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The final variation on OFD that we will discuss is specific out-of-focus placement.

Many photographers struggle with the idea of using out of focus as an element of composition, story, and design. I mean, all of us are taught from day one how to get everything in focus.

Trying to be out of focus almost seems sinful. (But that’s why it’s fun!)

What other variations can you think of using?

Challenge #3 – One Day, One Place

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You may not know this, but I began my photography career as a photojournalist many years ago, working for newspapers and magazines.

Sometimes I wrote the story and took the pictures, and other times I simply provided the visuals for the story.

In this genre of photography, it’s called working the story. And that’s where this challenge found its roots.

Most of the students I’ve worked with over the years think of photography as carrying their camera around and photographing something they see that catches their eye.

There is nothing wrong with this activity, but they rarely consider diving deeper into a subject.

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Consider this. Every place on the planet has a story to tell every day of the year.

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To illustrate the challenge, I chose the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. of the United States. But this project will push you to your limits no matter what location you use.

I remember once doing a magazine assignment for the Florida Land Trust Organization. I had one day to create ten to twelve exciting photos of a particular swamp. Yes, you can find an interesting location right in your town.

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Here are some tips to consider.

• Don’t be afraid to mix up color, and black and white images.
• Imagine how each composition would fit into a story.
• Perhaps, write the story!
• Each photo should be exciting and standalone on its own and appear cohesive within the group.
• Capture expansive views all the way down to intricate up-close details.
• When possible, include people.
• Vary your lens focal lengths and points of view (POV)

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Start early in the morning and work through the day into the evening.

The last time I completed this challenge myself, I chose the Midway ride area at a state fair.

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The main objective is to create a story in a single day at a single location.

Are you ready?

Challenge #4 – You Can Take This Lying Down

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I love seeing how my students interpret this challenge.

You’ll notice a common thread among all these challenges. They don’t require extra gear or anything other than your thinking cap.

This is a common scenario with photographers.

Our camera is on a strap, and it hangs around our neck or on our shoulders. We are walking around doing whatever and are always aware of picture opportunities.

But here’s the catch. We only see one point of view- the one right in front of our eyes from a standing position.

I first developed this challenging lesson based on some photography advice from a mentor many years ago.

He told me, “Always look behind you.” I started practicing that, and sure enough, there were a lot of fabulous pictures behind me that I would have missed had I not looked.

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I decided to take that concept of the ‘alternate view’ more seriously; I began to do self-assigned photography days where I would only shoot from an unusual POV – most notably, on my back looking up.

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When I say on my back, shooting up, I mean like the guy on the left of image 022 and not the guy on the right.

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Even subjects you are intimately familiar with will take on a new perspective when you lie on your back and photograph them shooting upward.

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Even mundane subjects that might be considered ugly and undesirable take on new artistic meaning when viewed and photographed looking straight up from your back!

Challenge #5 – A Day in the Life Of

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This challenge has similarities to challenge #3 with one BIG difference.

In challenge #3, we concentrated our storytelling on a particular place. In this challenge, I want you to tell the story of a person or pet. Show us their day from beginning to end.

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Follow the guidelines laid out in challenge #3. Use all of your available tools, including post-production, to tell an interesting photojournalistic story about your chosen subject.

Imagine that you will be turning your shots into a photo editor at a magazine, and you want to be proud of the story you’ve told with your camera!

I hope these challenges will light a fire in your heart and break you out of any creative doldrums that you might be feeling. If you want more fun and challenging assignments like these here, check out Photzy’s Creativity Catalog. Need to beat photo burnout or find other ways to spark your creativity? This guide has helped thousands of photographers – read more about it here to see if it can help you improve your creativity output.