Starting a creative photography project is a great way to document your life in a unique way, as well as allow you to grow as a photographer, both technically and creatively.

When I first started learning and embarking on my photography journey, I was obsessed with so many different creative photography projects. Participating in these projects helped me grow as a photographer in a huge way. As the years have passed, I have tried to focus predominantly on some of my most favorite projects. Below you will find a list of the ones I try to participate in every year.

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10 Creative Photography Projects You Should Try

1. A Day In The Life – This is a really fun project that’s primary objective is to document what a typical day in your life looks like. You can do this by taking a wide range of photos showcasing your daily routine. This could include photos of you sitting at your desk working, putting on your shoes, doing household chores, cooking dinner or any other thing that makes up a part of your daily life. Documenting the daily mundane is not something people generally do so this project can be quite rewarding to have to look back on over the years.
   
2. Project 365 – This project is simple. Take one photo a day for the entire year and compile them together to create a record of that year. I love this project so much and always enjoy looking over it, time and time again, once it is complete. Photos allow me to keep memories fresh in my mind. This project takes that to the next level and gives me one concrete memory from every single day of the year.
   
3. Project 52 – This photography project is very similar to Project 365, except instead of taking a picture every day, you take a picture every week. This alleviates some of the pressure of taking a daily photo but still allows you to document your life consistently throughout the year.
4. Self Portraits Series – This is a project that I have been intrigued by for a few years, except I have severe “stage fright” when it comes to getting in front of the camera. With that said, I recently ordered a new remote for my camera and am excited to give it a go. I got my tripod out yesterday, set up my camera and did a few test shots, and honestly, it wasn’t as scary as I thought it would be – especially considering that I am the photographer. I will post more about this new project soon with a few examples of how things are going.
   
   
   
5. Black and White – There is something very emotion-driven about black and white photography. It provides our photos with a sense of timelessness and drama and pulls out the emotion in a photo. In this project, the central premise is to either shoot your pictures in black and white or to edit them in black and white. Black and white photos often are some of my favorite photos.
   
6. 10 on 10 – I have not been wholly devoted to this project like I would like to be, but I am hoping to start a new blog post series dedicated to this project beginning in May. The 10 on 10 photography project is the taking of 10 photos on the 10th day of every month. This allows for 12 days of thorough documenting throughout your year. So fun.
7. Smartphone – I used to take tons of photos with my smartphone and then got out of the habit of doing so, until recently. I love the option of taking photos with my phone. It is always on me, unlike my mirrorless or my DSLR, so it’s a great option for capturing the little and big moments of my days. I also love editing my photos on my phone. My favorite photo editing apps are Snapseed, VSCO and A Color Story.
   
8. 100 Days of Summer – This is most likely, my favorite photography project of all. I absolutely adore summertime. My family spends a lot of time together during this time, and therefore, I spend a lot of time capturing our many moments together. 100 Days with 100 Photos that sum up our summer together in a beautiful way = perfection. It really doesn’t get much better than that.
   
9. 365 Grateful – I stumbled across this project a few weeks ago and was hooked from the very beginning. I am currently looking to order myself this instant camera and will be starting this project as soon as it arrives. The basic concept of this photography project is to take a photo of something you are grateful for each and every day of the year. This not only gives you a beautiful visual reminder of the things that bring you feelings of gratitude, but it also shifts your mindset and in turn, makes you a happier person overall. Win win.
   
10. 1 Second Everyday – I have done this project for a few years. I haven’t always been 100% consistent, but I do try. It is an easy project to partake in but being that I can be a bit on the forgetful side, I can get off track pretty quickly. In this project, all you do is simply take 1 second of video every day. I do this with my smartphone. The 1 Second Everyday app compiles them into a movie and the results are truly amazing.

My favorite place to store all of these projects is on Flickr; however, you can compile and save these anywhere you like. Also, don’t forget the importance of printing your photos. Printing my photos has been life changing and my boys have experienced so much joy from being able to hold our photos in their hands and look through them on a regular basis.

So there ya go, my favorite creative photography projects to participate in this year.

Do you have any favorite photography projects that I didn’t list here? I’d love to hear.

Holly Paul

Holly is a 42 year old wife and mom to 3 boys, from Nashville, Tennessee. She is a hot tea lover, book reader, journal keeper, Pinterest pinner, podcast listener, y’all sayer, self-taught graphic designer, hobbyist photographer, writer and dreamer of all things big and small. You can find all of her ramblings here at Blu Nest Bloom.