Give Yourself a Self-Assignment Today

Self-assignments are an effective way to improve your photography skills, get out of a creative funk, and try something that you typically wouldn't be comfortable with trying in any other setting.

Essentially, self-assignments are photo projects that aren't commercial (i.e. paid) and involve using your imagination to create unique photos. You can come up with a theme for your photoshoot based on your own interests or something random that you stumbled upon online.

What's powerful about these assignments is that they can give you the freedom to explore all kinds of themes in different genres. As a result, you'll strengthen your imagination and discover new ways to approach your photography.

So, if you've been in a funk lately or if you just want to try something new, I highly recommend giving yourself your very own photo assignment. Read on for some tips, ideas, and guidance to make the most of your first self-assignment.

Commit to a Bigger Project for Self-Assignments

When I first started taking photographs, I didn't have a specific plan in mind. Even though this was liberating, there came a point where I craved some kind of guidance or direction. Around that time, the 365 Project was very popular. I had to take photos every day for a whole year, which was quite a big commitment. Fortunately, I found a supportive community that encouraged everyone to regularly share their progress and ask for guidance. Even though taking photos every day was challenging, the group's daily themes inspired me greatly.

Even if you can't take photos every day, you can commit to a smaller project that will allow you to track your progress consistently. You can start a 52-Week Project, for which you'd need to take one photo every week for a year. You can come up with your own weekly themes or use other people's themes as inspiration.

If you're not ready to commit to something like this, either, you can always come up with themes on the go. I don't think there should be a strict deadline for your photoshoots, unless that's the kind of approach that motivates you.

Last but not least, you can join our Photo Masters challenges for an opportunity to receive feedback, win prizes, and interact with inspiring people from around the world. Even though it's possible to successfully complete self-assignments on your own, it's much more fun and interesting to do it with a group of people.

P.S. We're currently working on an exciting new photo challenge theme for the New Year, so stay tuned!

How to Find Inspiration for Self-Assignments

Coming up with a list of themes is only one part of the equation. If they're random themes, they might not necessarily inspire you. First, think about what intrinsically motivates you.

By intrinsic motivation, I mean the things that truly matter to you. There's always going to be a new trend, but what truly matters in your photography is what speaks to you.

Take some time to think about people, places, or objects that are very meaningful to you. They don't need to be popular, but they should inspire you to pick up your camera. It doesn't need to be a specific subject, either. It can be a general experience or an atmosphere.

A few years ago, I committed to the 52-Week Photo Project. Even though I was excited to work on it at first, I lost a lot of motivation because the themes seemed very generic and didn't resonate with me. To make things more interesting, I decided to come up with my own themes, which helped a lot. If you collaborate with photographers whose work you like and combine that with themes that are meaningful to you, you're likely to enjoy your self-assignments even more.

Don't Be Afraid of Discomfort

Everyone always tells us to leave our comfort zones, but what does that really mean? If you push yourself too hard, you might burn out. If you're always doing what feels comfortable, you might get bored and lose motivation, like I mentioned earlier. There's a fine line between challenging yourself and enjoying the process. So, how do you find the perfect balance?

To me, this means picking themes that are very different to what I'm used to but are still in the realm of what I enjoy. For example, since I like to take self-portraits, I might experiment with taking photos of myself in urban locations. I typically shoot either indoors or in nature, so taking photographs in a busy city would be an interesting challenge.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't pursue other genres, though. For his first Photo Wars episode, Ian had to take wide-angle photographs indoors. In the video, you'll hear him say that he kept putting the photoshoot off because he didn't want to do it. However, when he actually started taking photographs, he found himself enjoying the process. Don't be afraid of trying something completely new and be open to pleasantly surprising yourself.

Share Your Photos With Others

If possible, join an online or offline community of passionate photographers. Surround yourself with caring and supportive people. These kinds of people will inspire you to do your best and try new things.

Social media can be a great place to find exposure and big photo opportunities, but it doesn't have to be your only source of motivation. In some cases, staying away from it might be a good idea. You don't need to make your photos public or build an online portfolio, but it would help tremendously if you had a few friends with whom you could comfortably share your work. It's not about getting compliments for the sake of your ego; rather, it's about receiving much-needed encouragement from loved ones.

Don't forget to get creative with sharing. In addition to literally showing your work to others, you can give gifts in the form of photo prints to your friends.

If you want to improve the quality of your photos but don't know where to start, especially if you're pursuing a completely different genre, it might be a good idea to join a photo club or online forum that prioritizes constructive criticism. Alternatively, you can hire a photography mentor to make things more personal and interesting. A professional photographer will provide you with invaluable knowledge that will not only improve your skills, but also motivate you to leave your comfort zone more often.

Self-Assignment Project Ideas

You're free to come up with your own themes, but if you're feeling stuck, here are a few ideas. You can interpret the themes below in any way you like. You can approach them with a specific plan or just go with the flow, depending on where you want to shoot. The more flexible you are, the more interesting your photos will be!

• Intimate landscape

• Wide-angle portrait

• Square format

• Black & white street photo

• Colorful close-up

• Extreme perspective (e.g. very low or high angle)

Conclusion

There's nothing more exciting than trying something new that leads you to better photo opportunities and refreshes your creative mind. Novelty is good for the brain, so I encourage you to go out and give yourself a photo assignment once in a while. Make it into a project that encourages you to make mistakes, surprise yourself with unique photos, and enjoy the process of learning new things as you go.

Don't forget to join the Photo Masters forum for regular photo challenges and inspiration.