Here we are again juggling home schooling and lockdown, only this time we do not have glorious weather to get the kids outside, instead if they are anything like mine I have to drag them out or bribe them. So maybe this will help to get them out exploring.
These are easy photography challenges for all ages, feel free to do this yourself for some creative fun. Anything that can take a picture will do, from your phone to a tablet or a point and shoot, maybe you even have a DSLR at the back of a cupboard somewhere?
Each one will give you the option to look at things differently and get a better understanding of photography and show some of the things that I look for when taking pictures.
Taking good photos is a lot to do with the way you use the light available on your vision and practice, the more photos you take, the better you will become and with the variety of challenges here you may even find your passion and talent as a photographer.
If you wanted to get to grips a little more with how to take better pictures, I do have an online photography course so check that out.
1 – Light
Find something in your garden and keep it in the same place all day and take pictures at different times throughout the day to see how the light changes on your subject. You have considerably less light this time of year than you would in the summer and its much more drastic in a shorter space of time.
Try and see if you can see where the sun is positioned when you take the picture, this will help you to understand how photography works for future projects.
2 – Patterns
Look for patterns in anything and everything and see what you can find. It can be the focus of your image or used in the background.
3 – Scavenger hunt
See how many items you can tick off the hunt. Maybe there will be a treat at the end of it?
4 – Close-up
Experiment with close up’s, how close can you get to something for the camera to allow you to take the picture. How does it change the subject when close up.
5 – Opposites
What opposites can you find? Things like indoors/outdoors, hot/cold, tall/small. Let me know what else you find.
6 – Animals
Although it’s fun to take pictures of animals it can be tricky work too, they don’t always do what we want them too, or they may be super-fast like my little girls hamster. If you do not have a pet then use one of your teddies, or toys.
7 – Objects
Collect some objects and put them together on a table, organise them to see what looks good and then take pictures from different angles and positions to see where the light works best to give you the best photo.
8 – Action shots
Try taking a picture of someone moving fast, maybe they are running or bouncing, or maybe it’s your toy car speeding off or a football you’ve kicked. See how the camera captures these fast-moving subjects, what happens to the photo?
9 – Shapes
Shapes are everywhere, walk around the house and garden and see what shapes you can find and snap away, I’d love to know how many different shapes you find. Or maybe you could see how many of the same shape you can find in your house.
10 – Letters
Try and find items shaped like a letter of the alphabet and see if you can find the entire alphabet, I wonder how long it will take you?
11 – Portraits
Now is a great time to take pictures of your loved ones. Have fun posing them and telling them how to sit/stand and then take some when they don’t know you are looking, which is called a candid style photograph.
See if you can capture images every day that tell the story of when the school closed again, and you got to stay home for a while so you can share the pictures with your children one day. Why not print the pictures off and make it into an album or photobook?
12 – Shadows
Now this is great fun, find as may cool toys as you can and put them into this bright sunlight and see what shadows they make. You could even leave it in the same place all day to see how the shadow changes throughout the day as the sun moves round your house.
Dig those camera’s out, charge them up and spend some time trying each of these challenges!
This is a great way for you and your child to spend some time together and develop your photography skills too, or it may give you some peace for a little while to get some work done and grab a cuppa.
If you would like any advice or if the children have a question, please feel free to message me on facebook or instagram.
Please also share your photographs on Instagram and hashtag #kiddiephotochallenge I can’t wait to see what you do!
Stay safe everyone. x