These easy photography projects are perfect for kids, but can easily be done as adults as well.
No matter your age, if you are looking to become a better photographer, you can use these projects for practice. Each one will give you the opportunity to look at things differently and use your camera to capture specific images.
Taking good photos is all about practice and vision. The more photos you take and the more different photos you take, the better you will become. The more you photograph the easier it will be to find your passion and talent as a photographer.
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Each of these photography projects will be valuable as you become a more experienced photographer.
However, you have to put the work in to make them really matter. Take your time with each project below and you will make tremendous growth as a photographer. I like to take my young kids out with me as we look for opportunities for each photography project below. My youngest 2 take their Vtech camera along and my oldest uses a his small digital camera.
Before you look through the projects I want to let you know about my free photo course, Manual Mode made Simple, which will teach you everything you need to know about taking amazing photos in manual mode.
1. Patterns-
Look for patterns in anything and everything. It might be a fence, cars in a parking lot, a textile, etc. whatever it is try to capture it on camera. Use the patterns as the focus in your image or to add depth to the image you are creating.
2. Rule of thirds-
Simply put, the rule of thirds refers to breaking the space in your image with two horizontal lines and two vertical lines, creating a grid of nine squares/rectangles. When you take your photo, try to put the focus of your image on one of the intersecting lines. In this project, try a variety of different versions of each photo by moving your camera so the subject is in different “thirds” of the space. You will be surprised with just how different a picture can turn out just by changing the angle slightly.
3. Scenery-
Go outside with your kids and capture some scenery pictures. These can be vast images or close ups. Try your hand at several different distances and get a feel for how the image is captured. There is beautiful scenery all around, even in your own backyard or at the local park. If you are learning manual mode, this is the perfect time to play with aperture. For more information on aperture, ISO, and shutter speed, read this helpful post!
4. Close ups-
Some great ideas for close ups are nature items like pine cones and leaves, faces, textures, bugs and animals, and food. Really anything takes on a new look when it is captured up close. Find things you can get up close with and play around with this type of photography.
5. Self portrait-
Try to capture an image that really shows who you are. This can be a simple expression or you may want to use a prop to show a hobby. You may also want to get an action shot doing a sport you love or a picture in front of a building that represents you. Get creative and really think about what one image can capture who you are.
6. Portrait of someone else-
Taking pictures of people is great practice so spend some time taking portraits of others. Ask a friend or family member to pose for you and have fun directing them.
7. Opposites-
High/low, hot/cold, young/old, outside/inside. You get the idea. Capture images that demonstrate opposites in some way.
8. Animals-
Animals are fun to take photos of. You may use pets or wild animals that live in your animal. Remember not to get close to any animal in order to get a picture. Animals can be incredibly dangerous and it certainly isn’t worth the risk just to take a photo. If you do not have a good zoom lens, than focus on your pets or focus on calm animals such as birds or ducks.
9. Shoes-
Focus your attention on the ground for this one and take pictures of all the different shoes you see.
10. Clothing-
Fashion photography is a very popular form of photography right now. Take some pictures of your own fashion, or ask for models from people you know. If you have a friend that has great style, you could ask to do a little fashion show and photo shoot.
11. Still life-
Decide what kinds of objects you want to photograph. Place them together in a group and begin photographing. Take photos from all different angles, move the items around, and move the whole group of items around until you find the best lighting. You will begin to learn how to position objects (or people) in the best possible way.
12. Food-
Food is always fun to photograph. You could go to a restaurant or choose items from your own home. Just like you did with your still life, take the photos from many different angles. You will get a very different image with each move of your camera.
13. Action-
Practice taking action shots. If you’re using a DSLR, the faster your shutter speed, the crisper your image will be. Remember if you change your shutter speed you’ll most likely need to change your aperture and ISO as well. Again, please read this post for a more detailed explanation of how to use these functions. If you are using a point and shoot camera or automatic mode on your DSLR, choose an action setting in your camera and it will adjust your shutter speed to capture the action.
14. Shapes-
There are shapes everywhere. One of my favorite things to do is find shapes in architecture. Look at houses and other buildings as you are walking around and snap pictures of any shapes that you see.
15. Letters-
Go around and try to find something shaped like each letter of the alphabet. You will be so surprised what you find and the end result is always fun! You can try to find all the letters in the alphabet or look for the letters in your name.
I hope this post is helpful for you and your child. It is so excitingly to see young kids take an interest in photography and what a rewarding hobby it can be. Take a look at my ebook, “73 Photo Projects for Anyone, with Any Camera, at Any Age” for more fun projects you can do together. Enjoy this journey alongside your child.
Get your camera out and spend some time trying each of these projects! This is a great way for you and your child to spend some time together, start a new hobby together, and improve your photography skills. Get started on these photography projects today.
Please share some of your photographs on my Facebook page! I can’t wait to see what you do!
