As always, we start out the year considering why we're committing to this challenge. Whether personal or professional, identifying goals makes the following year more meaningful and intentional. For this month, the prompts are all focused on helping you to identify how to make the most out of the project.
Every participant comes to this challenge at a different stage in their photographic journey. Show us where you are with a new photo showing what you've done and where you are. You really have free range here to intentionally photograph what you like, how you normally would.
For this prompt, I want you to choose an old photo and re-take it. When doing this, think about what it is you like about the photo and what you dislike. Use those ideas to approach it thoughtfully.
Introduce yourself to the community! You can do this through a self portrait, photo of another hobby or passion you have, showing something about your day to day life, et cetera.
What do you hope to get out of this challenge? Address your goal in whichever way you believe will support you in achieving it. We will revisit this goal twice more throughout the year, so keep it in the back of your mind.
Being the shortest month, and often cloaked in greyness in the Northern Hemisphere, February is the month where motivation often comes to die. For this month, we will be focusing on the spaces around us regardless of inspiring light.
We're going to explore the three elements of a scene - the foreground, mid ground, and backgrounds. Your image should showcase depth through clear delineation of these parts of the scene.
If you're unsure of how to effectively capture a scene, it may be because there are many distracting elements or unnecessary empty bits. Try filling the frame with your intended subject.
Scale is simply showing the viewer how large something is (or isn't). By using an element which everyone knows the size of, you can show the viewer the immensity or puniness of an element.
Pick a room, street corner, or other constrained space and set your timer for ten minutes. Take as many photos as you can in that time, trying to get as many different angles and compositions as you can.
This month is all about pattern recognition - and if a 1 year old can do it, so can you! This month is all about textures and patterns.
Nature and (sub)urban spaces are ripe with patterns. When photographing them, make sure the pattern is the star of the shot - you can use the pattern to amplify a subject, or it can stand on its own.
Juxtapose contrasting elements within a single frame. Seek out scenes where opposing textures or patterns collide - smooth against rough, light against dark.
Experiment with angles, lighting, and framing to transform familiar textures into abstract compositions.
We're looking for visual rhythm in your photograph this week. Whether it's the orderly arrangement of objects, the repeated shapes in architecture, or the rhythmic play of light and shadow, explore the impact of repetition.
In the northern hemisphere, April brings Spring, which brings new life. This month, we're going to focus in on the concept of life - feel free to be as creative with these prompts as you can be.
I'll leave this one up to your interpretation. Are you vibing with a traditional still life, or maybe you want to showcase that somehow, life, uh, finds a way.
You can show us what your life was like at a different period of your life, or maybe recreate a scene from a different decade. However you interpret the concept of past lives is fair game.
Pull inspiration from what comes after - whatever that means to you.
Choose one day this month to document fully - from the moment you awake, until right before falling asleep. Aim to take one photo an hour, at the least. Cull those photos down to no more than 10 photos that sum up your day, then choose one hero image.
This month is all about finding and exploring contrasting elements. That trite idea of juxtaposition = art will be your best friend for these prompts. Try and work through the obvious and find some thoughtful compositions through the scene, lighting, subjects, et cetera.
Show the contrast of size in your composition. This can be a literal "here's a big thing next to a small thing," or a more abstract idea that approaches big versus small.
Play with perspective to create a sense of depth. Having a close foreground element against a deep background element can create a deep frame.
Whether you live in a big city or in a rural area, the artificial world is always interacting with the natural. Show this struggle or symbiotic relationship in your final image.
We're going to leave this one entirely up to interpretation. Approach it however makes sense to you.
This month is all about people. For those introverts, you may approach this as an opportunity to push yourself, or showcase your creativity by finding ways to show humanity without, well, humans.
Getting this out of the way. Every year we ask for a self portrait, and every year you all find novel ways of doing it.
Focus on hands performing a task. When making this photo, try to humanize the hands, telling the story of their efforts.
The human face is capable of a range of expressions. Try to find candid moments that reveal true feelings, whether it's joy, sorrow, surprise, or contemplation.
What does community mean to you? Show us without telling us. Try and showcase the connection between the people in the community.
We've made it to the halfway mark. How have you been doing thus far? On track with your goals, or do you need some time to reset and recollect? This is the month for just that!
Go back and find your one favorite and your one least favorite images from the challenge so far. Break down what it is that you like about the favorite, and what challenges you faced with the least favorite. For those who haven't been able to stay on top of the challenge, use this week as a catch up week.
How are you doing on your initial goal from week one? The image this week should be a revisit of that original goal.
Look back on your submissions thus far and find one that you can revisit, reimagining it to create something new.
Go through some previous submissions from your cohort, and find one that sparks something for you. Tag the other user in your post if applicable.
It's color theory month! For an introduction to color theory, read through the blog post on the focal point hub.
Work only in primary colors, either just one or all three. Capture scenes that highlight the vibrancy of primary colors—red, blue, and yellow.
Choose a color scheme and make an image that fits that color scheme. When posting, leave it up to your cohorts to guess which scheme you were aiming for.
Find that natural color of golden or blue hour and use it to make your image.
Monochrome doesn't just mean black and white. This week, work within one color palette to create a monochrome image.
This month we're focusing on sources of inspiration that fuel our creativity every day. From the media we consume to the people who shape our perspectives, September is all about capturing what moves us creatively.
Create an image inspired by whatever it is you're currently reading - draw inspiration from the subject(s), setting, and/or ideals.
How does what you're listening to effect your photography output? For this prompt, have those headphones in while making your photos.
This week, let's draw inspiration from what you're currently watching or a visual media piece that has made a lasting impression on you.
Draw inspiration from a fellow participant in the 52 Weeks challenge. Remember to tag them in your submission.
October is a time of transition—nature changes its colors, light shifts, and everything seems to shift. This month, we'll focus on capturing moments of transformation, whether in nature, people, or processes.
As fall (or Spring for our southern hemisphere friends) takes hold, the environment around us transforms. Capture the essence of seasonal change.
Light changes throughout the day, from the soft light of dawn to the golden hues of sunset. Focus on the way light transforms throughout the day.
Nature provides countless examples of metamorphosis, from caterpillars becoming butterflies to the transformation of landscapes over time. Draw inspiration from these processes of change.
Focus on the idea of personal transformation - self-improvement, a shift in perspective, or a change in routine. Find a way to represent growth or change within yourself or someone close to you.
This month, we focus on core compositional techniques to guide the viewer's eye, set the scene, and add balance to your photos.
Find natural or created frames in your surroundings that bring focus to your subject. Use elements like doorways, tree branches, or architectural details to direct attention and add depth.
Look for lines in your environment - paths, rivers, or architectural features - that guide the viewer's eye through the composition, adding flow and direction.
Odd numbers of subjects, like three flowers or five people, create balanced and engaging compositions.
Show contrasts in size to create perspective, like a small object against a vast background or a large object in a tight space.
So here we are. The last month of the year. How did you do? Were you able to complete all the prompts from this year? Either way, the goal of this project is just to get you out and making photographs.
Choose a photo that you feel was a good concept, but would like to have another go at. When posting the new photo, include the original so you can see the difference side by side.
Looking back on the whole year in terms of this challenge, where did you find yourself struggling? Address your challenges head on and make a photo that utilizes that challenge.
Where did you find yourself thriving? Were there any 'ah-ha!' moments? Go all in on your newfound skill and showcase it proudly in this week's photo.
Back in January we set goals for ourselves for the year, and then revisited them in July. How do you feel about those goals? Make a photo that addresses where you are with your goals.
Want the current year's prompts instead?
Back to the current 52 Weeks challenge