52 Weeks with C. London
challenge yourself. find community.
52 Weeks with C. London was built out of a lack of motivation and inspiration, and a desire to find community in an otherwise competitive practice. In 2019, working off of a previous 365 challenge I had preciously done, I began creating weekly prompts for myself and anyone else who needed a little push.
The initial year saw a community forming, and opportunity for more to become involved. It was then that the challenge found its footing and became more organized. The challenge continues to evolve and the community strengthen. Whether you’re finding us at the beginning of the year or not, you are welcomed to join in and find a supportive photography community.
6th annual 52 Weeks
January prompts are live! Jump right in and get started on this month’s set of prompts. On the first of each month, the next set of prompts will go live on the same page. Just check back there to see what’s next!
I also recommend downloading the new and free Learning Journal (PDF download or paperback) so you can map out your goals for the year and prepare for the start of the challenge!
FAQs
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52 Weeks is a weekly prompt challenge. It is built to be supportive, inspiring, and motivating. We have an ever-growing community of photographers of all levels and genres. As it is a self-challenge, we have no hard deadlines for submissions or joining in.
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Each month you will be given a set of prompts under an overarching theme. You can complete the prompts in any order and at any time during the month. This differs from early iterations where each week had a specific prompt attached to it. I found that if a week didn’t allow for completion of a prompt, motivation wained - as the intention of the challenge is to motivate, I made changes in 2023, and feedback has been positive to this change.
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That’s up to you! We have an active Discord server where most of the participation is. You can also submit to our subreddit, Flickr group, facebook group, or to instagram using the monthly hashtag. More information can be found in the yearly announcement posts.
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Hi! It’s me! I’m Chelsea London, a documentary travel and street photographer. I have a degree in education and write these prompts to thoughtfully challenge and build upon skills. You’ll find that the prompts are mostly open for interpretation, as it is my goal to lead your process, not instruct. It also allows for various types of photography. My absolute favorite part of running this challenge is seeing how different photographers interpret the prompts.
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You! No, seriously, it’s for all levels. The prompts are thoughtfully written to be inclusive.
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Yes! There's no gear requirement for this challenge. All the prompts are accessible to photographers using any camera.
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Absolutely! I have a few participants who email me their prompts weekly instead of posting to any social media, and some others who share their submissions exclusively with their other photography friends.
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The way it works this year is there there are four or five prompts to be done at any time in each month. One photo for each prompt.
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Good news is you’re not the only one working in film! So, to answer your question, yes that’s totally fine. Submit when you’ve got your photos developed.
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Just choose which way you want to participate, and join in!
