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These Tiny Photography Projects Just Might Change Everything
Quick shoots. Big creative payoff.
10 Personal Photography Projects You Can Shoot in Under 2 Hours
There’s a seemingly constant myth that only big projects matter — the elaborate shoots with rented studios, big crews, and fancy gear.
But the more you work at this photography thing, the more you realize that the work that changes us often starts small.
A two-hour window.
A spark of curiosity.
One object.
One patch of light.
One idea that won’t let go.
These short exercises are more than fun warmups, they’re creative fuel.
They’re how we reconnect with what brought us to photography in the first place.
The joy of seeing, of noticing, of turning what we see into something compelling.
And they’re how we stretch creative muscles that get stiff in the daily grind of client work, editing queues, or chasing the next big job.
I’ve built these challenges to be accessible, fast, and flexible.
You don’t need a crew.
You don’t need a storyboard.
You only need a camera, a little bit of time, and a willingness to explore without expecting perfection.
What makes them powerful is their ultimate simplicity.
We aren’t on a quest to “get it right.”
We just want to make something.
Something lovely.
Something intriguing.
Something that’s awful is better than nothing at all.
Because we identify it as awful, it means we have learned something about the art of making an image.
These exercises are ideal for those moments when you feel stuck, uninspired, or disconnected from your own voice.
They’re for early mornings, late afternoons, rainy days, or the hours between obligations. Y
ou can do them solo or with a fellow photographer. You can even revisit them every few months and notice how your results evolve.
Set a timer.
Let go of the outcome.
Trust the process.
You don’t need permission to make something meaningful.
You just need to start.
1. The One Object Challenge
Pick a single object — anything from a teacup to a pair of boots — and photograph it five radically different ways.
Change the lighting, background, angle, and mood each time.
Goal: Practice versatility and creativity under tight constraints.
2. Shadow Play
Using only natural window light (or a flashlight if needed), create a mini-series of abstract images where shadows are the main subject.
Goal: Train your eye to see shape, depth, and drama without needing complex subjects.
3. Color Story
Pick one color — red, blue, yellow, whatever — and photograph only objects in that color. Create a sequence of 5–10 images that feel connected.
Goal: Understand visual consistency and narrative through color.
4. Kitchen Geometry
Use only everyday kitchen tools (spoons, graters, bowls) to build graphic compositions. Shoot close-up abstracts or wider clean shots.
Goal: Focus on composition, pattern, and texture without relying on “beautiful” objects.
5. Hands at Work
Photograph someone (or yourself) doing a task — playing guitar, painting, cooking, repairing something. Focus entirely on the hands, not faces.
Goal: Practice storytelling through detail and gesture.
6. Texture Study
Find and photograph five different surfaces that have distinct texture — peeling paint, gravel, weathered wood, wrinkled fabric.
Goal: Explore tactile qualities through photography and improve macro and close-up framing.
7. 3-Frame Storytelling
Tell a full story using just three images. Beginning, middle, and end. No text or captions — the photos must say it all.
Goal: Practice narrative thinking and sequencing.
8. Silent Morning
Document a quiet morning using natural light only. Focus on mood, light, and small moments (a cup of coffee, mist on the window, morning rituals).
Goal: Capture feeling and atmosphere without relying on people or action.
9. Found Light Challenge
Walk around your home, neighborhood, or street looking for interesting available, and natural light. Take a hike with your camera.No flashes or strobes allowed. Shoot what the light gives you.
Goal: Sharpen your awareness of how light transforms ordinary scenes.
10. Portrait of a Place
Choose a small area — your porch, a local café, a street corner — and create a “portrait” of that space. 5–7 shots that convey the spirit of it.
Goal: Treat places like living subjects; capture their unique character.
Final Tip:
Set a timer for two hours.
No overthinking. No perfectionism.
Just shoot.
Have fun.
Edit later.
Learn a lot.
I’m Don Giannatti — photographer, creative troublemaker, and mentor to the bold. I help photographers stop playing it safe and start making work that actually matters. You can find me at DonGiannatti.com and on Substack, where I don’t just post — I provoke.
