Photo Challenge: Your best photo 100 metres from your home (or work)

One thing I hear a lot is people saying they find it hard to be inspired by what’s on their doorstep.

I get it, it can be so much easier to feel inspired and excited by what’s before you when you are somewhere new.

But!

If you want to take original and interesting photos – you need to develop the ability to capture good shots wherever you are.

Taking photos close to home requires you to dig deep and really spend a lot of time observing and overcoming your uninspired or disillusioned view of your neighbourhood.

So this challenge is focused on overcoming this issue we have of not being able to see the magic and wonder of what’s closest to us.

We want to help you see that even though you’ve seen a view a million times, it doesn’t mean you have seen everything that is there.

We are highly subjective creatures, and see only a tiny part of the visual information of the world that is available to us.

So this challenge is all about becoming better at observing your world, at finding something interesting wherever you are.

Photo Challenge: Shoot your one, very best shot, within 100 metres of your home (or work) 

We love a challenge because it helps focus and train the eye.

Doing something creative gives a boost of positivity, right – and a challenge is a good motivator to get snapping.

Ask yourself, how can I see this place that I’ve seen 10,000 times in a new fresh way? What can I notice that is new / different?

When I think about this challenge, I think – what would someone who had never been to my area see? What would they create?

Ask yourself, what elements could I bring to it to make this come alive? Interesting light, a person walking past, a different angle or maybe the way I organise the elements of the scene?

It’s too easy just to go for the obvious beauty. If you can make the most ordinary object look interesting, think how many more skills and techniques you can bring to more compelling subjects or exciting scenes.

As many of you know, learning to see, or learning to see in a deeper way, is the journey that every photographer should be on.

And because…

“Creativity doesn’t wait for that perfect moment. It fashions its own perfect moments out of ordinary ones.” Bruce Garrabrandt

So you need to be getting out there and taking photos, regardless!

All of this photography we are doing – whether it’s on holiday, of our kids or on our journey to work, feeds our creativity. It feeds who we are and builds up our skills and abilities to take interesting photos.

Every photograph is a stepping stone to more experience and better skills. Every photograph taken is a worthy effort.

So try this photo challenge – take the best photo you can take, that has been taken:

  • within 100 metres of your home OR

  • within 100 metres of your work.

You pick.

The subject can be anything – as long as it fits this criteria.

If you’d like further inspiration – some of our articles will help:

Have a great day,

Anthony