12 Practical Photography Project Ideas

Practical photo project ideas for you:

1. Words

2. Face-off

Make surreal photos by not showing the faces of your subjects, and show their faces or eyes through advertisements they are holding.

3. Blur/movement

Photograph your subjects as they’re moving, or use a flash at a slower shutter speed 1/15th of a second). I encourage you to shoot monochrome for aesthetically more appealing images (I feel blurry photos look better in black and white).

4. Hands/hand-gestures

You show much emotion with hands. Either just shoot hands, or photograph people with interesting hand-gestures.

5. Food

You learn much about a society and their values via food. Also, shoot your food as a way to document certain memories you had in your life.

6. Airport

Airports are weird places. If you travel a lot, shoot a lot when inside the airport.

7. Gas station

Shoot inside the gas station, at the pump, and shoot street portraits of people with permission.

This project will be very good if you drive and commute a lot; use any and every opportunity to shoot!

8. Flag

Photograph the American flag, or your own country flag. Have fun with it!

9. Water

Make photos at the sea, river, or any body of water.

10. Hair

11. Long distance flash

As a technique, shoot with a flash from a very far distance, to create a unique aesthetic.

12. Kids

13. Home country

If you’re an immigrant or your parents are born in another country, visit that country again, and photograph it as a form of learning about your own heritage. Photos below in South Korea: