Ideas For Photo Projects

Photography Projects:

  • All projects should be accompanied by an artist statement communicating the visual ideas behind the image or series and reference materials.
  • If you have an alternative idea for a project please email and schedule a meeting with Ms. Lieberman.
  • Output: TBA, most are portfolio size, 11X14 at 300 dpi

Photo essay project examples:

Alternative ideas for photography projects:

  • Objects of Obsession
    • Discarded Objects (wrapping paper from the holidays, empty food containers, etc.)
    • Holiday Expressions (capture the moments family/friends open presents)
    • Find an advertisement you really like and imitate it, (for example, Humans of New York can become Humans of Graphics, or Humans of My Family, etc.)
    • I Am… My Sign (Obsessed with Horoscopes)
    • My Style (Obsessed with hair, nails, beauty, sneakers, fashion portraits)
  • The Paper Doll Series (imitate the feel of an old fashion paper doll cut out with modern items that belong to the individuals photographed)
  • Messages (a series of portraits of individuals holding up messages… to a singular person).
  • Do your own version: Scotch Tape Series / Rubber Band Series
  • Get inspired by a wind machine: Tadao Cern
  • Take your passion and document it! Remember, it is important to have a theme and continuity within your images.
  • Long exposures at night – painting with light.

Individual Project Ideas:

  • Project 1: Portrait and Still Life Diptych: A portrait is viewed next to a still life image that represents an aspect of your subject.
  • Project 2: Stories from the Street: Develop a series of images that convey a message of social impact. For example, homelessness, poverty, pollution, etc. Students should produce between 6 – 8 final  images.
  • Project 3: Geometric Triptych: using lines and shapes from various buildings, urban streets and nature. Photography images that contain various geometric shapes then choose three images that work well when placed next to each other. The images should flow and achieve an nice balance together.
  • Project 4: “Day In The Life” Series, a photo-journalistic study of an individual/object. Students should produce between 10 – 20 final images. Students must shoot and edit their images then submit a series of images that explore the events that surround their day.  For those individuals who wish to borrow a class camera on the weekend, please see Ms. Lieberman.
  • Project 5:  Beauty Series, a series of images that are similar to an editorial or advertising assignment. Students should produce between 6 – 8 final  images.
  • Project 6: Urban Landscapes, a series of images that incorporate the natural world. Students should produce between 8 – 10 final images.
  • Project 7: Decay, a series of images that illustrate decay in society, nature or architecture. Students should produce between 8 – 10 final images.
  • Project 8: Portraits, a series of images that have a common thread that binds them. For example, a series of clouds, a series of images of War Veterans, similar expressions of individuals and similar body positions, etc. Students should produce between 8 – 10 final images.
  • Project 9: Transformation Project: In the transformation project students shoot a before and after portrait of their subject. The transformation can be almost anything, from young to old, plain to fancy, masculine to feminine, or vice versa, you can use props to help express your transformation. The final results must be two images shot on the same background and with the subject in a similar body position.
  • Project 10: Abstract; a series of images that focuses on the details, the form and shape, of objects or individuals, in which you can not distinguish the whole. Students should produce between 8 – 10 final images.
  • Project 11: Tintype Series; a series of images that mimics the look and feel of a tintype processed image. Students should produce between 8 – 10 final images. See the tutorial – Recreating the Look of Tintype Photography Using Photoshop
  • Project 12: Dreams; Make photography to visually represent your dreams. Create a storyboard or a photo montage, anything and everything is fair game.
  • Project 13: Re-Do; Find old photographs and make new versions, place them side by side for an interesting visual comparison!
  • Project 14: Create your own project; for example, Body Parts; Multiples; Fashion; Clouds;…
  • Project 15: Create a series of Tilt-Shift style images.
  • “Tilt-shift photography is a creative and unique type of photography in which the camera is manipulated so that a life-sized location or subject looks like a miniature-scale model.”
  • Project 16:  Photo Assignment: A Few Of Your Favorite Things
  • Project 17:  EVERY SINGLE OBJECT TOUCHED, if you like to sort, this project is for you!

Group Project Ideas:

  • Group Project 1: Working with a group of between 3-5 students, do a series of altered perspective images.  Click here to see examples
  • Group Project 2: Working with a group of between 3-5 students, do a series of images in which students form letters of the alphabet with their bodies. (Hint: You can put your bodies on the ground to obtain the idea contortion.) Click here, here and here to see examples.
  • Group Project 3: Working with a group of between 3-5 students, do a series of chalk art drawings and place students in the scenes.  For example, draw a series of balloons on the ground then place students so it appears they are holding onto the balloons that are floating, arrange clothes and hair to inform the viewer.
  • Group Project 4: Working with a group of between 3-5 students, recreate album covers or magazine covers of your favorite musicians. Look at all genres… there are some beauties out there.
  • Group Project 5: Working with a group of between 3-5 students, create a photographic dictionary.
  • Group Project 6: Turn your sleepy friends into surreal scenes. Construct your own version of Wengenn in Wonderland, more images from the series for inspiration here.

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