5 Photography Challenges to Master in 2024

We all know the score. Every year, thousands of people around the world make New Year's resolutions. These can be anything from ‘I should go to the gym more’ to ‘I should read more books by T.S Elliot’. But while thousands of resolutions are made every year, we’re willing to bet that only a few hundred are kept to – if that! 

If you’ve been searching your back pocket for New Year's resolutions that you will actually honor in 2024, then your love for photography might be a good place to start. 

There’s always room for improvement in photography. While you might be a prolific photographer already, with hundreds of Instagram followers and a dozen photo books, that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your craft. All you need is a few challenges to keep you motivated. 

But that’s where we come in! Below, you’ll find 5 photography challenges that you should resolve to master in 2024, making sure you finish the year as a better photographer than when you started.

One Post a Day

First off, you need consistency. If you’re one of these people who makes an Instagram post every three days or once a week, then a good target to set yourself is speed: uploading an Instagram post once every day. You might think that your photography might suffer as a result, but the point is that photography doesn’t have to be perfect. 

You can take a picture of anything beautiful, and you can do it in just a few seconds. This will help you build consistency and help you find new things to photograph that you might not have thought of before. Plus, when you come to make your Instagram photo book at the end of the year, you’ll be more than spoiled for choice!

Say Goodbye to Editing

In 2024, something we’ve all got to watch out for is AI. More specifically, we’ve got to look out for AI editing software. While AI might not be the big scary nemesis some people make it out to be, there are several dangers involved in utilising AI in the photo editing process. As photography is all about truth, the last thing we want to sell people is a lie. 

Touching up a photograph is fine, and often beneficial, but completely altering a photograph to make it more ‘perfect’ is a concerning trend starting to sweep over the photography landscape. In 2024, then, a good challenge to set yourself is saying no to editing software completely. It might sound like a backward path, but ‘keeping it real’ is becoming a bigger trend due to AI, and you can’t keep it more real than un-doctored photographs that show the real beauty of things.

Explore the World

One of the most common New Year resolutions is: ‘I should go travelling more’. But while this is a nice idea, there was a reason you haven’t gone travelling already. It costs money, and many of us don’t have the means to block out a few months for a globe-trotting adventure. 

Travelling, however, doesn’t have to mean going abroad. Here at MySocialBook, we’ve been writing blogs about the hiking trails of America, discussing all the best spots and trails that can reignite your photography. All you need to do is walk them!

Enter the Darker Realm

Whether it’s the lighting issues, the ISO settings, or the fact that we’re all tucked up and cosy in bed, not a lot of us take on night photography. In 2024, however, night photography can be a great way to push yourself as a photographer and say something different about the world we’re living in. 

No matter where you live, nighttime will never fail to change the world around you. Suddenly, ordinary scenery and subjects can shine with a silvery glow, or radiate an atmosphere that you had completely missed in the day. Not to mention, the new night mode on smartphones can provide you with clearer, lighter images than ever before, giving you the freedom to capture what you want, whenever you want.

Get Small

Lastly, if you want 2024 to be your biggest year for photography yet, then we’d suggest getting a little smaller. Macro photography is one of the most popular photography trends at the moment, as it allows you to get up close and personal with your subjects, capturing their essence in a more intimate, unique way.