52 Weeks of Photography : 2022
Welcome to the fourth iteration of my 52 week challenge!
Whether you’re a veteran of this challenge, or this will be your first year joining us, you’re in for a year of growth as a photographer and artist. Like last year, the prompts will be a mixture of more guided and abstract. This year is a bit more structured around inspiration and interpretation than it was last year. Prompts are segmented in to four week themes, each with a couple concrete prompts, an artist spotlight (not just photographers!), and a prompt which is completely open to interpretation.
We also have a segment dedicated to working directly with peers, so if you’re not joined in our discord, facebook, or subreddit yet, I would highly recommend it! If social media is not your jam, feel free to get some photography friends on board to follow along with you. I promise you that this experience is much better with the support of others also taking part.
So, how do you submit? That’s up to you! Here are the options:
Instagram. Use the hashtag #clondon52 and #clondon52w1 (where ‘1’ equates to the week we’re currently working through.)
Flickr. Join the group 52 Weeks with C. London. Be sure to title or subtitle your image with the week number we are currently working through.
Reddit. Join the subreddit r/clondon52. Be sure to title or comment with the week number we are currently working through.
Facebook. Join the group 52 Weeks with C. London. There will be a dedicated album for each weeks’ prompt to which you will add your photos.
Email. Don’t do social media? No problem! Email me your submissions to chelsea@clondon.me. Please put 52 Weeks in the subject headline and let me know how you’d like to be credited and linked back to in the inevitability that I share your work in any recaps.
No matter how you participate and submit, join in our Discord server where you’ll be able to interact with other participants in real time. It’s a great way to get feedback, bounce ideas off one another, or just discuss whatever is on your mind at any given time. Here’s the invite link.
Below you will see each week’s prompts so that you may prepare and brainstorm in advance if you so choose. Simply bookmark this page to revisit it each week.
Let’s get this show on the road!
Any questions throughout? Contact me:
chelsea@clondon.me | instagram: @clondon | flickr: c.london | reddit: /u/clondon
Week 1 | January 1-8
Setting Goals
In the next year we will challenge ourselves as photographers and artists. Setting goals is the first step in that journey. Right now in this moment think about what you’d like to achieve. Are you hoping to get better at portraits? Maybe you want to be able to document your travels more coherently? Maybe you just want to give yourself a new hobby and artistic outlet.
For our first week, set a goal and make a photograph which demonstrates that goal. We will revisit this midway through and at the end of the year.
Week 2 | January 8-15
Your Passion
Let’s see what makes you tick. Make a photo that shows what you love - you can be as concrete or abstract with this as you’d like. For example, if you’re a musician, you can take a photo of your instrument (concrete), or maybe a long exposure of someone dancing (abstract). Try and highlight what makes this your passion so that a viewer can interpret your love and respect for whatever it is.
Week 3 | January 15-22
Artist Spotlight : Astrid Kirchherr
Maybe a selfish choice for the first artist spotlight, but I’ve always had admiration for Astrid Kirchherr. She’s best known for photographing The Beatles in their Hamburg days, which I think is fitting for a week about passion and goals. I moved to Hamburg on a whim in 2009, never having visited the city, but I already felt like I knew it - at least a piece of it - from Astrid’s work. Her love and passion reads so clearly through her photographs, and always made me as a viewer feel that love. That’s something I’ve always aspired to do with my work - make my viewers feel what I feel when I took the photo.
For this week, I want you to take some time to look through Astrid’s work, and pull anything from it that inspires you.
Helpful links: Wikipedia | RollingStone Profile | Snap Gallery
Week 4 | January 22-29
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Commitment
Week 5 | January 29-February 5
Something Familiar
Something a lot of photographers struggle with is inspiration. This often manifests from the mundane droll of everyday life. To that I say: that's your everyday life, and what may be uninspiring to you may be fascinating to another. All our life experiences are different. So to recalibrate a little, find something that you interact with every day (thing, place, person, animal, etc.) and photograph that. Try photographing it from at least ten different angles, play with lighting (reflecting light, table lamps, or if you’re fancy whatever photographic lighting set-up you have.) Choose the one best from what you’ve created and share that.
Week 6 | February 5-12
A Day in the Life
This is one of my all-time favorite exercises, and the second time I’ve included it in the prompts. It’s a bit involved, so stay with me. Choose one day this week where you will document the entire day - from the moment you wake up, to the moment you go to sleep. Aim to take at least one photo every hour. At the end, cull it down to no more than 10 photos which tell the story of your day. Then, choose just one hero photo which sums it up in its entirety.
Week 7 | February 12-19
Artist Spotlight : Edward Hopper
Edward Hopper is known for his slice of life paintings. You may already be familiar with one of his most recognizable work, Nighthawks, depicting into the window of a corner diner from the outside. An expert in realism, Hopper creates scenes of everyday life in a captivating and thought-provoking way.
This week look over Hopper’s images and draw inspiration from subdued drama, creating an image which shows the normal in a captivating way.
Helpful links: Wikipedia | National Gallery of Art | List of Works
Week 8 | February 19-26
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION: Domestic
Week 9 | February 26-March 5
Outside
Get yourself outdoors and try out some of that beautiful natural light. Try different times of the day and weather conditions. You can reverse deep in to the nearest forest, head to a desolate beach, or simply lean out your window - whatever is available to you, just get that camera out from the inside.
Week 10 | March 5-12
High Noon
High noon is one of the more despised time of day for many photographers. The sun is, well, high, and that light is harsh, so I understand how this may lend itself to be a major challenge. But remember, with harsh light come harsh shadows, maybe intentional lens flare, artfully blown out highlights, etc etc. Have fun experimenting with conditions you may not be comfortable with - look for light reflecting off windows, or cascading over a fence creating patterned shadows. Make the like work for you, not you having to work around it.
Week 11 | March 12-19
Artist Spotlight : Fan Ho
Fan Ho was not afraid of strong light and shadows - his work bent whatever light was given to him in graphic and compositionally unique ways. His depiction of everyday life was elevated to fine art with silhouettes, rim lighting, and bright backlit glows around his subjects.
Really soak in Fan Ho’s strong compositions and use them for inspiration for this week’s photo.
Helpful Links: Official Site | Wikipedia
Week 12 | March 19-26
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Beaming
Week 13 | March 26-April 2
Color Theory
Color theory is something I’m extremely passionate about - so much so that in the past I dedicated multiple weeks to its various aspects. This year we’re going to do it a little differently, however. Instead of breaking it down, and arguably beating it to death (no such thing!), we’re going to look at color with broad strokes. For this week, I want you to focus on color as an abstract, that isn't to say to make an abstract photo, unless you want to. What I mean is just have it in the forefront of your mind. Look through the link below for an introduction into color theory, as well - you’ll need it for next week!
For more information about color theory, see this blog post on color theory.
Week 14 | April 2-9
Color Schemes
Referring back to the introduction to color theory, this week you should pick one color scheme and utilize it in your image. As a reminder, some basic schemes include: complementary, analogous, and monochrome. If you want to get a bit more advanced, use this helpful tool via Adobe to explore some other schemes such as compound, triad, or split complementary.
For more information about color theory, see this blog post on color theory.
Week 15 | April 9-16
Artist Spotlight : Martin Parr
Known for his vibrant colors, Martin Parr’s work documents the everyday in a hyper-real way. Often comical, his well placed colors heighten the scene from what may seem mundane to something with true character.
Helpful links: Official site | Wikipedia | Magnum Photos
Week 16 | April 16-23
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Saturated
Week 17 | April 23-30
Compositional Guidelines
There are many compositional guidelines that photographers use to highlight different aspects of their images. Like color theory, in years passed, we dedicated multiple weeks to individual guidelines, but this year I want to give you a little more freedom. Start with this blog post about compositional guidelines and choose one which you'd like to try out for this week. Bonus points to anyone who also incorporates a specific color scheme.
Week 18 | April 30-May 7
Mise-en-scène
In simplest terms, mise-en-scène is everything in front of the camera. That may sound a bit glib, but it is all encompassing and takes composition, props, sets, costumes, people, literally everything visible into account. Being aware of every element in a scene, gives one incredible control of what message is being portrayed to a viewer. It’s also something that is often overlooked by photographers. Ever ask for feedback and been told “that trash on the ground is distracting from your model”? Had the photographer taken a moment to notice every visible element, they may have been able to remove the trash, as it wasn’t part of the story they were trying to tell. This easily can be all overwhelming, so I’ll just say this: for this week, notice everything in your photograph. If you can, stage the photograph and place and remove elements to further your message. Here’s the wikipedia for mise-en-scène, if you’d like some more information.
Week 19 | May 7-14
Artist Spotlight : Wes Anderson
Some of you may already know that I studied film in college, and in a former life worked in television and film. Those who aren’t aware of that must not have joined me in any of my workshops - because attendees sure did hear my gushing of this week’s spotlight. I won’t bore you all with my analytical take on Wes Anderson’s use of color and staging (ie: mise-en-scène), because there’re endless articles, theses, and videos of people way more qualified than I discussing just that. If you’re not familiar with his films, watch at least one this week and take note of how he places his actors, props, uses color, and costuming. Then just simply search “Wes Anderson mise-en-scène” and immerse yourself in the results. This is where your inspiration will come for this week.
Helpful links: Wikipedia | IMDb | Wes Anderson’s Color Palettes | The Mise-en-scène of Wes Anderson
Week 20 | May 14-21
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Scene
Week 21 | May 21-28
Portrait of a Friend
Let’s do portraits! Find a willing model (yes, your dog will do just fine) and work to capture their personality in the image. Pay attention to lighting, posing, and environment, and try and showcase them in a way that is natural for them.
Week 22 | May 28-June 4
Self Portrait
Oh no. The dreaded self-portrait. Listen, I’m the first to hate having the lens turned on myself. That said, years back I forced myself to become comfortable with it by doing a 365 day self-portrait project. And I learnt a lot. For this week you are the subject. Be as literal or creative with this as you’d like.
Week 23 | June 4-11
Artist Spotlight : Frida Kahlo
Known for her self-portraits, Frida managed to create a renowned body of work using common themes, but with such a distinctness from one image to the other. Her voice was so defined that her work is some of the most recognizable. The past few segments we’ve focused on color, composition, and portraiture, and who better to bring all those elements together than Frida?
Helpful links: Wikipedia | Official site | MoMA
Week 24 | June 11-18
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Empathy
Week 25 | June 18-25
Check-In
We’re coming up on the middle of the year. How has it been so far? Have you been able to keep up? If so, color me impressed! I know just how difficult this challenge can be and how easy it is to let the weeks slip by.
For you, the ones who are all caught up, your prompt this week is to go back and find your one favorite and your one least favorite images from the challenge so far. Break down what it is that you like about the favorite, and what challenges you faced with the least favorite. Try and be extra critical, and if you’re open to it, share them on our subreddit, discord, flickr discussion board, or facebook group and ask for feedback from your peers. You now have the option of recreating the least favorite with your critical eye in mind. While you may not be able to recreate it exactly, use it as an inspirational jumping off point and focus on what you’d like to improve about it.
For those who haven’t been able to stay on top of the challenge, don’t get down on yourself! Life happens, and priorities shift. Use this week as a catch up week. Go back and look at the prompts you’ve missed - get caught up on one or all of them, and continue on with the next week’s prompt, missing previous weeks or not.
Week 26 | June 25-July 2
Reevaluating Goals
We’re halfway through! Congrats on making it this far! How are you going on your initial goal from week one? Often times challenges like this one will lead you off your initial track and make you reevaluate what your goal is. On the other hand, you may have become even more dedicated to your original goal. Both are okay!
The image this week should be a revisit of that original goal. If you want to do a full-on remake of the original, that’s great! If you’d prefer to start over with a whole new vision, also great!
Week 27 | July 2-9
One Light
Time to play with artificial light! Your challenge this week is to use one artificial light and one only to light your image. You don’t have to have any fancy set-up, a table lamp or the flashlight on your phone will do just fine. Subject is up to you, just no cheating with multiple light sources!
Week 28 | July 9-16
Unconventional Light
Some of the most interesting light comes from unconventional places - a bon fire, a TV set, headlights of a car, etc etc. For this week the main light source should be from something other than the sun or light bulbs. Be as creative!
Week 29 | July 16-23
Artist Spotlight : Alfred Hitchcock
Probably the most famous silhouette is that of Alfred Hitchcock. A master of storytelling, he uses light and shadows to create tension and further the narrative. If you haven’t seen any Hitchcock films, you’re in for a lot of fun this week. While watching your choice film, notice the lighting and how it’s adding to the overall experience. This is your inspiration for this week.
Helpful links: Wikipedia | IMDb
Week 30 | July 23-30
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Simulated
Week 31 | July 30-August 6
What are you Reading?
It could be a novel, poem, short story, or even just a blog post. For this week I want you to pull inspiration from something you’ve recently read. Try and show the viewer something about the writing that spoke to you.
Week 32 | August 6-13
A Notable Character from a Book
You can take this as literally or figuratively as you like. Think of a book character who stands out to you and use them as inspiration. You can dress up like them and flex those self portrait muscles, or depict their aura, if you will.
Week 33 | August 13-20
Artist Spotlight : Edgar Allen Poe
I chose Poe for this week for a few reasons: he has a very strong voice and aesthetic, and he is digestible. If you haven’t read any Poe, you can knock out a few of his poems in an hour. While you read his work, pay attention to the visuals coming to your mind and use those as a launching off point for this week’s photo.
Helpful links: Wikipedia | Project Gutenburg
Week 34 | August 20-27
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Narrative
Week 35 | August 27-September 3
What are you Watching?
We’ve focused a bit on cinema in previous weeks, but we’re going to open it up a little bit. This week I want you to draw inspiration from either a film or a TV show you’ve recently watched. Similar to Week 31, notice what it is about the film or show that interests you and incorporate that into your photo this week.
Week 36 | September 3-10
A Notable Character from Film or Television
There are so many stand out characters from film and TV, so you’ve got a lot to choose from here. If in Week 32 you went more literal with the prompt, I would suggest using this week to be more figurative, and vice versa.
Week 37 | September 10-17
Artist Spotlight : Denis Villeneuve
Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Dune. Maybe I’m outing myself as a SciFi enthusiast, but I think it’s not a stretch to call Denis Villeneuve as one of the strongest contemporary voices in cinema at the moment. I personally pull a lot of inspiration from his use of scale and color. Choose one of his films, or study some stills from his films for your inspiration this week.
Helpful links: Wikipedia | IMDb | Anatomy of a Scene
Week 38 | September 17-24
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION : Boxed-In
Week 39 | September 24-October 1
Inspired by a Song
Let’s get a 52 Weeks playlist going! This week, draw inspiration from a song of your choice. Is it a deep and meaningful song, or just one which makes you happy? Play off those emotions for your photo this week. And yes, please share the song with us!
Week 40 | October 1-8
Music while Photographing
Ever have your headphones on, walking down the street when an uptempo beat comes on? Notice how that changes your stride as you go from a mundane walk to strutting your stuff up like a model on the catwalk? Music has a major affect on how we interact. If you don’t normally photograph with music in the background, this is the week to try it out. Take note of what songs play and which images they line up with - you might be surprised as the tone shifts.
Week 41 | October 8-15
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT : Musician of Your Choice
Music is so divisive, and trying to elicit inspiration from music that doesn’t jell with you would not necessarily be constructive. So, for this artist spotlight, I’m letting you choose any musician that you want to focus on. Be sure to share with us who it is!
Week 42 | October 15-22
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION: Harmony
Week 43 | October 22-29
Feedback from a Peer
One of the most daunting parts of anyone photography journey is getting quality feedback from peers. It’s daunting, yes, but also integral to our growth as photographers. Reach out to a peer (can I recommend the discord for this?) and ask for specific and constructive feedback on any of your images. Take that feedback and reimagine that image with their feedback in mind.
Week 44 | October - November 5
Feedback to a Peer
Giving feedback helps the recipient, of course, but it also helps you to dissect photographs in a constructive way, which strengthens your critical eye. With consent from a peer, give them constructive feedback on an image of their choice. Take note of what you’ve noticed about their image and use those notes to create an image of your own. For example, if it’s a portrait with some distracting elements, you can make your own portrait being sure that there’s no distracting elements.
Having trouble finding a willing participant? I will gladly be your feedback recipient.
Week 45 | November 5-12
Artist Spotlight : A Peer of Your Choice
Whether it’s someone from one of our 52 Weeks community, a member of your local photography club, or a friend who also happens to be a photographer, choose a peer to draw inspiration from. Choose one of their images and recreate it within your own voice. It doesn’t have to be an exact replica, but an homage.
Week 46 | November 12-19
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION: Community
Week 47 | November 19-26
Out of Your Element
We’ve been at this for almost an entire year. I’m sure you’ve been put in situations which are out of your element already. For this week, I want that to be very intentional. Photograph a genre you aren’t comfortable with or in a style entirely different than what you’re used to. Just push yourself to get out of your comfort zone this week.
Week 48 | November 26-December 3
Your Voice
You may feel that you don’t have a distinct voice just yet, and that’s entirely okay! It takes years to truly nail down your voice, and most artists find that their voice is constantly changing. What do you think is integral to your voice at this moment? Is it how you use color, or the subjects you choose? Whatever it is, show it with this week’s image.
Week 49 | December 3-10
Artist Spotlight : Dealer’s Choice
Who inspires you? It could be another photographer, a filmmaker, writer, musician, traditional artist, etc. Share with us who inspires you.
Week 50 | December 10-17
OPEN FOR INTERPRETATION: Growth
Week 51 : December 17-24
Lesson Learned
Explore something new you learned in the past year of weekly prompts and create an image with that new skill in mind.
Week 52 | December 24-31
Revisiting Goals
We’ve made it! 52 weeks later! Let’s revisit those initial goals. How did you fare? Are you feeling more confident in your own work? More focused on where you want to go from here? I hope it was a year of growth, new photography friends, and inspiration.
For our final image, we’re going to recreate the image from either week one or week 26 (your choice!) I’d also love it if you accompanied that image with something you’ve gained from this experience. Congrats on making it through!
If you have any feedback on the experience, you know how to find me!
