26 PHOTO PROJECTS FOR 2026!
Wendy Evans serves up a platter of projects for you to tackle over the next 12 months
January can be the dullest month of the year. With the festive season in the rear-view mirror, there are only months of cold, wet weather ahead until spring arrives. However, don’t despair because not only do we have a selection of photo project ideas for the year ahead, we’ve also got some ideas to rouse you from your winter torpor, when the weather is friends only to polar bears and ducks.
So discover how to create stop-motion animation, bag some new gear at bargain prices, tackle heavy industry, get moody with prison life and take hope from the cheery optimism of the red-breasted robin.
Before you know it, spring will soon be here again, bringing with it plants, animals and insects galore to shoot. Think of the misty sunrises, solitary trees in green fields and burgeoning pond life with frogs and toads.
Come summer, there will be rows of sunflowers as far as the eye can see, big cats on the prowl, seashells on the seashore, vintage festivals and the staccato tapping of woodpeckers to be heard. Finally, autumn offers everything from conkers to deer, waterfalls, still-life projects and even a gothic weekender.
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Alamy / Aardman/Dreamworks Productions
WINTER
Wrap up warm for cold weather projects
01 STOP-MOTION ANIMATION
A Nick Park animation is now obligatory viewing over the Christmas period, so if it’s raining outside, why not turn your hand to the art of stop-motion animation? You need to assemble your props – ideally, ones that can be made to move and stand up on their own, create the set and position your lights. Then plan it all out, including the time needed for dialogue.
TOP TIPS
● For frame rates (this is how many images you take per second of action), 15fps is smooth, 10fps is noticeably uneven and 5fps is crude.
● Take a test shot, then go to manual to set the aperture and shutter speed to avoid lighting variations.
● Take another shot, then calculate how far the elements can move in x frames/sec. Load the images into a video editor and render as a video.
Getty / josefkubes
02 HEAVY INDUSTRY
Shoot at dusk when the artificial lights of the industrial complex will contrast with the blue sky and clouds. Unless you have written permission to fly a drone, you will be shooting from the ground.
TOP TIPS
● Stay on public land. Bring a tripod for longer exposures, which will make any steam start to blur. Aim for a shutter speed of around 4-8 secs for this.
● If there’s a water source, position it in the foreground. Use a reflector to cut out what’s under the surface, making the reflections from the site more defined.
● Unless you are right outside, you’ll probably need a short telephoto rather than a super-wide-angle lens. Dial in f/8 for the aperture and focus on the reflections.
03 UPGRADE AND REFRESH YOUR PHOTO GEAR
New year means new challenges and, consequently, new gear. Well, that’s our excuse for picking up a new lens or camera anyway. Whether it’s your Christmas wish list or the New Year sales, winter is the perfect time to add to your gear or go for that dream upgrade. There are discounts to be had on brand new cameras but if you’re happy with an older mirrorless or DSLR, there’s a great deal of excellent kit available from trusted outlets like MPB, plus leading retailers like Wex and Park Cameras. As people trade up to newer cameras and lenses, it’s a chance to pick up products that previously might have been out of your price range. With pre-owned kit being carefully assessed upon trade-in, you’ll get peace of mind as well as far more affordable prices.