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College Photography Projects

College photography classes provide a wealth of knowledge and technical information to the budding amateur. At the end of the academic term, a project that demonstrates the student's progress is usually due. As photography is largely a creative art, the concept of the project is left up to the student. If you're having a difficult time deciding on a theme to pursue, there are plenty of ideas to spark your imagination.

Color Study
- Select a color that you favor or find intriguing and document it extensively. Choosing a common color such as red will provide you with an endless amount of subjects to photograph including stoplights, firetrucks or fresh tomatoes at a farmer's market. For a more challenging approach ,pick a color that's found less often during your every day routine, such as sea-foam green. This will sharpen your photographer's eye and provide you with vibrant, unique pictures.
Monochrome Montage
- Black and white makes a photograph instantly timeless.
  
  Try shooting in purely black and white or sepia (amber-brown) for an extended period of time. Although color adds realism to any photograph, it can also distract from the subtler points of an image. Demonstrate your keen eye for shadow, tone and contrast by creating a montage of your best monochrome shots. When shooting for this project, look for subjects or scenes that lend themselves to monochromatic representation: a quiet gully in the woods, a portrait by soft diffused light or an empty city street.
A Stranger a Day
- This project utilizes the camera as an instrument of social interaction and is one way to create powerful portraits while making new friends. Roam around your college campus or the streets of a downtown plaza with your camera and strike up a conversation with a person who catches your eye. Explain your project in a friendly manner and they'll likely to let you photograph them. Try conversing with them from behind the lens to create a casual, natural-looking portrait. Bring a small memo pad and pen to take down their name for future reference.
Light Study
- This building will look much less striking in the bright afternoon light.
  
  Light makes objects and places look very different throughout the day. On your early morning walks to class, photograph buildings in the cool morning light from a certain vantage point. Repeat the photograph, from the same vantage point, at noon, late afternoon, dusk and nightfall. The results will present a captivating look at light, time and how the mood or tone of a scene is affected by both. Feel free to experiment with your subjects--large trees, abandoned vehicles and people make all work.

Photography