Self-assignments

From an original list by George Schaub

In Digital Photography

Under the Fair Use doctrine, this is a greatly extended version of the original list.

There are a number of things you can task yourself with doing. No matter what kind of camera or phone-cam you use, trying these out, one per day, will improve your photography. Never stop learning; never stop trying new things!

Manual Exposure mode
Aperture Exposure mode
Shutter-priority Exposure mode
Spot metering mode with compensation
Focal lengths and perspective effects
Center-weighted with exposure Lock
Long tele compression (stacking)
Backlighting
Monochrome with filter effects
Color complements
Picture style settings
White balance effects
Long exposure (motion blur)
Really Long exposure (night sky as backlight)
Capture texture with low angle light
Matrix vs. center-weighted readings
Tone Curve control
Fill reflector
Spotlit shot
ISO effects
Deep depth of field
Shallow depth of field (Focus on the foreground)
Super wide-angle lenses (rent)
Tilt/shift lens for buildings (buy cheap, or rent)
Flash exposure compensation
Bracketing and HDR
Panoramas (stitching software)
Noise and noise filtration
Fill flash
Multiple flash (buy a cheap slave flash)
Shadow as a compositional element
Sunsets (yes everybody does them - just do yours)
Portraits - individual - natural light
Portraits - individual - artificial light
Portraits - group - natural light
Portraits - group - artificial light
Baby pictures
Belly pictures
Birds
Flowers
Snow/Mud/Sand/whatever