52 by 52 — Weekly photo challenges set by accomplished photographers

52by52 — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:24:59 +0000

Members’ Book

The 52 by 52 Members’ Book is now available to purchase. It aims to showcase a small selection of the 1300+ images submitted to the project and tries to give a flavour of the diverse work created in a plethora of styles and formats.
More details →

Week #52

52by52 — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 07:00:55 +0000

Beauty’s Nothing. Show me your take on this.
— Nadav Kander

Nadav adds…
“My first book was titled ‘Beauty’s Nothing’, in it I showed loosely my views to challenge contemporary western perceptions of beauty. Is a crying child less beautiful than a smiling child.”

Nadav Kander | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Nadav Kander on Twitter.

Week #51

52by52 — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 07:00:01 +0000

Flip the script.
— Josh Cole

Josh adds…
“With my projects I always try to work against stereotypes and change people’s preconceptions. When I shoot in the slums around the world I try to reflect the energy, strength, hard work and positivity of people living in poverty which goes against the ‘charity’ view of miserable people with their hand out.

With the work I’ve done with Romany gypsy and Irish traveller communities in the UK I’ve tried to show how, in my experience, they are a proud, hardworking and noble people which totally goes against the ‘gypsy wedding’ view.

I want you to go out and show the unexpected side of a group of people, place or sub-culture and show it to the world.”

Josh Cole | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #50

52by52 — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 07:00:50 +0000

Bend it, break it, bin it.
— Palmer + Pawel

They add…
“Take one rule that you strongly believe or have been made to believe is essential in making a good photograph and bend it, break it, or even discard it completely. How many different ways / methods can you use to break the same rule? The key here is to experiment. To play around.

We are very ideas based and believe our best shoots are all born out of a good, solid idea. In order to get the most out of the idea, we believe research of the subject is essential. At which point we can fuse it all together through planning.

However, none of the above would matter if it weren’t for the very simple act of experimentation.”

Palmer + Pawel | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #49

52by52 — Thu, 02 Aug 2012 07:00:42 +0000

Movement in still images is a paradox. Combine movement and stillness in a single photograph.
— Bertil Nilsson

Bertil Nilsson | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #48

52by52 — Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:00:47 +0000

Take a photograph of an event. Focus on putting it in the context of the landscape and those watching.
— Simon Roberts

Simon adds…
“Consider taking it from an elevated position so you’re able to open up the mid-ground of the photograph, giving a greater depth to the image.”

Simon Roberts | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #47

52by52 — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 07:00:17 +0000

The world is forever changing; a rock spinning through space. The land we think we own is only borrowed. What stands today will be taken back over time. Photograph impermanence.
— Mitch Dobrowner

Mitch Dobrowner | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #46

52by52 — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 07:00:15 +0000

Shoot your subjects from behind.
— Irina Werning

Irina adds…
“You’d be amazed to see how much you can tell about them without showing their faces”

Irina Werning | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #45

52by52 — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 07:00:43 +0000

Try to see geometrically. Imagine that everything we see hides shapes, lines, circles, squares, triangles, spots…
— Gustavo Jononovich

Gustavo Jononovich | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #44

52by52 — Thu, 28 Jun 2012 07:00:35 +0000

Take a photograph of yourself, from behind the camera.
— Kate Peters

Kate adds…
“Photography for me is all about making those images that really resonate personally. They don’t come easily or often but every once in a while you produce something that rings true to who you are and what you feel.”

Kate Peters | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #43

52by52 — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 07:00:56 +0000

Make an image of unsustainability.
— Edward Burtynsky

Edward Burtynsky | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #42

52by52 — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 07:00:50 +0000

A portrait is to be given never taken… Use this as your guide and give a street portrait of a complete stranger.
— Steve Pyke

Steve Pyke | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #41

52by52 — Thu, 07 Jun 2012 07:00:04 +0000

Make a color photograph of a scene that has no (or very little) color. Think monochromatic.
— Christopher Anderson

Christopher Anderson | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #40

52by52 — Thu, 31 May 2012 07:00:26 +0000

The painter Bonnard said “Make little lies to tell a great truth”. Use that as your inspiration.
— Chloe Dewe Mathews

Chloe adds…
“The idea of photographs being lies, or only half truths is an old one. It’s always going to be a personal response, and we all edit the world to suit our vision of it. However if we accept that it can only make our image-making more intelligent and perhaps we can use it to our advantage? We all need to think about the truth we want to communicate and then work out ways of doing that.”

Chloe Dewe Mathews | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #39

52by52 — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:00:49 +0000

“Try again, fail again, fail better.”
(Samuel Beckett)— Richard Mosse

Richard adds…
“That phrase was pretty much the conceptual genesis for my recent work in Africa, titled Infra. Failure was a foundational and very important aspect of Infra. It’s hard to really risk everything as an artist, but I feel the best art comes when the artist is genuinely prepared to fail. So that’s why I’ve cherished the Beckett quote over the last couple of years. Each time I returned to Congo, I was genuinely trying to fail even better than I had before.”

Richard Mosse | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #38

52by52 — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:00:07 +0000

Photograph something that can never happen again.
— Harry Benson

Harry Benson | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #37

52by52 — Thu, 10 May 2012 07:00:17 +0000

Try to transform our world into an abstract image.
— Lucie & Simon

They add…
“A photograph is always a recording of our world, so it really means that photographers will have to put a part of themselves into action to transform what they see into an abstract image.

Playing with perspectives or gravity, looking up or down, playing with the focus, photographing from very far or very close are all elements which can transform reality into abstraction.

Good luck to everyone.”

Lucie & Simon | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #36

52by52 — Thu, 03 May 2012 07:00:27 +0000

Hope is the poor man’s bread. Photograph hope.
— Niall McDiarmid

Niall adds…
“There’s a tendency with many forms of photography be it reportage, street photography or even contemporary portraiture to concentrate on the bleaker and darker sides of life. This seems particularly telling at times of economic and political uncertainty. However photography also has the ability to look at situations in a positive and uplifting way. So try to capture or make an image that shows hope for the future.”

Niall McDiarmid | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #35

52by52 — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 07:00:10 +0000

Photograph your feelings in a state of boredom.
— Gerd Ludwig

Gerd Ludwig adds…
“As a photographer who shoots a lot on assignment for National Geographic Magazine, I sometimes find myself in a place where I feel completely bored. I sit there and think, ‘What am I doing here, how am I supposed to make an interesting photograph here?’

What I have found, is that if I consciously and intellectually look around me, and try to search out the individual objects creating my sense of boredom, I will open up and discover what is actually in front of my eyes. Maybe it’s just a lonely pair of shoes sitting against a blank wall, but all of a sudden, it clicks – that is the picture, that scene is communicating the truth of what is there.

It’s a process, a vehicle, I use to get me out of being unproductive because I am feeling bored, and into a place where I can make meaningful images.”

Gerd Ludwig | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #34

52by52 — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 07:00:44 +0000

Use your camera as an excuse to go and spend time with someone that you’ve always been curious about.
— Olivia Arthur

Olivia adds…
“It could be someone you know, that you’ve heard about or that you’ve seen but never had the courage to talk to.”

Olivia Arthur | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #33

52by52 — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:00:08 +0000

Create a portrait that expresses isolation in circumstances that are not isolated.
— Terry O’Neill

Terry O’Neill | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #32

52by52 — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 07:00:52 +0000

Close your eyes, turn your eyeballs around. Photograph what you see.
— Roger Ballen

Roger Ballen | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #31

52by52 — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 07:00:24 +0000

Try and apply a technique or style that is widely associated with a specific photographic genre and use it in an unconventional way.
— Maja Daniels

Maja adds…
“I came to think about the question in relation to my own practice. I have always enjoyed looking at different domains for inspiration and both fashion and sociology have taught me important lessons about how I want to approach my projects.

The fashion inspiration comes from the years I spent working with fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh. A lot of Peters work has a vibe of reportage or street photography to it. He started doing this at a time when most fashion photography still happened in the studio and I found this daring crossover approach very inspiring. For example his series of models on the streets of new york. There is a gallery of these pictures on his website under : Exhibitions – “On street“.

People have commented on my series “Mady & Monette“, pointing out how it looks a bit like a fashion series and I find that interesting.

Since a great part of Mady and Monette’s lives is about performing, both in front of cameras or on a stage as well as on the street, I wanted to include images of them posing for me in the project. But, I wanted to mix these more staged images with pictures of them interacting naturally as they go about their daily business. This combination works for me and I particularly like the fact that its not always obvious to tell the two approaches apart. Also, when I first spotted the sisters, I wasn’t quite sure that they were real so this addition of fiction makes for a dreamy atmosphere, a bit like a mirage that reflects my initial impression of them.

Additionally, I am sure the fashion “link” is also due to the setting, the streets of Paris make the perfect backdrop for such ambiguity to be played out, confusing us with it’s references to fashion, film and art. It makes the documenting of everyday events somewhat surreal.

I like that the series can play with certain aesthetics that are not as clearly cut as, say, traditional documentary photography. However, the series remain deeply rooted in the story of the lives of Mady and Monette.”

Maja Daniels | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #30

52by52 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:00:20 +0000

Take a photograph that is strong and necessary of something which is not photogenic.
— Paolo Woods

Paolo Woods | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #29

52by52 — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 08:00:43 +0000

Make a portrait where the primary goal is to engineer intimacy from a situation that is fundamentally artificial.
— Chris Floyd

Chris adds…
“I often photograph people in situations and environments that are artificial and in no way intimate. For example, actors in hotel rooms on press junkets. We are surrounded by the paraphernalia of the film PR set up, other people, noise, etc. And also, a short window of time in which to execute it. The intimacy we create will, in itself, be fake because it won’t be the natural kind that in real life might take days or weeks. It’s an inherently fake situation.

Out of all that I am trying to pull an image that is quiet, thoughtful and intimate. This requires me, through my interaction with them, to put them in a place where they actually forget all that and the moment just becomes something that only exists between them and my camera.

When it comes it can feel like a few moments of weightlessness and that’s when I grab it.”

Chris Floyd | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #28

52by52 — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:00:11 +0000

Take two things that do not fit together, and put them together.
— Klaus Pichler

Klaus Pichler | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #27

52by52 — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 08:00:46 +0000

Use the Random Point Generator to pick the exact location where you make a photograph: geomidpoint.com/random
— Alec Soth

Alec adds…
“My instruction is a digital version of throwing a dart on a map”

To take part:

Go to the generator
Type in the village, town or city you’d like to take your photograph within
(adding your country can narrow down the results)
Click ‘Find it’
Enter the maximum distance you’d like to travel from the location
Click “Get random point” then “See it on map” to find your location
Travel to the location and take a picture

Alec Soth | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #26

52by52 — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 08:20:18 +0000

Go into your archive and find an orphaned photo as an inspiration for a new photo – have it feed your consciousness, to inspire a newer – and better – version.
— Donald Weber

Donald adds…
“Look for something a little odd, something you feel isn’t quite right – what is it about that discarded picture that is interesting? Could be interesting? What does it say that will inform you for the next picture?”

Donald Weber | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #25

52by52 — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 08:00:46 +0000

Photograph something you’ve been looking at or walking past for a long time, but which you’ve never photographed before.
— Palani Mohan

Palani Mohan | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #24

52by52 — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:00:16 +0000

Take a photograph that depicts the binding and bonding of people local to you.
— Jim Mortram

Jim adds…
“For example a local community event or a place where members of your community meet together, a Social Club, a jumble sale, a Village or Town hall, a protest, a wedding, funeral or fair… any situation that focuses upon the coming together of your local community.”

Jim Mortram | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #23

52by52 — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:08 +0000

Find a situation or environment that puts you ill at ease, or embarrasses you, and make an image.
— Benjamin Lowy

Benjamin Lowy | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #22

52by52 — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:54 +0000

Don’t simply take a photograph of something that is in front of you, but instead focus on an idea that you find interesting.
— Marc Wilson

Marc adds…
“In other words think first about your subject matter and then find the object or scene to photograph that portrays it.”

Marc Wilson | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #21

52by52 — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 08:00:52 +0000

Take a photograph that reveals something about yourself that you’ve never shown before.
— Phillip Toledano

Phillip Toledano | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #20

52by52 — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:32 +0000

Photograph to make sense of the past: what has been, and how it has affected what has come after.
— David Maisel

David Maisel | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #19

52by52 — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:40 +0000

Choose your favourite poem and try to represent a line of it visually.
— Marcus Bleasdale

Marcus Bleasdale | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #18

52by52 — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 09:00:23 +0000

Ask someone if you can spend half an hour in their company whilst you try and capture their true essence / personality.
— Jenny Wicks

Jenny adds…
“They can be family, friends or just someone you’re intrigued by. Really look at them as a whole, not just the obvious ‘face’. It’s a real lesson in observational photography and a test to see if you can relax into the situation.”

Jenny Wicks | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #17

52by52 — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 08:00:19 +0000

Use light to isolate a subject and draw the viewer to the picture.
— David Ellis

David Ellis | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #16

52by52 — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 08:00:30 +0000

Think of your surrounding as elements of light, not objects.
— Matthew Niederhauser

Matthew adds…
“Find an urban or natural landscape you wish to photograph and scrutinize it for a full fifteen minutes. Slow down and concentrate on the details.”

Matthew Niederhauser | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #15

52by52 — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:00:18 +0000

Take the greatest picture you can of that in which you truly believe.
— Simon Norfork

Simon Norfork | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #14

52by52 — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:48 +0000

Take a photo that captures three distinctive actions within the same frame.
— Tomas Van Houtryve

Tomas Van Houtryve | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #13

52by52 — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 08:00:45 +0000

Take a picture at night – however, added flash or long exposures are not allowed – use solely available light, whether artificial or natural.
— Mikko Takkunen

Mikko Takkunen | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #12

52by52 — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 08:00:17 +0000

“If a photographer cares about the people before the lens and is compassionate, much is given. It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.” (Eve Arnold)
— David Chancellor

David adds…
“This has ‘stuck’ in my mind since my college days, it had a profound effect on me. I hope it might inspire the group to think differently about their approach to the people they photograph both now and in the future.”

David Chancellor | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #11

52by52 — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:20 +0000

Photograph something that you have never shot before, in a style you have never used before, so the photo is not recognisable as yours!
— Martin Parr

Martin Parr | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #10

52by52 — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:00:23 +0000

Get wet. Take a photograph in the rain using the elements of the situation to your visual advantage.
— Peter Dench

Peter Dench | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #9

52by52 — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 07:00:36 +0000

Take a natural scene and distill it down into its fundamental components to make the simplest and strongest statement.
— Fran Halsall

Fran adds…
“In other words can you make a ‘landscape’ out of one, two or three elements only? Consider how these parts can generate a narrative between themselves using contrasting textures, colours, tones, shapes.”

Fran Halsall | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #8

52by52 — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 07:00:10 +0000

Recreate a famous photograph – one that you greatly admire.
— John MacLean

John adds…
“In order to achieve this, you will need to disassemble your chosen image into its elements before you reassemble them into your homage. Impart your personality on these elements – give them a twist!”

John MacLean | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #7

52by52 — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:00:55 +0000

Photograph at least one person who lives on the same street as you (with their permission).
— James O Jenkins

James O Jenkins | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #6

52by52 — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 07:00:18 +0000

Pick one place and don’t move from it for one hour making as many beautiful images as you can from that one point of view.
— Ami Vitale

Ami adds…
“The lesson is that slowing down, literally, forces you to become a much keener observer of life. I took this lesson to heart and its made me a much better photographer by being still. So much happens but we often miss the real moments while constantly pursuing them.”

Ami Vitale | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #5

52by52 — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:00:41 +0000

Try to capture an unposed picture that contains the elements of a story, a strong sense of geometry and evokes an emotion in the viewer.
— Craig Semetko

Craig adds…
“Don’t be discouraged – it’s very difficult and time consuming to get all three in one shot – but when you do you’ll really have something.”

Craig Semetko | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #4

52by52 — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 07:00:22 +0000

“Nameless, wondrous, fleeting, moments are the truest treasure” (Rabindranath Tagore)
— Cate Davies

Cate Davies | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #3

52by52 — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 07:00:12 +0000

Capture an honest portrait of a complete stranger in the street.
— Steven R. Hazlett

Steven R. Hazlett | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr

Week #2

52by52 — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 08:53:18 +0000

The background is as important as the sitter (yourself).
— Sam Reynolds

Shoot The Living | 52 by 52 Group on Flickr