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Home » Photography Challenges » Shoot at 100 Paces – Photography Challenge
Shoot at 100 Paces – Photography Challenge

Shoot at 100 Paces – Photography Challenge

by Darlene Hildebrandt | Last Updated: March 31, 2020

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Usually, this type of term refers to a different kind of shooting, but for this month’s photography challenge, you will need to use your camera and your imagination. This will be a photo walk of sorts.

yellow leaves on a branch - photography challenge
Fall is in the air. Look up at the trees for ideas!
Iron door handles - photography challenge
Get closer and look at details of things.

Shoot at 100 Paces

Here are the details:

  1. Find a starting point for your walk. You can start from home or head to a local park or popular street that’s bustling with activity.
  2. Take ONE photo from the starting point. You can make it a reference shot if you want just to show the scene.
  3. Then walk 100 paces in any direction. Pick one that may lead you to some interesting subject matter, or not and give yourself an extra challenge. Take at least 3 photos from that spot. This time not just reference shots but get creative. Try to make something interesting from whatever is now in front of you. Find a bug and get close-up for some macro shots. Use a slow shutter speed to pan a cyclist going by or to create some intentional camera movement and blur. Or do a street portrait of a stranger. The idea is to try and make something – out of nothing! This is to stretch your powers of observation and to get you thinking outside the box. You do NOT need to go to an exotic location to make interesting photos.
  4. Repeat 4-6 more times. Do this as many times as you wish. Continue to walk 100 paces, stop and take 3 photos each time you stop. If 100 paces aren’t enough to change your scenario, feel free to go 200 if that works better for your location.

For some help read: Make the Ordinary Look Extraordinary – Photography Challenge (that challenge is over but you may get some ideas from the images and tips there. 

white peeling paint - photography challenge
Look for texture! To maximize the effect make sure you have a hard light source (bright sun) and side lighting as you see here.

Read: How to Create Texture in your Photographs

shadows on a brick wall - photography challenge
Try black and white. Look for shadows!

Here’s what previous participants had to say about this challenge:

I tend to be “in a hurry” so the challenge helped me to slow down and be more careful about the subjects I was photographing. In the end, I think I got fewer images but more “keepers”. It was a lot of fun. – Maria Rebelo

I saw so many cool things that I wouldn’t have noticed had I not taken the time to stop, look up and look down. Another 100 paces took me to the ferry dock at Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken, NJ. The screws caught my eye. I don’t think I would have looked at it the same way without this challenge. – Nina Soiferz

It is quite hard to find something interesting in an everyday environment. Yet, I’ve decided to do shots around my house because of that. I will find more interesting things and will do more photos. It is so cool to show such pictures to neighbors – they have not seen the area in this way. – Andrey

Here are some more ideas of what to look for and shoot as you’re walking.

flags and a car dealership sign - photography challenge
Can’t find anything to shoot? Look up!
coffee sign - photography challenge
This was in the window of a neat little shop. Just be careful photographing in windows, you may get asked or told to stop. If so, respect the shop owner’s wishes.
grass in the sun - photography challenge
Get down low! If you can find anything up high, get down on all fours and look closer. This is just ordinary grass!
window sill with graffiti - photography challenge
Try unique angles, wide open apertures. Look for graffiti.

Winner Chosen

This photography challenge was run previously and a winner was chosen. We had many participants and there were a lot of great images and stories shared, and most importantly – a lot of lessons learned.

The Prize

The winner of this months photography challenge had a choice between:

  • Our 4 Weeks to Better Photography online course (retail value $29-49)
  • My Lightroom Presets (retail value $29)

And the winner is . . .

From all the qualifying entries one name was randomly selected.

Congratulations to Nina Soifer who opted to receive a set of my Lightroom Presets.

Enjoy!

You can still participate on your own, but no further entries will be considered eligible.

Cheers,
Darlene Hildebrandt photographer DPM

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About Darlene Hildebrandt

Darlene is an educator who teaches aspiring amateurs and hobbyists how to improve their skills through her articles here on Digital Photo Mentor, her beginner photography course, and private tutoring lessons. To help you at whatever level you're at she has two email mini-courses. Sign up for her free beginner OR portrait photography email mini-course. Or get both, no charge!

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There's NEVER been a better time to get Luminar Neo. With this Ultimate Photography Bundle promotion, you recieve the Luminar Neo software, hundreds of LUT's, Skies, presets and overlays, a Landscape Photography editing course, a Drone photography course and my very own Portrait Fundamentals course, along with a number of other items.

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