Photography Goals I’m Working on Right Now
Photography is one of those crafts that never really settles. You can have a solid handle on exposure and composition, feel like you're hitting your stride—and then, out of nowhere, it hands you a fresh challenge. That’s part of what makes it so rewarding.
I wouldn’t say I’ve got it all figured out. Far from it. But I’ve found that waiting for inspiration to strike doesn’t get me very far. What does help is setting a few focused goals—giving myself something specific to work on and letting the process take me somewhere new. Lately, I’ve been feeling a little restless and eager to keep learning, so I’ve given myself three challenges. Here’s what I’m working on:
1. Six Months of Black and White
A few months ago, I made a commitment: shoot only black and white for six months. No color. No exceptions.
The goal was simple—push myself to create compelling images without relying on the punch of color. I wanted my compositions and light to carry the photo. Before this, I’d mostly seen black and white as the fallback option—the thing you use when the light isn’t great or the colors aren’t working. But taking color off the table has flipped that thinking completely.
Now, I see black and white as a medium all its own—not an “anti-color,” but a format that demands a different way of seeing. Stripped of color, I’ve had to lean more heavily on form, contrast, framing, and light. It’s made me shoot more deliberately and notice more subtle elements in a scene.
And surprisingly, I haven’t felt limited. I worried that I’d miss shots by not having color film loaded—but that hasn’t happened. If anything, it’s helped me recognize when color truly would have elevated an image. It’s been a really worthwhile challenge, and I’m planning a full write-up on the experience when I wrap up the six months. But even now, I can already feel it changing how I see and how I shoot.
2. Embracing the Square Format
I’ve had a Hasselblad 500C for a while now, and I love the camera. But I’ll admit—shooting square has never come naturally to me. That 6x6 frame seems simple enough, but composing in a square format is surprisingly tricky.
For a long time, I avoided it. I’d crop my shots down to 6x4.5 in post just to make things easier. I know that there will be some Hassi purists out there that are going to roast me for that. I can already hear the sound of angry fingers typing on a keyboard. The 645 format just felt more familiar. It gave me that clear sense of width or height that made composition feel more straightforward.
But lately, I’ve been thinking—if I love this camera, why am I not shooting in the format it was built for? Hasselblad’s legacy was built on that square frame. Their lenses are designed around it. So I’ve started leaning into the challenge of 6x6, even if it still feels a bit foreign.
It hasn’t clicked just yet, but I’m hoping that the more I use it, the more intuitive it will become. I might get to the end of this and decide square isn’t for me—but I want to give it an honest shot. Like switching to a wider lens, it might take time to get comfortable. But it might also open up something new.
3. Practicing Portraits (Even If It’s Uncomfortable)
Here’s something I don’t talk about enough: portraits kind of intimidate me. Whether it’s a quick street photo or a more traditional, intentional portrait—there’s a vulnerability there that’s hard to ignore. It’s not just about the technical side. It’s about trust. About making someone feel comfortable in front of the camera.
For a long time, I avoided it. I didn’t feel confident directing people. I worried I’d make them uncomfortable—or that I’d fumble the interaction entirely. So I stuck with the types of photography that didn’t require much human interaction.
But recently, something’s shifted. I’ve started feeling the pull to include people more. I’ve found myself lingering on environmental portraits in photo books—images where the subject is surrounded by the details of their life, where place and person come together to tell a fuller story.
So I’ve started practicing. Slowly. It’s still uncomfortable. I still feel a little awkward asking someone to pose or capturing candid shots of strangers. But I’m learning to read body language, to look for small emotional cues, and to place people into the spaces I already love to photograph. I haven’t fully tackled the environmental portraits I admire just yet—but I’m working up to it.
It’s early, but I can already tell this is helping me grow. It’s teaching me patience, deepening the stories in my work, and stretching me in all the right ways.
So that’s where I’m at right now. Nothing flashy—just a few quiet goals meant to challenge and inspire me.
If you’re feeling stuck, or just looking for a new way to grow, I’d encourage you to set one intentional challenge for yourself. Don’t let the fear of missing a shot stop you from trying something new. Let that fear push you to see—and shoot—differently.
You don’t always need a new camera or an epic location. Sometimes, all you need is a new direction.
As always, thanks for reading. And if you’ve got a photography goal of your own right now, I’d love to hear what it is. Until next time—happy shooting!
