There was a moment when I didn’t really know which direction to take in photography. I knew that my favorite place to shoot was the coast, but my own photos were boring, predictable and somehow… not mine.
I needed a fresh start to make my photography mine again. That's where the idea came from to take one photo every day.
So I decided to take a one photo a day challenge — one photo a day, every day, intuitively capturing everything that, for some reason, would catch my attention.
I didn’t part with my camera for even a moment. I took photos before work, during it, on my way back home, while walking the dog, shopping, on evenings out, and during countless photo walks.
What does a one photo a day challenge teach you?
This was at the beginning of 2025. Over six months I took thousands of photos. Legend has it that no one in history has ever photographed so many trash bins and battered, broken things.
But somewhere between all those trash bins and completely ordinary moments, something started to emerge.
Suddenly, it clicked.
I remember perfectly the day I went to the beach in the morning and I ran from one beach hut to another, snapping pictures and feeling happy like a little kid. To this day I consider these shots among my favorites, and several from that day have ended up in my portfolio.
This challenge changed everything: the way I observe the world, my technical and compositional skills, and the way I think about my own photography. It also helped me build a more coherent style.
I wrote in more detail about what changed during those six months of taking photos every day.
Looking back, the biggest takeaway from this challenge was learning to pay attention.
Returning to the same streets, landscapes, and everyday moments taught me more about photography than many of my trips ever did.
In my guide to photographing close to home, I explore why photographing your surroundings can be one of the most effective ways to grow as a photographer and create more meaningful work.
Building a photography habit
A muscle that isn’t used, shrinks. And I wanted to train that muscle.
I believe that when it comes to any skill, the most important thing is to show up every day. There’s no shortcut. To master anything, you have to practice, refine and repeat. Every-single-day.
Photography isn’t any different. Don’t underestimate the discipline and consistency in creative work.
But creative work can also feel overwhelming when clarity is lacking. It wasn’t always easy to find inspiration to shoot every day.
To stay consistent, I had to give myself mini-assignments. They gave me direction, a place to start from.
Picking up the camera every day turned out to be a simple - and best - way to get out of the loop of feelig uninspired.
And the thing is, the more often you photograph, the easier it becomes to notice things worth photographing.
How to Start a One Photo a Day Challenge
Starting a one photo a day challenge doesn't need to be complicated. You don't need a new camera, a special location or a perfectly planned project. The whole point is to make photography part of your everyday life.
1. Choose your camera
Use whatever camera you actually enjoy carrying with you. It can be a dedicated camera, a compact camera or even your phone.
The best camera for a daily photography challenge is the one you are willing to use every day.
Don't turn the challenge into an excuse to buy new gear. The limitation can actually be useful.
2. Set a simple rule
My rule was simple: take at least one photograph every day.
That's it.
You can make your own rules. Maybe you want to photograph only your local area, use one focal length, shoot only film, or make one photograph on your way to work every day.
Remember, the more complicated the rules become, the easier it is to find an excuse...
3. Photograph what is already around you
You don't have to find something extraordinary every day.
Look at your street. Your neighbourhood. The walk to work. The supermarket. Your garden. The bus stop. The things you normally walk past without noticing.
A one photo a day challenge is a good way to start taking ordinary things seriously.
4. Give yourself small assignments
This was one of the things that helped me the most.
Some days I simply followed whatever caught my attention. On other days, when I had no idea what to photograph, I gave myself a small assignment.
Photograph something red. Find three interesting shadows. Look for repetition. Use only reflections.
The assignment doesn't have to produce a great photograph. Its job is to get you looking.
5. Don't judge every photograph immediately
Not every photograph needs to be good. Actually, most of them probably won't be.
That's part of the process. A daily photography challenge gives you permission to make bad photographs, experiment, change your mind and occasionally surprise yourself.
The important thing is to keep photographing.
Over time, patterns start to appear. You begin to notice which subjects you return to, which compositions feel natural to you and what kind of photographs you actually enjoy making.
6. Keep going long enough to notice a change
You don't have to commit to a full year from day one.
Start with 30 days. Then continue if it feels useful.
The number of days matters less than the habit you are building.
A one photo a day challenge is ultimately a way of making photography a regular part of your life - not another project you have to complete perfectly.
Want some structure?
If you like the idea of photographing every day but don't always know what to photograph, I turned what I learned from my own challenge into a 100-day photography practice program.
It’s built around one small assignment a day, with 100+ examples from my own work. The idea is to keep looking, experimenting and gradually developing your own way of seeing.
Through 100 assignments, together with 100+ examples of my pictures and guidance, I show how to integrate photography into your daily routine in a painless and playful way - until it becomes second nature and starts happening on its own.