Having trouble keeping your photography community active and inspired? Community Challenges are a playful way to spark creativity, drive participation, and bring members together. These ready-to-use templates make launching fun, engaging challenges effortless.
Plan your content calendar and auto-post to Skool, Circle, or Mighty Networks
Community Challenges work because they tap into members' natural curiosity and love for friendly competition. When a challenge is issued, people are motivated to step outside their comfort zone and show off their skills, especially when recognition or small rewards are involved.
Photography challenges encourage learning by doing, which is essential for both hobbyists and professionals. These prompts break creative blocks and foster a sense of achievement. By inviting everyone to participate, you help members form deeper connections and celebrate each other's growth.
Finally, regular challenges create anticipation and routine. Members start looking forward to the next prompt, building a more cohesive, loyal community that's eager to engage.
Flash Challenge: Share your best black and white photo today.
💡 Example: "Flash Challenge: Share your best black and white photo today."
Weekly theme: Capture something red. Post your photo and tell us your story.
💡 Example: "Weekly theme: Capture something red. Post your photo and tell us your story."
Try a self-portrait this week. How creative can you get?
💡 Example: "Try a self-portrait this week. How creative can you get?"
Shoot from a new angle today and share your results.
💡 Example: "Shoot from a new angle today and share your results."
Weekend Challenge: Capture reflections. Who can find the most unusual one?
💡 Example: "Weekend Challenge: Capture reflections. Who can find the most unusual one?"
Macro Monday: Share a close-up of something ordinary made extraordinary.
💡 Example: "Macro Monday: Share a close-up of something ordinary made extraordinary."
Post a photo with the theme 'motion' and describe your technique.
💡 Example: "Post a photo with the theme 'motion' and describe your technique."
Night photography challenge: Share your best low-light shot.
💡 Example: "Night photography challenge: Share your best low-light shot."
Newbie Challenge: Use your phone camera and share your favorite snap.
💡 Example: "Newbie Challenge: Use your phone camera and share your favorite snap."
Take a photo of your favorite place and tell us why it's special.
💡 Example: "Take a photo of your favorite place and tell us why it's special."
Before and after: Edit a photo and show us both versions.
💡 Example: "Before and after: Edit a photo and show us both versions."
Find the alphabet: Take a photo of something shaped like a letter.
💡 Example: "Find the alphabet: Take a photo of something shaped like a letter."
Share your best candid shot from this week.
💡 Example: "Share your best candid shot from this week."
Capture symmetry in your surroundings and post your photo.
💡 Example: "Capture symmetry in your surroundings and post your photo."
Sunrise or sunset? Share your favorite golden hour photo.
💡 Example: "Sunrise or sunset? Share your favorite golden hour photo."
Pet photography challenge: Share your funniest animal photo.
💡 Example: "Pet photography challenge: Share your funniest animal photo."
Minimalism Monday: Post a simple composition with a big impact.
💡 Example: "Minimalism Monday: Post a simple composition with a big impact."
Try a new genre: Landscape, portrait, or street photography. Share your attempt.
💡 Example: "Try a new genre: Landscape, portrait, or street photography. Share your attempt."
Use natural light only for your next photo and show us the result.
💡 Example: "Use natural light only for your next photo and show us the result."
Spot the details: Share a photo that captures tiny, overlooked things.
💡 Example: "Spot the details: Share a photo that captures tiny, overlooked things."
Shoot with a color filter or preset and post your favorite edit.
💡 Example: "Shoot with a color filter or preset and post your favorite edit."
Weekend scavenger hunt: Snap something round, shiny, and blue.
💡 Example: "Weekend scavenger hunt: Snap something round, shiny, and blue."
Share a photo that tells a story without words.
💡 Example: "Share a photo that tells a story without words."
Recreate a famous photo in your own style. Post side by side.
💡 Example: "Recreate a famous photo in your own style. Post side by side."
Monochrome challenge: Pick a single color and fill your frame.
💡 Example: "Monochrome challenge: Pick a single color and fill your frame."
Show us your favorite lens in action today.
💡 Example: "Show us your favorite lens in action today."
Take a photo inspired by your mood today.
💡 Example: "Take a photo inspired by your mood today."
Find leading lines in your environment and share your composition.
💡 Example: "Find leading lines in your environment and share your composition."
Use negative space creatively in your next photo. Post your result.
💡 Example: "Use negative space creatively in your next photo. Post your result."
Flashback: Re-edit an old photo and show us the transformation.
💡 Example: "Flashback: Re-edit an old photo and show us the transformation."
Window light only: Snap a portrait and share your setup.
💡 Example: "Window light only: Snap a portrait and share your setup."
Take a creative photo using reflections in water or glass.
💡 Example: "Take a creative photo using reflections in water or glass."
Focus on texture: Capture and share something tactile.
💡 Example: "Focus on texture: Capture and share something tactile."
Try long exposure and share your most dramatic image.
💡 Example: "Try long exposure and share your most dramatic image."
Take a photo that represents your current season.
💡 Example: "Take a photo that represents your current season."
Challenge: No editing allowed. Post your straight-out-of-camera shot.
💡 Example: "Challenge: No editing allowed. Post your straight-out-of-camera shot."
Show us your photo gear setup today.
💡 Example: "Show us your photo gear setup today."
Find and photograph a shadow that tells a story.
💡 Example: "Find and photograph a shadow that tells a story."
Color pop: Share a photo where one color stands out.
💡 Example: "Color pop: Share a photo where one color stands out."
Take a photo inspired by your favorite song lyrics.
💡 Example: "Take a photo inspired by your favorite song lyrics."
Post your best photo taken within five minutes of waking up.
💡 Example: "Post your best photo taken within five minutes of waking up."
Pick a template that fits your community's vibe and member experience level. Announce the challenge with clear instructions and any deadlines. Encourage participation by highlighting fun rewards or shout-outs. Use hashtags or threads to organize entries, and share updates or highlights to keep energy high. After the challenge, recognize contributors and share results to foster ongoing engagement.
For all platforms, use eye-catching visuals or banners to announce each challenge. Pin or highlight posts to improve visibility. Use hashtags for easy tracking, and create dedicated threads or albums for submissions. Adjust your tone slightly to fit platform culture, but keep instructions clear and concise everywhere.
To engage both DSLR and smartphone users, choose challenge themes that focus on compositional skills (like leading lines, symmetry, or negative space) rather than technical settings. Avoid requiring specific gear or advanced editing. Encourage members to share behind-the-scenes shots or editing apps used for transparency and inclusivity.
Always remind participants to submit only original work for challenges. Include a disclaimer in the challenge post about copyright ownership and respectful sharing. If you plan to feature winning images on other platforms, obtain explicit permission and credit the photographer appropriately.
In your template, prompt members to add details like aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and editing steps in the caption. This not only educates the community but also sparks discussions about technique. Consider adding a comment section prompt specifically for gear and settings breakdown.
Set clear guidelines about respectful debate and constructive critique in your challenge post. Recognize both approaches in your prompts, e.g., 'Share your SOOC or post-processed shots—let us know your preference and why.' This validates differing opinions and fosters healthy engagement while minimizing heated debates.
Customize challenge themes to spotlight niche genres periodically (e.g., 'This week: Macro Marvels'). Provide guidelines tailored to those genres, such as tips for stacking in macro or light pollution for astro. Feature standout submissions and invite genre experts to give feedback, increasing participation from specialized members.
Consider including multiple award categories in your template, such as 'Best Composition,' 'Most Creative,' or 'Best Mobile Capture.' Encourage peer voting with clear criteria, and if possible, rotate guest judges from the community. This levels the playing field and keeps the focus on creativity and effort over gear.
Skool · Circle · Mighty Networks