Monthly Challenges

Oldham Camera Club – Monthly Challenges 2026

The idea of the Monthly Challenges is to encourage OCC members to get out and about and take photos, push boundaries etc. It’s not a competition, but hopefully it will help members improve – or at least give you some ideas of what to shoot this month!

Monthly Challenge Details:

CHALLENGE	NOTES
MONTH 1 – CITYSCAPE	Scout the best locations, shoot during golden and blue hours, use a tripod, pay attention to composition, experiment with long exposures.
MONTH 2 – REFLECTIONS	Look for reflective surfaces, consider the position of both object and reflection in your composition, capture symmetry, experiment with motion, using a slower shutter speed.
MONTH 3 – FACES	Focus on the eyes, experiment with lighting, capture genuine emotion, use a flattering angle, consider the background.
MONTH 4 - LEADING LINES	Identify natural and man made lines, use lines to guide the viewer's eye, create depth and perspective, pay attention to balance and harmony in your image.
MONTH 5 – ANIMALS	Be patient and observe behaviour, Use a faster shutter speed, Focus on the eyes, try different angles and perspectives, respect the animal and its environment.
MONTH 6 – MACRO	Use a dedicated macro lens, ensure good lighting, stabilise your camera, experiment with aperture and depth of field, be patient, be persistent.
MONTH 7 – LANDSCAPE	Research, shoot at best time of day, use a tripod, utilise rule of thirds, experiment with filters, capture the sky, look for interesting cloud formations and colours.
MONTH 8 - EPIC SKY	Plan your shoot and keep an eye on the weather,use a wide-angle lens, include a strong foreground element, experiment with different camera settings, enhance with editing.
MONTH 9 – PORTRAIT	Build rapport with your subject, Focus on the eyes, ensure flattering light, Use 85mm lens or longer, encourage natural expressions, experiment with depth of field. Shoot friends/family
MONTH 10 - YOUR TOWN	Showcase local landmarks, document everyday life, focus on the details unique to your town, explore different perspectives, include a variety of subjects depicting life in your town.
MONTH 11 – ARCHITECTURE	Look for interesting angles and perspectives, emphasise lines, shapes and patterns, combine light and shadows, include context and scale, consider the black and white option.
MONTH 12 - RIP IT UP AND START AGAIN!	All those tips and techniques used in the previous 11 challenges - forget it. Shoot images without rules that defy everything a judge tells us we should do. Anything goes!