Document your month of December, and share it with us in a photo grid

1. Think about things that inspire you—things you are interested in and important to you, things that make you happy, things you want to learn about, perhaps some goals you would like to pursue.
2. Use these things to take a photo every day during the month of December—document things you are doing, celebrating, exploring. And don’t take just one photo, take a bunch. This exercise is to help you get more familiar with your camera, to learn how to use it, and to help you take better photos. It’s all about practice…
3. At the end of the month, look through all of your images, and select ten of them. They don’t have to be your best shots. They can be images that you find interesting, images you learned from, or just images that you want to share.
4. Create a photo grid of just your ten selected photos. You can use whatever tool you have available, like Photoshop, Canva, or an online service. Below are instructions on how to use PhotoJointer, and online, free service that doesn’t require you to set up an account, or share any personal details.
5. Then, email your finished photo grid to Luke by January 12, 2026. elementl@icloud.com (put “Photo Grid” in the subject line, and don’t forget to include your name!)
6. We will review and critique your photo grids at our next 4-H Photography meeting on Thursday, January 22, 2026. Be prepared to talk about your images!

How to create a free photo grid online:

1. Go to https://www.photojoiner.com/ and then click on “Collage Maker.” Then click on “Make a Collage.”
   
2. When you click on “Make a Collage,” it will then prompt you to upload your ten photos. Select those images from your phone or a computer, and then click upload.
   
3. Once your ten photos are uploaded, then select your grid: in the left-hand column, select “Layouts,” and then scroll down to the “10 Photos” section, and select the grid that has two large photo boxes, and two sections of four small photos (see below).
   
4. Your ten images will appear in the grid. You can then drag them around to position them as you like:
   
5. Once you are happy with the appearance of your grid, click on the “Save” button at the top of the page.
   
6. You’ll then see your finished grid. Click on the “Download” button to save it to your phone or computer.
   
7. Email your finished photo grid to Luke: elementl@icloud.com by January 12, 2026.

Our annual 4-H Photo Show is rapidly approaching! To help you prepare what you want to exhibit this year, this photo challenge is Part 2 to our March challenge,  seeking you to push out of your comfort zone, put in extra effort, and get the best photo you can.

Assignment:

• Take photos that represent some aspect of your 4-H experience
• Write a caption that explains your photo, and how one part of your 4-H experience helps you to be Beyond Ready.
• Take lots of photos so that you don’t just settle for your first image
• Lots of photos will help you to have perspective and flexibility in choosing what you feel is your BEST image.
• Get out of your comfort zone—don’t take “easy” shots—push yourself by trying different angles and perspectives. Put your imagination and creativity to work! To all of you who showed a photo at our March workshop, push yourself to improve upon your work, and refine your message.
• Email your caption, and what you feel is your best shot from this exercise to Luke by Monday, April 21. Email to: elementl@icloud.com with the subject line 4-H Photo, and include your name.

Your 4-H Experience photo can be any of these things: a self portrait; a photo of a 4-H event; a photo of one of your 4-H projects; or a symbolic 4-H that represents what 4-H means to you.
The only rule is that YOU have to take the photo.

Remember, this exercise is to challenge you to really push yourself to get great photos—you need to put work and effort in to this.

Here is an example of a caption and photo that is representative of what we’re looking for at the Photo Show:

This year I spoke to a group of my fellow 4-H’ers at the biennial 4-H Citizenship Seminar. I talked about the process that a bill will go through to be considered, and ultimately voted on to be signed in to law through the Montana legislative process. Through this activity, I shared the importance of communication to other 4-H’ers, and fulfilled some of my goals in the 4-H Leadership project.

I have learned a lot through my public speaking experience, and my service as a 4-H ambassador. My growth through 4-H has given me confidence, and prepared me to be Beyond Ready as a future community leader.

Our annual 4-H Photo Show is rapidly approaching! To help you prepare what you want to exhibit this year, this photo challenge seeks to push you out of your comfort zone, put in a little extra effort, and get a better photo.

“The best way to learn photography is to take pictures.”

Assignment:

• Take photos that represent some aspect of your 4-H experience
• Take lots of photos so that you don’t just settle for your first image
• Lots of photos will help you to have perspective and flexibility in choosing what you feel is your BEST image.
• Get out of your comfort zone—don’t take “easy” shots—push yourself by trying different angles and perspectives. Put your imagination and creativity to work!
• Email what you feel is your best shot from this exercise to Luke by Sunday, March 16. Email to: elementl@icloud.com with the subject line 4-H Photo, and include your name.

Your 4-H Experience photo can be any of these things: a self portrait; a photo of a 4-H event; a photo of one of your 4-H projects; or a symbolic 4-H that represents what 4-H means to you.
The only rule is that YOU have to take the photo.

Remember, this exercise is to challenge you to really push yourself to get great photos—you need to put work and effort in to this.

Here are examples of decent shots, and how they can be better shots:

At our February workshop, we looked at examples of naturally occurring shadows, as well as shadows created by the photographer. Your challenge to:

1. Find a naturally-occurring shadow and take a creative photo of it
2. Design a shadow using your imagination and creativity, and photograph it.

Take lots of photos! Try photographing your shadows from different angles and perspectives, and then look back through your images to see which image you like best. Feel free to shoot color or black/white images. You’ll find that black/white images generally create stronger contrast between light and shadow.

Email two photos to Luke: your natural shadow, and your created shadow. Please review your images with a critical eye, and choose what you think are your best photos. We’ll review them in a slide show at our February meeting. Email your photos to Luke at: elementl@icloud.com and please add your name and subject in the header so I know who is sending the photo! Send your photos no later than Monday, February 17, 2025. I won’t have time to put them in a slideshow after that date.

Here are some examples of naturally-occurring shadows:

And here are examples of shadows created by the photographer:

The seasonal holiday reflection challenge had 4-H photographers exploring light reflections in a winter holiday or a seasonal setting. Here are some examples: