How to Submit Images for the Monthly Photo Challenge
- Melonie Marie McEver
- Mar 13
- 6 min read
Power of Print Photography Club Guide for Members Monthly Photo Challenge
One of the most exciting parts of being a member of the Power of Print Photography Club is participating in the Monthly Photo Challenge. These challenges are designed to help photographers stay creative, practice new skills, and build a body of work that can be featured in our quarterly magazine.
The goal of the challenge is simple: learn, practice, share, and grow as a photographer. Each month focuses on a specific photography topic, and members are guided through weekly lessons and photo assignments that help strengthen their understanding of that subject.
Whether you are brand new to photography or have years of experience behind the camera, the Monthly Photo Challenge is a great way to stay engaged with your photography while connecting with other club members.
This guide will walk you through how the challenge works and exactly how to submit your images for the magazine.
Understanding the Monthly Photo Challenge Topic
Every month inside the Power of Print Photography Club, we focus on one main photography topic. This topic becomes the theme for the entire month and helps members concentrate on developing a specific skill.
For example, some of the monthly topics include:
Understanding Light
Composition Fundamentals
Aperture and Depth of Field
Shutter Speed and Motion
Portrait Photography
Macro Photography
Black and White Photography
Landscape and Nature
Instead of trying to learn everything at once, the monthly topic allows photographers to focus on one concept and truly understand it through practice.
Each topic is broken down into four weekly challenges, which makes the learning process easy and manageable.
The Four Weekly Photography Challenges
Every monthly topic includes four weekly lessons and photo challenges. Each week builds on the previous one so members can gradually improve their understanding of the subject.
Members complete a final photo challenge each week that combines the concepts learned. This challenge often encourages photographers to create a strong portfolio-style image.
Each week is also a great opportunity to capture an image that may be selected for the Power of Print Photography Club Magazine.
Reading the Weekly Photography Lesson
Before starting the photo challenge, members should always begin by reading the weekly lesson inside the club learning platform.
These lessons are designed to help photographers understand:
Why the technique matters
When to use it
How camera settings affect the result
Tips for improving the final image
The lessons are written in a way that makes photography concepts easy to understand. They are also designed to be quick and practical, so members can spend more time practicing photography and less time studying theory.
Even experienced photographers often discover small tips that improve their workflow or creative approach.
Completing the Weekly Quiz
After reading the lesson, members will find a short quiz designed to reinforce the key concepts covered in the lesson.
The quiz is not meant to be difficult or intimidating. Instead, it helps members confirm that they understand the topic before moving on to the photography challenge.
These quizzes are typically short and may include questions such as:
What camera setting controls depth of field?
What shutter speed freezes motion?
What does a wide aperture do to the background?
Completing the quiz ensures that members fully understand the lesson before applying the concept in their photography.
Completing the Photo Challenge
Once the lesson and quiz are complete, it is time for the most exciting part — the photography challenge.
The weekly challenge encourages members to go out and photograph something specific using the technique learned during the lesson.
For example:
Capture motion using a fast shutter speed
Create background blur in a portrait
Photograph a scene with strong leading lines
Create a dramatic black and white image
The goal is not perfection. The goal is practice and creativity.
Some members complete the challenge the same day they read the lesson, while others take the entire week to experiment and find the right image.
There is no single “correct” image. Each photographer brings their own perspective and style to the challenge.
Posting Your Image in the POP Photo Club Facebook Group
After completing the photo challenge, the next step is to share your image in the Power of Print Photography Club Facebook Group >>> POP Photo Club
Sharing images is an important part of the learning process because it allows members to:
celebrate their progress
inspire other photographers
receive feedback
build community
When posting your image in the Facebook group, make sure to include the correct hashtag for that month’s magazine submission.
The hashtag is important because it allows the club team to easily find all of the images submitted for the monthly challenge.
For example, if the topic is Aperture, the hashtag might be:
Always check the weekly lesson to confirm the correct hashtag for that month.
Why the Hashtag Matters
The monthly hashtag serves an important purpose. It allows the Power of Print Photography Club team to quickly locate the images that members want considered for the quarterly magazine.
When members use the correct hashtag, their images are automatically grouped with other submissions from that month.
Without the hashtag, it becomes difficult for the team to identify which images are part of the official challenge.
Using the hashtag also allows members to search the group and see everyone else's images from that challenge, which can be incredibly inspiring.
The Quarterly Photography Magazine
One of the most exciting rewards for participating in the monthly challenge is the opportunity to have your photography featured in the Power of Print Photography Club Magazine.
Each quarter, the club publishes a digital magazine that highlights outstanding images submitted by members.
These magazine features celebrate the creativity and growth of our community while showcasing the incredible talent within the club.
Being featured in the magazine can also help photographers:
build confidence in their work
grow their portfolio
share their photography with a wider audience
gain recognition within the club community
Even if your image is not selected for the magazine, participating in the challenge helps you build a collection of meaningful images that reflect your growth as a photographer.
Tips for Creating Strong Challenge Images
If you want to improve your chances of creating a strong challenge image, here are a few simple tips to keep in mind.
Focus on the Monthly Topic
Make sure the technique you learned in the lesson is clearly visible in the photograph.
For example, if the challenge is about shallow depth of field, make sure the subject is sharp and the background is clearly blurred.
Pay Attention to Composition
Even though the challenge focuses on a specific camera technique, composition still matters.
Look for:
clean backgrounds
strong lighting
interesting angles
clear subjects
Good composition can make even a simple photo look professional.
Experiment and Have Fun
The monthly challenge is meant to encourage creativity. Try photographing different subjects and experimenting with different settings.
Sometimes the most unexpected images become the most successful.
Why the Monthly Photo Challenge Matters
The Monthly Photo Challenge is more than just an assignment. It is a powerful tool that helps photographers stay consistent with their craft.
Many photographers struggle with staying motivated after learning the basics. Without structure or inspiration, it is easy to put the camera down and stop practicing.
The monthly challenge provides a clear path forward.
Every week, members have a new opportunity to:
learn a technique
practice their skills
connect with other photographers
build their portfolio
Over time, these small weekly efforts lead to significant improvement in photography skills.
A Community That Supports Your Growth
One of the most special parts of the Power of Print Photography Club is the supportive community that surrounds the Monthly Photo Challenge.
Members encourage each other, celebrate each other’s successes, and share ideas that inspire creativity.
Photography can sometimes feel like a solitary hobby, but inside the club, photographers are surrounded by others who understand the excitement of capturing a great image.
Every posted photo contributes to the collective creativity of the group.
Start Your Next Photography Challenge
Participating in the Monthly Photo Challenge is one of the best ways to stay engaged with your photography while developing new skills.
The process is simple:
Read the weekly lesson
Complete the short quiz
Capture your photo challenge image
Post it in the Facebook group
Include the monthly magazine hashtag
That’s it.
With each new month comes a new opportunity to explore photography in a deeper way.
So grab your camera, complete the weekly lesson, and share your creativity with the Power of Print Photography Club community.
We can’t wait to see what you create. 📸
Frequently Asked Questions about the POP Photography Club monthly photo challenge.
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