Project: Dabble

After years of keeping my DSLR on auto, I’m challenging myself to finally learn how to use it. For the next 30 days, I’m following a structured learning plan to level up my photography skills fast. Stay tuned as a I share my favorite shots and progress.

When my kids were babies, my parents gave me a Nikon D5100 DSLR so I could capture all the first steps, ice-cream-smeared grins, and sandcastles at the beach. It was a thoughtful gift, but in the blur of caring for young children, the camera mostly stayed in its case. Every so often, I’d pull it out for a birthday or holiday, set it to automatic, and hope for the best.

My daughter and son are now 10 and 13, and I’ve decided it’s finally time to learn how to use my camera. I’ve checked out a few photography books from our local library and took a one-day workshop to learn my camera’s modes and settings. But theory only gets you so far when you’re fumbling with buttons in the moment. That’s why it’s time for some real practice.

I’m giving myself a 30-day challenge to finally get the hang of my camera. Each day, I’ll focus on a specific skill such as depth of field or contrast. My goal at the end of this challenge is to create more compelling images that incorporate the basics of composition, lighting, and storytelling.

My kids’ cheeks have lost their roundness. They’ve traded sippy cups and baby babble for cross-country spikes and science projects. But there are still many milestones ahead, and I want to capture them all with my Nikon.

Why I Chose 30 Days

When I first started planning this challenge, I thought about spreading it out over several months. But ultimately, a shorter 30-day plan feels like a better fit. A month of focused practice is long enough to build momentum yet short enough to stay motivated. My goal is to give my photography skills a much-needed boost without losing steam and to identify areas that I may want to explore more deeply in future learning projects.

I also see this challenge as an opportunity to reflect on my own learning process. Lately, I’ve been exploring research on self-directed learning and how we can strengthen our capacity to acquire new skills. I’m excited to apply those ideas over the next 30 days.

Selecting My Learning Materials

Once I set my goals and timeline, my next step was deciding how I wanted to learn the skills. I looked into both in-person and online photography courses but realized that adding a nighttime class isn’t realistic right now with my kids’ busy after-school schedules. And since I already have some basic photography experience, I don’t need another beginner course that covers the same material.

Instead, I chose the Digital Photography Complete Course: Learn Everything You Need to Know in 20 Weeks by David Taylor, Tracy Hallett, Paul Lowe, and Paul Sanders. I like that this guide is self-paced and flexible, which makes it easy to fit into my schedule.

The book offers clear explanations, helpful illustrations, and step-by-step exercises. Plus, I can choose modules that align with my immediate goals and skip the ones that I want to work on at a later time.

Finding a Structured Approach

In the past, my attempts to learn digital photography were a bit haphazard. I’d read a few tips, experiment for a day or two, then set the camera aside again. To make real progress this time, I needed to decide the key skills I want to systematically learn.

To do that, I divided the knowledge and skills I’ll need to master my camera into three categories: concepts, facts, and procedures. Concepts include ideas such as the the exposure triangle, depth of field, and how light affects mood and tone. Facts are the details to memorize, such as f-stop and shutter speed sequences or ISO ranges. Procedures are the hands-on skills I’ll need to practice, for example, adjusting manual settings, composing shots, and using natural light effectively. You can find the full list here.

This framework comes from Ultralearning: Master Hard Skills, Outsmart the Competition, and Accelerate Your Career by Scott H. Young. This is a great book about how to learn complex skills quickly.

Assessing My Current Knowledge

Before starting this challenge, I felt it was important to have a clear picture of what I already know about digital photography. This would allow me to design a learning plan that builds upon my current knowledge and fills any gaps in my understanding. So, I gave myself a little pop quiz.

Research shows that taking a test before learning new concepts and skills can actually strengthen future learning. This forward-testing effect helps the brain encode, organize, and recall information more effectively. Even “failing” a pretest can be valuable because it highlights what you don’t yet know and prepares your brain to recognize the correct information when you encounter it later.

To create the pop quiz, I enlisted some help from AI. I gave ChatGPT my list of concepts, facts, and procedures and asked it to generate an assessment. It produced an open-ended pretest that asked me to explain key concepts such as the exposure triangle and apply my knowledge to common scenarios like describing how to create a blurry waterfall effect in a stream or photograph a person near a window without using flash.

After realizing I couldn’t answer most of those questions, I asked ChatGPT to create a 20-question multiple-choice version on the same material. With this format, I scored 18 out of 20. The results confirmed what I suspected when initiating this challenge: I recognize many photography terms and concepts, but I don’t yet know how to use them. In other words, I have the conceptual foundation but not the procedural fluency.

Note: AI tools such as ChatGPT can be useful study aids, but always verify the accuracy of information first. Use AI-generated content as a supplement to, but not replacement for, your own critical thinking and learning.

Creating My Learning Plan

With my goals clarified and self-assessment complete, it was time to map out a structured learning plan for the next 30 days. I selected chapters and exercises from the Digital Photography Complete Course that align with the concepts, facts, and procedures I want to learn and the equipment I already have. For example, my Nikon came with an 18–55mm lens, so I skipped sections on specialty wide-angle and telephoto lenses for now.

Similar to the way a teacher creates unit plans, my learning plan outlines which chapters I’ll study each week, the skills I’ll focus on, and the exercises I’ll complete. (Check out my 30-day learning plan here.) I’ll spend one to two hours a day, Monday through Saturday, reading, practicing, and reviewing my shots. Sundays will be for reflection and adjustment. I’ll use that time to review my progress, revisit any skills that need more work, and revise the upcoming week’s schedule as needed.

I plan to do the readings in the morning before work and set aside time in the evening to take pictures and review my shots. This schedule allows for 10 to 12 hours of deliberate practice each week. By the end of the challenge, that will total roughly 40 to 48 hours of focused learning.

How I’ll Communicate My Progress

Each week, I’ll post an update on my progress, sharing what I learned, what exercises I completed, and what I plan to keep improving. I’ll also post my favorite photos on this blog and Instagram to document my 30-day journey.

My hope is that this challenge not only helps me grow as a photographer but also shows how a structured learning plan can help you quickly acquire new skills. I also hope this inspires you to design your own challenge and see what 30 days of focused learning can do.