52Frames – The Global Weekly Photography Challenge

52Frames was born in 2011, when Yosef Adest first picked up a DSLR camera and realized that there was no easy way to maneuver through the scattered photo tutorials available online, without signing up for an actual course. Yosef reached out to a few photography-enthusiast friends, including Shai Davis, and put together a year’s worth of weekly photo challenges, so that they could all learn and develop together. Shai quickly recognized the power of the growing community and joined forces with Yosef to take 52Frames from a local Facebook project to an online platform where photographers from around the world can participate in guided weekly exercises and grow as a community.

Each week, ‘Framers’ receive a newsletter containing a new themed challenge alongside guided notes, examples and a unique extra-credit challenge; for example, the theme for Week 5 was ‘Greetings From…’ and as extra-credit, the photographer was asked to shoot using a wide-angle lens.
The top three photos are chosen based on technique, creativity and the photographer’s ability to tell a story in his/her shot. Additionally, throughout the week various photos are chosen and shared to the page’s 8,000+ fans, which provides great exposure for the photographer.

Every month, in many cities around the world, local coordinators organize photowalks with the aim of getting out and finding beautiful and unique moments to capture while connecting with other Framers. In addition to socializing with other Framers, participants have an amazing chance to learn from others and exchange photography tips and perspectives alike. As a bonus, many photowalks are guided so Framers also learn fascinating facts about the chosen area.

Every two weeks, Yosef and Shai film a podcast-style feature called the Photo Critique Sreencast, where they choose 10-15 photos (randomly) from the latest album and provide an in-depth critique, as well as pro photoshop tips and other cool ways to improve photography style.
The 52Frames blog makes finding inspiration, guides, tutorials, tips, and more on how to improve your photography skills really easy. The blog also features many guest posts by Framers who share their expertise on their ‘signature-style’ of photography.

The team is working on proprietary tools and algorithms that will offer their community members even more valuable feedback from the community and experts. This data will in turn help budding photographers understand how their craft is improving, and where to continue focusing their efforts. Their plans are full of high-tech magic that they aren’t quite ready to divulge, but it’s sure to be a game-changer in the online learning sector.

Many Framers have already seen amazing improvements in their photography while expressing increased passion for the art. You’re invited to join this creative, active and supportive community; to complete the photography challenge and to (in the founders’ words) ‘Take a photo, every week. Be awesome”. Participation is free, and you can jump right in any time, no matter what level you’re at or what camera you use (many even use their phones).