It may be that there has never been more interest in photography. Thanks in large part to the camera power millions of people now enjoy on their smartphones, everyone from a brand new amateur to an experienced professional can capture incredibly high-quality images.

This should not, however, lead us to believe that there is no longer any distinction between photographers’ experience levels. While amateurs are now capable of great work without having to purchase expensive equipment or sit through classes, the experience is still vital, and there are still innumerable nuances to the art that take time and patience to learn and appreciate.

In this age of amateur photography, one of the best ways for people new to the art to learn how to excel is to dive in on certain challenges through which they can teach themselves a great deal. There are certain subjects that are simply difficult to capture well, and certain crafts that are essential to learning, and by embracing these challenges even a brand new photographer with limited equipment can make significant strides forward.

See What You Can Do On An iPhone

As you’ve undoubtedly heard, and as you can see yourself in the recent winners of the “Shot on an iPhone” competition, these capable smartphones can achieve wonders in this medium. As much as Apple might boast of the quality and features of its camera; however, these are still only the tools available.

A photographer must still figure out how to use them to capture quality images, which means understanding staging, lighting, timing, the editing options at your disposal, and more. Most any photo taken on an iPhone that’s relatively focused can be clear and beautiful in its own way. But to really see what you can do, and attempt to teach yourself how to create more professional photos with your iPhone is a worthy and helpful challenge.

Shoot Wildlife

There aren’t many common subjects of photography more difficult to capture effectively than wildlife. So, iPhone or otherwise, this makes for an excellent challenge of your own abilities. You’ll need to find a place where you can reliably come across wildlife, be it in the form of birds, insects, deer, or whatever else, and then practice the timing, staging, and patience required to capture truly remarkable images.

A good result will show something that not every picture of an animal includes: a close-up clear enough to show the individual characteristics of a specific animal, a shot that speaks to the dynamic of a flock or herd, a photo accenting an animal’s beauty with natural lighting. It may simply be something of remarkable beauty. Whatever it is though, it’s easier imagined than photographed, which makes this another excellent challenge for an aspiring photographer.

Shoot Sports

Sports present some challenges similar to wildlife - largely because they involve the challenges of capturing subjects in motion and of creating something unique where generic options already exist. Sports photography is also an interesting challenge to explore for yourself because of its marketability, however. There are countless sources relating to this industry that require imagery, from student papers to national magazines to blogs and websites.

There is even a brand new industry growing in the U.S. that will have an insatiable hunger for quality sports photos. The first of the U.S. sites for legal sports betting has already sprouted, and more are on their way (along with apps), and these platforms will seek to augment their content with photos. Basically, sports photography makes for a suitable challenge because it can both improve your photography and teach you how to try to sell your best work.

Learn Web Design

This final idea has nothing to do with your actual photography, but is still a good idea of something to work on if you are in fact an aspiring photographer. Simply put, it’s a good idea to have a platform on which you can display and potentially sell your work, and while social media channels can accomplish a lot in these areas, you’ll ultimately need a website.

Fortunately, it’s gotten easier than ever before to create a basic photography website even with limited coding ability, thanks to the various companies that have sprung up to make web design easier. Even so, however, it’s a good idea to devote some real time and energy to learning in this area. Getting to a point at which you can produce professional quality photos is the most important thing - but having a good website on which to display your work can be a close second if you’re thinking of this as a potential business.