As you begin to feel confident in your photography skills, you're probably anxious to start new techniques that lift your work to the next level.

Trying to learn and master new techniques can mean exciting new challenges for you as a photographer. It helps you explore a more creative level while opening up a whole new world of inspiration.

Here are some ideas to consider to help you take your work in new directions. Some are much easier to accomplish than you might have guessed!

1. Macro Photography

This can be a lot of fun, depending on what you like to photograph. It's a brilliant way to focus in and capture the tiniest details, many of which are invisible or unnoticed by the human eye. It's very popular with nature photographers.

TIP: Almost any camera lens can help you shoot this, but a good quality macro lens will produce the easiest and best results.

2. Forced Perspective Photography

If you want to have some fun with your photography, try a forced perspective shot. It creates a false perspective on the image. One example of this is the iconic Leaning Tower of Pisa, where people appear to be holding up the tower, which looks considerably smaller behind them than in reality.

TIP: Experiment with angles and perspective while you're composing the shot. Try to get the subject to look bigger or smaller than the background. Basically, play around with this!

3. Motion Blur

Motion blur captures a moving subject while creating a deliberate blur of the motion. It's particularly popular in sports photography, but it's used frequently in other areas including street photography where motion blur can create some significant effects. TIP: Use a slower shutter speed and maintain your camera still while the subject remains in motion. Another way of creating motion blur is to pan the camera along with the movement of the subject before you fully release the shutter. This blurs the background while keeping the subject in focus.

4. Zoom Blur Effect

Unlike motion blur, zoom blur is a fractured-blur effect.

TIP: Use a slower shutter speed and zoom in or out as you release the shutter.

5. High speed

If you've been shooting for a while, you've likely started venturing into high-speed photography already. The ability to freeze action, a moment in time, can create some truly incredible photography, whether it's street, travel, or sports photography. It's a skill you can employ in almost any genre of photography.

TIP: A tripod, flash, and narrow aperture are a must. Also, lots of trial and error practice!

6. Night Photography

Night photography can be one of those intimidating styles a lot of beginning photographers are reluctant to try, especially if they feel they haven't quite mastered shooting on manual and manipulating light. Go for it anyway!

TIP: Use a very slow shutter speed and tripod to get the long exposures you'll need.

7. Black and White Photography

One of the best tricks for adding depth or drama to an image. It's particularly popular with portrait artists, but photojournalists and street photographers use it very effectively. While today's editing software allows you to convert any image to black and white, there are things you can do out in the field to ensure better images.

TIP: Consider your composition, subject, lights/shadows, and what the ultimate goal of the photo.

8. Monochromatic Color Photography

This might sound bland, and it is, monochromatic color photography can be a very effective way to draw out detail in an image through the absence of color, which could otherwise detract. Monochromatic images are typically one hue or color.

TIP: You'd shoot this similar to how you'd compose and shoot black and white. Consider composition, details, subject, and the ultimate goal you want to accomplish with the image!

9. Long Exposure Photography

This can be a beautiful style to master, especially if you love to shoot natural landscapes. It's what creates that soft, silky look of water, clouds, or trees and shrubs.

TIP: Use a longer exposure to blur any movement.

10. Panoramic Photography

Another fun style to master is panoramic photography. No, we're not talking about doing it on your iPhone! You can try this using a regular DSLR - no panning necessary.

TIP: Use your tripod and take a series of side by sides with very minor overlap. Merge the images later using a photo editor to create a panoramic image.

11. Silhouette

Silhouette photography, like black and white, can be a dramatic effect not too challenging to capture. You can leverage the angled and beautiful light of sunset or sunrise or use artificial light to capture a silhouette.

TIP: Unlike most photography, you'll want to position your subject directly in front of the light source and then shoot. Slower shutter speed lets in more light for a brighter image, while a faster speed gives you a darker one.

There are just a few tips and tricks you can try to add new and creative effects to your body of work. The more you practice them and play around, the better you'll get at perfecting them.