Push yourself and see what you can capture with seven continuous days of shooting

It can be hard to break routine but if you want to ignite your creative side and try something new, a seven-day challenge is a good place to start. Commit to shooting a new photo of a different subject every day for seven days and you might rediscover all the reasons why you got into photography in the first place.

Driven by his desire to capture beautiful moments, photographer Ellis Reed first picked up his Canon EOS 550D (now succeeded by the Canon EOS 850D) eight years ago at the age of 18. Now, with the help of his Canon EOS R, he specialises in travel, lifestyle and landscape photography, constantly challenging his own creativity.

Ellis's passion for his local area and ability to see familiar environments with fresh eyes made him the perfect photographer to take on our seven-day photography challenge. He created seven different images over seven days, choosing a theme of mindfulness to tie each beautiful moment of his journey together – a theme he felt went hand-in-hand with rediscovery.

Here he reveals how he got on and offers advice for how you can go on your own seven-day photography challenge.

Shooting at dawn is the perfect way to focus on creativity, says Ellis.

"Walking by yourself before anyone else is awake is a really good way to clear your head and is great for setting yourself up not only for the rest of the day but also the rest of the challenge. That initial start is incredibly beneficial when trying not to let everyday pressures from work or social media affect you stress-wise," he says.

Ellis left his home to shoot the sunrise with just his Canon EOS R and Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens, a pairing he finds to be incredibly versatile. "I would say leave your phone at home, just be there with your camera and enjoy walking around with the sunrise."

"My go-to lens is the RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM, which is my absolute workhorse and what I shoot with 90% of the time, and the size of the EOS R is much more comfortable than a standard DSLR."

Allowing yourself to experience new possibilities with just one lens can be a simple way to see the world around you with a renewed perspective says Ellis, who exclusively used his versatile Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens for each day of the challenge.

"The idea is to force myself to go out and shoot everything on one lens, rather than packing specific lenses for specific subjects," he says. "Whether I'm photographing wide shots of the city or shooting close-ups, it's about trying to figure out how you make that lens work."

"My Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM lens was my grandfather's, and although it is a little beaten up, it's something he gave to me before he passed away."

Photographing something that means a lot to you can be a great way of preserving the memories further.

"It's an old lens but I love using it," he says. "I'd never part with it because it's something I have such a great passion for. Every time I pick it up it's a reminder of my grandfather and how photography has stayed within the family for ages."

Although he didn't use this lens for his seven-day challenge Ellis often shoots with it on his EOS R, using an EF-EOS R Canon Mount Adapter.

As well as shooting such a treasured lens Ellis used the Canon Zoemini S to create some personal prints to show it off and keep in a scrapbook.

Using this concept as a focus for day four, Ellis photographed two of his best friends during a couples shoot and created mini prints for them using the Canon Zoemini S. As professional photographers, they rarely get the chance to have their picture taken together, giving this shoot special significance.

"It works both ways: when you make someone else smile, you make yourself happier," says Ellis. "I think giving back to your community, someone you care about or even someone you don't even know helps lead to a more positive mindset."

"Being able to offer the couple instant print outs from the shoot that they can either frame or stick in a book was a lovely way to end the shoot."

Nature offers us the opportunity to connect with our surroundings away from a screen, something that aids positive mental health. Ellis travelled to the Brecon Beacons to photograph wild ponies, a challenge that brought him a rewarding sense of achievement.

"This relates back to the positive mindset theme because nature is a teacher of patience. Once you finally get the shot, you feel so much better that you've waited," he adds. "There's a real sense of accomplishment and reward."

"Doing something that scares you or you're not confident in gets you out of your comfort zone. I think lockdown restrictions accentuated people's reliance on their comfort zone, and I'm guilty of this. Doing something different keeps things fresh and allows you to learn."

"Nighttime and astrophotography are genres I'm not used to but have wanted to do for ages," Ellis says. He visited Durdle Door in Dorset to breathe new life into his imagery.

The Canon EOS R handled the low light of this part of Ellis's night shoot perfectly thanks to its large, 30.3MP full-frame sensor, enabling him to create stunning long exposures. The bright LCD screen, meanwhile, made composing his shots in the darkness simple.

Photography doesn't have to be all about solo adventures, though. According to Ellis, exploring with a friend can be great for boosting positivity and your social life.

"What has driven me so much is community; being able to meet with like-minded friends and building friendships through Instagram and photography communities. After months of not being able to meet up, being able to message another photographer and say, 'hey, do you want to meet up and get some shots?' and enjoying creating those stories and memories is a really great thing."

Ellis is proof that taking on a seven-day photography challenge can help a photographer grow into an even more effective storyteller. And while his theme of mindfulness is tied in with his aim to change his photographic mindset, your theme can be anything you want it to be.

"A challenge like this gets you thinking differently," he says, "because typically many get into a set style and repeat the same process. Challenging yourself really helps you examine how you approach locations and tell stories."



Written by Lorna Dockerill