If you love photography but struggle to make time for it consistently, you’re not alone.
Several years ago, I used to think about using my camera all the time. I’d tell myself I’d practice next week or in the new year, then quietly let it slide. Eventually, I got tired of my excuses and set out on a mission to become truly consistent with my camera.
In this post, I’m sharing one of the most sustainable ways I’ve found to prioritize photography: a 52-week photo challenge.
I’ll share what led me here (a 365-day photo challenge in 2022), 52 weeks’ worth of photos taken on Fujifilm cameras, behind-the-scenes reflections from each month, and the lessons I learned while completing my 52-week photography challenge.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
From 365 Days to 52 Weeks
What led me to a 52-week photo challenge?
Well, this saga began on a random Wednesday in September 2022.
At the time, I was feeling overwhelmed in grad school and knew I needed something to help me stay consistent with photography.
While I was out practicing, the idea for a 365-day photo challenge came to me, and I impulsively started it the next day.
The rules were simple: share one photo a day on Instagram.
I decided to share my images publicly because I needed the accountability. I wanted something that would make me pick up my camera. And I knew a public commitment would make me do it.
I could have pulled from my massive archive of photos that whole year, but I didn’t.
I ended up using my camera about once a week on average. In many ways, I was unintentionally practicing a 52-week photo challenge that year.
That challenge completely changed my relationship with photography. I overcame my fear of sharing “bad” photos, became more consistent with my camera than ever before, started writing on this blog, and built strong, lasting habits with my camera.
But it also taught me something important: daily sharing is not sustainable for me.
After about 200 days, posting began to feel like a chore. I loved using my camera, but I hated the social media commitment I made. It was necessary for those first few months, but eventually it felt like a burden.
When I got my first Fujifilm camera, I decided to start again. But not with a daily challenge.
This time, I committed to a 52-week photo challenge. And I kept it to myself.
Recommended read: What is a 365-Day Photo Challenge and is it Right For You?
What Is a 52-Week Photo Challenge?
A 52-week photo challenge is a year-long commitment to take (and/or share) one photo per week. That’s it.
For my challenge, my rules were as follows:
- Use my camera 1x a week for 52 weeks.
- Create 1 image per week worth keeping.
I didn’t follow prompts, I didn’t assign themes, and I didn’t set out to create a particular type of image. And after experiencing burnout from daily posting during my 365-day photo project, I decided this challenge would be just for me.
At this stage of my life, I trust myself to follow through on habits unseen by others. So I didn’t explicitly share my weekly photos. I did, of course, share photos online that I took during this time.
Recommended read: How I Owned Calling Myself a Photographer
My 52-Week Photo Challenge Cameras
For four years, I relied almost entirely on a mid-range Sony camera and two prime lenses for my personal photography (here is the newer model of that camera). You can see images created below with that set up.
And I enjoyed those limitations for a long time, but by the end of 2024, I was bored and itching to explore film photography.
That boredom, coupled with my curiosity, led me to get my first Fujifilm digital camera, which in turn led me to my second and third.
And so this entire 52-week challenge was unintentionally shot exclusively on Fujifilm.
Here’s what I used:
• Fujifilm X-T50 (January–October)
• Fujifilm x100vi (August-December)
• Fujifilm X-T5 (December 21-31)
Over the course of this year, I completely fell in love with Fujifilm.
The cameras I’ve had the privilege of using so far are far from perfect. They don’t feel like workhorses, but there’s a certain je ne sais quoi that has me hooked. They’re fun, inspiring, and look pretty dang cool.
However, using cameras, I didn’t fully understand made this challenge more difficult, and occasionally more frustrating, but also on the bright side, more interesting.
Please know, you don’t need a new camera to take on a 52-week photo challenge. You don’t even need an actual camera — you can use your phone, or whatever it is you have.
Don’t let gear get in the way of practicing.
Recommended read: Why I Got A Fujifilm XT50 (and not an XT5)
My 52-Week Photo Challenge with Fujifilm:
For anyone who’s ever worked on a long-term project, you know the day-to-day of it can feel mundane. Every time you pick up your camera, it’s just another day.
The weeks felt like they blurred together, progress often felt nonexistent, and I would sometimes wonder… Is photography worth so much of my attention?
Once you look back, though, you start to see what all that showing up actually created.
And how all that creating changed you, too.
In this section, I’m sharing a picture from every week of this year, along with a few personal reflections from the process. Some of these images may feel familiar, while others may feel less so.
Together, they tell a quieter story about consistency, presence, and showing up for what’s important when no one’s watching.
January 2025
At the beginning of the year, I got a brand new Fujifilm XT50 and felt clueless with it.
In my first month, I focused heavily on learning how to use the Fujifilm XT50 and reestablishing my photography habits. I never put any pressure on myself to make good images. I just committed to making at least one worth keeping every single week.
The black and white photo below of my brother and his dog was the first photo I truly loved from my Fujifilm XT50. It inspired me to keep going with this camera.
Surprisingly, I spent over a month shooting exclusively in automatic mode and sometimes used exposure compensation to make minor adjustments.
Yes, as a seasoned photographer, I shot on automatic mode. Learning how to use a new camera always takes time. I know that. But I was surprised by how overwhelming the Fujifilm XT50 felt to learn. So I took it slow and never shamed myself for it.
This period reminded me just how hard starting (or restarting) photography can feel. It pushed me to revisit and rewrite a program I’d created the year before — Adios Auto Mode— with beginners in mind.
February 2025
In the first couple of months of this 52-week photo challenge, I intentionally only used my camera about 1–2 times per week. I wanted to start slow and build my habits up gently.
While at home, I brought my camera along on photo walks again, and “scheduled” an outing to explore a nearby neighborhood with my camera.
Using my Fujifilm XT50 still felt confusing at times, so I didn’t rush it. I stayed in automatic mode longer than expected and slowly worked my way into the priority modes as I got more comfortable.
At the same time, I started to edit photos in Lightroom. Some images, especially those taken in auto mode or in less-than-ideal light, were harder to edit. But I still tried.
Recommended read: Fujifilm X-T50: First Impressions and Experience
March 2025
When we traveled to New Zealand this month, I boldly left my Sony at home and only brought my Fujifilm XT50 and XF 16-50mm lens. I had so many frustrating moments with this camera while out and about, but dealing with them head-on made me start to understand my camera more.
The landscapes in New Zealand were unreal. And well, the sheep roaming, I couldn’t resist capturing them. I’m convinced anyone could capture beautiful pictures here.
This is also the month I started chasing good light more frequently with this camera. So, editing started to feel easier. Because, as you know, trying to save a picture taken in bad light can sometimes be painful.
Below, you can see an image I captured in good light this month. I barely had to edit it.
I felt like I understood my Fujifilm XT50 — I was shooting in manual mode and editing raw files again. And surprisingly, I finally felt happy with my images.
Recommended read: Is the Fujifilm XT50 a Good Travel Camera? I Took It to New Zealand to Find Out.
April 2025
Then April came along and humbled me.
My husband left at the end of March for what became an 8.5-month deployment.
I’ve learned over the years that the first month away always feels a bit lonely for me.
And I can see that reflected in my photographs.
It’s funny, sometimes, how our photographs can reflect what we’re feeling in life.
It’s something a stranger might not notice upon first glance, but I can see it.
Maybe you can too?
Recommended read: Photo Challenge List: 15 Ideas to Help Spark Your Creativity
May 2025
In May, I started experimenting with Fujifilm Recipes and a black mist filter for my XF 16-50mm lens. As you can see below, none of these images really fit together. They all have a different look.
The first one feels a bit too bright, the art photo doesn’t really pull you in, the third one is too dark (but I love it), and the fourth, from my graduation, well, it doesn’t feel like anything special.
I finished my master’s at Brown University in August 2024, but I couldn’t walk at graduation until May 2025. Naturally, I brought my Fujifilm XT50 to graduation with me and captured some moments. See the last photo of the carousel below for proof.
Cheers to being so obsessed with my camera that I brought it to graduation.
Recommended read: How to Access, Customize, & Save Fujifilm XT50 Film Simulations and Recipes
June 2025
Eventually, shooting once or twice a week became easy.
And as life kept “life-ing” this year, my Fujifilm camera became a grounding escape.
In the middle of the year, without forcing it, I found myself going out 3–7 days a week.
I spent about 9.5 months living alone this year, and so I found myself practicing a lot of “street photography”. And as you may know, it can be difficult to take a picture you actually like in street photography.
But the more you go out, the more likely you are to take a good one.
And I went out so much that I captured a lot of keepers this month. In retrospect, I think this was my best month of Coronado street photography this year.
It inspired me to share the images I had been creating all year in Coronado on here.
Recommended read: Photo Project: Life in Coronado, California
July 2025
By this point in the year, I felt like I was swimming upstream. Absolutely nothing was working out for me. Dead ends everywhere.
And so, I turned to my camera to process life and focused on what was going right.
My photographs from this month feel how my life felt at the time… things look good on the surface level, but really, there’s no substance to them.
But hey, I still picked up my camera multiple times a week and captured a keeper every week.
Recommended read: Must-Read Creativity Books for Photographers
August 2025
In August, I spent a good chunk of time in Colorado. The two pictures on the left were taken here. Both images were captured on my Fujifilm X-T50 + XF 27 mm lens. I felt pretty comfortable with the Fujifilm XT50, but I was also feeling frustrated with it.
When I stopped to buy some film at a random camera store in Boulder, I found a Fujifilm x100vi and got it. I felt too curious to pass up getting a brand new x100vi in-store.
I told myself I would just sell the Fujifilm x100vi if I didn’t love it.
But it turns out, it instantly felt right in my hands. And instead of selling my Fujifilm x100vi, I started to feel more sure about selling my Fujifilm X-T50.
Recommended read: I Love the Fujifilm XT50 — But These Things Frustrate Me
September 2025
In September, I took a long trip to the East Coast and left my Fujifilm XT50 at home.
I fully embraced using my Fujifilm x100vi.
As someone who’s never been a fan of a 35mm focal length, it was a challenge trying to compose images I liked at first, but the focal length quickly grew on me thanks to how fun the camera is!
All four of the images below were captured on the Fujifilm x100vi.
Surprisingly, most of my frustrations with the Fujifilm X-T50 camera body were solved with the x100vi.
And I was reminded of the importance of choosing a camera that works with you, not against you.
Recommended read: Why I’m Selling My Fujifilm XT50
October 2025
By October, my photography habits were so ingrained in my lifestyle that I didn’t think twice about using my camera. I just did it.
And I did it a lot.
Even so, there were plenty of times when I wasn’t in the mood to take pictures.
Some days I felt tired, uninspired, or distracted. But I went out anyway.
Over time, I stopped expecting my mood to have anything to do with the outcome.
I’ve learned that some of my favorite photos are made on days when I feel my worst, and some of my most anticipated outings result in nothing I care to keep.
I simply showed up each week, camera in hand, and let whatever happened happen.
Recommended read: How the Fujifilm X-T50 Changed My Photography
November 2025
When I moved back to San Diego from France in 2023, photography didn’t feel fun.
I really struggled to pick up my camera.
San Diego had lost its charm for me.
And believe me, I know San Diego is an incredible place to live as a photographer.
So in November (and some of October), I tried to reconnect with San Diego by documenting different areas of the city.
Nearly 2 years after moving back, I realized I just had a bad attitude about being here.
As someone who always practices gratitude, I tried to flip the switch on these feelings.
And I slowly started to remember how cool this place can be.
December 2025
In the last month of my 52-week photo challenge, everything finally clicked for me. Photography truly felt fun, my husband finally returned home, and I finally felt like I really understood my Fujifilm cameras.
At the end of the month, I got a Fujifilm XT5, and wow, do I love it. So far XT5 > XT50.
I felt like the uphill climb of this year had crested, and the view was great.
Best of all, without even realizing it, I started to enjoy being in San Diego again.
And my photography is better because of it.
Lessons from the 52-Week Photo Challenge
Looking back on the year, a few things became clear that surfaced slowly through repetition, boredom, and missed shots.
Many of these lessons I already knew intuitively, but placing focused attention on photography gave me the words for them.
The Power of Showing Up
There’s a real power in simply showing up.
There are ideas that won’t come to you, places you won’t notice, and photographs you won’t make unless you physically go out with your camera.
Attention changes things. When you place it somewhere consistently, magic can happen.
If I hadn’t started my 52-week photo challenge, I never would have started my Coronado Photo Project or reconnected with San Diego in the way I did. I wouldn’t have grown so comfortable asking strangers for photos, and I wouldn’t have been in the right place at the right time to capture some of my favorite images of the year.
Looking back, I can see that showing up consistently mattered more than anything. Some weeks were easy, some felt like a slog, but every time I picked up my camera, I moved forward a little. Sometimes in ways I couldn’t see in the moment.
Sustainable Consistency Matters
This challenge also reinforced how important sustainable habits are.
After my 365-day photo challenge, there was a long stretch where I struggled to want to use my camera at all. I had overdone it. With this challenge, that never happened.
Instead, I often found myself thinking: Thank god I have this challenge. It’s reminding me to document life.
Most of us can find ten minutes a week to pick up our camera.
And that’s enough to stay connected to it.
Release the Pressure to be Good
From the very beginning, I didn’t pressure myself to make anything “good.”
The only commitment I made was to show up and take one picture a week. The photos didn’t have to be good. They didn’t have to mean anything. They just had to exist.
I missed an unbearable amount of photos. I got the settings wrong many times. And I came home with nothing I liked more times than I can count. But I never let it get me.
I was focused on my input, not my outputs.
Practice was the whole point. If you keep showing up, you’re bound to get something.
Focus on What’s Working
There were moments this year when it felt like nothing in my life was working.
Including what I was trying to photograph.
When these moments struck, I reminded myself to lean into what was already working — locations I enjoyed, times of day that felt good, ways of shooting that felt natural.
Progress doesn’t always come from fixing what’s broken… sometimes it comes from doubling down on what’s working.
Interested in a 52-Week Photo Challenge?
By this point, you might be wondering whether a 52-week photo challenge would work for you.
At its core, a 52-week challenge is less about rules or outcomes and more about creating a simple container for consistency. It gives you just enough structure to stay connected to your camera, without asking photography to compete with the rest of your life.
A 52-week photo challenge is ideal if:
- You want to build consistency
- You prefer gentle structure > rigid rules
- Photography matters to you, but it can’t always be the main focus of your life
- You’re busy and want a way to stay connected to your camera
I’d recommend a 52-week challenge over a 365-day project every day of the week. It’s more sustainable, easier to finish, and far more likely to leave you excited to keep going once the year ends.
And best of all, it can work for photogaphers of all experience levels — brand new photographers with zero experience, photographers looking to build a body of work, working photographers looking to dedicate time to their personal projects, or even someone with decades of experience who needs a nudge to shoot more again.
Final Thoughts
My husband often likens me to the tortoise from the tortoise-and-the-hare story.
I tend to keep moving forward at a slow, steady, unremarkable pace with most things in life, trusting that my steady efforts will eventually add up to meaningful progress.
Sometimes it feels like I’m moving slower than everyone else, but in situations that require long, sustained efforts like this, my ways usually pay off.
So, if it’s not obvious, a 52-week photo challenge is very aligned with how I operate.
And I can confidently say that it is one of the most sustainable ways I’ve found to maintain consistency with using my camera.
The best part? You can start it whenever.
If you’re reading this on a random Tuesday or halfway through the year, don’t let that stop you from starting now.
You don’t need January 1st or a Monday.
You don’t need a new camera.
You don’t need to do it “perfectly.”
I started my 365-day challenge on a random Thursday in September. I just happened to start this 52-week challenge on January 1st because the timing worked out.
If a year feels overwhelming, try it for a month. If you like it, keep going.
That commitment could change your life.
Mekenna, this is so inspirational. I made a new year intention to start some type of photo project, and as soon as I read your post, I knew what I wanted to do and how to do it. One photo a week! I *might* post on social media, but I *will* post on my website. If no one sees it, fine by me.
Reading about your year and how it informed your photography was interesting, and I’m sure it was helpful to look back in this way.
I’d be interested to read how you balance using your x100vi vs. your X-T5, but maybe that needs a few more months for you to shake out.
James, this makes me beyond happy to hear! One photo a week is sooo doable. I just looked at your 2026 album on your website and on Instagram — you’re absolutely crushing it so far (and wow, I love your work, by the way!). I can’t wait to see what you create this year and what you discover along the way.
You’re totally right about the cameras, too. I definitely need more time for that balance to fully shake out. So far, the X100VI is always in my purse, but when I go with the intention to take pictures, I’ve been reaching for the XT5. We’ll see how that evolves over time!
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the post and leave such a thoughtful comment. 🤗