Challenge #100daysoflight : Exploring light for 100 days.

A few years ago, I decided to join the #100daysoflight challenge – a creative project initiated by photographer Caroline Cuinet Wellings, and now followed by a beautiful, supportive community of photographers in France and beyond. The idea is simple and inspiring: create one photograph every day for one hundred days, with a single intention in mind : learning to truly see natural light.

A wonderfully compelling program !

Why I wanted to take on this challenge.

To truly see the light

Natural light is everywhere – subtle, changing, expressive. And when I look at the images that move me the most, the ones that stop me in my tracks, they almost always share the same secret : light plays a leading role.
A soft glow, a dramatic contrast, a reflection that gently distorts reality… Light shapes emotion.

As a photographer, I wanted to train my eye to recognise these nuances intentionally :
to welcome all types of light – even the difficult ones – and learn to play with them rather than fear them.
If this challenge had one ultimate goal, it was this one : to see light even on the greyest days, and make something meaningful out of it.

To keep learning

One thing I know for certain : we never stop learning.
When I returned to photography after a long break, I found immense joy in rediscovering the craft – refining my technique, exploring new ideas, feeling my hands and eyes reconnect with my camera.

This challenge felt like a new creative playground. A space to sharpen my vision, stretch my curiosity, and allow creativity to flourish without pressure.

To feel less alone in a solitary profession

Being a self-employed photographer often means wearing many hats : photographer, webmaster, communication lead, accountant… and the coffee-break conversations are few and far between. Joining a kind, vibrant community felt like a breath of fresh air : a place to share questions, inspiration, encouragement… and even a few real coffees along the way !

Because I love challenges !

When I launched my business, I attempted this challenge for the first time but didn’t manage to go all the way. Later, as my photography career took a new direction, I felt the desire to try again – not as a test of endurance, but as a way to mark a creative turning point and embrace my work with renewed intention.

How I approached the challenge

With no pressure

There is enough pressure elsewhere !
I knew from the beginning that the challenge would likely take me longer than one hundred days, and that was perfectly fine.
What mattered was the daily intention : observing, thinking, trying, noticing.

With my camera, not my phone

I chose to shoot everything with my digital camera – alternating between a 35mm lens and my beloved 85mm – to remain fully engaged in the process. I shared my progress on my Instagram account, mostly in stories, and created a dedicated highlight to gather all the images along the way.

What I planned to photograph

Some days it’s easy to find “the” photograph. Most days, it’s not.
So I chose to focus on the quiet beauty of everyday life – the small scenes at home, the corners of my living space, the details we overlook unless we slow down.

This challenge also became an opportunity to capture fragments of my family life, those ordinary yet precious moments we rarely think to document.

Of course, there were images captured during sessions and weddings as well – moments when being extra attuned to the light was both a challenge and an advantage.

And then, a personal stretch : self-portraiture.
As photographers, we spend so much time behind the camera. Showing a small glimpse of myself in this journey felt like an unexpectedly meaningful part of the process.

I also experimented with street photography from time to time – stepping outside my comfort zone in a way that felt surprisingly inspiring.

Looking back

I hoped that anyone following this journey would find joy in witnessing this exploration of light. My intention was also to reflect on the experience afterwards – what I learned, the creative sparks, the difficulties, the quiet victories.

To celebrate the end of the challenge, I compiled my one hundred photographs into a beautiful printed album – a personal treasure that reminds me of everything this journey brought me.

Whether the challenge took 100 days or more didn’t really matter.

Because, in the end, it’s never only about the destination.
It’s about the journey – and all the light you learn to notice along the way !