Bring the course together into one working routine and reinforce the key rules of every topic.
Lesson rule: one routine for every shot
The checklist for a good shot
Before you press the button, run through the steps in your head. In time it becomes automatic and takes a couple of seconds.
1. Light. Where is it coming from? Is it soft or hard? Can you stand so it comes from the side or behind, not harshly from above? The best times are the golden and blue hours; at midday, look for shade.
2. Composition. Where's the main subject? Put it on a thirds line or power point, not in the center. Are there leading lines, a frame, negative space? For a person, leave room in the direction they're looking. Check the background for a pole “growing” out of their head.
3. Vantage point. From what height? Crouch down to a child's or animal's level; shoot from below for grandeur, from above for “flat” subjects. Circle the subject and walk closer instead of using digital zoom.
4. Camera. Tap the subject to focus. Adjust the brightness slider. In high contrast, trust HDR; in the dark, night mode and a support. Hold the phone steady with both hands.
5. Editing. Later, calmly: crop, straighten the horizon, gently adjust light and color, don't overdo it. Remove what's random, keep the character.
And remember the course's main rule: it's the person, not the phone, that takes the picture. Expensive gear can't save bad light, but a simple phone in good light, well composed, takes beautiful shots. Everything is decided before you press the button.
Lesson notes
The checklist for a good shot
Before you press the button, run through the steps in your head. In time it becomes automatic and takes a couple of seconds.
1. Light. Where is it coming from? Is it soft or hard? Can you stand so it comes from the side or behind, not harshly from above? The best times are the golden and blue hours; at midday, look for shade.
2. Composition. Where's the main subject? Put it on a thirds line or power point, not in the center. Are there leading lines, a frame, negative space? For a person, leave room in the direction they're looking. Check the background for a pole “growing” out of their head.
3. Vantage point. From what height? Crouch down to a child's or animal's level; shoot from below for grandeur, from above for “flat” subjects. Circle the subject and walk closer instead of using digital zoom.
4. Camera. Tap the subject to focus. Adjust the brightness slider. In high contrast, trust HDR; in the dark, night mode and a support. Hold the phone steady with both hands.
5. Editing. Later, calmly: crop, straighten the horizon, gently adjust light and color, don't overdo it. Remove what's random, keep the character.
And remember the course's main rule: it's the person, not the phone, that takes the picture. Expensive gear can't save bad light, but a simple phone in good light, well composed, takes beautiful shots. Everything is decided before you press the button.
A checklist in your head is half the job. The other half is a practiced hand.
In the catalog, in this same “Photography” section, there's a companion trainer course, “Photographic Vision: Find the Shot Before You Press the Button.” In it, you move a frame over rendered street pictures, remove distractions, and search for a vantage point in 3D, and every shot is scored against a set of criteria.
This course gave you the knowledge — that one will train your eye.