Throughout this book, you will find simple instructions for both iPhone and Android devices, giving you all the skills you need to get the most from your camera. I have taken all the photos in this book on smartphones, using an iPhone 6s and an HTC U11.
I have also included suggestions for composition and subject matter, and provided food for thought about a life made richer through the making and sharing of photographs.
I firmly believe that the key to taking a good photograph has far more to do with understanding how to use your camera, and has far less to do with having all the most expensive kit. Everybody has access to a digital camera on their smartphone. So, even if you have got all the gear, but no idea how to tap into its potential, that’s about to change! You are about to make an investment in your creativity by taking the time to learn how to use your camera’s basic functions. While the smartphone camera itself may not be as dazzling as a large-format camera system, the processor that your phone’s camera can harness is nothing short of amazing. Best of all, the skills required to make great photos with your smartphone are quick and super-easy to learn. You will be amazed at how intuitive your device’s camera is, so get to know your new best friend and it will pay back dividends every day.
Feel free to dip into the sections of this book that interest you most, and look out for the tips and exercises that will help you learn by doing. It always works for me to try things for myself, so I hope it will for you too. I only ask that you invest the time in yourself to read and digest the first section that covers the nuts and bolts of photography; this will set you up to use your camera with gleeful abandon, taking pictures with skill and purpose. And let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a bit of gleeful abandon—go on, treat yourself!
Consider this: when I drove to the shops today I didn’t think about how to drive the car, because I’ve got those skills dialed in. My mind was free to think about the journey and enjoy the sights as I went along. I didn’t once concern myself with the technicalities of how to change gear or speed up and slow down, because I know how to do those things subconsciously. This book should help you get to the same place with your smartphone camera too; soon the operational aspect will be almost subliminal, leaving you free to enjoy the journey and to capture the views as you go. My aim is to make you so comfortable with the technology that you can be free to explore your own unique voice and style.
I must confess that in the past, I have been something of a camera snob. If I could time-travel back five years and tell myself that I would soon be selling off many of my DSLR cameras in favor of taking photos with just a smartphone, the younger version of me would be flabbergasted. But here I am and this is how that sea-change happened…
While on maternity leave after having two children in quick succession (well it seemed like a good idea at the time), I wanted a chance to do something creative for five minutes every day amid the all-consuming world of new motherhood. I decided to take a new photo of the National Park where I live every day for a year and post them daily to Instagram in a project called “A Love Letter to Dartmoor in 365 Photos.”
Trekking around Dartmoor carrying my three-month-old son and my 23-month-old daughter, along with all their kit, meant that my hands were full. I had to be adequately prepared in an area renowned for rapid changes in weather. Keeping us warm, dry, and fed for even a few hours on the moor required an extraordinary amount of supplies. I couldn’t carry my DSLR camera and lenses around with me too. But my iPhone was always at hand, so I shot all the photos on that. It turned out to be a life-changing decision to ditch my DSLR, but I found that focusing on just the fundamentals honed my skills significantly. With no zoom lens or aperture to adjust, I had to get creative to solve the issues posed by the tiny camera lens and sensor, using light and shade as I found it, and moving closer to things instead of zooming in. When the project concluded, I exhibited the photos at the Dartmoor National Park Visitor Centre, and seeing how well the images printed was a revelation.
To a certain extent, photography involves being in the right place at the right time, but it really helps if you already know where the right places are and when the right time is likely to be. Make your own luck, do your research, try new things, tune your subconscious into watching the light. Always keep your eyes open for photo opportunities and they will frequently present themselves to you as your reward.
If you read all the way to the end of this, thank you—you’re obviously one of the good ones!
Enjoy,
Jo