Learn by Shooting

Find a road, fence, railing or shadow that leads the eye toward your subject.

Shoot through a doorway, window, arch or branches to frame your subject.

Capture a perfectly mirrored scene — architecture, reflections or a face.

Get close enough that your subject touches all four edges — no empty space.

Make a small subject sit in a large area of empty, simple space.

Compose a group of exactly 3 (or 5) objects instead of 2 or 4.

Build a shot where the strongest line runs corner to corner.

Find repeating shapes — tiles, windows, stairs — and fill the frame with them.

Photograph a pattern with a single element that breaks it.

Use a puddle, window, mirror or still water to show your subject reflected.

Shoot one photo during golden hour and let the warm light carry it.

Put the light source behind your subject for a glow or halo of light.

Shoot a portrait or object lit only by light from a window.

Use harsh, direct sun to create strong, graphic shadows.

Shoot in open shade or on a cloudy day for soft, even light.

Make a shadow the subject of the photo, not the object casting it.

Shoot a subject as a dark silhouette against a bright background.

Make one photo where the subject is bright enough without blowing out the brightest area.

Shoot the same scene three ways: normal, darker and brighter.

Freeze something moving — a jump, splash, pet or passing car.

Blur something moving on purpose — traffic, water or a person.

Throw the background out of focus so the subject is the only sharp thing.

Make a landscape or scene sharp from the foreground all the way back.

Photograph a dim scene with the lowest ISO that still gives you a usable shutter speed.

Shoot one scene with neutral whites, then make a second version intentionally warmer or cooler.

Choose one precise focus point and make everything else secondary.

Photograph the same subject wide and tight from different distances.

Recreate the same brightness with two different aperture, shutter and ISO combinations.

Find and photograph the boldest red you can — rust, neon, petals, paint.

Hunt down deep blues — skies, water, doors, shadows after sunset.

Find every shade of green you can — mossy, leafy, emerald.

Find the brightest yellow — taxis, walls, flowers, signage.

Chase warm orange tones — fruit, paint, signage, sunsets.

Find purple wherever it hides — lavender, neon, dusk skies.

Go all in on pink — blossoms, neon, pastel walls.

Find cool teal & turquoise — pools, tiles, tropical water.

Capture two opposite colors together in one frame.

Make a photo where almost everything is the same color.

Find one bright color standing out against a neutral background.

Shoot a scene that works because color is removed.

Get down to the ground and shoot looking up at your subject.

Shoot straight down on your subject — a flat-lay, food or your feet.

Shoot exactly at your subject’s eye level — including pets and kids.

Tilt the camera so the horizon runs at a clear diagonal.

Shoot the same subject twice: one wide shot and one tight detail.