Phone photography

SPEND A DAY LEARNING A NEW SKILL. MINDFUL AND MIND FULL ( IN A GOOD WAY)

I WASN’T EVEN ON INSTAGRAM before doing this course. There, I’ve said it. This should tell you how much I knew about phone photography. And yet, I hadn’t used a ‘proper’ camera in years. The reality, for most of us, is that our phones are the main or only way in which we take photos. I decided a course might help me to make more of the camera I inadvertently carry around all day.

On signing up with Going Digital, I receive a list of editing apps to download ahead of my three-hour talk and walk workshop. The rendez-vous is a cool café in East London, where Richard, our instructor, asks all five of us to introduce our phones, and runs through the common settings our models have. My phone is Android, and there are some iPhones too (all operating systems are welcome). There are plenty of features I haven’t been using, such as ways to crop, sharpen and brighten my photos. Richard then talks about the basics of using the apps we’ve installed.

Next, we’re off for a couple of hours exploring the area, stopping to photograph and experiment with different techniques – some used as you snap, some for editing later. I get quite involved; it doesn’t feel like two hours. It’s an interesting way to explore a bit of the city I know little of, too. Then it’s back to the café for a debrief and Richard’s editing tips.

A few months later, I’m still using the apps. My photography has improved and, armed with the right tools, I feel more confident about taking pictures, as I can always edit them later. And while there may not be much on it yet, I even have an Instagram account.