Phone Photography
The camera in your pocket, used on purpose.
Learn phone photography as a beginner
The camera in your pocket is better than you think. This beginner course teaches you to see and use light, compose shots on purpose, and edit for a consistent look with free tools, ending in a finished 9-photo series that tells a small story. No camera or paid apps needed.
The path
- 1
Level 1Free Light and Framing
A 9-photo series
14 Steps, about 26 minutes each. Anyone with a smartphone. No camera, no apps to buy.
- Chapter 1: See the light. A camera set up right, control of focus and brightness, and a three-photo still life set lit by a window.
- Chapter 2: Compose like a pro. Leading lines, frames, empty space and new angles, and a portrait you'd be proud to share.
- Chapter 3: Edit and tell a story. Sharp low-light shots, natural edits, and a 9-photo series with a title, shared.
- 1Show your groupClean lens, grid on, first shotYour grid is on and you took one photo with the subject on a grid line.
Two small habits improve phone photos instantly: cleaning the lens and turning on the grid. A smudged lens makes photos look foggy and soft. The grid helps you place your subject with purpose.
The grid divides the screen into nine equal boxes, with two horizontal and two vertical lines. The rule of thirds says that placing your subject on one of these lines, or where two cross, usually looks more balanced and interesting than placing it dead center.
The detail beginners miss is that the grid also keeps horizons straight. Line up the horizon with a horizontal grid line, and your photos won't tilt.
Here's an example. Lens wiped with a soft cloth. Grid turned on: on iPhone, Settings, Camera, Grid; on Android, the camera app's settings. A coffee cup on a table photographed with the cup on the right vertical line, not in the middle. The table edge lined up with the bottom horizontal line.
Right is your grid on and one photo with the subject on a grid line. The rule of thirds is a guideline, not a law; centered subjects work too, when it's deliberate.
- 2Take control of focus and brightnessYou can lock focus and exposure, and make a photo brighter or darker on purpose.
- 3Shoot by a windowThree photos of the same object with light from the side, from behind, and straight on.
See all 14 Steps
- 4Catch the golden hourTwo outdoor photos: one at midday or bright sun, one in the hour before sunset.
- 5Show your groupMake a 3-photo still life setThree finished photos of one subject that belong together.
- 6Lead the eye with linesThree photos where a line leads the eye to your subject.
- 7Frame it, then give it spaceOne photo with a natural frame and one with lots of empty space.
- 8Change your angleFive photos of one subject from five heights and angles.
- 9Show your groupPhotograph a personA portrait of someone in soft light, with a clean background.
- 10Shoot in low lightA sharp photo taken at night or in a dim room, without flash.
- 11Edit with SnapseedThree of your photos edited: straightened, cropped, and light and color adjusted.
- 12Plan and shoot your seriesA theme chosen and 30 or more photos shot for it, with no video today.
- 13
- 14Show your group
- 2
Level 2Unlocks after Level 1 Editing and Stories
Your own look and a printed photo story
20 Steps, about 38 minutes each. Phone photographers who finished Level 1 or already shoot with the grid, find good light and do simple edits.
- Chapter 1: Light and color, fixed. Histograms read, white balance fixed, curves for contrast, selective edits, and a before-and-after trio.
- Chapter 2: Clean up and a signature look. Straight horizons, distractions removed, perspective fixed, your own look saved, and six photos edited with it.
- Chapter 3: New subjects. RAW photos, food, street and long exposures tried, and a six-photo set from a photo walk.
- Chapter 4: A photo story. A story planned with a shot list, shot over time, sequenced, edited with your look, printed and shared.
- 1Show your groupRead the histogramThree photos checked against their histograms, with one too dark, one too bright and one balanced.
A histogram is a graph of the brightness of every pixel in a photo. It's the most reliable way to judge exposure, because screens can make photos look brighter or darker than they are.
The left side of the histogram shows shadows, the middle shows mid-tones, and the right side shows highlights. The height at any point shows how many pixels have that brightness.
The detail beginners miss is the edges. A histogram piled up against the right edge means highlights are blown out, pure white with no detail. Piled against the left, shadows are crushed to pure black. Detail lost at either edge usually can't be recovered.
Here's an example. Free Lightroom app opened, a photo loaded, Edit, then Light, histogram shown. Photo one, a night street: piled on the left, too dark. Photo two, a snowy field: piled on the right, too bright. Photo three, a portrait in open shade: spread across the middle, balanced.
Right is three photos checked against their histograms. Not every photo needs a centered histogram; a night scene should be mostly dark. The histogram tells you what's there, and you decide if it's right. Level 2 assumes the composition and light skills from Level 1.
- 2Fix white balanceThree photos with color casts corrected using Snapseed's White Balance tool.
- 3Shape contrast with curvesTwo photos edited with Snapseed Curves: a gentle S-curve for punch and a faded curve for a soft look.
See all 20 Steps
- 4Make selective editsA photo where only part of it is changed: a face brightened or a sky deepened, without touching the rest.
- 5Show your groupEdit a before-and-after trioThree photos fully edited with white balance, curves and selective edits, shown next to their originals.
- 6Crop and straightenFive photos straightened and cropped to strengthen the composition.
- 7Remove distractionsTwo photos with distractions removed: a stray wire, a sign, a person in the background, or a spot.
- 8Fix perspectiveTwo photos of buildings or flat objects corrected so vertical lines stand straight.
- 9Build your own lookYour editing style saved as a Snapseed Look you can apply to any photo with one tap.
- 10Show your groupEdit a set of six with your lookSix photos from one place or day, edited with your look and adjusted so they match.
- 11Try shooting RAWThe same scene shot as RAW and normal, edited both ways, and the difference seen.
- 12Photograph foodA plate of food photographed from overhead and from a low side angle, by a window.
- 13Try street photographyA dozen candid photos of everyday life in public, with three keepers.
- 14Capture motionA long-exposure photo of moving water, traffic or a crowd, made from a Live Photo or night mode on a tripod.
- 15Show your groupPhoto walk setA six-photo set from one photo walk, mixing street, motion, a detail and a wide shot, edited with your look.
- 16
- 17Shoot your storyAt least 60 photos for your story, from two or more sessions, covering your shot list.
- 18Sequence and edit the storyYour 12 best story photos chosen, put in a strong order, and edited consistently with your look.
- 19Print your storyYour 12 story photos exported at full size and ordered as 4x6 prints or a small book.
- 20Show your groupShare your storyYour photo story shared as prints, a post or a shared album, with a title and a few lines of text.
Where it ends: a portfolio you'd post proudly
Questions about learning phone photography
How long does it take to learn phone photography?
Level 1 is 14 Steps of about 26 minutes each, around 6 hours in all, split into 3 chapters. Go at your own speed: one Step a day, or a whole chapter in a sitting.
What do I need to start phone photography?
You'll need your phone and its built-in camera app and snapseed (free app, iPhone and Android). There's nothing you have to buy to start.
Can a complete beginner learn phone photography?
Anyone with a smartphone. No camera, no apps to buy.
What will I have made by the end of Level 1?
A finished 9-photo series with a consistent look, shot and edited on the phone you already own.
Is this phone photography course free?
Yes. Level 1 of every hobby on Eras is free, and every Step links free lessons from great teachers online. Eras Plus is an optional subscription that opens the levels after it.
Free lessons in Light and Framing come from BarbsterFilms, Adobe, WebPro Education, Apple Support, Google Pixel Camera Help, Newcastle Photography College, ExpertPhotography, Sean Kitching, Digital Photography School, Learn Online Video, Joshua Cripps....Let's Go!, e6 Vlogs, iPhone Photography School, Tim Shields, Dee Nimmin, Hillary Muelleck. We link to their work and never copy it.
Cover photo by Josh Power on Unsplash