Course description

Your phone has a brilliant camera, but are your photos as good as they could be? This course shows you how to take sharp, well-lit, well-composed photos with the phone you already have, step by step, with no extra kit and no jargon.

It's a full course, not a list of quick tips. There are 10 sections and 52 step-by-step written lessons, and every lesson ends with a practical shooting task. Every section has a practice pack of shot lists, challenge cards, cheat sheets and checklists. Throughout the course you follow a teaching assistant in Cornwall who makes and sells ceramics, as she learns to photograph her pots, her family and the coast.

What you'll learn

• Your phone's camera: lenses, modes and the settings worth changing first.
• Composition: the grid, lines, framing, backgrounds, angles and patterns.
• Light: soft and hard light, direction, golden hour, window light and night photos.
• Exposure and focus: focus lock, brightness, HDR, pro mode and movement.
• People and places: portraits, groups, children and pets, landscapes, towns and nature.
• Products and food: a simple home setup, styling and photos for online shops.
• Editing and sharing: editing on your phone, short video, organising, backups, printing and copyright.

Two final projects

You'll create a 12-photo story about your town or a day in your life, then plan and carry out your own product or portrait shoot.

Who this course is for

• Anyone who wants better family, holiday and everyday photos.
• Makers and small sellers who need good product photos.
• People who share photos online for work, a club or a cause.
• Beginners thinking about photography as a hobby.

How the course works

Read each lesson, then pick up your phone and do the Try it task. Every phone is a little different, so lessons explain what each feature does and how to find it on yours. You keep lifetime access, so you can come back whenever you want to try something new.

What will i learn?

• Get to know your phone's camera, lenses, modes and the settings to change first
• Compose stronger photos with the grid, lines, framing and simple backgrounds
• See and use light: soft and hard light, direction, golden hour and night shots
• Control focus and brightness, use HDR and pro mode, and capture movement
• Take natural portraits and group photos, and photograph people respectfully
• Photograph landscapes, towns, nature, products and food
• Edit photos on your phone for a consistent, honest look
• Share, organise, back up and print your photos and understand copyright basics

Frequently asked question