Lesson 1: Mobile Photography Essentials: Light, Framing & Focus

Welcome

This week you’ll learn how to tell a story with photos — using only your phone. Great photos aren’t about expensive cameras. They’re about light, framing, and focus. When you control these three things, your photos become clearer, more emotional, and more powerful.

By the end of Week 3, you’ll be ready to create a Photo Essay that shows a real story from your life or community.

Learning goals (what you’ll be able to do)

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

• Find and use good light (even with a simple phone)
• Frame a photo so the audience knows what to look at
• Use focus and distance to create clear subjects and avoid blurry images
• Capture variety (wide, medium, close-up) to tell a story, not just take pictures

What you need

• A smartphone camera (any phone is okay)
• Optional: earphones (for watching videos quietly)
• 15–30 minutes
• A safe place to shoot (home, school compound, neighborhood)

1) LIGHT: The secret ingredient

The rule: Your camera sees light before it sees the story.

If the light is poor, the photo will look noisy, dull, or blurry — even if your idea is good.

Best lighting options (simple)

✅ Natural window light (stand near a window, face the light)
✅ Outdoor shade (under a tree / verandah / beside a wall)
✅ Early morning or late afternoon (“golden hour”)
⚠️ Avoid harsh midday sun (it creates strong shadows)

Quick light tips (phone-friendly)

• Don’t shoot directly into bright sun behind your subject (it makes the subject dark).
• If the face is dark, turn the person toward the light.
• Tap the screen where you want the camera to adjust exposure.
• Keep your lens clean (wipe it with a soft cloth).

2) FRAMING: Help the audience “read” your photo

Think like a storyteller

Every photo should answer at least one question:

• What is happening?
• Who/what is this about?
• Why does it matter?

3 easy framing rules you can use today

1. A) The Rule of Thirds (simple version)

Imagine your screen has 9 boxes (like a tic-tac-toe grid).
Place your subject slightly off-center (left/right) — it feels more natural and professional.

1. B) Use leading lines

Use roads, fences, paths, walls, or lines in buildings to guide the eye to your subject.

1. C) Watch your background

Before you take the photo, scan behind your subject:

• Is there clutter?
• Is there a bright object stealing attention?
• Is there something “growing out of their head” (poles, trees, wires)?

Pro tip: If the background is messy, move 2 steps left/right or change angle.

3) FOCUS: Make the main subject sharp

The rule: Tap to focus

Always tap the screen on the most important part:

• face/eyes (for people)
• hands (for action)
• object detail (for meaning)

Avoid blur (3 simple techniques)

✅ Hold phone with two hands
✅ Exhale slowly before pressing capture
✅ Lean on a wall/table for stability

Focus trick for stronger storytelling

• Close-up details (hands, objects, textures) create emotion and meaning.
• Wide shots create context.
  A strong photo story needs both.

Shot variety (so your photo essay feels like a story)

For storytelling, try to capture:

• Wide shot: shows the environment / location
• Medium shot: shows action / person clearly
• Close-up: shows emotion or details

If you only take one type, the story becomes flat. Variety = power.

Activity: The 10-Photo Practice Challenge (do this today)

Take 10 photos in 15–30 minutes using your phone.

Your checklist (10 photos)

1. 1 wide shot showing a place (context)
2. 1 medium shot showing a person/action
3. 1 close-up showing detail (hands/object/face)
4. 1 photo using window light
5. 1 photo taken in shade outdoors
6. 1 photo from a low angle (shoot from below)
7. 1 photo from a high angle (shoot from above)
8. 1 photo using leading lines (path/road/fence)
9. 1 photo with a clean/simple background
10. 1 “moment photo” (real life action, not posed)

Choose your best 3 photos

After shooting, select your best 3 photos and answer:

• What is the subject?
• What do you want the audience to feel or understand?
• What would you improve next time?

Mini-Editing (optional but recommended)

You can edit using your phone gallery or apps like Snapseed/Lightroom Mobile.

Keep edits simple:

✅ Brightness (slightly)
✅ Contrast (slightly)
✅ Crop to remove distractions
✅ Warmth/coolness (only if needed)

⚠️ Avoid heavy filters that make skin look unnatural or colors too extreme.

Safety + Respect reminder (for Week 3)

Before photographing people:

• Ask permission if the person is identifiable
• Avoid humiliating or exposing images
• If the topic is sensitive, photograph hands/objects/places instead of faces
• Never photograph children in a risky or exploitative way

Quick self-check (before you move on)

✅ I understand how light affects a photo
✅ I can frame a subject with purpose
✅ I know how to tap to focus and reduce blur
✅ I captured wide/medium/close-up variety
✅ I selected my best photos and know what to improve

What’s next

In the next lesson, we’ll cover:
“Photo Essay Story Structure + Captions (How to turn photos into a story).”