Outside · Tips & tricks

Photo Coach

Everything a young photographer needs to know — one tip at a time. Read one, try it, then come back for the next.

The big five

Five habits that make any photo better. Master these and you're already a real photographer.

1
Hunt for light
Before you press the button, look WHERE the light comes from. Light in front of them = sparkly faces. Light behind = magic glow. The best light happens right after sunrise and just before sunset — photographers call it golden hour.
2
Get low
Crouch down to your subject's level. For pets, that means belly-deep in the grass! Photos taken from your subject's eye level always feel more alive.
3
Move your feet
Pick one thing and take ten photos of it in ten different ways: super close, far away, from the side, from below, from above. Zoom with your feet, not with the button.
4
Frame it
Shoot THROUGH something: a doorway, branches, a window, a fence. It makes a frame inside your photo — like a secret peek.
5
Wait for it
Sit still. Breathe quiet. Let the moment come to you. Patience is how you catch a bird mid-flap or a cat mid-yawn.
Ready?
Got the big five? Go earn your badges on the Daily Photo Dare.
Try today's dare See the quests

Photos by Kathy — examples to learn from, never club members' photos.

Little games that make practice feel like play. Perfect for a rainy afternoon.

Pattern hunt
Rows, repeats, rainbows — tiles, petals, toys, fence posts. Find five patterns before you go home.
One color only
Pick a color. Today, only photograph things that are that color. Your photos become a set!
Super close
Get so close your camera says 'too close', then take a step back. Tiny things look giant.
Silhouette shot
Put your friend between you and the bright sky, then take the photo. They'll turn into a cool dark shape.
Tell a story in 3
Take a beginning, a middle and an end: empty plate, full plate, crumbs. That's a photo story!
Steady hands
Hold your breath and tuck your elbows in before you press the button. Steady hands = sharp photos.

Sound like a pro at the dinner table.

Golden hour: The warm, glowy light right after sunrise and just before sunset.
Portrait: A photo of a person or pet — usually face and shoulders.
Landscape: A wide photo of a place — hills, beaches, rooms.
Focus: The part of the photo that is sharp and clear. Tap your screen to pick it!
Angle: Where you shoot from. High, low, side — change it and everything changes.

Want the full adventure?

One last thing

There are no wrong photos. Only practice shots. Every photographer you admire started exactly where you are.