Check out the full article and YouTube video here

The intention is both the motivation and reason for taking the photo and the desired result.

Becoming more intentional in your smartphone photography is one of the first transformational steps towards producing photos that have a more considered meaning than snapshots.

Shooting with intent means you take into consideration many aspects of the photo you're creating, including the intended outcome.

Knowing the intention will ensure that when you look at the photo opportunity, you will know exactly what to do. As you practise smartphone photography, your decisions that align with the photographic intention will become subconscious.

Pause to consider the intention

Practising photographic intention gives you more confidence and more enjoyment in your creative journey.

・・・

Enjoy the video? A small way to say thanks is coffee! https://bit.ly/buymikecoffee 

Free 45 minute "STOP Taking Boring Photos' video course: https://bit.ly/sptfreecourse

FREE membership – community forum, tutorials, podcasts - https://bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Recommended smartphone photography gear: https://bit.ly/3gv9JuC

・・・

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

Full article and YouTube video - here

What is different about Glass?

What I love about the bold concept beyond the distraction-free app focussed on your photos is the return to the chronological feed. After finding photographers to follow, their latest uploads appear in your feed.

It is not designed to keep you scrolling using addictive tricks to encourage engagement or using your usage data to feed an algorithm.

Glass is independent and has not taken outside funding, opting for support by the community itself through subscription $5 a month or $50 a year or, at launch, $30 a year with a free 14-day trial available to new users.

The app is iOS only and to join, you need to join the queue for an invitation or from other Glass members. Once inside you have invitations to provide your friends and family. In a recent Twitter update, they suggested the invites only exist to ensure the quality experience and that they can scale responsibly.

Pros - what you will like

Cons - what you may want

・・・

Enjoy the video? A small way to say thanks is coffee! https://bit.ly/buymikecoffee 

Free 45 minute "STOP Taking Boring Photos' video course: https://bit.ly/sptfreecourse

FREE membership – community forum, tutorials, podcasts - https://bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Recommended smartphone photography gear: https://bit.ly/3gv9JuC

・・・ 

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

G'day and welcome back.

In this episode, I am sharing another 10 Adobe Lightroom mobile app photo editing tools. This is part 3 of the 3-part series covering 30 tools. Episode #27 covered the first 12 tools and #28 another 8 tools

This started as 30 tools written down for the website article. However, when recording the video for the YouTube channel, I actually covered 40 individual tools! Even though the audio is extracted from the video, I believe you are going to achieve a clear understanding of each tool and what they do by listening in on the podcast. These tools are broken down into 3 separate parts to make them more consumable. Me talking for over an hour is a long time!

Today, we explore the texture, clarity, dehaze, selections, healing, versions, watermark, guided tutorials and discovery. This is a deep dive into the Effects and Selective sections of the app.

The video and all the written content are included in my Adobe Lightroom Mobile App eBook - https://www.bit.ly/sptlightroom

Original article can be found on my website over at: https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/editing/lightroom-mobile-editing-tools

・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Smartphone photography accessories: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

Blurry to tack-sharp photos: 4-step system and more: bit.ly/sptcourses

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

G'day and welcome back.

In this episode, I am sharing another 8 Adobe Lightroom mobile app photo editing tools. This is part 2 of the 3-part series covering 30 tools. Episode #27 covered the first 12 tools. 

This started as 30 tools written down for the website article. However, when recording the video for the YouTube channel, I actually covered 40 individual tools! Even though the audio is extracted from the video, I believe you are going to achieve a clear understanding of each tool and what they do by listening in on the podcast. These tools are broken down into 3 separate parts to make them more consumable. Me talking for over an hour is a long time!

Today, we explore the histogram, exposure, highlights and shadows, black and white points, tone curve and all the powerful tools inside sharpening and noise reduction. This is a deep dive into the Light and Details sections of the app. 

The video and all the written content are included in my Adobe Lightroom Mobile App eBook - https://www.bit.ly/sptlightroom

Original article can be found on my website over at: https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/editing/lightroom-mobile-editing-tools

・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Smartphone photography accessories: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

Blurry to tack-sharp photos: 4-step system and more: bit.ly/sptcourses

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

G'day and welcome back.

In this episode, I am going to share Adobe Lightroom mobile app photo editing tools.

This started as 30 tools written down for the website article. However, when recording the video for the YouTube channel, I actually covered 40 individual tools! Even though the audio is extracted from the video, I believe you are going to achieve a clear understanding of each tool and what they do by listening in on the podcast. These tools are broken down into 3 separate parts to make them more consumable. Me talking for over an hour is a long time! 

Today, let's explore the first 12 Lightroom mobile app editing tools in this 3-part series 30 tool playlist. 

Tools covered, include cropping,  presets, profiles, optical, geometry, white balance, vibrance & saturation, colour (color), mix, target tool, color grading, selective colour, black & white 

The video and all the written content are included in my Adobe Lightroom Mobile App eBook - https://www.bit.ly/sptlightroom

Original article can be found on my website over at: https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/editing/lightroom-mobile-editing-tools

・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Smartphone photography accessories: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

Blurry to tack-sharp photos: 4-step system and more: bit.ly/sptcourses

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

In this episode, I share my experience recently reaching out to three of my favourite mobile photography educators. The first I reached out to was Dean from Take Better Photos. When I first started Smartphone Photography Training, Dean was the only other person in Australia that I could find delivering in-person smartphone photography workshops. I loved the concepts that he was teaching, finding Joy and moments. Dean was also working (and continues to) with businesses to assist staff produce visual assets using their phone. 

Next, I reached out to Shayne, discovering his YouTube channel. It is amazing the power of video to discover and appreciate the training and delivery style of someone. I really appreciated the way Shayne breaks down those sometimes complex techniques into easy to follow steps. The combination of quality and consistency of his videos are second to none in smartphone photography tutorials. Shayne is producing some courses at the moment, which I cannot wait to see and share with you in the future. 

Lastly, in the podcast, I talk about Greg McMillan. I discovered Greg 6 years ago as a co-host of The Tiny Shutter Podcast. It had already been going 4 years! Greg has started another podcast named iPhoneography Podcast. Listening to Greg interview other photographers and contribute to group conversations his passion and breadth of knowledge is obvious. 

It was a pleasure to meet each of these guys on camera and in person. I am very thankful that they took the time to respond to me reaching out. It is so nice to be surrounded by people that share the same passion for mobile photography and supporting others in our communities. 

I encourage you to reach out to people who inspire you in photography or some other area of your life and let them know. It is a lot of hard work and many, many unpaid hours to deliver consistent, new content. Maybe even hit their 'buy me a coffee' links to show your support in a unique and much-appreciated way.

Dean Holland - Take Better Photos - website

Shayne Mostyn - YouTube channel - Phone Photo School website

Greg McMillan - iPhoneography Podcast

 ・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Smartphone photography accessories: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

Blurry to tack-sharp photos: 4-step system and more: bit.ly/sptcourses

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

I have downloaded over 100 apps on my smartphone. Many of them were not worth the free price stage! These are my go-to apps for all of my photo editing!

1. Snapseed is a very intuitive, easy to use app that has more advanced tools and capabilities hidden away for the more serious photo editing. This completely free app can be as simple or advanced as you like as your photo editing knowledge and skills develop.

2. Adobe Lightroom mobile app and is as intuitive to use as most apps. You tap and swipe around the various tools. All you need is a registered Adobe account to get started. Choosing a paid subscription will provide some extra tools and the ability to sync your images to multiple devices.

3. TouchRetouch is the leading app for removing distracting and unwanted elements in your image. Every professional image that you have fallen in love with has had parts of the image removed to assist composition. This tool has all the automatic and manual tools you would find on a desktop editing program.

4. PicsArt claims to be the only editing app you'll ever need... and, they are probably right. It has so many tools available for Android and iPhone users. This app does have some premium tools that are only available on the subscription. That said, they are very generous with the free tools.

5. Polarr has some features that are a struggle to find elsewhere. It is my go-to app after Snapseed and Lightroom. You can use most tools in the free version. This app has just had a major facelift in 6.0.

6. AfterFocus is still really helpful for images we captured before we could select and re-adjust background focus during and post photo capture. This paid app (one payment) works incredibly well to selectively blur the background around an object of your choice

I mention a few more apps in this podcast, you will have to listen to find out what they are!

・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

Smartphone photography accessories: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

Blurry to tack-sharp photos: 4-step system and more: bit.ly/sptcourses

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

When discovering your photography style, some typical negative thoughts you may face are:

Style is a bit of an umbrella term in that it encompasses a variety of elements. Location, subjects, composition, framing, tone, mood, light, colour, and editing contribute to what the viewer sees and perceives as the overall style of a photo.

Developing style in your photography starts with you.

Consider the following questions

My personal style comes from my love for the Struman Optics Cinematic Macro Lens. I enjoy taking photos of flowers with a 'real' blurred background at the same field of view and focal distance. When it comes to editing, my preferences often lend themselves to darker backgrounds and increased emphasis on colours and textures.

Get Inspired

A great way to stay creative in your approach to photographic style is to draw inspiration from your favourite photographers, social media, and your peers in photography communities like ours.

As you embark on your style journey, it's important not to put too much pressure on yourself. It can be easy to become preoccupied with identifying your style and get caught up in the chase of identifying the perfect genre. However, this will ultimately rob you of the opportunity for your personal preferences to reveal themselves.

・・・ 

Enjoy the podcast? A small unique way to show your appreciation is coffee! bit.ly/buymikecoffee 

・・・ 

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted 

・・・ 

Smartphone photography gear: Struman Optics lens accessories and tripods: bit.ly/3gv9JuC 

・・・ 

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt 

・・・ 

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail  

・・・ 

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious 

 - Mike

Read the full article at https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/capturing-photos/photographic-style

This video lesson is extracted from the Blurry to Tack-Sharp Photos: 4-Step System. More details can be found at https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/blurry-to-tack-sharp-photos

ISO and shutter speed manual controls can be increased/decreased to brighten or darken a photo. Each has pros and cons for increasing and decreasing. The goal when changing these settings is to balance these trade-offs to capture a sharp, detailed and vibrant image.

ISO was the 'standard' measurement of photographic film sensitivity to light (film speed). The speed of the film was referenced by its ISO number. The higher the number, the more sensitive it was to light to capture more usable images in low-light.

In a nutshell, ISO means equal (standard) not an acronym for the organisation - it would have been IOS!

ISO is NOT sensor sensitivity!

ISO speed transferred to digital photography and referred to as 'sensor sensitivity. The function of ISO in digital photography is applied gain. The function of ISO in digital photography is applied gain.

Gain signifies the increase/decrease in the image's brightness after capture.

As we take a photo, light enters the lens and every pixel measures the intensity of light by counting the number of photons reaching the pixel. The charge of the photons changes the voltage in each pixel; the voltage values are recorded by the camera. The RAW data is a collection of recorded voltage values from all 12 million pixels. The amplification of the signal happens after the data is collected by applying the 'gain'. Digital cameras, including smartphones, should be using the term Gain not ISO!

All data recorded in your smartphone is actually at the lowest ISO setting (the latest iPhone is 32). For simplicity, let's say it is 100 and you captured an image at an ISO setting of 200. When the image is recorded, the gain is applied to boost the brightness by a factor of two.

As you increase ISO, it is at the gradual cost of details, sharpness, and dynamic range. The higher the amplification, the more noise and grain (that speckled look) appear.

In a nutshell, ISO adds brightness!

What is shutter speed? Shutter speed is responsible for two things: changing the brightness of your photo, and either freezing action or blurring motion.

The longer the shutter remains open and allows light to reach the sensor the more opportunity for both motion blur and camera shake.

Practical tips If you are shooting in manual mode to capture a sharp, detailed image, you should only raise your ISO when your shutter setting creates motion blur.

This video lesson is extracted from the Blurry to Tack-Sharp Photos: 4-Step System. More details on the system can be found here

・・・

Take the14-Day Photo Creativity Challenge to quickly unleash your photo creativity through daily project-based learning: bit.ly/3aBXPhy

・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

・・・

Smartphone photography gear: Struman Optics lens accessories and tripods: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

・・・

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

・・・

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

Read the full article at https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/capturing-photos/iso-and-shutter

Why use manual focus on a smartphone?

Autofocus can be fantastic in most circumstances. The smartphone is smart! It can be problematic when scene elements of similar visual weight are at differing distances from the camera lens. The camera can struggle and choose a focal distance between the objects in the scene. 

Let's talk Adobe

You do not need an Adobe subscription. Sign up for a free Adobe ID account within the app using either an email address, Facebook or Google ID. The subscription does offer extra features. 

Adobe Lightroom mobile camera manual focus Inside the camera feature, the manual focus option is available within the Pro shooting mode. Locate the icon [+] that looks like a + symbol inside brackets. By default underneath the icon will be labelled Auto. To activate manual focus tap on that icon to discover a slider. Swipe the slider off Auto to manually adjust the focus area from nearest to the lens (0%) to further distance away from the lens (100%). 

Focus Peaking

My favourite feature of manual focus is the green overlay that appears on the focused area of the image. This is referred to as focus peaking. Other apps will allow you to change the colour of the overlay. This is particularly helpful if you are trying to determine focus on a green leaf that matches the same colour as the Adobe Lightroom green overlay! 

When do I use manual focus? The only time I manually focus the smartphone is using a close-up macro lens attachment and am holding the lens less than 7cm from the subject. The reason is the focus area is very narrow. 

How to use manual focus on a moving subject? Hand holding the smartphone very close to moving subjects, like bees can be very frustrating and challenging. As you can see in the above video, the movement of the camera can easily shift which part of the scene at close range is in focus. 

The green overlay on your image preview communicates in real-time where the focus distance. I find that setting the manual focus and green overlay allows me to rock back and forth and move the camera to achieve the focus. 

Advanced technique

The green overlay can be difficult to see in bright outdoor conditions on a little smartphone screen. The subject matter may be green, also making it difficult to see the manual focus overlay. You can change the live filter to black and white to create a strong contrast against the green. After capture, you can change the filter back to normal again!

This video lesson is extracted from the Blurry to Tack-Sharp Photos: 4-Step System. More details on the system can be found here

・・・

Take the14-Day Photo Creativity Challenge to quickly unleash your photo creativity through daily project-based learning: bit.ly/3aBXPhy

・・・

FREE membership – full access to the community forum, unlocked tutorials, downloadable PDFs and 5-part video series: bit.ly/sptgetstarted

・・・

Smartphone photography gear: Struman Optics lens accessories and tripods: bit.ly/3gv9JuC

・・・

Accelerate your learning. Join the Live 6-week small group program: Smartphone Photography Transformation: 5-Step System: bit.ly/sptspt

・・・

Join the email list to stay up to date on the latest articles and tutorials: bit.ly/sptemail

Be passionate, Be creative and Stay curious

- Mike

Read the full article at https://www.smartphonephotographytraining.com/capturing-photos/manual-focus-lightroom-app