Students will learn basic composition concepts, simple techniques for improving photography practice, ideas for practicing photo editing, and the Feldman Method of photography critique.

Years ago, one of my photography teachers told me “the best camera you’ve got is the one in the hand.”  Basically, what this means is that you’ve got to understand how each of your cameras works, and how to use each one when it’s the only one you've got available to get the shot that, perhaps you’ve got a single opportunity to capture, ever.
I’ve been practicing a variety of styles of photography for over twenty-five years, and I’ve been formally trained in media composition, capture, and production at the undergraduate and graduate levels of education.
I keep all of my old smartphones to use as extra cameras.  The current Google Pixel phone I have is, in many ways, MUCH better than the first digital camera I had twenty years ago.  As I’ve continued to hone my craft through tens of thousands of captures per year over more than two decades, I’ve become increasingly impressed with the ability to capture, process, and export stunning photography with a smartphone and one or more cloud-based apps.
However, all of my cameras have strengths and weaknesses, and so I generally keep them all handy in preparation for whatever photography project may come next.  I know that there are tools that are better for one job than the next, and it’s important, as a photographer, to be prepared to get the shot.  This class introduces students to this mentality, giving them methods to practice using the tool they’ve already got: their smartphone.  Hopefully, it leads to a larger interest in photography and aesthetic practice.