In this issue

The rule of thirds, and when to break it

Cropping your subject onto a third is the oldest trick in the book. Here is how it actually helps, and five moments when a straight middle shot wins.

Composition28 October 20267 min read

Latest from the journal

Cropping your subject onto a third is the oldest trick in the book.

28 October 20267 min read

In a British winter the golden hour arrives in the middle of your working day.

14 October 20268 min read

Most of the best smartphone photo tricks are free, non-technical and take a moment to learn.

5 October 20268 min read

Gear

Spec sheets are designed to confuse.

22 September 20269 min read

A single phone editor can take you from a flat, slightly dull JPEG to something that looks like what you actually saw.

12 September 20267 min read

Basics

Three dials run almost every camera made.

30 August 20268 min read

Composition

Framing, lines, symmetry and the small decisions the eye makes before the shutter.

Light

Golden hour, overcast days, window light and the kind of British grey that still makes a photograph.

Gear

Phones, entry-level cameras and the two or three lenses that actually matter at the start.