A place for anyone who doesn't want to be a "photographer."

 

I’ll be you’ve got a picture like this one laying around. I call it the woulda/coulda/shoulda shot – the one where you capture the perfect moment, only to have something go wrong with the final photo.

When my son Cabot was born back in summer 2001, I had a shiny new Canon Powershot in hand – and zero knowledge of how to take a photo. When I snapped this one (that's a screen grab from a video featuring the image), it looked greeting-card good on the camera’s tiny LCD. When I got it onto my computer? Notsomuch.

I knocked that point-and-shoot around for a couple of years and noticed that I really did like capturing great moments with my family. So I upgraded the camera. Learned about lighting. Added this accessory and that accessory. I learned a lot as I stumbled along. I also wasted more time and money than I had to.

Why You’re Here – Learn How to Take Better Photos, Three Minutes at a Time

That’s the reason for Frame One – to help you capture better moments without making major investments in time or money. You can take envy-worthy photos by learning a little every single week. You don’t need to become a pro photographer, just somebody who knows how to make that little box in your hands do what you want it to.

Here’s how it works:

• I publish a mini lesson every Wednesday. Read it and use it in just three minutes – immediately doing ne single thing better with your camera.  I’ll keep the jargon and confusion to a minimum. Follow each lesson and before you know it, your friends will be asking you for photo advice.

• A bonus post every Friday. Reviews of things to help you take better shots. Interviews with tips from other photographers. A breakdown of how I (or someone else) got a great shot – all related to what you find in the Wednesday post.

There’s also a Twitter feed (@frameonephoto) where I’ll post interesting news and inspiration, plus a fan site on Facebook (Frame One Photo) where you can follow all the action in a single place. Bet on a Flickr feed to share your own work in the coming weeks.

What You Do. Read. Comment. Share.

Here’s what I need from you – get involved. Read the blogs. Try out the stuff. Share your thoughts here or on Facebook. Ask questions – I’ve got a big mouth and love to share advice.

Most of all, have fun. Because when you do, you can turn the photo up above into the photo down below – shot of my new daughter Adeline, born the day after Christmas.