Four corners, one background
Choose one intersection. Stay through four signal cycles. Watch how each corner changes the relation between bodies, signs, and light.
Observations from the sidewalk
Field notes
Short, practical writing made after the walk—while the missed frames are still easy to remember.
Photographing through glass
Reflections work best when the inside and outside pictures each have their own clear subject. Move until neither one is merely texture.
The edge is part of the subject
Before pressing the shutter, inspect all four edges. A bright fragment or cut limb can become louder than the reason you raised the camera.
Wait a day before choosing
Memory rewards effort. A contact sheet does not. Let the walk cool down before deciding which pictures survive it.
Open shade is not neutral
Blue sky, reflected brick, painted storefronts, and traffic lights all color the shade. Read it before correcting it.
Move your feet first
Focal length changes geometry as much as scale. Decide how near the picture should feel, then choose the lens that preserves that distance.
Practice in sequence.
The open course turns these notes into twelve repeatable field assignments.
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