Day One
What’s Happening Here?
Seeing the Moment Before You Capture It**
Today is simple, but it changes everything:
Before you take the photo, pause and ask:
“What’s happening in this moment?”
Not in a dramatic way.
Not in a pressured way.
Just… notice.
Every moment has a tiny story running through it:
• light shifting on a wall
• your dog watching you
• a cup cooling on the table
• the way someone’s hand rests
• wind moving through leaves
• the way a room feels before anyone speaks
• the quiet of your morning
• the small chaos of your kitchen
• a piece of your life you want to keep
The moment is already there.
Storytelling simply asks you to see it.
Why This Matters
Most people take photos without thinking.
They lift their camera, point it, and click.
No intention.
No clarity.
Just “pretty.”
But when you pause — even for one breath — you shift from reacting to seeing.
Your photo stops being random.
It becomes something someone can feel.
This is the beginning of style:
not how you edit,
not what lens you use,
but what you decide matters enough to notice.
How to Do This (Soft + Simple)
Before you take the shot, ask one of these:
1. What’s happening right now?
Is something moving?
Is something still?
Is the light saying something?
2. What pulled my attention to this?
Curiosity
Texture
Quietness
Energy
Color
A feeling
3. What do I want someone else to feel?
Calm
Warmth
Nostalgia
Strength
Softness
Connection
Mystery
Space
Presence
Your answer doesn’t have to be perfect.
It just needs to be honest.
You’re not thinking hard —
you’re tuning in.
Today’s Practice: The One-Moment Story
Choose one tiny, ordinary moment in your day.
Not a trip.
Not a big event.
Something quiet.
Examples:
• sunlight on your floor
• your coffee cup
• laundry on a chair
• your dog waiting at the door
• the window by your sink
• the view out your front step
• a hand gesture
• a shadow on the wall
Now:
Pause.
Ask, “What’s happening here?”
Notice what pulled you in.
Light? Mood? Texture? Emotion?
Take one photo that reflects that.
No perfection.
Just attention.
What You’ll Notice
This simple awareness makes your photos feel:
• more intentional
• more personal
• more connected
• more like you
It’s the difference between photographing life
and being in conversation with it.
Tomorrow, we go deeper into “Why this moment?” —
the part where you learn how to choose the stop
A Quiet Story
Modes don’t make you a “real photographer.”
They’re just ways of shaping a moment.
Aperture Priority (A or Av) is a partnership:
you choose the depth,
the camera handles the rest.
Life works the same way.
Some days you make the big decisions.
Some days you let the small details take care of themselves.
Today wasn’t really about camera modes.
It was about learning what it feels like
to trust yourself with one choice at a time.
You don’t have to control everything
for the moment to turn out beautifully.
PAUSE
Choose one thing to be in charge of today — not everything.
NOTICE
Where can you simplify instead of control?
CAPTURE
Photograph three scenes in Aperture Priority:
• a simple object on a table
• a corner with natural light
• a detail of fabric
• a plant with layers
• an object close to a window
Choose the depth.
Feel the ease.
REFLECT
• Did simplifying your settings make the moment feel lighter?
Reflective Question:
Where in your life do you need to choose just one thing to focus on — and let the rest take care of itself?