Vocabulary

Original file

The initial captured file retained as the starting record.

Backup

An additional copy kept to protect against loss.

Contact sheet

A view of multiple image thumbnails for comparison.

Culling

Selecting images for retention, development, or presentation.

Preserve before editing

Copy the photographs into a clearly named trip folder and create an independent backup. Verify that files are present and open before removing anything from the capture card. A second folder on the same failing drive does not provide the same protection as an independent copy.

Use names you can understand

Create a consistent system such as date, general place, and project. Keep a short note explaining it. Preserve a connection between an edited version and its original. File organization should help you retrieve work without relying on memory of a thumbnail.

Select for purpose

Review small previews first for story and variety, then inspect likely choices at larger size for focus or distracting details. A technically sharp image can still be irrelevant to the project. Select images that perform different roles instead of several nearly identical versions.

Keep editing decisions reversible

Work on copies or use an editing workflow that preserves the source. Record major changes when they affect how a documentary image should be understood. Save web exports separately from working files so a small blog image does not accidentally replace a full-resolution original.

Practice

Design a folder structure for one outing, identify where its independent backup will live, and select a five-image story. Explain why each image earns a place.

Worked example

The working folder contains originals and editing files. A separate exports folder contains blog-sized copies. The selected story has an overview, two relationships, and two useful details.

Check your understanding

Why keep a web export separate from the original?

Review answer

It may have reduced dimensions or quality. Keeping it separate preserves the original for future editing and other uses.

Photo Assignment: Collect Reflections Without Entering the Water

Vocabulary

Reflection

An image formed when light returns from a surface.

Symmetry

A correspondence between parts across an axis.

Ripples

Small surface waves that can break up a reflection.

Abstraction

An approach emphasizing visual qualities rather than literal identification.

The lesson

Reflections can repeat a subject, alter its shape, or combine it with the surrounding surface. Begin by deciding whether the reflection is the main subject or a supporting element. Still and disturbed surfaces produce different patterns. A clear mirror image is only one possible outcome. Photograph from stable permitted ground; the exercise does not require approaching a shoreline or stepping into water. A window or polished object can support the same visual study.

What to photograph

Photograph one clear reflection, one distorted reflection, and one reflection that overlaps visible surface detail. Try a fourth frame that excludes the original subject and shows only its reflected form. Avoid glare that requires looking toward an intense light source.

Try it close to home

Use a household mirror, a metal spoon, or a window reflecting an ordinary object. Check for your own face, private documents, or other unintended identifying details before sharing the images.

Review your choices

Review the photographs together before choosing your final selection. Write one sentence explaining the purpose of each selected frame. You may complete the planning stage with written descriptions or sketches if a camera is unavailable. Photograph only from places you are permitted to use, and choose subjects that do not require showing identifiable people.

Practice

Select three or four photographs. Label the reflected subject and reflecting surface. Explain which image is easiest to recognize and which works best as an abstract study.

Worked example

A spoon bends the reflected room into curved shapes. The caption identifies the reflective object and explains that distortion is part of the study.

Check your understanding

Must the original subject appear in a reflection photograph?

Review answer

No. Showing only the reflection can focus attention on shape, distortion, or pattern.

Photo Assignment: Find One Color in Five Places

Vocabulary

Palette

A selected group of colors.

Dominant color

The color occupying the most visual attention in a frame.

Accent color

A smaller area of color that stands out.

Color contrast

A visible difference between colors.

The lesson

A color theme can connect photographs made in different places. Choose one color and decide whether it will dominate every picture or appear as an accent. This decision gives the assignment a clear direction. A red door filling the frame and a tiny red sign in a broad landscape use color differently. Neither approach is automatically stronger; the important part is recognizing what the color does. Keep editing consistent enough that the collection still represents the colors you observed.

What to photograph

Photograph your chosen color in five different subjects: an architectural detail, a personal object, a permitted public-space detail, a natural feature, and a reflection or shadow interaction. If one category is unavailable, substitute a second object with a different texture. Do not pick plants or move outdoor objects to complete the list.

Try it close to home

Use five household objects you own. Photograph them where they are, or arrange them on a plain surface and identify the result as a staged study. Compare how a large area and a small accent change the picture.

Review your choices

Review the photographs together before choosing your final selection. Write one sentence explaining the purpose of each selected frame. You may complete the planning stage with written descriptions or sketches if a camera is unavailable. Photograph only from places you are permitted to use, and choose subjects that do not require showing identifiable people.

Practice

Submit five photographs and a 100-word reflection. Identify the strongest accent and the strongest dominant-color example. Explain whether the set feels connected without relying on its titles.

Worked example

A blue mug occupies most of one frame, while a blue bicycle becomes a small accent against a neutral wall in another. The captions explain the different roles.

Check your understanding

Does a repeated color need to occupy the same amount of every frame?

Review answer

No. Its role can vary, but noticing that variation helps you decide whether the sequence feels coherent.