Hi, new but been with you forever, & am sure this has been answered before... I'll be teaching an IPhone Camera Course soon, so I shd know this! Need your help - I'm from the film days, made the trans to digital, trying to come to terms with phone photo. Need to know how to explain/understand the difference of quality. I am a purist by heart but sometimes you have to go with technology, I'm trying,. Some say they are very close & that it's not the "tool" it's the user. I have taken several courses on iPhone Photography & am amazed at the controls that are available. I'll stop now and ask for any advice or views. thx in advance

Hi, Gail! Welcome to the forum.

You did not mention the length or content of your course or anything about the level of knowledge of your students. For the purpose of your question and this post, I'll assume the students are not advanced photographers and will expect a basic course in maximizing the use and results with their cell phone cameras.

I'll preface my suggestions with a brief overview of this and many other photo forums. There are many talented, knowledgeable, helpful, and enthusiastic photographers that contribute to these forums and much of there participation is helpful and well-meaning.Some, however, are so busy and preoccupied with expensive, equipment, "big" lenses, and trying to define their "art" , . their philosophy as to whether the are purists or whatever, or their pining for the "good old film days", that seems that they have no energy left just go out and have fun TAKING PICTURES! Sometimes the snobbery and accompanying worry and arguments take the fun out of the hobby, and even for advanced workers and professionals. You might start off your course by explaining this attitude to your students so they don't begin their adventures into photography with an inferiority complex about their equipment and feel defeated before they start for lack of more sophisticated gear.

Don't dwell on the olden days of film- we are in the digital age of image-making and the iPhones, Smartphones or cell phones are wonderful devices to get folks interested in better picture-making. Folks who did film photography or more advanced work in the past can certainly apply what the already know and any artistic principles to modern digital photography. The thing I love about cellphone cameras is they are accessible and turns a lot of folks onto photography that perhaps have never experienced the fun, joy, and satisfaction of image-making.

Alright, so an iPhone is NOT a complex system camera with all kinds of interchangeable lenses and accessories but let's see what it can do. This should be part of your teaching approach.

The first segment of your course should be to simply familiarize everyone with the BASIC operation of their device as to using it in both automatic and manual modes. Each person should examine the features of their individual device and know how to access them. If the phone has any built-in special effects, filters, zoom, feature or can simulate the effects of a telephoto, fisheye lens, shoot in monochrome or sepia, selective focus, video options, etc. each student should be aware of these options if they are built-in to there devices. Some devices can do selective focus, high-speed action capture, and other effects.

A basic primer in manual mode can follow, if there is enough time, especially if the course is spread over several sessions. The principles and functions of aperture, shutter speed ISO settings, white balance, focus, and focal length change should be explained.

Emphases should be placed on the aesthetic and artistic possibilities as to composition, and the use of light. Even with the device in point-and-shoot mode, exceptionally and surprisingly nice images can be derived when the photographer employees good aesthetics. Many of these devices have a "grid" that assists in teaching and learning the rule of thirds and other basic elements of composition. Each stude shod SET UP their camera for convenient operation as to things like using some of the control buttons as a shutter release, enabling auto-rotate. etc.

Suggest projects such as making portraits of families, children loved ones, pets, etc. Talks about landscapes, vacation shots, photograhy their other hobbies, cars, visits to museums and points of interest when touring, etc. Most of this device can focus in surprisingly close and great images of flowers and other detailed small subjects are possible. Interesting still life images can be made with simple window light.

Folks keep their devices in there pockets so talk about keeping the lens and screen clean and adjusting the screen brightness to accommodate ambient light.

Next! Introduce them to POST-PROCESSING. There are a plethora of incredible apps whereby they can crop. sharpen, adjust, and add special effects to any of their images. I will recommend Snapseed, Tool-Wiz Photo, and Prisma. Theses are like carrying a "darkroom" in your pocket. You can dodge, burn, color correct, sharpen, diffuse, retouch, add textures and all kinds of fun special effects. Theses apps offer free downloads. There are also lite versions of PhotoShop and Lightroom!

Don't ddwell on the limitations or what a cellphone camera CAN"T do but emphasize what it CAN do!

This is a great introduction to digital imaging. Some folks will just become better snapshooters and others may venture into more advanced gear and techniques if the so-called bug bites them.

Start off with "nuts and bolts" instruction- simply how to operate the device. once the know wah they are doing, the artistic, creative and fun aspects can be introduced.

I am a full-time commercial photographer wit over 50 years in the business. I have all kinds of heavy gear- the operative word being "heavy" and I can't take it wherever I go a just want to have fun and so some casual spontaneous shooting. I even take my device assignments to record setups for teaching and training, scouting locations, and transmitting rough ideas and concepts to clients and art directors while I am out on location.

A few weeks ago, we took a day off to make a family visit to the countryside and stopped at a picturesque village and a museum site. The attached images were made with my Samsung Galaxy.