Phone Photography With Constraints
Limit your options. Unlock your eye. No fancy camera needed.
creativedigitaloutdoorFree15 mindifficulty 1/5
Constraint photography means giving yourself weird rules and seeing what happens. Shoot only red things. Only shadows. Only reflections. Only things smaller than your thumb. The constraints kill decision paralysis and force you to actually see the world differently.
How to start
- 1Pick one constraint for today: only shoot things that are circular.
- 2Walk for 15 minutes with your phone. Take at least 10 photos following the rule.
- 3Review all 10. Pick your best three. Delete the rest ruthlessly.
- 4Tomorrow, pick a completely different constraint: only shadows, only textures, only pairs.
- 5Post your best shot somewhere or just save it in a dedicated album.
What you'll need
- Any smartphone with a cameraEssentialFree
- Snapseed app for free editingNice to haveFree
Where to learn more
Plot twists
Ways to spice this up when the basics get boring.
- Shoot an entire photo essay about your kitchen with dramatic lighting.
- Take one photo at the exact same spot every day for a month.
- Only shoot things at ground level. Become an ant with a camera.
- Use portrait mode on non-human subjects: a fork, a fire hydrant, a pigeon.
- Photograph your neighborhood like a tourist seeing it for the first time.
ADHD notes
Constraints eliminate the 'but what should I shoot?' paralysis. Walk, snap, done. Built-in novelty every day.
Fun fact
The most-liked photo on Instagram was shot on a phone. Your camera is already good enough.
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