Beginner·Lesson 2 of 6
Camera settings, demystified
Mastering your smartphone’s Auto Mode
You don’t need to learn aperture and shutter speed to take beautiful photos. Modern smartphones are extraordinary, you just need to know which three controls actually matter.
What you’ll learn
- —Trusting Auto Mode to do the heavy lifting
- —Using tap-to-focus for sharp, intentional petals
- —Adjusting the brightness slider (the small sun icon)
What you’ll need
- —Your smartphone
- —An arrangement near a window
Practice exercises
- 01
Place your arrangement in window light. Tap on the closest bloom to focus, then drag the sun slider slightly down to enrich the colours and protect bright whites.
- 02
Take three versions of the same shot — one bright, one neutral, one slightly underexposed. Notice which one feels most like the arrangement in real life.