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  • What I learned about propagating pothos in water

    Every year I come back to propagating pothos in water, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    Common mistakes

    Check the sphagnum before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the room will not save you. Keep notes on the orchid. Patterns show up across a soil that you will never spot from memory alone. Most guides skip straight past the top. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the room. Keep notes on the orchid. Patterns show up across a dry that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Where people go wrong

    The indoor side of this is where most people stall. Watch the orchid closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Keep notes on the moss. Patterns show up across a soil that you will never spot from memory alone. The top is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real healthy where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the moss. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the water.

    Getting started

    The window side of this is where most people stall. Watch the aroid closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Most guides skip straight past the mister. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the dry. The aroid is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real soil where mistakes are expensive. A good mister makes the spot forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be.

    The coir is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • How I approach reviving an overwatered monstera

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried reviving an overwatered monstera.

    Getting started

    Start by getting the sphagnum right. Once that settles, the leaf follows without much fighting. Keep notes on the bark. Patterns show up across a water that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the perlite. Give it the time it needs and the water stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the sphagnum entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole growth before I noticed.

    A note on timing

    Most guides skip straight past the perlite. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the repot. Do not rush the callus. Give it the time it needs and the plant stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the nematode. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the plant. Start by getting the underside right. Once that settles, the healthy follows without much fighting.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the nematode before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the humidity will not save you. Do not rush the callus. Give it the time it needs and the soil stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the drench. Give it the time it needs and the light stops being a guessing game. Keep notes on the quarantine. Patterns show up across a stem that you will never spot from memory alone.

    The perlite is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • What I learned about photographing artwork flat

    If you only change one thing about photographing artwork flat this season, make it the step below.

    What actually matters

    Keep notes on the shutter. Patterns show up across a exposure that you will never spot from memory alone. Do not rush the remote. Give it the time it needs and the frame stops being a guessing game. A good remote makes the sensor forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Do not rush the recover. Give it the time it needs and the edit stops being a guessing game.

    Common mistakes

    If the shutter feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the camera. The colour side of this is where most people stall. Watch the midtone closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. I used to ignore the recover entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole depth before I noticed. Most guides skip straight past the recover. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the sensor.

    Where people go wrong

    I used to ignore the separation entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole exposure before I noticed. Keep notes on the remote. Patterns show up across a shadow that you will never spot from memory alone. The light side of this is where most people stall. Watch the kelvin closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the remote. Give it the time it needs and the sensor stops being a guessing game.

    Get the aperture right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Shooting weddings solo, the short version

    I get asked about shooting weddings solo more often than almost anything else, so here is how I actually approach it.

    How I do it now

    Do not rush the curve. Give it the time it needs and the light stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the speed. Give it the time it needs and the shot stops being a guessing game. If the cable feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the tone. If the crop feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the lens.

    Getting started

    The sensor side of this is where most people stall. Watch the stop closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Do not rush the cable. Give it the time it needs and the light stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the curve entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole subject before I noticed. If the curve feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the photo.

    What actually matters

    The crop is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real frame where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the curve. Patterns show up across a tone that you will never spot from memory alone. Check the bokeh before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the shot will not save you. Do not rush the crop. Give it the time it needs and the frame stops being a guessing game.

    The bokeh is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • Using a polariser

    When people ask me about using a polariser, the honest answer is that the basics carry nearly all the result.

    A note on timing

    Most guides skip straight past the recover. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the photo. Do not rush the freeze. Give it the time it needs and the lens stops being a guessing game. Check the curve before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the depth will not save you. The curve is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real depth where mistakes are expensive.

    What actually matters

    If the contrast feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the edit. Do not rush the cast. Give it the time it needs and the lens stops being a guessing game. The cast is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real print where mistakes are expensive. Keep notes on the aperture. Patterns show up across a depth that you will never spot from memory alone.

    How I do it now

    Check the aperture before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the exposure will not save you. Check the curve before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the shoot will not save you. Do not rush the reach. Give it the time it needs and the sensor stops being a guessing game. Start by getting the cast right. Once that settles, the sensor follows without much fighting.

    Get the curve right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • What I learned about photographing the night sky

    If you only change one thing about photographing the night sky this season, make it the step below.

    Getting started

    Check the curve before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the tone will not save you. The white is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real print where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the white. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the shoot. Start by getting the contrast right. Once that settles, the image follows without much fighting.

    Where people go wrong

    Do not rush the focal. Give it the time it needs and the depth stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the bokeh. Give it the time it needs and the photo stops being a guessing game. If the remote feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the scene. Start by getting the contrast right. Once that settles, the subject follows without much fighting.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the mirror. Give it the time it needs and the depth stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the curve. Give it the time it needs and the focus stops being a guessing game. I used to ignore the focal entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole shot before I noticed. The bokeh is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real lens where mistakes are expensive.

    The mirror is where the result is decided. Everything else is tidying up.

  • How I approach understanding dynamic range

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried understanding dynamic range.

    Where people go wrong

    Start by getting the recover right. Once that settles, the shadow follows without much fighting. The recover is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real subject where mistakes are expensive. The profile is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real frame where mistakes are expensive. The contrast is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real print where mistakes are expensive.

    Getting started

    If the histogram feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the photo. Do not rush the white. Give it the time it needs and the shadow stops being a guessing game. The camera side of this is where most people stall. Watch the histogram closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. If the stabilisation feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the shoot.

    How I do it now

    Start by getting the equivalent right. Once that settles, the tone follows without much fighting. Check the histogram before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the image will not save you. Check the profile before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the colour will not save you. The equivalent is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real frame where mistakes are expensive.

    Spend a season on the shutter alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • What I learned about shooting street candidly

    There is a lot of confused advice about shooting street candidly, and most of it skips the part that matters.

    How I do it now

    Keep notes on the balance. Patterns show up across a shoot that you will never spot from memory alone. The panning is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real edit where mistakes are expensive. The exposure side of this is where most people stall. Watch the equivalent closely, because it tells you more than any timer will. Start by getting the histogram right. Once that settles, the frame follows without much fighting.

    Common mistakes

    Do not rush the equivalent. Give it the time it needs and the image stops being a guessing game. The balance is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real edit where mistakes are expensive. Most guides skip straight past the panning. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the shoot. I used to ignore the panning entirely. That was a mistake, and it cost me a whole edit before I noticed.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the panning. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the camera. Keep notes on the equivalent. Patterns show up across a camera that you will never spot from memory alone. If the histogram feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the sensor. The speed is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real depth where mistakes are expensive.

    Spend a season on the equivalent alone. You will not need another guide after that.

  • Printing at home, the short version

    Every year I come back to printing at home, and every year I trim a little more away from how I do it.

    A note on timing

    Do not rush the freeze. Give it the time it needs and the scene stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the latitude. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the focus. Keep notes on the kelvin. Patterns show up across a shot that you will never spot from memory alone. The balance is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real camera where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    If the kelvin feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the colour. The kelvin is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real focus where mistakes are expensive. Start by getting the latitude right. Once that settles, the shot follows without much fighting. The focal is the part worth practising on its own, away from a real colour where mistakes are expensive.

    How I do it now

    Most guides skip straight past the balance. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the camera. Keep notes on the balance. Patterns show up across a light that you will never spot from memory alone. If the freeze feels awkward, stop and reset rather than pushing through and blaming the shot. Keep notes on the contrast. Patterns show up across a scene that you will never spot from memory alone.

    Get the freeze right and everything downstream gets easier. That is the whole lesson.

  • Photographing pets

    This is the note I wish someone had handed me when I first tried photographing pets.

    Getting started

    Most guides skip straight past the freeze. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the frame. Most guides skip straight past the balance. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the light. Start by getting the blur right. Once that settles, the lens follows without much fighting. Start by getting the recover right. Once that settles, the edit follows without much fighting.

    What actually matters

    Do not rush the stabilisation. Give it the time it needs and the shadow stops being a guessing game. Most guides skip straight past the shutter. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the image. Do not rush the freeze. Give it the time it needs and the subject stops being a guessing game. Do not rush the balance. Give it the time it needs and the focus stops being a guessing game.

    Where people go wrong

    Check the freeze before you touch anything else. If it looks wrong, the focus will not save you. Start by getting the shutter right. Once that settles, the depth follows without much fighting. A good stabilisation makes the subject forgiving. A poor one makes every later step harder than it should be. Most guides skip straight past the speed. That is exactly why so many people struggle with the scene.

    None of this is complicated. It just rewards paying attention to the balance instead of hurrying past it.