November 26, 2010
By Hollie Hepburn

School is almost out for 2010, but your classes have just begun

Art was never my strong point at school, and I stuck to the Journalism side of a B.A degree at varsity, but photography has always interested me. While I’m the first to admit that I don’t have a natural creative flair for seeing the beauty in an old takkie for instance, I do appreciate the talent involved in bringing a simple scene to life through the camera.

I’m sure I’m not alone either in my attempts to bring out the National Geographic photographer in me, so when something this handy comes along that even I can’t mess it up, it’s worth sharing.

Nokia is putting the cool back into school with the N8 camera school – 15 lessons on how you can better use your camera phone to take amazing photographs and video. Once you’ve gone through all 15, get out there and give it a try. Here are just a few of my favourite lessons:

> 8 great shots and how to use them – Stop. Turnaround. No, this lesson isn’t telling you to take your lesson to the local pub. There are actually only 8 standard shots or angles to framing the perfect video scene. The right shot or angle can bring the audience into the video, and allows you to portray distance, speed, size or emotions to full effect.

> Walking on the wild side: 5 tips for better nature videos – The old TV rule is that you should never work with children or animals, and they’re probably right. But if unlike me you have patience, these tips explain that you need to let the animals come to you (coaxing allowed) and you need to be stealthy with your movements, focus and zoom to capture the perfect moment.

> Multimedia reporting – Fancy using your N8 for your very own documentary? Learn how to structure your reports, use cut-aways to improve flow and continuity, and get the most out of your subjects. Carte Blanche will have nothing on your investigative talent after this lesson!

> Better lighting for better videos - Every woman will tell you that it’s all about lighting, lighting, lighting….And make-up. And our good side. And the flash. And the right amount of zoom. But yes, poor lighting could spell the beginning of a very bad video or photograph before it has even been captured. Camera phones are great pieces of technology, especially in good lighting, so to get your shots as great as possible – play to its strength.

> Strap on your helmet and some knee pads: Capturing extreme sports – Whether it is BMXing, skate boarding or racing you’re after, three simple tips will have you seizing all the dirt, action, finish lines and bruises in no time.

All of the N8 camera school lessons can be found here on Nokia Conversations blog with interactive videos to show you how to get it right the first time.

Watch out Time magazine, step aside Paparazzi, there’s a whole generation of budding photographers set to take you on.

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