The golden hour isn't optional
The hour after sunrise and before sunset produces warm, directional, flattering light. Midday sun creates harsh shadows under eyes and noses. This isn't a preference — it's physics.
If you can only change one thing about your photography, change when you shoot.
Direction matters more than intensity
Front light (sun behind you) — flat, even, safe. Good for documentation, boring for drama.
Side light — creates dimension through shadows. Best for portraits and architecture.
Backlight (sun behind subject) — dramatic silhouettes, rim light, hair glow. Harder to expose but stunning when it works.
Indoor lighting rules
Window light is the best free studio light available. Place your subject facing a window (or at 45°) and you get beautiful, soft directional light. Never shoot with a window behind your subject unless you want a silhouette.
One trick that fixes 80% of bad phone photos
Tap on your subject's face to focus, then drag the exposure slider down slightly. Phones tend to overexpose, especially in high-contrast scenes. A slightly underexposed photo looks more professional and is easier to brighten later than a blown-out one is to recover.