How To Take Great Photos And Overcome Fear

Chase Jarvis, photographer, CreativeLive co-founder

- Alvin Soon

If you’ve heard the phrase “the best camera is the one that’s with you,” chances are it’s thanks to Chase Jarvis. The American photographer popularized the phrase while evangelizing smartphone photography in its early days.

Jarvis has also photographed for big brands like Volvo, Nike, Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Samsung. He’s the co-founder of Creative Live, an online education platform. More recently, Jarvis has developed a ‘Photo Lab: Crafting Your Shot’ program for the Apple Store, where participants can learn how to improve their photography using three simple principles.

Photography can be really simple

“I hope to help people understand that photography can be really simple,” Jarvis told me. “If they just put a basic amount of energy into it, they can unlock new levels of ability to take great photographs.”

The three keys to making great photographs

“My personal belief is that all photography can be distilled into three things: creating connection, crafting composition, and shaping light. If you think about these three things, you can start making pictures rather than taking them.”

What creates connection in a photograph? “Connection is the magic you feel when a photographer nails the shot. It’s this moment when they have an intimate connection with the subject, whether it’s a person, an animal, or even a place.”