The Storyteller’s Guide to Taking Better iPhone Photos By Dan Tom

Question and Answer

What is your new instructor Dan Tom –?

your new instructor Dan Tom – is Meet a San Francisco based professional designer & photographer..

How does your new instructor Dan Tom – Meet?

Meet your new instructor Dan Tom – a San Francisco based professional designer & photographer.

What is Dan?

Dan is Learn how got his start in photography with his iPhone eight years ago and how this tool has shaped his career path..

How does Dan Learn?

Learn how Dan got his start in photography with his iPhone eight years ago and how this tool has shaped his career path.

What is I?

I is When was a kid in my childhood, I drew a town..

How does I was?

When I was a kid in my childhood, I drew a town.

What is I?

I is And that’s, think, where my interests for the arts, my interests were the creative really started..

How does I ,?

And that’s, I think, where my interests for the arts, my interests were the creative really started.

What is I?

I is used to draw Disney characters like Jasmine from “Aladdin,” Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” the Simpsons, all these things..

How does I used to draw?

I used to draw Disney characters like Jasmine from “Aladdin,” Belle from “Beauty and the Beast,” the Simpsons, all these things.

What is I?

I is And would draw them and repeat the drawings..

How does I would draw?

And I would draw them and repeat the drawings.

What is I?

I is would actually do the same drawing like over and over again, to try to perfect it..

How does I would actually do?

I would actually do the same drawing like over and over again, to try to perfect it.

What is I?

I is And don’t think I realized it at the time..

How does I don’t think?

And I don’t think I realized it at the time.

What is I?

I is But now that know that about myself, it’s easy to see how that has impacted actually my photography especially editing..

How does I know?

But now that I know that about myself, it’s easy to see how that has impacted actually my photography especially editing.

What is college,?

college, is Then in I majored in art..

How does college, majored?

Then in college, I majored in art.

What is I?

I is knew I didn’t want to be an engineer, I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer..

How does I knew?

I knew I didn’t want to be an engineer, I knew I didn’t want to be a lawyer.

What is bio.?

bio. is Wasn’t interested in.

How does bio. Wasn’t interested?

Wasn’t interested in bio.

What is there,?

there, is From I got a job as a designer..

How does there, got?

From there, I got a job as a designer.

What is the practical art thing?

the practical art thing is That was kind of to do back in the day..

How does the practical art thing was?

That was kind of the practical art thing to do back in the day.

What is I’ve?

I’ve is And been a designer ever since..

How does I’ve been?

And I’ve been a designer ever since.

What is I?

I is think there’s a lot of overlap with design and photography in the sense of composition, just seeing things objectively and really kind of seeing how it translates to people and how people are taking that in..

How does I think?

I think there’s a lot of overlap with design and photography in the sense of composition, just seeing things objectively and really kind of seeing how it translates to people and how people are taking that in.

What is It’s?

It’s is really a good way to communicate..

How does It’s really?

It’s really a good way to communicate.

What is I?

I is And think that has influenced my photography as well..

How does I think?

And I think that has influenced my photography as well.

What is I?

I is When was working in LA, I was working for a small fashion company and my good friend who was also the designer, was just us two..

How does I was working in?

When I was working in LA, I was working for a small fashion company and my good friend who was also the designer, was just us two.

What is he?

he is So anyways, encouraged me to get at my first SLR camera..

How does he anyways,?

So anyways, he encouraged me to get at my first SLR camera.

What is I?

I is So that’s, finally saved up enough money to get the camera..

How does I ,?

So that’s, I finally saved up enough money to get the camera.

What is It?

It is was Nikon D70, the one of the first SLRs to shoot video at the time..

How does It was?

It was Nikon D70, the one of the first SLRs to shoot video at the time.

What is I?

I is And literally took that camera everywhere with me..

How does I literally took?

And I literally took that camera everywhere with me.

What is It?

It is barely left my hands..

How does It barely left?

It barely left my hands.

What is I?

I is So would document and take photos of like the traffic in LA, my commute..

How does I would document?

So I would document and take photos of like the traffic in LA, my commute.

What is Photography?

Photography is was really my outlet and I began to fall in love..

How does Photography was really?

Photography was really my outlet and I began to fall in love.

What is I?

I is was so interested in learning as much as I could..

How does I was so interested?

I was so interested in learning as much as I could.

What is I?

I is And so used my friend as a resource..

How does I used?

And so I used my friend as a resource.

What is He?

He is kind of introduced me to like editing a little bit..

How does He introduced?

He kind of introduced me to like editing a little bit.

What is I?

I is So just was photographing everything..

How does I just was photographing?

So I just was photographing everything.

What is I?

I is And shortly after that, got my first iPhone..

How does I got?

And shortly after that, I got my first iPhone.

What is I?

I is think it was an iPhone four or five and downloaded Instagram..

How does I think?

I think it was an iPhone four or five and downloaded Instagram.

What is I?

I is began to follow and found all these amazing photographers..

How does I began?

I began to follow and found all these amazing photographers.

What is I?

I is And think that’s how I really kind of dove into it more deeply..

How does I think?

And I think that’s how I really kind of dove into it more deeply.

What is I?

I is began to realize that their photos look much different than my photos..

How does I began?

I began to realize that their photos look much different than my photos.

What is I?

I is And was like, what are they doing to their photos to make it look a certain way?.

How does I was like,?

And I was like, what are they doing to their photos to make it look a certain way?

What is I?

I is And so remember going through all their hashtags that they were labeling their photos with..

How does I remember going through?

And so I remember going through all their hashtags that they were labeling their photos with.

What is I?

I is And found a couple of apps, Snapseed and VSCO that I still use today..

How does I found?

And I found a couple of apps, Snapseed and VSCO that I still use today.

What is the apps?

the apps is But those are that really kind of opened the floodgates for me..

How does the apps are?

But those are the apps that really kind of opened the floodgates for me.

What is I?

I is fell in love with editing..

How does I fell in?

I fell in love with editing.

What is I?

I is love the process, I love the post process..

How does I love?

I love the process, I love the post process.

What is I?

I is love seeing how you can control the photo after you take it..

How does I love seeing?

I love seeing how you can control the photo after you take it.

What is there.?

there. is There’s a lot to kind of explore.

How does there. a lot?

There’s a lot to kind of explore there.

What is a huge piece of?

a huge piece of is And that’s become my photography, my process, and how I like to tell stories..

How does a huge piece of become?

And that’s become a huge piece of my photography, my process, and how I like to tell stories.

What is I?

I is began to grow following on Instagram and then got into the suggested user list that bumped me up to 30,000..

How does I began?

I began to grow following on Instagram and then got into the suggested user list that bumped me up to 30,000.

What is it’s?

it’s is And then kind of just been a slow growth and build from there..

How does it’s just been?

And then it’s kind of just been a slow growth and build from there.

What is I?

I is But began to realize that, hey, maybe I’ve fallen on something great and I’m doing something right..

How does I began?

But I began to realize that, hey, maybe I’ve fallen on something great and I’m doing something right.

What is photographers?

photographers is Because a lot of that I had followed early on, they started following me..

How does photographers had followed?

Because a lot of photographers that I had followed early on, they started following me.

What is confirmation?

confirmation is And that was almost like that, okay, maybe there’s something in photography for you..

How does confirmation was almost like?

And that was almost like confirmation that, okay, maybe there’s something in photography for you.

What is I?

I is began to travel more..

How does I began?

I began to travel more.

What is I?

I is had never really traveled much prior to Instagram..

How does I had never really traveled much?

I had never really traveled much prior to Instagram.

What is I?

I is And that’s actually how get inspired to go to a places actually through a photo..

How does I actually?

And that’s actually how I get inspired to go to a places actually through a photo.

What is I?

I is Usually, remember I moved back to San Francisco seven years ago..

How does I remember?

Usually, I remember I moved back to San Francisco seven years ago.

What is My good friend’s wife?

My good friend’s wife is showed me a photo from Turkey and it was in Cappadocia, which is where they have the hot air balloons..

How does My good friend’s wife showed?

My good friend’s wife showed me a photo from Turkey and it was in Cappadocia, which is where they have the hot air balloons.

What is I?

I is And was blown away..

How does I was blown away.?

And I was blown away.

What is I?

I is was like, “Where is this place?.

How does I was like,?

I was like, “Where is this place?

What is I’m?

I’m is gonna go there.” I had two weeks between my move..

How does I’m gonna go?

I’m gonna go there.” I had two weeks between my move.

What is I?

I is And when started my job in San Francisco and I booked a ticket to Turkey..

How does I started?

And when I started my job in San Francisco and I booked a ticket to Turkey.

What is I?

I is had a friend come with me for that week and then I went to Greece..

How does I had?

I had a friend come with me for that week and then I went to Greece.

What is my first taste of traveling?

my first taste of traveling is But that was kind of my first taste of traveling independently..

How does my first taste of traveling was?

But that was kind of my first taste of traveling independently.

What is it?

it is And wasn’t until in my twenties..

How does it wasn’t?

And it wasn’t until in my twenties.

What is I?

I is And so think I feel super appreciative of the fact that I found photography eventually..

How does I think?

And so I think I feel super appreciative of the fact that I found photography eventually.

What is I?

I is And think falling in love with taking photos and really being inspired through that medium, has really impacted the way that I see the world, how I like to visually create stories, but also how I get inspired..

How does I think falling in?

And I think falling in love with taking photos and really being inspired through that medium, has really impacted the way that I see the world, how I like to visually create stories, but also how I get inspired.

What is I’m?

I’m is So actually a full-time designer..

How does I’m actually?

So I’m actually a full-time designer.

What is I’ve?

I’ve is been a designer for over 10 years, but most people think that I’m a full-time photographer which is not the case..

How does I’ve been?

I’ve been a designer for over 10 years, but most people think that I’m a full-time photographer which is not the case.

What is I?

I is think there’s a lot of overlap and there’s a lot of influences from design to my photography..

How does I think?

I think there’s a lot of overlap and there’s a lot of influences from design to my photography.

What is I?

I is And in particular, think composition..

How does I think?

And in particular, I think composition.

What is Composition?

Composition is like a lot of the visual things, I think you can kind of translate from design to photography..

How does Composition like a lot?

Composition like a lot of the visual things, I think you can kind of translate from design to photography.

What is I?

I is But think even more so than that is like the concept and kind of the story behind your design, behind your photography..

How does I think?

But I think even more so than that is like the concept and kind of the story behind your design, behind your photography.

What is I?

I is And think telling a cohesive story, being able to communicate that story visually is probably the biggest thing that has influenced my photography from my design..

How does I think telling?

And I think telling a cohesive story, being able to communicate that story visually is probably the biggest thing that has influenced my photography from my design.