Know Why Your Photos Work. And Why They Don’t.
When a photo doesn’t look right, stop guessing what to change.
Learn how to work through a photograph, identify the problem and decide what to change. The Photographer’s Method connects five decisions you already make, so you can use them with a reason behind each one.
Subject → Light → Composition → Settings → EditSubject, Light, Composition, Settings, Edit
You knew your camera. So why didn’t the photo work?
You found a good location. The light looked promising. But the photograph didn’t come together.
So you changed the settings, moved position and tried another composition. Back home, you spent longer editing it.
Any of those changes might help. The question is whether you know which one the photograph needs.
The Method teaches you to work that out, including what needs to happen before you press the shutter and what belongs in the edit.
Here is how I used it at Grand Pier
Start with the RAW photograph below. The useful part is not the settings. It is identifying what needs to change before touching the sliders.
Light And Separation: Grand Pier, Weston
The problem was separation
The soft light preserved detail, but the pier, sea and sky needed clearer separation. That gave me something specific to work on, rather than an open ended edit.
The choices behind the photograph
Subject
The Grand Pier is the clear point of attention.
Light
The soft, diffused light needs careful tonal control to maintain separation.
Composition
The centred pier and surrounding negative space emphasise its structure and scale.
Settings
f/5 · 1/320 sec · ISO 100
Edit
Keep the result natural while creating clearer separation between the different areas of the scene.
The camera settings describe the exposure. The decisions explain the photograph. Your scene may need different settings, but you can work through it in the same way.
What happens after you buy?
Access the Method in your Squarespace member account. Start with the Five Decisions and work through one photograph you have already taken. Then use the same questions before your next shoot.
You get the Method, the supporting learning and review resources, and the Before The Shot iPhone browser app. Work at your own pace, with lifetime access and future Method updates. Personal feedback is not included.
£99.99 once, or two payments of £49.99 at checkout. No subscription.
Five decisions to work through
Each decision affects the others. A different subject may need a different frame. A different intention may need different settings. The Method teaches you how to bring those choices together.
SUBJECT
What is the photograph actually about?
Decide what deserves the viewer’s attention.
LIGHT
What is the light doing to the subject?
Look at its direction, quality, colour and contrast and decide how to use it.
COMPOSITION
How should everything be arranged?
Decide what stays, what goes, where you stand and where you want the viewer to look.
SETTINGS
What settings support the photograph you’re trying to make?
Aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focus and white balance now have a reason behind them.
EDIT
What should the finished photograph become?
Know the direction before editing becomes endless experimentation.
Subject → Light → Composition → Settings → EditSubject, Light, Composition, Settings, Edit
Try it on a photograph of your own
Pick a recent photograph you don’t like. Before editing it again, ask:
- Is the subject obvious?
- Is the light helping it?
- Is something in the frame competing for attention?
- Did the settings support what you wanted to make?
- Do you know what you want the finished photograph to look like?
You might find more than one problem. Choose one to work on first, then look at what changed. This is the starting point, not the whole Method.
Use it before, during and after a shoot
Plan
Decide what you want to photograph and what you want the result to feel like. Think through the subject, light and frame before you start reacting to the scene.
Shoot
Work through the scene in front of you. Choose settings to support the photograph, then check whether the result matches what you intended.
Review
Look at what worked and what didn’t. Identify the decision you would change and take that into your next shoot.
Two landscapes, different problems
Structure And Visual Hierarchy
Winding Reservoir
Select either photograph to view it larger.
The landscape needed a clearer visual hierarchy. I used composition and tonal relationships to guide attention through the scene, creating a clearer relationship between foreground, midground and background.
f/9 · 1/400 sec · ISO 100
Depth And Three Dimensionality
Countryside Landscape
Select either photograph to view it larger.
The foreground, midground and background were blending together. I worked on the relationships between those layers to create clearer separation and a stronger sense of space, while keeping the result natural.
f/11 · 1/40 sec · ISO 100
Meet Josh
I’m Josh Ball, a photographer with a BA (Hons) in Editorial and Advertising Photography from the University of Gloucestershire.
I created The Photographer’s Method to help you make sense of the decisions behind a photograph. The examples on this page are my own photographs, showing how I work through real scenes and review the results.
What you get with the Method
Start with the Five Decisions. The other resources help you identify a problem, practise a choice or review a photograph. Here is what each one is for.
Learn the process
The Photographer’s Method
Learn the Five Decisions, how they affect each other and how to use them when approaching a photograph.
Photography Roadmap
Identify where your photography needs attention instead of trying to improve everything at once.
Photography Fix Guides
Use common photographic problems to identify which part of your process may need changing.
Use it on a shoot
Before The Shot
The iPhone browser app is included.
Use it to plan the decisions for a shoot and review what happened afterwards. It needs internet for the initial Home Screen setup, then works offline. This is not an App Store download.
Learn By Doing Challenge
Apply what you’ve learned to your own photography rather than leaving it as information you watched or read once.
Review your work
5 Minute Photo Audit
Break down your photographs, identify what worked and decide what needs attention next time.
Flat To Feeling
Understand how editing can support the photograph you created rather than becoming an attempt to rescue something you never intended.
Finding Your Style
Recognise patterns across your photographs and the choices that make your work feel like yours.
Preset Packs
Use them as editing starting points while keeping control over the final photograph.
Lifetime updates
Future updates to The Photographer’s Method are included with your purchase.
Start with the Method, then use the resource that fits the photograph you are working on.
Is this the right next step for you?
The Method is for photographers who understand basic camera controls but still find their results inconsistent.
A good fit if
- You can change the settings but struggle to decide what a scene needs.
- You have learned techniques separately and want to use them together.
- You want to understand why a photograph worked, so you can learn from it.
Probably not for you if
- You need a guide to operating a camera from scratch.
- You only want settings to copy.
- You expect a shortcut that makes every photograph work.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER’S METHOD
Know Why Your Photos Work. And Why They Don’t.
Get a repeatable process for approaching a scene, deciding what deserves your attention and understanding what to change when a photograph isn’t working.
INCLUDED
- The Photographer’s Method
- Photography Roadmap
- Photography Fix Guides
- Before The Shot
- Learn By Doing Challenge
- 5 Minute Photo Audit
- Flat To Feeling
- Finding Your Style
- Preset Packs
- Lifetime Updates
£99.99
Pay £99.99 once, or choose two payments of £49.99 at checkout. Lifetime access. No subscription.
Open the Method in your member account after purchase. The Before The Shot iPhone browser app is included.
Refund policy
Yes. If you genuinely work through the Method and don't gain more clarity and confidence, you can request a refund. Contact: jb@joshuajball.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Why pay for this when photography information is free online?
You do not need to pay to learn what aperture or composition is. The Method is for the next problem: deciding which part needs your attention in a real photograph and using those techniques together. The examples, exercises and review resources help you practise that.
Do I need an expensive camera?
No.
The Method is about the decisions behind the photograph, not the price of your equipment.
Do I need Lightroom?
No.
The decision making process isn’t dependent on a particular editing program.
Is this for complete beginners?
The Method is strongest for photographers who already understand basic camera controls but struggle to bring everything together.
If you’re still learning what aperture, shutter speed and ISO mean, some parts may be more advanced than you currently need.
Will you tell me what settings to use?
The Method teaches you how to decide what settings your photograph needs.
Settings depend on what you’re trying to create.
How quickly can I use this?
You can start applying the Five Decisions to your photography immediately.
You don’t need to complete every included resource before using the core process.
Will this save me time?
The Method gives you a process for identifying what deserves your attention rather than changing multiple things without knowing what the problem is.
How much time that saves will depend on the photograph and how you work, but the aim is to make your experimentation more deliberate.
Will every photograph improve?
No system can guarantee that every photograph will work.
The Method gives you a structured way to make decisions and review what happened so you can identify what to work on next.
Do I get future updates?
Yes.
Future updates to The Photographer’s Method are included.
How long do I have access?
Lifetime access is included with your purchase.
Is there a guarantee?
Yes. If you genuinely work through the Method and don't gain more clarity and confidence, you can request a refund.
Put it to work on your next photograph
Start with the Five Decisions, try them on your own work and use the review to decide what to practise next.
The Photographer’s Method: £99.99
Pay once, or choose two payments of £49.99 at checkout. Lifetime access. No subscription.
Questions or refund requests: jb@joshuajball.com