There’s this weird thing that happens when you’re standing in a new place, eager to snap that camera, surrounded by stuff, people, buildings, signs, smells, light, movement.. chaos, and suddenly you have no idea what to photograph.

Like, full sensory overload meets creative panic.

I used to panic a bit in those moments. Or I’d just start snapping everything and hope something stuck. But then I stumbled on a simple way to make sense of it all. It gave my photography process a bit more structure and made them feel like part of something.

Funnly enough, I didn’t learn it from a photography book.

I learned it from movies.

The Movies

Once you notice this, you’ll see it in every film and TV show you watch. Even many video game cinematic cut scenes do this. When a new scene starts, the camera in most cases does three things:

Shows where we are
Introduces who we’re watching
Zooms in on what matters

It might open with a wide shot of a neon-lit city, cut to a character waiting on a corner, then close in on a nervous hand gripping a lighter, ready to light a cigarette. Boom. You’re in the story.

I started using that same idea in my photography.

Where / Who / What = Story.

It’s pretty simple. Doesn’t matter where you are, what gear you’re using, mirrorless, film, or just your phone taking snaps of your friends and family.

Here’s how it works:

1. The Establishing Shot — Where are we?

Start wide. Let us see the environment.
Not just a cool building, but the place. The context. The kind of light. The feel of it.

This is your "hello world" frame. It sets the mood.

2. The Subject — Who’s it about?

Now introduce a character. A person, a silhouette, an animal or anything that gives the scene a sense of presence.

It doesn’t need to be staged or obvious. This shot just brings some life into the frame.

3. The Detail — What stands out?

Look closer. Find something small but specific. Something you noticed.
It might be a cracked window, a takeaway coffee cup, someone’s hands, a weird sticker, a beam of light hitting the wall. Any kind of detail and bonus points if its unique to the place or your subject.

These are the photos that slow the viewer down. They pull viewers in. It can make them think.. oh I was there!

You Don’t Even Have to Shoot This Way

That’s the cool part.

You don’t have to apply this to taking photos… it can be a cheat code for how to present them.

Maybe you’re putting together an Instagram post. Or building a gallery, a zine, photo book, a blog. You’ve got 10 decent photos but none of them feel connected. Use this method as a way to group and structure them.

Suddenly, random shots turn into a sequenced story.

And if you’re new to photography or just feeling a bit aimless at a new place, it’s also a great way to kickstart your eye when you're out shooting. Give yourself a mini assignment: Where / Who / What.

A Few Examples from the Field

In Sydney: