Ahead of his workshop this Saturday 25 April, we asked Benedict Brain to respond to 5 questions about the takeaways he hopes participants will get from the event.

1. What is the most important change people can make to move from just taking photos to creating more thoughtful images?

Slow down. I know. Obviously simple. But it’s the single biggest shift you can make. Most of us raise the camera the moment something catches our eye. The best photographs happen when you pause and ask yourself why something caught your attention in the first place. Is it the light? A texture? A feeling? Once you identify that, you can compose around it. The photographer Minor White put it well: don’t just photograph what something looks like, photograph what else it is. That curiosity changes everything.

2. Smartphone cameras do a lot automatically. How can people start to take more control and be more creative with them?

The automatic settings on a modern smartphone are genuinely remarkable. So don’t fight them. Instead, focus on what the phone can’t decide for you. Where you stand. What you include in the frame and, just as importantly, what you leave out. When you press the shutter. Those are creative decisions no algorithm can make. If you want to go further, try exposure lock: tap and hold on different parts of the scene and watch how the image transforms. A tiny gesture that hands you a surprising amount of control.

3. Many people take lots of photos but aren’t happy with the results. What simple tips help people recognise and improve a good photo?

Edit ruthlessly. And by edit, I mean select. Go through your photos and pick only the one or two that make you feel something. Then ask yourself what’s working in those images. You’ll start noticing patterns: maybe you’re drawn to strong shadows, or quiet moments, or bold colour. That self-awareness is worth more than any technical tip. The other thing? Look at great photography. Visit galleries, browse photobooks, follow photographers whose work excites you. You develop your eye by using it. Not just behind a camera.

4. How can people use everyday scenes, like streets, homes, or daily life, as the basis for interesting photographs?

This is my favourite question, because the familiar is where the richest photographs hide. We assume good photography requires exotic locations, but some of the most compelling work in the history of the medium has been made within walking distance of home. William Eggleston photographed his Memphis neighbourhood. Rinko Kawauchi finds wonder in insects and kitchen tables. The trick is to look at your surroundings as if you’ve never seen them before. Pretend you’re a visitor. That shift in attention turns the ordinary into something genuinely surprising.

5. After the workshop, what should participants keep practising to continue improving their photography over time?

Give yourself projects. Nothing grand. A week photographing only shadows. A month documenting your morning walk. Constraints breed creativity. They force you to look harder and think differently. I’d also say: share your work. Not for likes on social media, but find one person whose opinion you trust and show them what you’re making. Photography can be solitary, but a thoughtful conversation about your images will accelerate your development faster than almost anything else I know.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Photography is one of the most democratic art forms we have. You don’t need expensive equipment or formal training. You just need curiosity and a willingness to see the world a little differently. That’s what this workshop is about. And of course, we’ll also cover the practical side: settings, techniques and a few tricks to help you get the very best out of the camera you already carry in your pocket.

This workshop is sold out, but if you’d like to be added to our creative courses email list, please email reception@brlsi.org