Lesson One - SIGHT- Being more observant
First, let's begin with sight, this one is simple. Something we all seem to take for granted, yet shouldn't. I want you to actually LOOK, to SEE, to OBSERVE. It will take no extra time out of your day. It's easy, all you have to do is to be aware.
Everyone now has a 'smartphone', so I want you use it for more than just texting and phone calls. You are going to take pictures. LOTS and LOTS of pictures. Pictures of anything and everything. Don't delete anything. You can use an app like Evernote. https://evernote.com. Evernote allows you to take photos, do voice recordings, and write notes, and it categorizes and syncs to your computer. You may also want to create a folder on your computer called Creative Inspiration to save your work in.
You want to pay attention to light and dark, to shadows. Variations, saturations, hues and tones (does anyone REALLY know what those mean?!?) Don't worry about those right now. Just notice light.
Look at faces, look at the simple and ordinary and find the unusual. You have only to REALLY look. See the way cloth hangs on a body, or how the strands of hair fall across a face. The ACTUAL colour of someone's eyes, they aren't JUST brown or blue or green. See how the shadows affect the way you see a nose or laugh lines in a smile. ALL faces are beautiful
(please remember to ask permission before taking detailed photos of people whom you do not know personally).
Your pictures may start out 'boring', 'everyday', or 'uninteresting'. Don't give up, as you begin to notice the minutiae, the tiny details, that you would normally overlook, your photos will grow as you grow.
I say DON'T delete your pictures because I want you to see where you started and your progress as you go along. Remember there is NO perfection, only progress!