LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERSPHOTOGRAPHY
Nov. 18, 2025
Level: Upper-intermediate (B2-C1)
Type of language: General English
Tags: Describing Pictures and Photos; Gadgets and Inventions; Photography; Hobby; Speaking; Vocabulary Lesson; Parts of Speech; 10-12 Years Old; 13-15 Years Old; 16-18 Years Old; 18+ Years Old
Publication date: 11/18/2025
In this updated lesson, students receive some tips for taking better pictures with their phones. They examine photos, listen to an audio tutorial for main idea and detail, and define vocabulary. Key information is activated in a task and discussion questions. There is also an optional extension activity which examines vocabulary related to analogue/film photography. Note that it will be helpful if students can see the photos in the resource projected on a screen and/or have access to color copies of the worksheet; you may also wish to incorporate student-generated photos in the lesson. (by Stephanie Hirschman)
- CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English.
- CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English.
- CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in American English.
- CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English.
- CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English.
- CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio in British English.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT
Speaker: Anyone who uses a phone is a photographer these days, but just having this incredible technology at your fingertips doesn’t mean you’re taking the most memorable photos you can. Here are eight tips to ensure that your photos, and your socials, have real impact.
Let’s start with an easy one: include only one person at a time. Having just one subject makes it much easier to get the composition right and allows the viewer to really see who this person is. Remember that they will stand out more if there is a lot of empty or negative space in the background.
My second tip is about playing with perspective. One of the best ways to make your photos more interesting is to shoot from a low angle so you’re below where all the action is happening. This will give you the sky or some other empty space as the background and the viewer won’t be distracted by too much visual noise. You may need to kneel or even lie down to get more interesting details in the foreground.
Another technique for getting the viewer’s attention is to create what looks like three-dimensional space on the flat surface of a photograph. You do this by including leading lines in your picture – like fences, rivers, railway tracks, roads and paths. Have these travel from the foreground into the distance. You should also try to include people or objects in the foreground, middle and background and make use of frames like windows, arches or tree branches.
Tip number four is about avoiding the common mistake of not getting close enough to capture any small details you want your viewer to see. But make sure you’re not too close or your camera won’t be able to focus properly, and the image will be fuzzy.
My fifth tip is about when to take photos. Morning and evening are the best times to get long shadows into your photographs, which can create really interesting abstract images. Keep your eyes open for patterns made by trees, fences and other objects.
Now for tip six, we’re continuing with the theme of shadows, which can add a lot of drama and mystery to an image. What you’re aiming for here is to capture a silhouette, or a basic shape with all the details kept dark. Take your photograph towards the direction of the light source. You can often play around with light levels on an app after you take the photo. Indoors, it’s easier to achieve this effect if you take a picture against a window lamp or outdoors when the sun is low in the sky.
Moving along to tip number seven, I want to talk about buildings. The most successful photos of buildings and other man-made objects are those which call attention to their repeated bold shapes. The human eye enjoys looking at this kind of symmetry and even when the photo features two things which are merely similar, rather than identical, it can be really successful.
My final tip develops this idea further – I’m talking about reflections. Water is the best surface for capturing reflections, but glass, ice and other shiny surfaces also work well. When there are ripples and waves in the water, the image is distorted in really interesting ways. I hope these tips have been helpful – now get out there and take some amazing photographs!
Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/photography. Accessed on November 24, 2025. LinguaHouse.com © 2008–2025. All rights reserved.
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