In the first Punic War between Rome and Carthage, the land-lubbing Romans were initially no match for the sea-faring Carthaginians. A key turning point occurred when the Romans captured a highly advanced Carthaginian warship and were able to reverse-engineer it to create their own.

‘By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.’ – Confucius

So this is a section of ‘easy wins’ in which we deconstruct photographs to see what they mean and how they were made. By all means aim to recreate them or reinterpret the ideas in your own photographs. But do so for practice; try out other’s styles to develop your own.

Click on the photographs to discover the explanations…