how do I transfer the photos on my phone to my MacBook Air?

Hi,

Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your Mac with a USB cable, Lighting to USB cable. If your MacBook Air doesn't have USB-A port, you need to get USB-C to USB adapter.

Open the Photos app on your computer. The Photos app shows an Import screen with all the photos and videos that are on your connected device. If the Import screen doesn't automatically appear, click the device's name in the Photos sidebar.