Paying Something That Costs Us Nothing Yields Huge Returns on Our Investment When It Comes to Composition
Published: Thu, 07/27/23
Sam offers in-person and online photography instruction. Call him at 202-531-2344 to see how he can help
you.
These emails come with the intent of helping you be a better photographer.
And if you want more photography stuff to read, there's a place on the interwebs where past emails I wrote are stored. You'll find 'em in the "Newsletter Hub."
Remember, I'd like to know what you want to know about photography. So, If you have any questions, ask by sending an email to me at sam@samdamico.com.
It's funny. I could've prevented that mess if I had just paid what we all could pay without taking a hit to our bank account.
And this payment, which doesn't cost us a dime, makes us better at what we do.
And what is this moneyless payment that reaps us a significant return on our investment?
It's attention.
All we gotta do is pay attention, and our work immediately
gets better because we get more involved in the creative process.
I learned how important paying attention is long ago when I was working as a photojournalist and was given a "breaking news" assignment.
The picture from the assignment wound up on the paper's front page because of the gravity of the news value. But when I saw the
image in the paper, I realized I dropped the ball on the picture's impact.
And despite all my effort in using the aperture and shutter speed to get the visual outcome of drawing the viewer's eyes to where I wanted, I bombed. And I bombed because I didn't pay attention to the entirety of the framing and content elements of my composition.
Specifically, I included a small but highly distracting element of color in the framing and content part of my composition.
That little bit of color drew my eye right past the area of the photograph where I wanted to bring attention.
Lesson learned? Pay meticulous attention to everything we do.
And that includes camera operation, the light we're working with, and our intent of composition.
When it comes to camera operation and light, the more we know and understand, the more techniques we have to control our compositions intentionally. Remember, the technique serves creativity. So the more technique we can apply to our picture-making, the more creative we can be.
What techniques do we apply to camera operation?
Do we work in an automatic exposure mode or a manual exposure mode? What about focusing? And how about metering? All of these have to do with camera operation and the intent of composition based on the light we see and want to record as a photograph.
Of course, this is a lot of stuff to pay attention to, but as I said before, paying attention gives us the hugest returns on our investment.
And remember, we learn and become better by doing, so make sure to practice by making at least one picture today.
That’s all for now; thanks for
reading!
Sam
Study and practice photography with
me.
And if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes, we can schedule a one-time lesson or a series of in-person or online one-on-one private instruction that cover the same things as any of my group classes.
---Get guidance on going from where you are to where you want to be as a photographer. There's no charge for a follow-up consultation. Just leave your phone number on the form, and I'll call you. Photography Instruction Strategy
Questionnaire.
I look forward to helping you be a better photographer.
Best Regards,
Sam
About Sam
Sam D'Amico, a professional photographer and photography
instructor, helps anyone who wants to be a better photographer.
He'll work with his students to increase their understanding of camera operation, composition, light, and lighting.
Sam started working as a professional photographer
in the mid-1980s.
Most notably, from 1992 to 1997, while working as a freelance photographer, he photographed over 500 assignments for the New York Times.
Additionally, Sam received awards for his work while
exhibiting his photographs in shows.
Sam began teaching photography professionally in 1998 through the Highland Park, N.J. recreation department.
In 2002 Sam moved to Washington, D.C., and began teaching at the accredited Washington
School of Photography in Bethesda, Md.
It was in 2003 that Sam developed his curriculum and started teaching classes in Washington, D.C.
In 2018 and 2022, the Sam D'Amico Photography Classes were voted the "Best of DC" art class by the
readers of the Washington City Paper.
Many photography teachers spend a lot of time teaching about DSLRs and rules of composition that create homogenized, rigid photographs.
On the other
hand, Sam teaches about camera operation, thought process, and the individual photographer's visual communication intent.
This approach to teaching allows his students to use ANY camera (yes, even the camera on their phone) and break free of the rules of composition.
Approaching the creative process this way allows for fluid and spontaneous photographs unique to the photographer creating them.
Sam encourages his students to find their ways as photographers.
He
instills the skills in his students that result in creative, engaging, and unique compositions that reflect the photographer's intended one-of-a-kind visual expression.
