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. And for what it's worth. When you send me an email, unless someone's lookin' over my shoulder, I'm the only one that sees it.

A Photographer's Quote

If we view photographs regularly, we probably resonate with a type of photography done by particular photographers.

And maybe their work inspires us to do our work. 

If a specific photographer's photographs inspire us, chances are good that their words will inspire us, too.  

A Photographer's Quote: Robert Frank

“When people look at my pictures, I want them to feel the way they do when they want to read a line of a poem twice.”

— Robert Frank

Hello , 

Robert Frank was an influencer of my work. 

Specifically, his 1959 photobook The Americans was one of the bodies of work that nudged me into photojournalism.  

I think what Mr. Frank is describing when he says what he says above is about interest and engagement.  

But also, that bit about wanting to "read a line of a poem twice"?

That's about understanding. 

We all want our work to be understood. 

But for our work to be understood, we've got to understand what we're doing.

And to understand what we're doing, we need to know how to operate our camera with intent. 

And we need to understand how to operate our cameras intentionally to create compositions that communicate what we want to say. 

If we want to create that visual poetry Mr. Frank is talking about, it would help to develop a visual vocabulary.

 A visual vocabulary that helps us describe what we're seeing and what we do with our camera when creating pictures. 

It'd also help to heighten our visual awareness of the light we see and consider photographing.

This intentional use of our camera and our visual awareness and vocabulary around what we see and do with our cameras allows us to create the visual poetry I believe Mr. Frank has in mind.

I don't teach written poetry, but I can help you learn to use your camera so you can create your unique visual poetry.  

The Introduction To Photography and Getting To Know Your Camera classes are good ways to learn this. 

And if you'd prefer to use the camera on your phone? 

Learn To Think Like A Photographer

And remember, we learn and improve by doing, so practice making at least one picture today. 

That's all for now; thanks for reading!

Sam 

I'll help you be a better photographer—study and practice photography with me. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? If that's the case, let's schedule a one-time lesson or a series of in-person or online private instruction that covers the same things as my group classes. 

Ways to work with me are listed below.

I look forward to helping you be a better photographer.

Best Regards, 

Sam