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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, email 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.

Hello, .

Lenses do a few things. 

First, we get exposure through the aperture/f-stop.  

The second is providing an angle of view, and the angle of view describes the focal length. 

The third thing it does is focus light onto the light recording material such as film, the digital sensors in a camera, or printing paper in a darkroom. 

We divide lenses into categories called wide-angle, normal, or telephoto. 

Additionally, a lens is described by its focal length, such as 28mm, 50mm, 8omm, etc. 

• A normal lens is considered to be 50mm.
• A wide-angle lens is considered to be anything under 50mm
• A telephoto lens is considered to be anything over 50mm

We've got fixed focal length lenses, also called "prime" lenses, that provide a single angle of view, such as 28mm, 50mm, 100 mm, etc. 

And we've got variable focal length lenses, also called "zoom" lenses. 

The other description for a lens is its aperture or f-stop. An example is a "28mm f/2.8" lens.

The "f/2.8" part describes the maximum exposure the lens gives us.

Of course, most lenses have a range of apertures.

For example, my go-to lens is a 28mm f/2.8 lens. The range of the apertures is f/2.8-f/16

If you want to buy a new or used lens, get one from a reputable dealer and make sure it has a warranty. 

Used lenses are a good option. Your local camera store probably has some used lenses, and Adorama, B&H, and KEH are reputable dealers.

Introduction To Photography will teach you how to work your camera in manual exposure mode. Classes are scheduled to start on March 25, March 27 and April 14. Class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

While all my classes will involve you more in how we make pictures, the Introduction To Photography class is the most comprehensive when it comes to getting a good foundation in the basics of photography. If you want to learn to work your camera in a way that'll provide the most creative technique available, the Introduction To Photography group class is the thing to do..

Smaller classes mean better learning, so no more than five participants and me are in each class. 

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker. 

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

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.