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Hello, .

Yesterday was the first Introductory to Photography class meeting, and everyone started working their cameras in manual exposure mode.

We covered focusing, metering, and changing tonality with exposure and ISO.

We covered everything we needed to establish a solid foundation in camera operation.

With that solid foundation of camera operation, we can build our skills and learn techniques in the upcoming meetings.

We also started building a visual vocabulary.

A vocabulary filled with words related to camera operation, composition, and light.

The important part of building a visual vocabulary is using specific words to describe particular things.

For example, I use "sharpness" to describe the compositional outcome of focusing.

I associate "increasing" and "decreasing" with exposure, ISO, and tonality.

I use the term "framing and content" to describe the placement and arrangement of the objects in our images within the four lines that form the frame of our picture.

When we associate specific words with specific camera operations, functions, and compositional outcomes, we develop a visual vocabulary that helps us define and understand what we're doing as photographers in terms of camera operation, composition, and light.

There's a lot of misleading and confusing jargon out there.

Developing a reliable, relatable, and precise visual vocabulary helps us understand and define what we're doing and clarifies our intent of camera operation, composition, and understanding of light.

And, as usual, someone asked, "When do we get to learn about composition." 

In other words, they wanted to know when they would learn about the rules of composition.

I answered, "We've been learning to compose pictures since the start of the class because everything we do is an element of composition."

As usual, I quote Ansel Adams: "There are no rules for good photographs; there are only good photographs."

Rules of composition don't help our photography; they homogenize and stifle our creativity. 

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.