These emails come with the intent of helping you be a better photographer. But if you're tired of hearing from me, unsubscribe.

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, .

Yesterday, I spoke with a photographer who received a gift of four hours of private photography lessons with me.

During our conversation, we discussed her specific goals for the lessons, her way of studying and practicing, what she likes to photograph, etc.

All that stuff's important, especially what the photographer wants to get out of working with me. In her case, she'll get the same skills, techniques, and understanding that she'd get by taking my Introduction To Photography group class.

The common theme of what we all want is to be better photographers.

However, depending on our understanding of photography (camera operation, composition, and light), we need different guidance/lessons.

For example, for photographers who understand how to operate their cameras, lessons emphasizing composition and light might be the way the lessons go. In that case, we investigate the relationship between camera operation, light, and composition.

In other words, how the cause and effect of camera operation and our observance and understanding of the characteristics of light control the outcome of our compositions

But most photographers I work with need to know/learn how to operate their cameras effectively, especially if they've been working their cameras in fully automatic exposure mode.

We want to get the composition that best represents what we imagine. We must learn to control tonality (through aperture shutter speed and ISO), exposure, focusing, and metering modes.

Although we can accomplish that in the aperture and shutter priority modes, those modes aren't reliable for controlling tonality.

The only mode that'll allow us to get the most thoughtful, complex, and unique compositions is fully manual exposure.

That's what the student who was given the four hours of photography lessons with me will learn to do.

By the end of the lessons, she'll operate her camera in fully manual exposure mode, have complete control over focusing, and use her light meter to evaluate light intensity.

By doing those things, she'll create the best compositions.

The bottom line is we all need to know how to operate our cameras effectively to get the best compositions we can.

And, among other things, I can help you with that.

You can have private photography lessons with me to suit your schedule. The group classes are listed below. Either way you go, you'll be a better photographer.