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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, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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

Hello, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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

Hello, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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

Hello, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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

Hello, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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

Hello, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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

Hello, .

When critiquing our pictures, it's easy to mistake blurriness for unsharpness.

On a superficial inspection of our image, blur and unsharpness may look similar.
 

However, there is a distinction.
 

Blur is a function of shutter speed.

In this case, the lines in a blurred photograph usually look like they're moving.

We may see ghosting around the object's edges, or objects may lose their distinct shape.
 

Also, things may appear as unrecognizable streaks.
 

The classic example of blur is car headlights or taillights leaving “light trails.”
 

Also, if a subject moves, it may look "blurry" within the context of objects that aren't.

That is, of course, if we don't introduce blur in the picture because we're hand-holding our camera at too slow a shutter speed.

Here’s an example of blur.

This picture was complex because a flash created a visual mix of “freezing” motion and blurring motion during a slow/long shutter speed.

However, we can see blurring near the skater’s feet, and see through their upper leg area.

On the other hand, unsharpness is a function of focusing.

In this case, whatever is not in focus appears as “soft.”

We can see distinct shapes and lines, but they appear soft.

Here’s an example of unsharpness.

 The tennis ball in the foreground appears sharp because it was intentionally focused, while the tennis balls in the back appear soft because they’re out of focus.

Compositional blur and unsharpness are acceptable elements of a composition as long as we intend them.

The ability to control the visual effects of blur, sharpness, and focus is an excellent reason to work in shutter and aperture priority modes or, better yet, manual exposure modes.

Any of my group classes or One-on-One Private Lessons will help you become a better photographer through intent, efficiency, and effectiveness. 

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

Current ways to work with me, including group classes and private lessons, are below.

Smaller group classes mean better learning, so class sizes are limited to 5 participants plus me.

But smaller classes also mean spots fill up quicker, so sign up soon. 

And what if the timing doesn't work for you in any of my scheduled group classes? Private in-person or online lessons suited to your schedule are always an option. 

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