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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 who sees it.

I spend a lot of time with a lot of photographers.

Here's some stuff I noticed:

• We spend a lotta money on a complex camera like a DSLR or mirrorless camera.
• Many of us struggle to work with complex cameras.
• Although we own and use a complex camera that allows a variety of exposure modes, including manual exposure mode, many of us use a complex camera like a point-and-shoot camera by working it in automatic exposure mode.
• Although we purchase better, complex cameras, we don't get any better as photographers because we don't understand how to work our complex cameras in manual exposure mode.
• We experience a lot of frustration and dissatisfaction with photography because our pictures don't come out the way we want since we don't understand camera operation, composition, and light.
• We try to learn through "YouTube" videos, but often, they don't help us to understand photography or improve our work.

And so, although complex cameras allow us the most creativity, we struggle to use the camera to its fullest potential and become frustrated and discouraged because we don't understand photography.  

Specifically, the part of photography we don't understand is the relationship between camera operation, composition, and light.

When we begin to understand that a photograph is a recording of light, a camera is a light recording tool, and all the things we photograph are light sources that have characteristics we can observe and describe, we understand that light is our raw material, similar to the way clay is the raw material to a potter.

Just like a potter becomes familiar with the clay they're working with in terms of the characteristics of the clay, we need to become familiar with the characteristics of the light we're working with.

When we can observe and describe the characteristics of the light we're working with, we can understand the composition we want to create.

The only thing left to understand is how to operate our camera in manual exposure mode so we can evaluate the light in terms of intensity and utilize the full functionality of the camera to record the light we see into the compositions we want.

When we understand how to operate our camera in manual exposure mode, we'll notice our frustration and dissatisfaction with photography disappear because our pictures come out the way we want because we understand camera operation, composition, and light.
 

The Introduction To Photography class starts soon. 
  
More ways to study and practice photography with me are below.

Call me if you need help determining the best course for you.

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

Currently scheduled classes are below.

Smaller 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 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.