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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 who sees it.

If we want to be excellent photographers, we should deconstruct pictures based on their elements of composition.

The best way to do this is through an objective critique.

We can do this with other photographers' work, or we can do it with our work.

We should constantly self-critique our work after making a picture to determine if the resulting composition effectively communicates our intent of the composition.

If it does, that's great!

What compositional elements fall short of supporting our intended communication if it doesn't?

I often meet photographers/students at the National Portrait Gallery, which is ripe with photographs to critique.

Since many exhibits have a description of the exhibit's theme and artist's statements accompanying a photographer's body of work, those images are also excellent to critique/deconstruct.

The more we critique/deconstruct work, the better photographers we become.

Critiquing helps us become better photographers because if we can deconstruct an image based on the elements of composition, we can construct a picture based on the elements of composition.

Although we use the same elements of composition, the stuff we photograph varies.

Making our next photograph is entirely different from the previous ones in terms of the conditions we work with and the picture we want to create because we don't step in the same light twice.

So, of course, we need to understand how to use our camera and observe the light we're working with to use the elements of composition to create a photograph that effectively communicates what we want.

A good objective critique helps us understand how to do that. 

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.