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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.

The level of control we have while making our pictures matters.

Making a picture in automatic exposure mode ain't complicated.

We set the exposure mode dial to automatic, press the shutter release, and the camera will take the picture for us.  

The hard part is while we get a decent-looking picture, it's probably not the best picture we could make because, since we have little control over the outcome of the picture and the camera doesn't know what we intend to communicate, our picture lacks the visual elements needed to do that.

And yet, many of us may fail to realize that there are better options than automatic exposure mode that'll allow us to make unique, engaging, thoughtfully composed imagery that can visually communicate facts, opinions, feelings, and concepts how we want to communicate them.

Three exposure modes will allow us to create intentionally composed pictures and access the level of camera functionality not available in automatic exposure mode.

The exposure modes and level of control they offer are:

1. Aperture Priority. (We pick the aperture, and the camera adjusts shutter speed and ISO; if we set it to automatic)
2. Shutter Priority. (We pick the aperture, and the camera adjusts shutter speed and ISO; if we set it to automatic)
3. Manual Exposure Mode. (We control every aspect of the composition, which gives us the most creativity)

Any of the above-mentioned exposure modes are better options by a long shot compared to automatic exposure mode.

If we've got a complex camera like a DSLR or mirrorless format, and we're working in automatic exposure mode, there's no denying we've upped our game in image quality and size.

If that's what we're doin', we're still creating photographs as if we're using the camera on our phones.

If we wanna learn to make better pictures, we can.  

All it takes is our decision to learn, our commitment and effort to learn, and then finding an effective and efficient way to learn.

Beyond that…

The hard part is deciding what course of study and practice serves us best.

But deciding is only half of it.

Regardless of our decision to learn, our commitment and effort to learn, and then finding an effective and efficient way to learn.

We've gotta do the work.

Doing the work means doing photography in a practical, hands-on way.

In other words, we make pictures.

But we've gotta make pictures in a way that familiarizes us with the relationships between camera operation, composition, and light, and we've gotta be intentional in everything we do while making the picture.

Remember, the strength of our imagery lies in our level of intent and control while creating our pictures.
 

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.