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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.

A lot of photographers I talk with who are interested in studying and practicing photography with me say they wanna learn about lighting.

I can help them with lighting, but first, they've gotta understand light.

Light is nuanced, and it helps to understand the difference between light and lighting.

When we look at craftspeople (and photographers are craftspeople), a potter's raw material is clay, and a photographer's raw material is light.  

Furthermore, a potter evaluates the characteristics of the clay they work with before creating a piece of pottery, and we photographers gotta evaluate the characteristics of the light we work with before making a photograph.

We evaluate the characteristics of light by observing it, evaluating it, and describing it.

The first thing we do is evaluate light with our eyes and mind by observing it.

However, one characteristic needs to be evaluated and described precisely by measuring it with the light meter in our camera.  

The characteristic is intensity, and the reason intensity gotta be measured is that measuring it allows us to get an exposure that'll give us a picture.  

In automatic exposure mode, the camera does the metering for us, but in manual exposure mode, we do the metering.

The upside of metering in manual exposure mode is that we get involved in camera operation and light, and when we do that, we get involved in composition.   

Remember, when it comes to light and lighting, light is our raw material, and lighting is manipulating our raw material.  

Another way to think about it is that light is a thing, and lighting is something we do with that thing.

We can also think of light as a noun and lighting as a verb.

For example, if we've got a flash on our camera or a separate unit, that flash is a light source.

When we turn the flash on and use it, we're lighting.

Registering for my Introduction to Photography class is an excellent way to learn about light.

And what if a more personalized approach to learning is more up your alley?

Then there's always Private Photography Lessons tailored to your specific needs, whether you want to refine your skills, explore new techniques, or cover what we cover during the Introduction to Photography class.

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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.