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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 composition of our photograph is the result of the strategic decisions we make during our process of creating it.

One of the most important decisions we make is our choice of exposure mode.

We either choose an automatic exposure mode where the camera does the work and makes the picture for us, or we choose manual exposure mode and control every element of our composition.

Whatever exposure mode we choose to work in, three things gotta be selected that have a lot to do with how our picture is composed.

Those things are aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

All three things control the part of our composition I call tonality.

While some photographers refer to that part of our picture I call tonality as overexposure or underexposure, I think looking at it in terms of exposure is a bit misleading and limited.

However, on top of tonality, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO control, other visual aspects of our composition, and those three choices make a world of difference when it comes to our compositions.

Below is a brief explanation of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO, with a bit more detail.

Aperture Briefly Explained.

Aperture is an element of exposure dealing with the opening in our lens that we can make bigger and smaller; aperture is also called the f-stop.

Depending on the size of the lens's opening, we control the depth of field, which deals with how sharp things look in front of and in back of the distance we focus on.

Shutter Speed Briefly Explained.

Shutter speed is also an element of exposure.

Shutter speed is an element of time; we think of our shutter speed as faster or slower, or more time or less. 

Shutter speed controls how movement is recorded in our photograph; that movement could be recorded as static( appears frozen in a moment) or blurred. 
 

ISO Briefly Explained.

ISO is not exposure, but it could influence exposure.

ISO deals with light sensitivity, and depending on the number describing the light sensitivity of the ISO, we get more noise or less noise.

Noise is the digital equivalent of grain in film.

When I’ve worked with photographers, they tend to say that noise has a “grainy” appearance.

Whether we use our camera in manual exposure mode or automatic exposure mode, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are essential to obtaining a photograph.

What matters is how we get those settings. 

We either do the work(manual exposure mode) and control the outcome of our picture, or the camera does the work for us (automatic exposure mode), and we don’t control the outcome of our picture.

The Photography Basics (Introduction To Photography) group classes starts soon or you can learn the same stuff as a series of Private Lessons.
  
More ways to study and practice photography with me are below.

Call me at (202) 531-2344 if you need help determining the best course for you.

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A note about group class sizes: Did you know that some places that teach photography have up to 25 students in each class? 

Bigger ain't always better.

That's why I limit my group classes to no more than five participants because smaller classes make for better, more effective, and more efficient learning experiences.

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

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

Currently scheduled classes are below.

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.