These emails come with the intent of helping you be a better photographer.

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're familiar with graphic design,  we might think photography is nothing like graphic design.

However, although we may not use the same tools or methods, the result is the same: we're visual communicators who express themselves two-dimensionally.

Another thing we have in common with graphic designers is that we do layout.

Specifically, we lay out our photograph's design within its frame.

The recording of light that results in our photograph includes basic stuff like shape, color, form, line movement, and tonality in the layout.

There's also the light we work with, which is transient unless we work in a studio.

We have some control over things and some things we don't, and we usually don't control most of the light we work with.

The materials, tools, and methods of photographers' work are unique to photography.

I hear many people in the creative industry mischaracterize photographers as nothing more than button pushers.

I can see why they might call photographers that if they work in automatic exposure mode, but when I hear that, I remind them there is the framing and content part that's gotta get done even in automatic exposure mode.

When it comes to framing and content, we're doing something complex in terms of the visual layout of the various and changing three-dimensional objects within our camera's frame while usually working with unpredictable light sources as our raw material as our content.

The part we're missing by working in automatic exposure mode instead of manual exposure mode is that we don't get to control aperture, shutter speed, ISO, focusing modes, focusing areas, white balance,  I could go on, but we get to control everything except the natural light or light we have available to us.

But that still doesn't make those who work in automatic exposure mode button pushers.

But all that work ends in the result of visual intentional communication; this is why it's essential to take a moment to understand what we're trying to communicate.

The next part is how do we best communicate what we wanna communicate using our camera.

Automatic exposure is a good start, but nothing beats manual exposure mode if we wanna to go deep in our communication.

The Photography Basics (Introduction To Photography) class starts in early August; If you don't wanna wait 'till then you can also take this class as a series of Private Lessons.

And remember, we learn and improve by doing, so practice making at least one picture daily.

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.