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. 

( First, a heads up that the Photography Basics/Introduction to Photography class—Starts This Sunday! )

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If we’re trying to record motion that's blurred with our shutter speed, we’ve gotta be careful with our aperture.
 

As we may or may not know, aperture controls depth of field, which gives us the effect of apparent sharpness in front of and in back of the distance we’re focused on.
 

The reason we gotta be careful is because, under some circumstances, blur and a shallow depth of field don't create the visual separation we need to see the blur effectively.
 

In other words, if we’re trying to show blur caused by motion, we need a couple of things to happen or not happen when it comes to our background.
 

If there are elements in the background with details, the blur can become lost in the unsharpened detail.

On the other hand, if we have a solid background, such as a wall that’s all one color, as long as the object that’s moving isn’t the same color as the background, it doesn’t matter if the background is unsharp.

If we have objects with a lot of detail in the background, the best approach is to achieve a deep depth of field so that the background appears as sharp as possible; then, the blur will be more noticeable.

In order to use aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to juggle more complex compositional outcomes than simple tonality control, we’ve gotta understand the interrelationship between camera operation, composition, and light.
 

And of course, we’ve gotta observe and describe the light we see, imagine the composition we want, and operate our camera to get us the best picture we can get.

You’ll learn to do that during my
Photography Basics/Introduction to Photography class.

But if the group  schedules don’t work for you, you can schedule
private photography lessons for a more personalized approach.

Or join my Online Learning Platform; you’ll have a bunch of photography lessons at your disposal anytime and anywhere you want.

However you choose to learn  me, I’ll help you be a better photographer-study and practice photography with me.

If you’ve got questions or want to talk about the best way for you to learn, don’t hesitate to reach out.

There’s more ways to learn with me below.

The Photography Basics/Introduction to Photography classes are starting soon.
 

If you can’t make any of those schedules, Private Lessons would be the way to go.

If none of my in-person ways of learning work for you, then you can study and practice at your own pace and schedule by joinining me on my Online Learning Platform for Photographers.

It’s the next best thing to taking an in-person class with me; you could even ask me questions, and members get exclusive access to all the other member-only educational content created to help you be the best photographer you can be.  

As one member told me, their monthly membership is cheaper than their weekly coffee habit, and more useful than any YouTube videos they’ve watched, especially since they could ask me questions.

Access to this content and other content related to the photography classes I teach in person requires a membership, which costs $25 a month. (You can also join for free and get access to content that’s available to everyone.) 

Here’s the link: Online Learning Platform for Photographers 

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 in-person scheduled group classes? Then, in-person Private Lessons suited to your schedule are always an option.