If we don’t know what we’re doing, focusing is frustrating.

It seems we can never get what we want into focus.
 

And just to be clear, when I say getting something in focus, I mean we have the compositional intent of making something at a specific distance the sharpest thing in our photograph.
 

During a recent private lesson yesterday, a photographer I worked with struggled with focusing.
 

We briefly talked about focusing areas and modes, and how each affects what’s in focus.

Once they experienced the difference between working in different focusing modes and focusing areas, it became apparent which was the most effective and efficient.
 

We also practice a technique to lock focus so we can effectively place the subject anywhere in the frame without moving the focusing bracket.

We then worked in manual exposure mode, discussing how to control tonality (picture brightness) and use exposure stops. ISO let her fine-tune tonality using aperture, shutter speed, and light sensitivity, as well as the additional visual outcomes each affects.
 

That’s when the lesson became useful, because she was finally able to control her camera and achieve intentional, thoughtful compositional outcomes.

Learning to control focus, exposure, and ISO isn’t just about sharpness or brightness—it’s about making thoughtful, skillful photographs that communicate what we want to express.

And that’s what you’ll learn by participating in the Photography Basics/Introduction To Photography class or taking that class as a series of Private Lessons.

About Sam

Sam D'Amico, a professional photographer and photography instructor, helps anyone who wants to be a better photographer. 

He'll work with his students to increase their understanding of camera operation, composition, light, and lighting. 

Sam started working as a professional photographer in the mid-1980s.

Most notably, from 1992 to 1997, while working as a freelance photographer, he photographed over 500 assignments for the New York Times.

Additionally, Sam received awards for his work while exhibiting his photographs in shows. 

Sam began teaching photography professionally in 1998 through the Highland Park, N.J. recreation department. 

In 2002 Sam moved to Washington, D.C., and began teaching at the accredited Washington School of Photography in Bethesda, Md.

It was in 2003 that Sam developed his curriculum and started teaching classes in Washington, D.C. 

In 2018 and 2022, the Sam D'Amico Photography Classes were voted the "Best of DC" art class by the readers of the Washington City Paper. 

Many photography teachers spend a lot of time teaching about DSLRs and rules of composition that create homogenized, rigid photographs.

On the other hand, Sam teaches about camera operation, thought process, and the individual photographer's visual communication intent. 

This approach to teaching allows his students to use ANY camera (yes, even the camera on their phone) and break free of the rules of composition.

Approaching the creative process this way allows for fluid and spontaneous photographs unique to the photographer creating them.

Sam encourages his students to find their ways as photographers. 

He instills the skills in his students that result in creative, engaging, and unique compositions that reflect the photographer's intended one-of-a-kind visual expression.