I frequently work with photographers who struggle with composition.
 

That’s because they don’t understand photography, and specifically, they don’t understand the relationships between camera operation, composition, and light.

But once we start experimenting with aperture and shutter speed, our understanding of photography begins to firm up, and we become more expressive through our photographs.

That’s what happened during yesterday’s Getting To Know Your Camera class.

The photographers I worked with during the class learned that aperture affects depth of field, which determines how sharpness appears in front of and in back of the distance we focus on.
 

Use a wide aperture for a more unsharp background, or a narrow aperture for more sharpness.

On the other hand, shutter speed is an element of time: we use a fast shutter to freeze action or a slow one to create a sense of movement (blur).
 

Choosing which to prioritize depends on what we want our pictures to communicate.
 

When we use aperture and shutter speed intentionally and thoughtfully, we’re not just taking a picture haphazardly; we’re making a photograph using aperture and shutter speed as intentional and thoughtful elements of composition.

The Photography Basics/Introduction To Photography class, are open for registration. 

Scheduling conflict? 

A series of private lessons are they way to go.

However you choose to study and practice with me, I’ll help you become the best photographer you can be.

And if you’re not sure which class fits your needs, just ask—I’m always happy to help.

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.