When we don’t know what we’re doing with photography, we tend to take more photographs than needed, just because it's easy, especially in automatic exposure modes.
 

But if we know what we’re doing, we can be thoughtful, intentional, and deliberate about the production process, so we simply make the photograph we need in the first place.

 With digital output, we’re doing it backwards: making lots of stuff and sorting it later.

There’s little cost to making more, but it’s getting more time-consuming to find what we’re looking for .

Instead of relying on automatic exposure, taking more photographs because we don’t know what we’re doing when it comes to photography, and then picking the picture we think came out best, we can learn photography and work in manual exposure mode.

Because we now understand photography, we can make fewer pictures because we know what we’re doing.
 

Since we know we’re doing our pictures, they're coming out the way we want them on the first try.
 

The way to work this way is in manual exposure mode.

Attention and understanding remain the building blocks of excellent photography.

We ignore doing the work that needs to be done when we chase shortcuts and easy ways.
 

There’s no good shortcuts, but there’s ways to be more efficient and more effective.

Remember, thoughtful production leads to making fewer photographs because we get the pictures we want on the first try.

The Photography Basics/Introduction to Photography class classes are available for registration, or you could get the same instruction as a series of Private Lessons.

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.