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. 

There's a couple of ways we can make an impression with our work.

The Taking More Pictures Approach

We can make an impression by taking a lot of pictures.

With the "taking more pictures" approach, we see the volume of images and are impressed by that, but each picture makes a brief, yet probably unremarkable, impression.

We usually take this approach when we're new to photography and don't understand what we're doing.

During this stage of our evolution as photographers, we usually work in automatic exposure mode(s), with little intent beyond framing and content, and when to press the shutter release to make the exposure.

The Making Less Pictures Approach

We can make a lasting impression with a single photograph that intentionally conveys facts, opinions, or emotions.

If we're looking to make an impression with our photography, a lesser volume is often more effective, as long as our photographs have compositional intent that conveys what we want to communicate visually.

In other words, we don't pack a lot of pictures into our cameras; instead, we pack a lot of intentional visual communication into each photograph.

But having intent ain't enough.

We gotta have the skill and understanding to communicate our intent.

We've gotta understand photography, which means understanding how camera operation, composition, and light relate to each other during our process of creating a photograph.

With the "making less pictures" approach, we observe and describe the light we're working with, determine our intent of communication, and then intentionally operate our camera to create the composition that communicates what we want it to communicate.  

There's a lotta intent that goes into making an engaging and compelling image.

We've gotta know what aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work best, in addition to what focusing modes and areas will serve our intent.

That's what the participants in my Washington DC, in-person Photography Basics (Introduction To Photography) class get familiar with.

You'll find the link to that class and other ways to learn with me below, such as my Online Learning Platform for Photographers. It's like having access to what I teach in my award winning in-person classes (Including the Photography Basics (Introduction To Photography)) classes anytime you want. When you become a paid member, you can also ask me questions via the platform. You can join for free, but paying members get access to a lot more content that'll help them be better photographers.

If you have any questions about how I can help you be a better photographer, get in touch; phone calls are encouraged (202-531-2344), carrier pigeons are discouraged.
 

If you’d like to study and practice photography with me, there’s ways to do that, and they’re listed 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 on your own schedule by gaining access to the Introduction to Photography video tutorials 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.