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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. 

If you’re like most of us, you’ve wondered if there’s a moment when we just understand photography- when it feels effortless after all our effort?

I get asked that question quite a bit.

It’s a good question, but I find it unanswerable because there’s no set time limit- it happens in its own time, depending on each unique photographer.

In other words, only we, as individuals, can answer that question for ourselves.
 

When we begin, everything seems complicated: camera operation, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, light, and composition.
 

Photography’s a complex process, but I wouldn’t call complexity difficulty.

The problem is that we don’t understand photography when we start out.

But we could learn to understand photography.

I don’t mean to burst our bubbles, but it never gets easy, but it does get understandable.

And that’s a good thing.

When Does Photography Get Easier?

The more we study and practice, the easier photography gets, but it never gets so easy that we can coast.

That’s because a good photograph takes involvement by the photographer.

That means we’ve got to observe and describe the light we’re looking at, get clear on what we want to communicate, and imagine the composition we want to communicate what we wanna say.

It’s a mistake to think we have to look for new things to photograph-we have to be creative enough to see the same thing in different ways.

Things become easy not because they’re less complex but because we’ve become comfortable with the basics of photography, camera operation, composition, and light.

Once we’re comfortable with those things, we’re free to pay attention to what we want to say with our photography instead of getting caught up in the equipment.
 

But even the most experienced photographers get challenged.
 

The reality is that situations come up for us where we have to think more than usual, experiment, and make mistakes.

It’s part of the photographic learning process.
 

Furthermore, if photography ever felt completely easy, we’d probably be bored with it.

It’s the challenges that keep us interested and keep us evolving.
 

So, What Changes?

Like I said before, it’s not the complexity that changes, it’s our relationship with it.

We start to recognize patterns.

We start seeing instead of looking.

We understand what our camera can and can’t do.

Instead of guessing, we make intentional choices.

Our curiosity increases, and our anxiety and frustration decrease.

We stop worrying about getting it “right” and started making meaningful pictures.

And when it comes to those challenges, the more we study in practice, the more we welcome those challenges and find them rewarding.

Here’s How I Can Help

I can help you get comfortable with camera operation, composition, and light so you can start making thoughtful, intentional pictures that matter to you. 
 

One of the ways I can do that is by working with you in my Introduction To Photography class.

If the schedules don’t work for you, there’s always my DC Private Photography Lessons. You’ll study and practice while working on what matters to you.
 

Another option is my Online Learning Platform, which gives you 24/7 access to video tutorials and the ability to ask me questions anytime.

Remember, it’s an unrealistic goal to make photography easy.

But once it becomes understandable we make an effort to make meaningful pictures with thoughtful intent that matter to us.

Keep asking questions, keep making pictures, and just reply to this email and let me know what you’d like me to write about.

I'll help you be a better photographer—study and practice photography with me.

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.