Special Announcement

I’ve added a Photography Basics/Introduction To Photography class starting on Saturdays for the April series of classes.

Special Announcement

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During the Photography Basics/Introduction To Photography class, we talk a lot about achieving a standard tonality.

When we talk about standard tonality— a lot of the times called standard exposure—we’re talking about a tonality created when aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together to give us an objective picture brightness.

This is the exposure where the brightness of our photograph and its tonal values fall into an objectively balanced relationship.
 

Establishing this baseline is an important part of our intentional composition.
 

When we achieve standard tonality, we gain a clear, objective reference point.
 

We can see where highlights sit, how deep the shadows are, and where the midtones fall within the composition.
 

To control this process as precisely as possible, spot metering is the preferred metering pattern.

Spot metering measures light from a very small area of the frame, allowing us to evaluate the brightness of a specific light source and translate that into a specific objective tonal value in our photograph.

Instead of letting the camera average the entire frame, we can deliberately meter the exact part of the composition that best supports our visual intent.
 

This approach to camera operation, especially metering, most directly affects our intended visual communication.

Once we know the scene's objective tonal balance, we can intentionally shift exposure or ISO to support the subjective tonality we want to use to communicate what we wanna communicate—whether that means brighter or darker tones, deeper shadows, or a more dramatic mood.
 

With a clear tonal reference and precise metering, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO become our camera's operational tools for controlling the brightness and intended communication of the photographs we create.

The next round of Photography Basics/Introduction To Photography classes starts soon. If none of the schedules work for you, you could learn the same stuff through a series of private lessons.

No matter how you study and practice with me, I’ll help you be a better photographer.
 

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.