Intermediate Photography – A Washington, DC Photography Class

Build on your understanding of basic photography, reinforce your application of photography fundamentals and increase your visual awareness and photographic composition skills.

Have you been working your camera in manual exposure mode?  Do you have an understanding of  how to use aperture, shutter speed and exposure as basic compositional elements and feel that you’re  ready to take your studies and skills to the next level?

• Have  you been working your camera in manual exposure mode  but still have some “rough spots” to iron out?
• Do you feel that your compositions could be stronger?
• Would you like  your experience of  working in manual mode to be  more fluid or “second nature”?
• Would you like gain more technical skills?
• Would you like to be more creative and and expressive in the craft of photography?

While it’s important to keep paying attention to working  your camera  in manual mode, It’s  time  to start  paying attention to what you’re REALLY  photographing.

• Remember, your camera is only a tool for recording light….
• Whether  you’re photographing things that are relatively  static (landscapes, sitting portraits, a still life,etc) or  things that  are  in flux (sports, your children playing, street  scenes, news photography, etc.) you’re ultimately photographing the same thing….
• Light….
• Light has characteristics and when you learn to identify and observe those characteristics you can begin to use  your understanding of photography basics and manual camera operation to fine tune your compositions…

“I almost never set out to photograph a landscape, nor do I think of my camera as a means of recording a mountain or an animal unless I absolutely need a ‘record shot’. My first thought is always of light.” – Galen Rowell

While photography is a creative process, photography is also a craft.

• The more skills and technique that you gain the  better the crafts-person you will be…
• The better the craft-person you are, the more you have to bring to your creative process…
• The more you have to bring to your creative process, the better the photographer you will be…
• If you are struggling with the application of a skill or technique, make sure to study and practice it until it becomes a more fluid part of  your creative process… (get  help if you need to)

“As an artist, I work to gain technical skill in order to become more fluid, more expressive and more creative in my craft. Technique is always at the service of creativity.” – Evan Chong

Course Description

Build on your already acquired basic SLR technique while adding skills and increasing your visual attention. You’ll strengthen your understanding and application of the craft of photography.

The intent of the class is to deepen the participant’s visual vocabulary and sensitivity while making personal and distinctive photographs. Already having acquired basic SLR camera photography skills, participants in this class will continue to reinforce the fundamentals and hone their technique by producing and examining photographs on a weekly basis. Some of the topics to be explored will be: deepening your compositions, characteristics of light, effective use of flash, difficult metering situations; creative use of color balance/white balance and color temperature. Film or digital capture O.K.

• 4 meetings, 12 hours
• Limited to 8 registrants.
  

You’ll learn about…

• Developing your photography as a craft…
• Developing your photography as a creative process…
• Developing your photography as a means of  personal expression…
• Light…
• The basics of flash photography…
• The relationship between color temperature and the white balance settings on your camera…
• The characteristics of light…
• Effective photographic composition…
• and more…

“Photographic technique must become second nature – like driving a car. The knowledge of the craft aspects has to sink into your muscles and fingers, your eyes and mind so it becomes an intrinsic part of you; like breathing…” – Martha Cooper

You Should Take This Class If You Want To…

• Reinforce your basic photography skills and techniques…
• Learn new skills and techniques…
• Understand and observe light…
• Be more precise in the creation of your photograph…
• Have the process  of creating a  photograph become more second nature…
• Learn about basic flash photography…
• Learn the basics of color photography…
• Create thoughtfully composed photographs that are uniquely yours…

Prerequisites

• Introduction To Photography class with Sam D’Amico.
• If  you have not taken the Introduction To Photography Class with Sam D’Amico, please take the Basic Photography And Basic Camera Operation test and then please contact Sam to discuss the results of the test.
  • A score of at least 90%  on the test and a discussion with Sam regarding your photography practice is required to be considered for participation in this class.
  • Here’s the link for the Basic Photography And Basic Camera Operation test—–>https://samdamico.com/free-photography-tests/
  • Question: Why do I need to take a test If I’ve never taken the Introduction To Photography class with Sam?
    • Good question! Here’s the answer. —>https://samdamico.com/after-basic-photography-vetted/
• A SLR or other type of camera that can be operated in fully manual mode…
• You should be primarily working your camera in fully manual mode….
• You’ll need to bring the “full version” of your camera owners manual to class…
• The ability to bring in 4″ X 6″ prints to class for weekly discussions…
• A pop-flash on your camera would be helpful but not required…
• The ability to manually select a white balance setting would be helpful but not required…

“Sam D’Amico’s teaching style gently balances his experience and technical expertise with his ability to draw out a student’s own initiatives and interest. He leads without pulling and yet he pushes his students to try new approaches both technically and visually within their photography just for the sake of doing so. Sam shares the love of his own work while being open to learning from his students. All this and he’s just plain fun too.” Karen Elliott Greisdorf, Professional Photographer

Intermediate Photography – Student Comments

Important Notices

• Please bring no more than 6 (six) 4″X6″ prints of your work to the first class for discussion. No laptops or other display devices please. The prints should be of three pictures that you like and three pictures that you don’t like.
• If you are registering for this class on the day that it is scheduled, you must bring a copy of your receipt as your proof of payment in order to be admitted.
• By registering for this class I agree to the Registration Terms And Conditions

Class Meeting Location

Depending on the time and day the class is scheduled, classes meet at one of two locations in the Chinatown area of Washington, DC. If you have any questions about the meeting location of a specific class that is scheduled please contact Sam ( https://samdamico.com/contact-sam/ ) with the class name and specific schedule.

• Here’s a link for more information about meeting locations–>https://samdamico.com/getting-to-the-classes/

Upcoming Classes, Price And Registration