Most people who are new to photography and buy a digital camera start by using it in auto mode because it seems easier. They think the camera will make “smarter” decisions than they could. The photos may come out “OK” under certain conditions, but just “OK” is not the goal. Who knows if the picture will be sharp? Unfortunately, chances are 50/50 that it won’t be. Who knows whether the right parts of the scene will be in focus? Even if the camera focused correctly, chances are 50/50 that there will be either too much or too little within the focus area. By leaving everything up to the auto mode of the camera, the photographer has no influence over any of the outcomes. For the big investment, you receive a marginal return!
A digital camera class for beginners teaches you how to make decisions for yourself based on your goals and the camera’s capabilities. This happens, not by burying you in technical specifications, but by building awareness of what decisions need to be made and providing a logical structure to make them. Developing a thought process for your photography, for different types of situations, can make your results more exciting on a consistent basis, rather than a “press and pray” approach. This process is one of the key aspects to a thoughtful digital camera class.
From Reacting to Deciding
Digital cameras removed the cost that used to encourage discipline. Film charged you per frame, so photographers thought before pressing the shutter. Digital has removed that constraint, which helps in some ways and slows learning down in others. Spraying a hundred frames and hoping one works is easier than pausing to choose a setting on purpose. A phone camera makes that habit even easier to fall into. It removes most of the control over the camera settings, or makes them awkward to select, and the phone’s optics typically are quite inferior to an actual camera in rendering a scene’s details.
A structured class works against that habit. It asks you to decide what you’re trying to capture, set the camera to match, then check whether it worked. That loop, decide, shoot, review, is how photographers actually improve, and it moves faster with someone watching than it does alone in your backyard. A single wrong guess about shutter speed gets caught and corrected in the moment, instead of showing up as a blurry surprise a hundred photos later.
What a Digital Camera Class for Beginners Actually Covers
Digital Camera Basics, the entry-level course with Washington Photo Focus, runs over three evening sessions so you get feedback on your picture taking over the multiple sessions. The first session will have you out of Auto right away. We’ll set up your camera to record files in the proper format, learn how the camera renders colors, and learn about photographing action as well as scenic locations. In the first session you’ll also learn about proper exposure, using shutter speed, aperture, and ISO as your controls. Not only how it works but what to prioritize in different situations. In other words, it’s a contextual approach, not just a mechanical approach.
The second session builds on those topics and begins the conversation about depth of field, composition and available light. We review photos that you have taken to see how the lessons have been applied and answer any questions that arise.
The third also includes a review of your photos with further discussion of compositional ideas, as well as an introduction to the role of filters and tripods for unique situations. It’s a very comprehensive class that covers all the important details in a well organized approach. Helpful notes are also provided.
Small Classes, Built Around Your Schedule
Sessions run live over Zoom, so there’s no rush-hour drive across the Beltway to make a 7 p.m. start. Classes stay small, typically no more than six students so there is lots of personal attention. Occasionally, Eliot teaches at locations across the DC metro area, including Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria, Rockville, Reston, Fairfax, and Silver Spring, for students who’d rather meet in person closer to home.
Eliot spent 21 years as Program Head for Photography at Northern Virginia Community College’s Loudoun campus, where he received the college’s highest teaching award, and was concurrently on faculty at the Corcoran School of Art. That background is why the curriculum moves in a logical order: camera basics first, then composition, then editing, rather than covering everything in one sitting. Students who want a pace built entirely around their own schedule can also arrange individual instruction instead of a group class.
After the Basics: The Next Steps
Once the fundamentals are set, the Digital Camera Next Steps offers even more compositional ideas and feedback and an opportunity to perfect techniques related to sports and wildlife photography.
Perhaps “Gifting” a Class
A class also makes a practical gift for anyone who has owned a camera for years but never learned past auto mode. The Digital Camera Basics class is available as a gift purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to travel/drive to take the class?
Most sessions run over Zoom. In-person options exist. Contact Eliot for additional options.
How many students are in each class?
Typically no more than six, so there’s room for individual questions.
Can I give a class as a gift?
Yes. Gift certificates are available for any class Washington Photo Focus offers.
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Auto mode will always be there. What it won’t do is teach you to capture a scene the way you actually want to look. For that visit the Digital Camera Basics schedule and registration page at Washington Photo Focus to find the next session, or check the full class list and gift certificates if you’re choosing for someone else.
