Digital Photography Classes Los Angeles

M

Marilyn Watt

via Google

Looking for a digital photography class that would help me learn how to use my new Leica, I gained a rich, knowledgeable experience with Scott Crawford from Digital Photo Academy. And let me tell you, I am truly a beginner! But other camera classes I looked into were like one-hour, online demonstrations (which I could get on any Youtube video). I needed to physically do it to remember it! Key to my excellent experience was immediately putting into practice what I learned and Scott chose the perfect place—Manhattan Beach Pier. First he walked me through the different functions on my Leica, and then we wasted no time moving from photographing a life guard tower to bike riders, and then onto the pier to capture the shapes and patterns that make photos interesting. This way I understood why I moved the aperture and/or shutter speed to either capture a cyclist or adjust to bright light or even compose a frame using the value of thirds or consider the depth of field in what I wanted to focus on and what I wanted to blur. He even showed me how to capture the glassy look of water—yes, there is a technique to that! I was truly impressed! What really topped off the day was watching Scott express his joy of photography. “Don’t miss the shot”, he’d say. “Have your camera ready…” We all know, when someone loves their subject, learning is always more fun! I look forward to next time Scott teaches so I can continue to grow in my ability and confidence to take pictures. BTW: I don’t usually write reviews, but Scott and Digital Photo deserved my time.