Capital Photography Center Blog

March 1, 2017

Better Photographs Are Made By YOU

Timothy Cooper

If you’ve ever been shooting in the field with a good instructor, you’ve probably heard them ask “why are you making this photograph”. This question begs an answer more substantial than a simple description of what’s in front of your camera.  Answering is a good way to get you thinking more about the intention of the image rather than just the subject matter. Capturing your intention is the key to making better photographs.

December 15, 2016

Fun with Holiday Lights

Marie Joabar

At no other time of the year do we have so many opportunities to capture Holiday scenes with colorful twinkling lights and holiday bling.

A few helpful tips to help add some sparkle to your Holiday captures.

October 12, 2016

Color Settings For Fall Captures

Marie Joabar

We'll soon find ourselves surrounded by fall's beautiful colors and warm tones and it’s always a joy to photograph. Whether you’ll be taking a stroll around the Tidal Basin or enjoying an afternoon hike on the trails, grab your camera and bring the autumn display back home with you.

Using two of our camera’s color settings we can emphasize the autumn shades even further for an image with more pop.

August 31, 2016

Labor Day Doings

Marie Joabar

With the Labor Day weekend upon us I thought it would be fun to share some of our instructor's favorite things about the holiday and what we all will be doing with the long weekend.

June 16, 2016

Controlling Focus

Marie Joabar

It's not hard taking control of our camera's focus settings once we know what to look for.

With AUTO FOCUS, there are two settings to choose, the focus mode (HOW the camera focuses) and the focus area (WHERE the camera focuses). Controlling both will result in sharper subjects.

May 25, 2016

The Relationship Between Aperture, Distance And Lenses

Marie Joabar

Ever set your aperture to f4 or 5.6 and wonder why your background is not blurred and everything in your image seems pretty sharp? How about the opposite: you set your aperture to f16 and find you have blurriness in the background, isn’t f16 supposed to render everything sharp? Understanding the relationship between aperture, distance and lenses can easily explain this.

April 13, 2016

Legal Tips For Starting Your Photography Business

Admin

It can be very exciting to run your own photography business. However, before you run out to pick up your first client, you need to take the time to set up your business. While it may seem like a daunting task, it is actually relatively simple if you know what to do.

March 3, 2016

10 Great Reasons To Use Lightroom

Marie Joabar

Lightroom is a powerful database and editing software program by Adobe and was designed for photographers from the ground up. Let’s take a look at some of the best reasons to use it for your image organizing and editing.

February 11, 2016

JPEG or Raw - Which Is Right For You

Admin

Whether you’re new to photography or have been shooting for some time, it’s helpful to understand your camera file formats and determine which is best for you.

January 19, 2016

Shooting DSLR Video - The Basics

Admin

WIth today's DSLR’s, you not only have the ability to shoot better still images but you also have the capability of shooting HD video too.

The idea of shooting video can be a bit daunting at first because you are adding in the whole idea of motion. Your subject can move, you can move… it’s a whole new world. To get started with DSLR video and develop your movie-shooting skills, here are some important settings and techniques to consider using.

December 9, 2015

Holiday Lights Bokeh

Marie Joabar

 It’s a blast to shoot the holiday lights bokeh so we wanted to give a short and sweet “How To” on just that. 

November 18, 2015

10 Tips For The Perfect Holiday Card

Admin

Each year at the same time, everyone in your household gets a little anxious knowing the dreaded holiday photo is coming up. You say, “Cheese!” and they stare at you blank faced from their spot on the sofa. But why not change it up this year and turn it into something fun?

As a professional photographer, I have taken countless pictures specifically for people’s holiday cards and with a few tips, you too can take photos that are picture perfect while at the same time making it an anticipated tradition.

September 30, 2015

What It Takes To Be A Wedding Photographer

Admin

You find yourself on a beautiful day at a wedding for your favorite niece and one of the first things you notice when you arrive is the team of wedding photographers covering in the event. Dressed all in black and handling some expensive gear, you think to yourself, “maybe this is a job I can do.” It seems like an easy enough gig- one day of work, everyone is happy and smiling and you are making good money. So why not give it a try?

Like any profession, there are pros and cons. It’s a rewarding yet difficult job and not everyone is cut out for it  so before you jump in, consider what it takes.

September 9, 2015

10 Tips For Moms With Cameras

Admin

Photographing your own children can be a daunting task. They are seldom cooperative at any age and learning which camera settings to use offers even more of a challenge. How does one navigate these waters and arrive on the other side with images that capture their personality and those every day moments that will be gone before you know it?

Here are 10 tips to help any parent take better images of your children regardless of their age or the type of camera.

July 28, 2015

The Language of Seeing… by Bryan F. Peterson

Admin

Your camera and lens(es) are a foreign country and speak a language all their own. Until you are willing to learn the language your lenses speak, fluently I might add, your attempts at picture making will require constant translation. The road to speaking and seeing fluently is made much shorter when you put the language of your lenses to work, week in and week out. Here's how...