Capital Photography Center Blog

December 14, 2023

5 Creative Tips For Holiday Photos

Marie Joabar

As you prepare to take photos this holiday season, consider some of these tips to add a little creativity in your shots!

December 14, 2023

Where The Stores Are - Shopping Locally For Your Shutterbug

Marie Joabar

It's prime holiday shopping season and whether you’re buying a gift for a loved one or for yourself, visiting your local camera store can be a big help. Get advice from those in the know and be assured they’ll support you long after the sale.

October 4, 2023

Achieving Depth In Your Landscape Photos

Marie Joabar

The key to an engaging landscape image is to convey a sense of depth. Having something interesting in the foreground grabs the viewer’s attention and draws them into the scene where they can explore the middle area and the background. When there is interest in all three areas, it’s important to render all of them sharp.

Learn about the 4 key elements used to capture great depth. 

September 14, 2023

Tips For Better Portrait Photography

Marie Joabar

What makes a good portrait? When Aaron Clamage teaches our Getting Started in Portraiture class, he asks the group what their definition of a Portrait is. 

Some think of it as a formally posed photo of a person, or a studio headshot, while others think of it as a way to capture a person's essence  or tell a story about them. These are all correct answers but I think we can agree that the most important part of a portrait is capturing the person’s essence or conveying their story. 

Read on for tips for capturing great portraits.

August 24, 2023

The Many Benefits to Renting Photography Gear

Marie Joabar

A great alternative to buying photography gear is RENTING it and we’re happy to share some exciting news in that department, and a little incentive in the way of a discount… read on.

August 2, 2023

Filters for the Outdoor Photographer

Marie Joabar

Filters can enhance the look of our images and there are plenty to choose from. Whether you photograph flowers and gardens, beautiful landscapes or dynamic cityscapes, there are a few filters you to consider having in your camera bag.

July 6, 2023

Revisiting Our Goals

Marie Joabar

We've officially hit the halfway mark of the year and it's time to take a moment to reflect on those fantastic New Year's resolutions and goals you set back in January. Remember the excitement and determination that fueled you when you made those commitments? Well, now's the perfect time to check in and assess your progress.

June 15, 2023

Exploring Cinque Terre, Italy

Marie Joabar

We’ve just concluded our Cinque Terre, Italy Photo workshop and it is truly a spectacular area that we will definitely be going back to.

Cinque Terre is a coastal region north of Pisa and south of Genoa. The name translates to Five Lands and stands for the 5 villages. All feature colorful buildings built on the mountainside, terraced vineyards, olive trees sprinkled about, busy harbors, and the locals are friendly and welcoming. From the restaurants, to the cafes, markets, shops and the beaches, we had fun exploring each of these towns.

See our photos on our Cinque Terre Student Showcase   https://capitalphotographycenter.com/showcase/cinque-terre-showcase

May 18, 2023

Long Exposure Photography

Marie Joabar

Long Exposure Photography is all about using a slow shutter speed. Since the shutter speed controls motion, we can slow it or “drag” it to blur anything that’s moving while keeping stationary subjects sharp. We can also use it for playful, creative and dramatic imagery.

April 19, 2023

Why Black and White?

Lewis Katz

Black and white photography is experiencing a resurgence in popularity both in the digital world and the analog (film) world.  What is it that’s responsible for this increased interest?  Perhaps people want to explore the origin of the medium? Regardless of the reason, it provides today’s photographer with so many opportunities to create and express their artistic vision

March 30, 2023

Composition and Visual Storytelling

Marie Joabar

Composition can be challenging for many. For others, it comes naturally and “seeing” strong compositions comes easy.  Some call that having a 'good eye'.

If you fall in the first category don’t be discouraged, composition can be learned.  By studying the subject, spending time looking at other's images and practice, you can and will improve.

March 9, 2023

Local Photo Contest Winners

Marie Joabar

It's always a thrill when you win a contest, any kind of contest! It's gratifying to be chosen, to be considered worthy enough for the prize.

With that, we want to congratulate ALL the winners of these local photo contests. Bravo!!!

February 16, 2023

7 Photo Books to Celebrate Black History Month

Marie Joabar

In celebration of Black History month, we would like share this collection of photography books.

Each beautifully showcases some aspect of black history in America; black culture, black community and everyday life, black photographers, portraits of Harlem’s artistic community, civil rights issues, and more.

We hope you’ll explore the selection!

January 26, 2023

In Memory of Roy Sewall

Marie Joabar

Many of you have probably already heard the news of Roy Sewall passing away. Roy struggled with health issues and recently they got the best of him.

Although we are incredibly saddened we are so very fortunate to have known him! We have many fond memories of the years that Roy taught with us and I wanted to share a few stories here.

January 5, 2023

Shoot Less, Shoot More

Marie Joabar

As we start the new year, we might be thinking about ways to improve our photography. Try shooting less and shooting more.