Capital Photography Center | Photography Classes in Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia and Online

Capital Photography Center Blog

Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
July 20, 2016

The Benefits Of Image Reviews and Critiques

Admin

Photography, much like other art forms is completely subjective in nature. As artists, we tend to view the world solely through our own eyes and rarely have the opportunity to have outsiders view our work other than family and friends.

Receiving advice and guidance for your images during a critique is invaluable. By dissecting an image, you will begin to learn not only more about the technical and creative side of photography, but you will also begin to look at your own work differently.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
June 13, 2016

The Benefits of Critiques

Admin

It always feels great to receive praise for your photos- who doesn’t love that feeling? Praise is important but all the compliments in the world won’t make you a better photographer. After a while, it’s not helpful to hear only what’s good but what could be better and what you need to work on. Thats where critiques come in!

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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. 

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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.

Read More
Image
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...

Read More