December 2025 DPA Newsletter
December 2025 DPA Newsletter:
Expert Winter Photography Tips
Special Holiday Promo: Enroll in Any December Class and Get 4 Hours Worth of Online Courses for Free!
Private Holiday Photo Workshops
December FinerWorks Winners!
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Sam Johnston in Tampa.
December brings a clear shift into winter. Cold air, short days, and early sunsets shape the mood of the month. For photographers, it’s a great time to capture crisp skies, glowing holiday lights, and the peaceful stillness that settles over the season.
Digital Photo Academy is pleased to bring you the latest updates and photography inspiration in our monthly newsletter. This is all made possible by our valued sponsor, Finerworks.
Primer of the Month
Each month, we share a primer with insights from our instructors across the continent. It’s a chance to learn from experienced photographers and see how they approach their craft, through tips, advice, and a behind-the-scenes look at their photography.
Winter Photography Made Simple
Featuring images from DPA instructors Robert Stevens (Washington, D.C.)
and Sam Johnston (Tampa)
This month’s primer looks at winter photography using real examples from two of our instructors: Robert Stevens in Washington, D.C and Sam Johnston in Tampa.
We’ll walk through what’s happening in each photo in straightforward terms so you can use the same ideas in your own winter shooting.
Robert Stevens regularly photographs winter scenes in his area!
1) Black & White Shot of Glendale Baptist Church
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Robert Stevens in Washington, D.C.
This black-and-white shot of the Glendale Baptist Church in Glendale, Maryland works because the light siding and the bright snow merge into one clean tone, giving the scene a calm, unified look.
Robert exposed a bit brighter than the meter suggested so the snow stayed white instead of gray.
The low angle uses the snowdrift as a foreground shape, which leads your eye toward the building. And the dark trees in the background help the church stand out without needing strong contrast in the foreground.
2) Bright Yellow Flowers Against White Snow
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Robert Stevens in Washington, D.C.
This bright yellow plant against the white snow shows how a single color can become the entire focal point.
Robert kept the composition simple by filling most of the frame with clean white, letting the color do the work. Soft, even lighting avoids harsh shadows, which keeps the snow looking smooth and helps the yellow appear more saturated. A slight positive exposure helps preserve the clean, bright look without losing detail.
3) Field of Gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Robert Stevens in Washington, D.C.
This field of gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery creates a poignant repeating pattern that becomes stronger in winter, because the low sun casts long shadows across the snow.
Robert used the dark tree trunk as a visual anchor in front of the grid, adding depth and contrast.
Shooting slightly from the side enhances the diagonal shadow lines, which guide your eye through the scene. The snow’s brightness helps separate each gravestone, making the pattern even clearer.
4) Branches Loaded With Fallen Snow
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Robert Stevens in Washington, D.C.
During a heavy snowfall, branches naturally pick up thick layers of snow, and Robert used that to tell a straightforward winter story.
The dark background helps the snow-covered branches stand out, almost like a silhouette in reverse. The soft, diffused lighting keeps the details gentle and avoids blown-out highlights.
The close framing keeps attention on the repeated shapes of the branches, making the simple scene feel complete without needing anything else in the frame.
One winter, Sam Johnston flew up from Tampa (where he normally teaches) to visit the DPA headquarters in Newburgh, NY.
Our office sits inside an 1828 stone building—originally the headquarters for a gunpowder mill—surrounded by a 41-acre park full of year-round photo ops.
Sam captured some great shots which you’ll see below.
5) House Framed by Trees With Strong Warm Windows
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Sam Johnston in Tampa.
Sam centered the house and used the surrounding trees as a natural frame to pull attention toward the front door and windows.
The shot was taken at sunset or early twilight, when the sky naturally turns pink. Snow reflects that color, giving the whole frame a soft cast. Using a low angle makes the house feel taller and more welcoming. The warm window light stands out against the cooler snow, making the building the clear focal point.
Technical note: To keep window lights from blowing out, try bracketing exposures or using a slightly faster shutter speed. Shooting in RAW helps retain that warm detail.
6) Line of Glowing Pathway Lights Leading to the House
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Sam Johnston in Tampa.
Sam used the pathway lights as leading lines. Their spacing creates a visual path from the front of the frame up to the house.
The image was taken during blue hour, when the sky still holds color but the house lights are bright. This mix of warm (house) and cool (snow/sky) tones gives depth.
A low camera angle makes each light look larger and shows off the glow on the snow. The long shadows from each light suggest a longer shutter speed, which helps show the full spread of the beams.
Technical note: To get clean light trails on snow, use a tripod and shoot around ISO 100–400 with a slower shutter (1–2 seconds or more).
7) Close-up of the Small Garden Light With Starburst Pattern
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Sam Johnston in Tampa.
Sam got low and close to the garden light so the starburst becomes the main subject. The snow acts like a reflector, spreading the glow outward in clean rays.
Shooting at dusk or early evening, when the sky goes bluish, adds contrast between the warm lamp and the cool tones in the snow. The long, sharp rays suggest a smaller aperture, around f/11 to f/16, which naturally increases the starburst effect.
Technical note: For strong starbursts, set the camera to a small aperture (high f-number) and keep ISO low to avoid noise in the darker areas.
8) Black & White Shot of the House Framed by Trees
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Sam Johnston in Tampa.
Sam used the trees and bushes as a natural frame to draw the viewer’s attention toward the stone house in the center. This works especially well in winter since the dark branches contrast with the snow.
Black and white simplifies the scene and highlights the shapes and textures; the stone walls, the branches, and the fresh snow all stand out clearly without color competing for attention. The slightly lower shooting angle allows the foreground shrubs and snow to lead into the main structure.
The mix of bare branches and evergreens adds depth. The bright snow on the branches helps outline them against the darker tones.
The exposure is balanced so the snow stays white but not blown out—you can still see texture in the lighter areas.
Technical note: Black and white winter shots benefit from a little extra exposure or using exposure compensation around +0.3 to +0.7 to prevent gray snow. Shooting in RAW also helps adjust black & white contrast without losing detail.
9) Snowy Stone Tower + Wooden Bridge
Photo by Digital Photo Academy instructor Sam Johnston in Tampa.
Sam shot wide-angle to capture the tall trees and the full setting. This makes the scene feel larger and gives context.
He also used the path and bridge as leading lines. Even though they’re subtle under the snow, they guide the viewer’s eye toward the stone tower.
Shooting during active snowfall adds a soft, hazy look, and the snowflakes that hit the lens create small blurry spots that add atmosphere. The exposure is kept on the brighter side, which is important in winter so the snow stays white instead of turning gray.
Technical note: To keep the snow bright, use exposure compensation around +0.7 to +1.3. Winter scenes often trick the camera into underexposing.
Special Holiday Promo: Enroll in Any December Class and Get 4 Hours Worth of Online Courses for Free!
Sign up for any of our classes this December—whether it’s one of our regular monthly workshops or a private session like the holiday workshop just below—and you’ll receive 4 hours of our online coursework for free!
Description: This offer includes both of our main video courses: Mechanics of a DSLR/Mirrorless Camera and Rules of Composition, a combined 4-hour package. These lessons were built from years of real student questions across all 24 cities we teach and cover the essentials of camera controls and the core concepts behind taking strong images.
To get the free courses: After enrolling in a class in December, just email or call us and mention that you saw this offer in the newsletter. We’ll unlock the full bundle for you at no charge.
📧 DPABooking@DigitalPhotoAcademy.com 📞 1.877.372.2231 | 917.597.7053
🎄 Private Holiday Photo Workshops
Capture Your Signature Style for the Season
Price: $375 | Duration: 3.5 hours | Location: Your time, your place
Get ready to photograph your holiday memories with confidence and creativity. In this private, hands-on session, a Digital Photo Academy instructor will guide you through key photography techniques—lighting, composition, camera or phone settings, and more—so you can tell your holiday story in your own visual style.
Whether you’re capturing a Christmas feast, a Kwanzaa celebration, or candid family moments, this 3.5-hour personalized workshop will prepare you to document every detail beautifully. Perfect for individuals, couples, or small groups.
📸 You’ll Learn:
- How to capture group portraits, intimate moments, and festive details
- Creative lighting and framing techniques for holiday photos
- Tips for photographing meals, ceremonies, and special effects like twinkling lights or snowfall
| Ready to book your private session? Contact us! |
| 📧 DPABooking@DigitalPhotoAcademy.com 📞 1.877.372.2231 | 917.597.7053 |
Spotlight on a Former Student: Roy E. Schreiber
When we launched the Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs Facebook group—a project we’re very proud of—we wanted to spotlight the creativity and vitality of seniors. Since then, we’ve been continually reminded that passion doesn’t stop at photography. Many seniors explore all kinds of storytelling.
That includes our former student Roy E. Schreiber, whose audio dramas and plays span history, satire, and real-world heroism. Learn about them below!
Happy Family — The true story of women factory workers in 1960s Indiana who fought a decade-long battle against wage and job discrimination and won. Available as an audio play on major platforms. An audio version of this play is available through a variety of platforms including Spotify and Apple.
The Optimist — A sharp academic satire featuring union battles, plagiarism protests, and a pair of professors convinced they’re reenacting Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. Also available as a full-length audiobook.
The Most Dangerous Man — Co-written with retired NPR reporter Terry Phillips, this audio play follows Socialist presidential candidate Eugene V. Debs and his remarkable 1920 campaign from a prison cell. Featured on Phillips’ Imagine Air Theater YouTube channel.
A Coat of Many Colors: Putting Jewish Characters on Stage — A book of six plays exploring Jewish characters beyond stereotypes, from Shylock to Harry Houdini to the last queen of Tahiti. The book can be found on Amazon.
December FinerWorks Award Winners
Every month, our judges select 2 of our social media members to receive an HD Metal print of one of their photos, printed by our sponsor Finerworks.
We choose one winner from each of our Facebook groups:
“Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs” and “Digital Photo Academy Community”
| Posted on our “Digital Photo Academy Community” Facebook group by James McDermott: |
| Posted on our “Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs” Facebook group by Brenda Fishbaugh: |
Monthly Small-Group Photo Workshops in 24 Cities
Plus Private Classes on Your Schedule
Since 2006, Digital Photo Academy has offered hands-on photography workshops in 24 cities across North America.
Access the live cities page on our website to explore upcoming photo workshops in your area. Elevate your photography skills with help from our experienced instructors in interactive sessions!
Our Social Media
Connect, share, and spread cheer! Join our Facebook groups to participate in our monthly prize contests in collaboration with Finerworks.
Facebook Groups:
“Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs” and “Digital Photo Academy Community”
Main Pages:
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