May 2024 DPA Newsletter
May 2024 DPA Newsletter:
Mother’s Day Photo Tips
Donate to Empower Foster Youth
May FinerWorks Winners!
Photo by Jerry Downs, a Digital Photo Academy instructor in San Francisco.
Welcome to the May issue of our newsletter! As we prepare to celebrate Mother’s Day, we’ll be focusing on capturing moments that honor the special bond between mothers and their loved ones. So let’s pick up our cameras, capture the essence of love and gratitude, and watch as our photographs become cherished memories for generations to come.
Digital Photo Academy is pleased to bring you the latest updates and photography inspiration in our recently relaunched monthly newsletter. This is all made possible by our valued sponsor, Finerworks.
Photo Workshops to Empower Foster Youth
Enroll in any of our back-to-back May photo workshops, and we will donate 50% of your purchase ($75) to support youth in foster care to the nonprofit Communities for People.
In the spirit of Mother’s Day, you can celebrate the power of nurturing and support by enrolling in our May photo workshops!
For every back-to-back signup in May, we’ll donate half of your fee to Communities for People, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to foster youth in the greater Boston area and the state of Rhode Island. (Buy our back-to-back workshop for $150, and $75 goes to Communities for People.)
They offer services such as foster care, counseling, wellness programs, and residential support to meet the needs of those they serve.
Email [email protected] to learn more about your donation.
Mother’s Day Photography Tips from Instructor Jerry Downs
Want to take a great photo of Mom this Mother’s Day? Get some tips from Jerry Downs, a Digital Photo Academy instructor in San Francisco. Below, see examples of Jerry’s work and hear him explain how he captured these beautiful images.
Happy Mother’s Day!
There are few things that express love as much as a mother’s love for their children. Catching this endearment in a photograph captures both the eye and the heart.
I saw this woman and her piggy-backing son in China walking in my direction. I waited until they were in front of a plain colorful background before I caught their attention. I didn’t want the background to compete with their considerable presence. We didn’t speak the same language; I used hand gestures and the universal language of a smile to arrange the picture. In typical motherhood fashion, the mother had given her own hat to protect her child. We smile some more and we went on our way.
Walking through New York’s Central Park, I couldn’t help but stop to take a picture of this mother and her twin toddlers. After complimenting her on her courage and good humor, I got her permission to take a picture. I told her that I was the fifth of eleven children and that by the time I was six I was often put in charge of taking care of the “little kids.” As we exchanged stories, I kept taking pictures. I knew when all the gestures and expressions came together that I had a fun picture that we all would enjoy long into the future.
This is a picture of my former wife and still good friend, Jennifer and our son, Christopher, who is now in his 40s. The picture was taken at a time when soft focus filters were popular for portraits. To exaggerate the glow, I set them up so they would be backlit and then I just let them shine. It’s hard to exaggerate the value of pictures and how they can illuminate a memory. This picture is displayed in both of their houses.
This is also a picture of Jennifer and Christopher. I set them up against the ocean as the sun was setting to create a silhouette. I like how their bodies became a single shape. To better turn them into people, and not just a black blob, I had them turn profile and told Jennifer to point down the beach. As soon as Christopher raised his hand, I knew I had the shot. To get the silhouette, I simply exposed for the background and let them go dark.
Here’s the last picture I took of my own mother when she still knew who I was. I told her, “You look pretty, today.” I liked making her laugh. When she didn’t know who I was, she still liked to laugh and get affection and attention.
Once, a couple of months after she hadn’t said a word to anyone, while I was talking to her as I rolled her around, outside, she looked up at me, pulled me by the shirt, looked me right in the eyes, and said, “Thank you. Thank you.” She let go and then disappeared back into her other world. A month later she died.
I know a few things. Love comes in many forms, everyone deserves affection and attention, everyone loves to laugh and love is forever. I also know how a picture can help us remember a time, a place and a feeling.
May 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 Vicky Stromee: |
| Posted on our “Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs” Facebook group by Frank Waters: |
Live Photography Classes in 24 Cities
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”
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