Chinatown, Chicago

Join our photo lessons at Chinatown, which is one of the excellent locales in the rotation of many Chicago venues that offer terrific photo opportunities.

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Venue Description:

Chicago’s Chinatown is a compact, walkable neighborhood that combines storefronts, public plazas, cultural landmarks, and riverfront space. The close proximity of these areas makes it well suited for a photography class focused on composition, light, and making intentional choices about what to include in the frame to support the story you want your images to tell.

The class begins at the Chicago Chinatown Library, where camera controls and technical fundamentals can be covered in a more controlled environment. It also offers immediate photo opportunities both inside and outside the building. Indoors, your instructor may demonstrate how to photograph architectural details, stairways, and interior spaces using clean framing, careful background selection, and window light. This is a good place to practice balancing bright and shaded areas within the same image while keeping compositions simple and controlled.

From there, the class proceeds to Ping Tom Memorial Park, where the open riverfront provides an ideal space to focus on composition. With longer sightlines and fewer visual distractions, your instructor may work on how paths, railings, and shoreline edges can guide the viewer’s eye through a photograph, and how placing elements in the foreground can create depth while keeping the scene organized. This is a strong transition point from technical control to compositional decision-making.

The walk then continues toward Wentworth Avenue, where storefronts, signage, and pedestrian activity create classic street photography opportunities. With the light typically higher and shadows less pronounced at this stage, your instructor may guide you through photographing people and street scenes using available light, timing, and positioning to reduce clutter and maintain a clear subject within a busier environment.

Throughout the class, your instructor may also address practical shooting decisions such as when to include or exclude people, adjusting camera height to change perspective, and responding to changing light as you move between indoor, open, and shaded areas. The walking route and pace can be adjusted based on the group’s interests while still covering a range of locations and techniques.

Special Note: Instructor Exhibition

Instructor Larry Edward Smith happens to be teaching this Chinatown workshop on the same day as a group exhibition opening later in the afternoon, at 1pm. Students are welcome to attend the workshop and, if they wish, continue on with Larry afterward to the opening at Mana Contemporary Gallery at 1, located nearby at 2233 S Throop St, Chicago, IL 60608.

Know Before You Go:

Bring your camera or cellphone and any gear you can comfortably carry. Make sure batteries are fully charged and memory cards have space. Dress for the weather, and wear comfortable shoes for walking.

Meeting Spot:

Meet your instructor outside the main entrance of the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library at:

2100 S Wentworth Ave, Chicago, IL 60616

Contact Us:

Call Digital Photo Academy at 1 877 372 2231. Lots of people seem to hang up if our welcome recording comes on instead of a live voice, but we promise to return your message within a day or two if you leave one with your name and number. It would be even better if you included your e mail address as well as the date and city of the class you are considering. If leaving a voice mail message is not your thing, please email us at DPAbooking@digitalphotoacademy.com or Richard@digitalphotoacademy.com.