Orlando
Orlando
Join a Digital Photo Academy teacher for Orlando photo workshops, small group or private live sessions. You’ll learn all about your camera controls and how to create powerful images.
Click or scroll down for full schedule of live workshops
Welcome to the Orlando market for the international network of live and online photo classes, all under the banner of Digital Photo Academy.
This section is devoted to our Orlando photo workshops. The DPA Instructors who lead these workshops are professional photographers who have lived in Orlando for at least 10 years, usually longer.
These pro shooters also have teaching experience and they love teaching. (Not all photographers do.) They know the local retailers where you can get the better deals on photo equipment and more importantly, they know where the best photo ops are which allows us to provide you with a rotation of interesting places to shoot, throughout the year, whether indoors or outdoors, winter, spring, summer of fall. Sometimes one time of day to shoot is better than another and our DPA instructors keep us informed.
About Our Orlando Photo Workshop Venues
Often, the DPA Instructors even have private access to various locales in the city where they live. Themes vary from street photography and dynamic architecture, to flowers and landscapes, as well as waterscapes, sunsets, lush scenery and everything in between.
During one month, you might be invited to rendezvous in the luxurious natural light streaming in to a religious venue via spectacular stained glass windows and the following month, it might be a small relatively unknown park with very special landscapes. This is why we offer a special ALUMNI Discount to people who attend more than one workshop.
Nationally, we organize these workshops to provide variety for the participants in each local market, but we could not do it without the expertise and connections provided by the DPA instructors in each of those markets.
Phone the national headquarters of Digital Photo Academy at 1 877 372 2231 but know that each of the Digital Photo Academy markets includes a local office. In Orlando, that office is at:
222 S Shirley Ave Sanford, FL 32771-1570
E-MAIL US AT [email protected] OR CALL 1-877-372-2231 OR click here TO LEARN ABOUT OUR PRIVATE ALL DAY OR HALF DAY CLASS
And in case you’re interested, click here to check out some FREE SAMPLES of our ONLINE CLASSES
Holly
The class ended up being really great! Mike was a really nice and helpful guy
Eileen Giarratana
Turned out to be a nice day in Sanford. Micheal is a great instructor. Here are some unedited photos.
Eileen Giarratana
I wish I had brought my zoom lens for the Osprey pictures.
John
The DPA team has to coordinate the DPA workshops across the whole country; which I imagine entails a lot of names. Your national office team members and the folks who teach where they live do a wonderful job. That’s why I keep coming back!
Nena Gunn
Good morning!
I really enjoyed my class with Micheal last Saturday. He is super informative and a very friendly person. I definitely learned a lot! Beautiful photos! Micheal is truly an inspiration!!
Greg Stanley
Micheal,
Thank you for the photos that were uploaded to Dropbox. I shared them with our Paratroopers and they absolutely loved them. In fact, they asked me to reach out and ask you if you would be sharing the rest of the collection from 11-11-2023. They want to see them all!
Your photos are fantastic and really captured the essence of our Organization and our Paratroopers!
We appreciate your support and we thank you for the wonderful photos,
Greg Stanley
Phantom Airborne Brigade
George Lee
Micheal,
I greatly appreciate the time you took to prepare information. I found it extremely helpful in focusing my efforts.
One final question if you don’t mind. In my utilization, I place importance on having GPS for geotagging my photos (especially for destinations like antarctica, arctic circle, Galapagos Islands, etc.). I don’t see that the D850 has this capability. Nevertheless, I have read that GPS can be added through accessory devices such as those made by Micnova or the Nikon GP-1. Do you have any thoughts on such adjunct devices?
Thank you again,
George
Anouska Moses
Hi John,
Thank you for the class today. It was really nice to meet you.
Shalena Thomas
I wanted to thank you for sharing your photos with us, Mike your pictures came out great! I hope you got to enjoy Gatorland as well. I also appreciate the cheat sheets you provided, which will be helpful as I continue to learn more about photography.
I enjoyed the live shooting portion of the class, as it allowed me to put into practice what I had learned about the camera and its controls. I found both classes to be very informative and valuable.
I have attached a few photos from during and after class. Please note that these are unedited photos. I didn’t have a chance to take many photos after class, as we spent some time enjoying the park.
I look forward to staying in touch with you both as I continue on my photography journey.
Thanks again for your help!
Shalena Thomas
Other pic:
Nicole Felton
Thank you for connecting us with John! He was great to chat with and full of helpful information. We spoke about my trip to Iceland and I wanted to share my photo album with everyone.
John Pigott
John, thanks for all your teaching and help. I’ve just scratched the surface but already see the enjoyment in photography.
Richard, thanks for pairing me with John. He was the perfect instructor for me.
Carol
It was a good class and the content was clear and complete. For this experience I look forward to taking other classes from you. Thanks.
-Carol
John Pigott
I had a wonderful time meeting and discussing photography with John. Next time, we will spend most of the time in the field. Attached are a couple of photos by John that we found particularly engaging! These are white ibis, conveniently hanging out near the Sanford Riverwalk. Don’t you love those blue eyes and knobby knees?
Greta Huizenga
Great teacher! Great info! I really benefitted from this private course!
Maritza
Hi Mr. John and Mr. Richard,
Thank you very much Mr. John for the beautiful photos that you have sent me and Mr. Richard for offering us the facility to make the payment and include my daughter at the last moment. Sorry I had not been able to answer before but I have had a family visit in my house these days and you know how crazy it is when you have a full house and you live in the fantasy state with Disney and Mickey as neighbors! LOL!!!
Today I was finally able to download the photos from the camera on my computer and be able to send them to you. My family and I really liked being able to do the course on Saturday with you, we learned a lot and we had a great time and enjoyed. Thank you for all the information you provided printed to us. We will definitely give your references to other people who wish to take the course.
Have a bless afternoon guys!
Mike M
The instructors feedback was helpful and appreciated I had a good time at the event despite not having a huge group. I heard you never know, sometimes things in small packages do wonderful. Thank you for everything.
Julie Tayes
I was in the composition class yesterday with John. I had a great time learning! John is very informative and helpful. It was all I expected it to be and worth the money.
Thank you,
Julie
Juli Powers
Thank you ! Alex enjoyed both classes very much.
Hope we can do it again sometime.
Flavio Cruz
Thanks for the class! I had an amazing time with you guys!
Flavio Cruz
Here is a photo.
leonardocarrion
Here are a couple images I took during our time.
leonardocarrion
I had a blast yesterday working with everyone. I especially appreciated John’s insight related to camera gear and the way he composes his shots! Being out in the field shooting with like minded folks turned out to be a much more valuable exercise than I thought.
Levis Irizarry
Yes very good class, Thank u!! 😁
Kennedy G
I had a great time at DPA workshop. Our instructor John was very informative and knowledgeable. I’ve been shooting for a couple years now so I’m not new to photography but I wanted tips on how to better my craft. John was able to provide instructions on how to take my photography to the next level. So if your new to photography or self taught I highly recommend DPA!
Chris Larson
I meant to send you a note yesterday but the afternoon got away from me. Don and I had a very productive and enjoyable morning. His easy style was very helpful and I enjoyed getting to know him and his techniques. We took some time to go over my concerns, talk about my equipment and talk about technical craft, and then we walked around the city and put some of those approaches to work. We’ve exchanged a few emails and he has shared many helpful papers and documents too. I really appreciate his insight and I hope we stay in touch! Thanks to Don and DPA!
Chris Larson
Liz Fenix
“Thank you again for the class today! Definitely walked away with tons of info and tools to use as I venture out on my own! Here’s one of my shots of the moment captured of Sylvia with the little boy….Thank you”
Liz Fenix
Robert
“What an awesome experience! Had the camera, never knew how to use it. Our instructor, John, gave us an artistic viewpoint in composition which changed the way we look at the world. So inspired, we went out and bought new camera right after the class. Looking forward to capturing all of our new experiences with great focus. Thanks”
-Robert
Angela
“What a great way to learn my camera and get some great pictures of Orlando!!!”
-Angela
Erick Comellas
I’m totally impressed with the instructor Carsten and 100% satisfied with the services rendered. I definitely will be looking at future classes. Like I told Carsten…. I learned more in a matter of 3 hours than I did watching hours and hours of YouTube videos. I had a great time. Check out the dropbox below for some of my photos and quick presentation I did. (I was bored… lol)
Dropbox:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e2mkwx1shyxfp72/AACN67S484RnDwkQ9DvNghJOa?dl=0
I liked the intimacy and small group settings. Made my questions and my attention a priority. Thanks!
Best,
Erick C.
Maureen Walstrum
I attended the Composition in the Field at Winter Park Farmer’s Market with Carsten Basile.
Extraordinary day!! I just downloaded my photos. I can truly see a difference from the first photos I took in the morning, to the photos I took in the afternoon.
Carsten is extremely knowledgeable. He knows how to translate that knowledge into something that a bunch of newbies (like us) can understand and use.
It was such an enjoyable day. I made new friends. And I learned so much!
Patfenell
Donald,
I really enjoyed the class today. Thanks for getting me motivated to get out and take my camera with me.
I will keep in touch and hope for any of your insights on how I’m doing.
Pat
Robert Ballentine
“Hi John,
I just wanted to say thank you for your time and sharing your wealth of knowledge today. With our new found passion, Barbie and I decided it’s time to buy new cameras (one each) so we can spend more time artistically investigating things we used to just look at.
Thanks for inspiring us and for showing us how to look at the world in a different way.”
-Robert
Paula Barnett
“Thank you for connecting me with just the right person, Richard! My class with John was all you led me to believe it would be. Plus more!!
Looking forward to the next adventure with DPA.
My best,”
-Paula
Carrie Jameson
“Thanks Don – great class with excellent instruction as usual! 🙂 ”
-Carrie
John Blackwood
“Don
Thanks for the great class we had a great time and learned some things along the way. ”
-John
Solomon Longsworth
“Hello Richard, Hello John,
I had a great time! Such a great time that I bought another one of your packages for a friend of mine as a Christmas gift.
Her name is Haley, and she recently got into landscape photography. John, if you remember, she is the one I purchased the Canon 50mm 1.8 Prime Lens for.
I will let you guys know when she signs up for the class, in the mean time I placed some of the pictures I took that day with John.
Thanks again John, it was a great time!”
-Sol
Tim Brown
“Thanks, I really enjoyed it. It was nice having the one on one, and having the time to experiment with different settings. I’ll have to check out the recommendations. Had a great time today with my photo composition class. Had a one-on-one with the instructor, John Cullum, and he was quite impressed with my camera, (Nikon P900) and its zoom lens. Got some really cool photos, including a bunch of really neat osprey pics. ”
-Tim
Otto
“Hi John, Last night was very helpful ,hope see you again. Thank you.”
-Otto
Adrian Thomas
“I had an opportunity to shoot with one of the instructors that is attached to Digital Photo Academy and this is the result. I struggled with composition and framing but after this class I feel more confident. I really enjoyed the evening shooting with John Cullum. ”
-Adrian Thomas
Mirta Martinez
“Over the weekend I took a class with Mr. Peters and this was by far one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. He was very well prepared, professional, attentive to our questions, helpful and patient.
I would highly recommend this class with this professor to everyone I can!
Thank you”
-Mirta
Kenee Ramirez
“I want to say thank you for putting on these classes for newbies like myself. I found that the session on Saturday was very conducive for learning. I enjoyed Don’s informal and down to earth approach to sharing his knowledge with me and the other students. The venue provided a variety of subjects to photograph and many learning opportunities. I definitely learned many new techniques that I will for sure be able to apply as I continue to learn and grow as a photographer.
Don was awesome! I specifically enjoyed the shooting examples and the times when he would say “Shoot it, then focus with your feet, now shoot it again now get closer and shoot it again!”, LOL, I will forever use this technique. I was immediately able to see a difference in my images on the spot. It was like a light bulb finally came on in my photographer mind.
I appreciate Don taking the time to view my photos and providing his feedback and suggestions to get better images in the future. I would definitely recommend these classes to any new photographer and would sincerely consider attending some of the sessions at other locations.”
-Kenee Ramirez
irisht53
“Just providing feedback on the class I took on 1/31/15, instructed by Don Peters.
Don was very good at instruction, conveying how the settings on the Camera can be used get different results in our photos, and when we may want to use those settings. Also he provided great explanation and examples of different things to look for in a subject, to make the photo more interesting.
While taking photos, Don let us explore on our own, while periodically providing direction on potential subjects, and providing feedback on some photos we had taken. He was also very supportive and informative when questions were asked in the field.
All in all, I’d say that thanks to Don’s instruction, I’ve started looking at the environment differently, when it comes to taking photos, and I feel more confident in the shots that I’m taking.
Lastly, the venue was great. I enjoyed the variety of scenery, from a downtown setting, to the variety of architecture in the buildings, to the lake and birds, and some nature shots as well.
I’d recommend this class to any new/novice/intermediate photographer, to get a better feel of how to get the pictures they want from their camera, and how to begin looking at things that would make an interesting photo.”
-Trevor Lewellen
Bill Indursky
“Thank you for your time and expertise yesterday. I learned quite a bit and am very excited to use my new skills!
Thanks again!”
– Chris Bilbao
Bill Indursky
“Hey Richard! Im back home from meeting with Tim. You were right about him being a great person. It was an awesome experience and it really made up for the inconvenience. I will email you some of the pictures as soon as I transfer them to my laptop. Thank you and I am looking forward to the Composition in the field Workshop. Thank you both and I look forward to keep learning with your courses. ”
-Johnny Suriel
Bill Indursky
“We met with Tim today as planned. He is spectacular! We had a great session”
– Meghan
Bill Indursky
“My name is Isaura Gomez. I was one of the students for the class given in Greynolds park this past weekend by instructor Tim Wheeler. The class was great and we learned new tricks to make a better composition. Definitely taking another class with him soon. Thank you so much for having this academy. My hobby is photography and this class is helping me to get better at what I like.”
– Isaura Gomez
Bill Indursky
“I really enjoyed your class. You made me look at things a different way.”
– Jamie “Stix” DeAquair
carole mitchell
“Thank you for the photo class! I learned quite a few things from you Monday evening. Am looking forward to reading your book. Again, thank you.”
– Carole Mitchell
Andrew Li
“I attended a photography workshop with Milton Heiberg up in Orlando, he was a very nice and technical. The workshop primarily focused on understanding how settings on your camera works, composition and Photoshop post-processing. We had a hour long photo-shoot and a critique at the end.
It was a lot of fun and very educational. I would highly recommend this particular course to anyone to just bought a DSLR, or if you’ve owned a SLR, and need a refresher. I am anticipating to attend the advanced class later on in the year.”
– Andrew Li
Alice Shull
“I really enjoyed last night. I learned some new things and it was also a good review. Hopefully I will join you again for another class. Thanks again.”
– Alice Shull
Merle Harris
“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the classes. I learned a lot and I hope to put it into practice as I take my photos. Your vast knowledge and experience comes through in your instructions. I also appreciated your kindnesses, courtesies, and professionalism. Yours is a course I can, without reservations, recommend to my friends. I will continue to use, explore, and learn from your website. You are truly a gifted photographer and instructor.”
– Merle Harris
Jeff Janssen
“Thanks for a great class on Saturday. I really enjoyed the class and was able to get a lot out of it. It really helped me in that it introduced me to couple of key topics and then I was able to go home and read more about it in my camera’s manual, as well as your site. I also enjoyed the overview of Photoshop and hope to someday take that class. I’m going to practice for a few months and hope that I will then be able to think about another class. ”
– Jeff Janssen
Mina Reale
“Thank you for a wonderful introduction to Photoshop. Your thorough yet non-intimidating approach was just right. I look forward to getting to know the program better.”
– Mina Reale
Gina Pelligra
Thank you SO much for a wonderful class and for taking the extra time to show me the ropes. I’ve learned so much from you and it was a fun class. You have been a great inspiration and I’m looking forward to your advanced class after becoming more comfortable with the camera and Photoshop. In the meantime, I’ll be “practicing, practicing, practicing”. I welcome any recommendations, advice and constructive criticism you may have for us.
I will complete the questionnaire and participate in the assignment.”
– Gina Pelligra
Lois Fredricks
“I first would like to thank you again for a great class. You bring so much knowledge, patience and enthusiasm to your classes. You make everyone feel very comfortable and eager to answer all our questions. I have attended two of your classed and both times I was amazed at your generosity of your time and knowledge. Keep me in mind if there are any other classes that you offer. Thank you again.”
– Lois Fredricks
Bill Indursky
“Dear Don, Just a quick thank you for today’s wonderful class at St. James–my daughter Moira and I loved it, thank you so much. We’ll be back to try to join you in your next class…need to check schedules and get our ‘ducks in a row’ — we will be steadfast with our manuals and basic ‘fun practice’ and hope to see you again soon. I do especially hope my son Matthew will join us one time too. You are an awesome teacher Don, it was an honor being with you! Enjoy the rest of your weekend…take care, Moira Felish and Mary Murray (Mom) Felish (and Matthew in absentia!) PS Please keep us posted too about shows where your work may be featured. I am trying to take the kids to photography shows and I think yours would be incredible.”
-Michael Felish
Donna Armstrong
“Thanks again for a great class yesterday.. We could not have had a better day for weather, the class size was perfect for learning as a group, the dynamics of the group worked well together, everyone interacted with everyone else. We don’t always get that.. And needless to say the
instructor was very informative but more than that you were there for us and we felt that.. You stayed very engaged with us, watching us and making sure we were understanding.. Your enthusiasm for photography and people shows through!!!”
– Donna Armstrong
[email protected]
“I have learned so much from you and I thank you for being a remarkable instructor. I will be finally moving out of Green mode (auto mode) on my DSLR and start exploring other interesting features. You made the class interesting and fun and instilled me with the desire to continue learning.
I appreciate you letting me know what I am doing wrong along with giving me ways I can correct my mistakes. It is comforting to know that whenever I have a question you answer right away.
Once again, thank you so much for your time, expertise and patience.”
– Ashok
Bill Indursky
“I just wanted to tell you how much my husband and I enjoyed the photography class at the Lincoln Park Zoo (8/3/13), taught by Don Peters. My husband is an avid amateur photographer with years of experience and lots of camera equipment, and I’m a novice with no skills at all, comfortable with just a point-and-shoot. I purchased our tickets through Groupon for my husband’s birthday, thinking that he would love a “composition in the field” photography class. I didn’t realize until after the class was over that he actually was dreading the class beforehand, because he expected it would be too structured and simplified. I was somewhat apprehensive for the opposite reason — I feared it would be too advanced and intimidating for a novice like me. Both of us ended up being pleasantly surprised.
Don Peters is an excellent teacher who adjusts his teaching to fit the skill levels and needs of his students. He presented basic information at the beginning of the class that was clear enough for me to understand, and yet helpful even for an experienced photographer like my husband. Then he led our group around the zoo to practice the skills he taught us. He was always available to answer questions and assist us, but there was no pressure to do things a certain way. He encouraged us to experiment. We both came away feeling like we learned a lot; I was not intimidated, and my husband was not bored. 🙂 Don even followed up with handouts of helpful tips for things he noticed people in our group seemed to be interested in, like photographing flowers, or how to adjust the shutter speed to “freeze” the water flowing from a fountain.
We came away from the class feeling like it was definitely worth it. Don Peters is good at explaining concepts and helping his students to feel comfortable. I would take a class from him again, and I would recommend him to others.”
– Linda L.
Bill Indursky
“I just wanted to let you know that I attended the Church Street/Lake Eola (Orlando) Composition in the Field class on March 23rd with Don Peters. He did a fantastic job and I thoroughly enjoyed it. He catered the class to the student’s needs and desires and I appreciate that as I am very new at it.
Don is a great asset to your company. I hope you offer more classes with him.”
– Tricia
Bill Indursky
“I attended the Composition class Saturday in Chicago. It was a WONDERFUL experience!!! I learned from the moment I arrived! I learned about the settings on my camera that I had no idea about. I learned to take some great and fun shots that I need to practice now. I appreciated the instructor Don Peters, who taught camera settings, suggestions for different angles to photograph, as well as types of photography (like moving cars, etc.).
It was a great way to spend the day!
I think I’d like to practice what I learned at this class and then take the same class again in several months to further deepen my knowledge about both my camera and about photo composition.
Thanks for making the class so enjoyable!”
– Ruth Lamour