Digital Photo Academy Photography Workshops

Mission Statement:

At Digital Photo Academy, we believe in the transformative power of photography. As part of our mission, we’re proud to introduce “Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs,” an initiative that recognizes the immense value of senior citizens.

Photography is a delightful and fulfilling means of self-expression, promoting not only light physical activity but also active mental engagement. Moreover, photography is a vehicle for social interaction, connecting individuals with old and new friends who share the passion for capturing life through a lens. The photographs you create become not just images but a meaningful form of communication with family and the world at large.

While it’s good to enjoy some quiet time, we want to guide you towards engaging activities that infuse purpose into your leisure. Join us, discover inspiring places, and share your inspiration with others.

Flexible Number of Private or Group Gathering Photo Lessons

Join a private workshop on your own, scheduled around your choice of place and schedule up to a single group of 8 with an additional instructor with each additional group of 8.
Developing and/or enhancing your skills as a photographer whether using a cellphone or a regular camera
Tap into your creative self expression
Great way to communicate with family & friends or meet new friends
Creative use of free time while getting in some light exercise for your body and mind, all live and guided by a professional photographer.

What you’ll get:

After completing our 6-course workshop series, you will…

Master both your automatic and manual camera controls: Gain confidence using your cell phone or digital camera’s settings.
Learn 12 compelling composition techniques: Discover ways to create more captivating and visually appealing photos.
Easily share your photos: Learn how to text and email photos to family and friends.
Showcase your work online: Understand how to post your favorite photos on social media and share them in communities like Celebrating Senior Shutterbugs on Facebook.
Participate in exciting photo assignments: Compete for a chance to win exclusive photo prizes from FinerWorks to hang on your wall!
Create a physical scrapbook: Compile your best photos into a beautiful hard copy scrapbook.

Digital Photo Academy

Founded in 2006
Live classes in 52 Cities
Partners with professional photographers who live where they teach
Has over 1,000 student testimonials
Holds 576 live small group photo classes annually
DPA provides instruction for:
- Cell Phones
- DSLR Cameras
- Mirrorless Cameras
- Composition
- Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Texting, Albums)
- Photo enhancement through post capture
- “A Day in Your Life,” with Photographs

Our Six-Session Course

Introduced by “Pixels”, the Digital Photo Academy Mascot

Private or group options, pick any or all sessions

Session 1 — Operating your camera and/or cellphone

Session 2 — Composing Powerful Images Part I (Leading Lines, Patterns and Textures, Rule of Thirds)

Session 3- Composing Powerful Images Part II (Shadows and Silhouettes, Simplicity, Angles)

Session 4 — Challenges of Different Lighting

Session 5 — “A Day in Your Life,” Learn to capture images that tell your story.

Session 6 — Sharing Your Photographs with Family, Old Friends, and New Friends (Texting, Facebook, Instagram, Albums, Emailing)

Click here to meet Pixels!

Session One: Operating Your Camera and/or Cellphone

Learning automatic controls — what effect they create, how to access each control of cameras and/or cellphones
Learning the power of manual controls to override automatic operation limitations of cameras and/or cellphones
Learning about light
Indoor and outdoor lighting scenarios
How time of day affects your photographs
Inexpensive and free apps for your cellphone

Click for aperture control and shutter speed control inspirational slideshows so you can see images like ones that you will learn to capture

canon camera MYCC

cellphone generic MYCC

Session Two: Composing Powerful Images, Part I

EASY COMPOSITION TRICKS TO TURN SNAPSHOTS INTO COMPELLING PHOTOGRAPHS

Quick Review of how to engage camera and/or cell phone for taking photos
Click for Leading Lines inspirational slideshow

Create images that show the viewer exactly what spot within the photo is the starting point on which to focus and which path, in and around, within the frame the eye should follow. Showcase what is important in the image.

Click for Patterns and Textures inspirational slideshow

Let the viewer lose themselves in your image.

Click for Rule of Thirds inspirational slideshow

The main subject off center allows a visually dynamic balance of important details. Create comfortable room to add interesting details about the main subject.

Session Three: Composing Powerful Images, Part II

EASY COMPOSITION TRICKS TO TURN SNAPSHOTS INTO COMPELLING PHOTOGRAPHS

Quick Review of how to engage camera and/or cell phone for taking photos
Click for Shadows and Silhouettes inspirational slideshow. Add drama to your image, whether haunting, cheerful, mysterious or simply compelling.
Click for Simplicity inspirational slideshow: Profound and thought provoking. Simple photographs can convey complex narratives.
Click for Angles inspirational slideshow: What’s in front, what’s in back, what’s below, what’s above can make the difference between an inspirational scenic or a whimsical point of view. Make the ordinary extraordinary.

Session Four: Challenges of different lighting

Quick Review of how to engage camera and/or cell phone for taking photos.
Natural Light (Window Lighting, Bright Sunlight, Dim Lighting, Incandescent, Florescent)
Each kind of light requires different controls on your camera or cell phone
Waiting for the light
Different lighting means different moods
Capturing sunsets
Savoring the “blue light” twenty minutes after sunset or twenty minutes before sunrise

Click here to view inspirational slideshows using varying lighting

Session Five: “My Life in Photos” — Photographing your Story

Quick Review of how to engage camera and/or cell phone for taking photos
Visual sense of who, what, when, where
Starting at the beginning
Important symbols, keepsakes, mementos • Who are the stars in your life?
Capturing the mood

Examples of the photographs you might take to capture a day in your life:

With your camera you can look at your life and capture blessings and even share it with friends and family in portfolios which you’ll learn how to do in this session. Soon, you will be able to do this in a day or across a week on your own or with a companion, and develop an intuitive sense of which pictures best tell your story. Your instructor will explain the photojournalistic thinking so you can select which images to capture your story. Share the images with others in the group and the instructor for insightful feedback. Go out for extended periods with the instructor for in-depth, at the moment, instruction.
You can start off with a photograph of your breakfast or the beautiful view outside your window.
You know that you enjoyed your lunch and want to show someone else how delicious it looked.
What about stopping to smell the roses, maybe even joining a local garden club?
Someplace nearby, maybe you have a favorite walking place to replenish yourself.
Then of course there’s keeping up with family activities.
Any special evening activity that was an exhilarating experience?
It’s time to say goodnight.

Good Morning

Lunch / Photo-Op

Garden Walk

Beach Walk

Billy’s Baseball Game

Visiting Guest Performers

Bedtime Window View

Session Six: Sharing your photographs with Family, Old Friends, and New Friends

Digital Photo Academy instructor demonstrates ways to keep in touch with friends and family across email, texting and a variety of social media. Periodically you will sit with the instructor and post your favorite images and captions. Your instructor will supervise every step of the way and your day-in-your-life stories can inspire loved ones, friends and other social media followers.

Working with your instructor to manage memory card image selection and/or cellphone texting
Facebook
Instagram
Emailing & Texting your photos with captions
Albums
Photo books

Beyond Six Weeks: Countless Options in your Neighborhood and Nearby Locations

Panning
Organizing & Enhancing Your Photos on the Computer
Photographing Parties and Group Gatherings
Portraiture
Still Life
Painting with Light
Sunsets/Sunrises
Landscapes
Flowers
Environmental Portraits
Macro
Animals
Birds in Flight
Wildlife
Sports
Group Portraits
Table Top
Street Scenes
Architecture

Getting the word out

Information for activity directors at senior facilities

A Digital Photo Academy instructor can come and give you an complementary introductory presentation.

The image on the right illustrates the on-premises printed signage posted by an authorized Digital Photo Academy instructor or targeted email to promote interest.