Homework Assignment No. 1: Rule of Thirds and ISO Settings The first homework assignment I give students is to take photos in Program Mode to explore ISO settings and to use the Rule of Thirds. Rule Of Thirds If you compose your image using the Rule of Thirds, vertical objects are placed one-third to the […]
Danny Schweers is a studio instructor at the Delaware Art Museum. Occasionally, he posts here what he teaches. Occasionally, when he is making his own photos, he remembers to do what he has taught.
Photo Lessons, Delaware Art Museum
Starting on April 24, 2018, I am teaching a 6-week Digital Photography class on Tuesday evenings at the Delaware Art Museum. I am also offering field trips to Longwood Gardens and Hagley Museum as well as three evening workshops on Adobe software Digital Photo Class at Delaware Art Museum Tuesdays, April 24 thru May, 2018 […]
Explore Your Camera’s Shutter Speeds
Homework Assignment No. 2: Shutter Speeds, Diagonals to Corners My second homework assignment is to send me 2-5 photos in Shutter Priority Mode (“Tv” on Canon and Ricoh cameras, and “S” on Nikon and Sony cameras) and to include a line to a corner. Vary Shutter Speed Try various shutter speeds, especially at the extremes […]
Explore Your Camera’s Manual Mode
Homework Assignment No. 4 — Manual Mode, Fill The Frame The fourth homework assignment I give students in my digital photography class at the Delaware Art Museum is to explore shooting in Manual Mode and to Fill The Frame. Manual Mode Many, perhaps most, professional photographers shoot in Manual Mode. While the image-deciphering abilities of […]
Student Photos, 2012 on …
My students at the Delaware Art Museum have produced some wonderful images since I began teaching there. Here I have limited myself to 30 images from each class. But before I show you those thumbnails, here are links to entire galleries of student work, photographs of dress rehearsals at the Delaware Children’s Theatre. Wonderland: Alice’s […]
Best Focal Length For Portraits
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is, “What focal length should I use for portraits?” I usually answer “50mm for Crop Sensor cameras, 75mm for Full-Frame Sensor cameras.” This is for a typical head shot. The homework assignment I give my students at the Delaware Art Museum is to take portraits at […]
Choosing More Lenses
In February, 2017, students asked me about buying Canon and Nikon fixed focal-length lenses and telephoto lenses. Canon Lenses I am thinking of getting the Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM lens and was wondering your opinion. I am also interested in getting a telephoto lens, but have no clue as to which one for my Canon […]
Explore Your Camera’s Aperture Settings
Homework Assignment No. 3: Aperture, Out-of-Focus Backgrounds The third homework assignment I give students in my digital photography class at the Delaware Art Museum is to separate subject from background by using small aperture numbers; that is, apertures with little depth of field. The subject is in focus while the background is out of focus, […]
Explore Light Painting
In-Class Exercise No. 6: Light Painting In the sixth class of my ten-week course at the Delaware Art Museum, we darken the room and use flashlights to paint light onto our subjects. Below are thumbnails of photos of students in class on Leap Day 2016. Light painting is a terrific way to light a non-moving […]
Ten Steps to Better Photographs
Here are ten ways you can make your photos better. Because I first presented these at a Parish Life Day workshop in the Episcopal Diocese of Delaware, each starts with a quote from scripture. I have taken some liberties with the translations into English. 1 – Let your light shine that all may see good […]