The photography workshop experience down on Eldridge Street is rich with a myriad of photo ops of street portraits, old world architecture and glorious interior spaces. It starts with photography lessons in architectural photography, whether the 1800’s sensibility of the Eldridge Street Synagogue and neighboring structures that now house eastern religious meeting places, authentic Chinese food establishments and soaring sky scrapers in the distance.
Street photography abounds, from elderly Chinese locals playing Mahjong or practicing Tai chi in groups, to visiting urbanites dressed in stylish Soho garb. Additionally, you will come upon families, youngsters in tow, headed to the grocer to buy Sunday night dinner. Typically, that includes exotic fare such as the duck hanging upside down by its feet prominently shown in the store window display. Then there are the skateboarding hipsters glued to their cell phones as who blur past, enabling your Digital Photo Academy instructor to demonstrate and supervise the art of panning, depicting motion in your still photos. It is a specific process but easy to learn endeavor.
How about photographing interior spaces, like the light streaming in to the Eldridge Street Synagogue, bathing the sanctuary in sunlight glory, against the 130+ year old refurbished building? In the late 1980’s, 18,000 volunteers from around the country made this happen over a 20 year process, whether dusting, removing ancient trash, polishing fixtures and scraping countless coats of paint. Experts of dying arts helped too, including stain glass window artisans, wood workers, chandelier restorers and painters to bring the old wall and ceiling murals back to life. The years took its toll on the outer structure too but all has been restored to exemplify its glorious state from the late 1800’s. Your instructor will provide many composition strategies to walk away with portfolio worthy images, in compelling visual layout.
With the understanding of operating your specific camera, learn the controls that allow you to catch a silhouetted outline of a classmate against a stained glass window, any of a dozen or so in the building. Practice different photo perspectives from the second floor looking down to the main floor, eye level vantage points as well as pointing your camera upward and you will likely notice the elevation of snap shots compelling images.
The varying energies and visual differences in your photographs will be up to you as you learn a list of composition strategies from which you can choose, whether based on a Leading Lines, negative space, contrasting colors, Rule of Thirds and many other composition techniques. Your instructor will demonstrate and supervise as you give each a try which, with practice, will add to your own signature style of photography.
Whether the synagogue interior, exterior or other buildings and people of may backgrounds on the go, there is an unending selection for wonderful photographs to tell the story of the Eldridge Street community. Even without taking photos, the experience is wonderful.
Each Composition in the Field class begins with a talk with one of our experienced instructors, and then you and your fellow students take a stroll through one of a variety of photogenic locales (in any of the 20+ cities the DPA encapsulates). There is street photography, magnificent interiors, farmers markets, zoos, landscapes, and more, photos of which are included within. These photos are a mix of student and instructor images in many different venues and cities across the United States and Canada.
You will have fun in the three-hour session, learn to shoot strategically, get more interesting photos of the event, and walk away with a foundation to improve your photographs in the future, whether you’re traveling, or at a birthday party and everywhere in between.
Please note – if a class must be canceled due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control we will be happy to work with you to reschedule. If you should need to cancel and require a new class date, contact us. A $25 transfer fee will be imposed without a 3-day notice before the scheduled class.
