Composition in the Field - Photography Workshop

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.

Entry is free but any photo enthusiast would be willing to pay dearly for the chance to capture the photo ops at the Arizona State University Museum.

Start from the dramatic exterior which seems to channel an Indiana Jones movie, with powerful architectural lines that liken the Aztec culture, allowing your Digital Photo Academy Instructor to demonstrate and supervise repeating patterns of blended triangles, squares and other geometric shapes. Compare the visual options from a close up perspective, with the building showcased entirely and no sky or foreground within the frame to half earth, half sky for another energy. Step back and climb the entry steps to offer a panoramic scene with stone balconies, palm trees and towering columns.

Wait for the natural light, and long shadows can allow you to depict a mood-laden narrative in which your viewer can lose themselves. Or include one of the oversized outdoor sculptures which can be juxtaposed against the building to catch a more whimsical kind of image. Practice the art of long exposure with the fountains and recreate the impressionistic look of a velvety smooth depiction of flowing water.

Upon entering the museum you will come upon cavernous spaces with gleaming light ceilings from high above, rebounding off of the patterned tongue and groove flooring that goes on and on. Accentuate the rows of paintings on the walls with a Leading Lines composition technique. Include any number of indoor sculptures into a single collection sending the eye of your viewer from the lower corner of the frame of your photo up, diagonally, and back for an invigorating visual interaction to the scene you create.

There will also be time to wander on the campus itself and your DPA instructor will demonstrate the art of desert landscape photography. Learn Panning as a skateboarder or a bicyclist zips by.

Meeting Spot

Meet your Instructor by the entrance to the museum but make sure to make time to photograph the gigantic stone cowboy boots before the session is over.

SE Corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street51 E. 10th St.
Tempe, Arizona 85281
480-965-2787

Parking

Complimentary parking is available in front of the ASU Art Museum in , located on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and 10th Street. Visitors using museum spaces must sign in at the front desk in the lobby of the ASU Art Museum. Please note that these spaces are limited.

Short-term paid parking is available in the 10th Street Parking Garage across the street from the museum and in near Gammage Parkway.

Please note – if a class must be cancelled due to weather or other circumstances beyond our control we will be happy to work with you to reschedule or provide a refund. However, if you should need to cancel or require a new class date, contact us. A $25 transfer fee will be imposed without a 3 day notice before the scheduled class.

Call Digital Photo Academy at 1 877 372 2231 or a field agent at 917 597 7053. 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 email 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 and include the date and city of the class you are considering, as well as your phone number.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Arizona State University Museum, 51 East 10th Street, Tempe, United States