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.

For the modest $15 entry fee, a photographer gets a big bang for their buck.

The obvious lesson at the arboretum is Macro photography with flowers everywhere that are ready for their close up across ten different landscape themes on the premises. However, to beat the heat or rain, and simultaneously learn the art of making still lives in natural window light as you step into any of the vintage buildings that date back to the late 19th century. For example there is the Queen Anne Cottage, originally constructed to honor Elias Jackson Baldwin’s third wife but they separated and the home became a gesture of appreciation for Baldwin’s fourth wife. The cottage is one of 5 different buildings that offer rich photo ops indoors and outdoors.

Start with several thousand orchids in the Tropical Green House and your instructor will help you highlight the flowers with Aperture Control techniques so you can isolate the main subject and simultaneously blur the background to create a soft impressionistic sensibility. Or use the camera controls to render an even focus throughout the entire frame of the image to catch the captivating essence of the entire green house, with the environs of trees and a sea of leaves, flowers and fauna. Then there is the Water Conservation Garden which is ideal for getting a sense of your Shutter Speed Control to create a velvety smooth rendition of flowing water or the crisp stop action of moving water as it is seen in one split second.

As you capture your subject matter, your instructor will discuss composition strategies such as Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines and Symmetry to make dynamic images that draw in the viewers. Saunter over to the Meadowbrook Garden for beautiful landscape photo ops, of the San Gabriel Mountains, with lush meadows in the foreground peppered with magnolias and a variety of trees. In the Aquatic Gardens look for limpid pools of water accessorized by lily pads and various amphibious creatures. Your instructor will advise you on minimizing glare of the sun reflected against the water.

There are endless possibilities in the Los Angeles Arboretum to encourage your creative efforts—one visit won’t even be enough to complete your portfolio of flower and landscape photography!

301 N Baldwin Ave, Arcadia, CA 91007

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

Los Angeles County Arboretum, 301 North Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, United States