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.

Whether a peaceful city park by the river, a collection of hipsters, old world architecture, sidewalk cafes and of course the powerful structure of the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo is a photographer’s candy store. Work with your instructor to compose images with tools like Leading Lines, Rule of Thirds, Negative Space and Layering to turn casual snapshots into compelling portfolio worthy images and create a dozen different personalities of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Try a layering composition strategy and the bridge becomes an imposing, almost foreboding subject but catch it from a broad view adjacent to the river and it takes on a friendly sensibility. Or find a dot of saturated red color on a pedestrian’s attire and the huge bridge in the background accessorizes an environmental portrait of a woman lost in the trivia of her day-to-day life.

The photo ops include a variety of skyline and bird’s eye panoramas as well as simple blue sky and landscape greenery in Brooklyn Bridge Park, again creating yet another persona for the magnificent expanse. Catch the riverside street portraiture ops of hipsters, seniors, performance artists, musicians and the family scenes of pre-teens and baby carriages. The skateboarders, bicyclists and the whirl of Jane’s antique carousel offers freaky panning lessons and abstractions with its lines and rigid patterns.

Meet in front of Celestine Restaurant at 1 John Street, Brooklyn, within Johns Street Park but which is also near the cross section of Pearl St. and John St.

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

Brooklyn Bridge and DUMBO, 1 John Street, Brooklyn, United States