Foundations of Photography with Brad Jacobson

Learn it in the classroom. Shoot it on the tarmac.

For over a decade, Brad Jacobson has been photographing one of the world's great collections of racing cars at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum. Now he's teaching you how.

Foundations of Photography is a five-session photography course held in the museum's Bugatti Room from 10:30 to 11:30 AM on select Demo Day mornings. When class lets out, the real practice begins. You'll step onto the museum's 3.5-acre tarmac and photograph historic racing cars from the collection as they sit on display and come alive during Demo Day.

Five sessions. Five Demo Days. One instructor who has spent a decade learning how to capture them.

Demo Day admission is included free with your enrollment.

April 11

Exposure Triangle

Carroll Shelby and the Rise of Professional Racing in America

The three fundamental variables in photography are shutter speed, aperture and ISO. This course will delve into their meanings, the relationship between them, and how they affect each photograph. We will discuss typical ways that these settings are adjusted on your camera to maximize your creative control over the look of a photograph. We will also explore related camera settings such as metering modes, exposure compensation and bracketing.

May 9

Seeing Light

The American Formula: Full Bore!

The word “photography” comes from the Greek words for “light” and “drawing”. This class will examine the effects of light angle relative to the subject and to the photographer, and how that can fundamentally alter the feel of a photograph. We will demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of outdoor photography at different times in a day. Additionally, we will deal with color temperature and the use of artificial light sources such as on-camera and off-camera flash.

July 11

Composition

Car Detective: Defining the Simeone Museum from Alfa to Vauxhall

After light, the second vital component of a photograph is how you position yourself relative to a subject, and how a subject is presented in its environment. We will examine how perspective, point of view, geometry, color, light and more affect the composition of a photograph. Compositional choices such as using leading lines and incorporating foreground and background elements will be presented. Further, we will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of cropping.

August 8

Freezing Motion and Showing Motion

Salt Flats: AB Jenkins to Craig Breedlove

Photographing fast moving vehicles can be very challenging. It is vital to be prepared and positioned appropriately for your subject and the type of photograph you want to capture. This class will examine how and when it may be appropriate to freeze or show motion. We will discuss various settings and techniques to allow you to achieve your desired look of motion or lack thereof. We will demonstrate the technique of panning, a critical skill in automotive photography.

September 19

Lenses and Filters

John Fitch: Fighter Pilot to Road Racer

What are all of these numbers on my lens and what do they mean? Choosing an appropriate lens for a particular subject or situation can be daunting. This class will discuss and demonstrate the various technical terms regarding lenses. We will examine how different focal lengths and types of lenses can allow you to achieve different looks and effects. Additionally we will discuss various filters that can give you more creative options. To conclude, we will present ways to streamline a kit of multiple lenses and filters.

Companion Class ( Seperate ticket required unless bought as full package)

November 14

Analog in the Digital Age

Yankee Iron!

Film photography is not dead; in fact, it is thriving. A large influx of photographers who did not grow up with film photography are discovering the joys and (frustrations) of analog. In this class, we will discuss some fundamental differences between analog and digital, and go over the basic operations of typical film cameras. We will demonstrate how a photographer in 2026 can shoot film or digital, or both, with an appropriate workflow. Learn more here.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, 6825-31 Norwitch Drive, Philadelphia, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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