Photography Lessons & Classes in Wilmington, Delaware
LAST UPDATED: February 10, 2018
Private Lessons by Danny Schweers
My rates are $45/hour, the same whether I teach one person or many. In general, tutoring is here in Arden, Delaware, in the northern-most part of the state, just off I-95. Arrangements can be made to meet elsewhere, but I usually charge for my travel time unless we meet at a local coffee shop or library. To learn more, call me at 302 475-0998 or click here for all my contact info.
Two Field Trips, Three Workshops, Spring 2018 at Delaware Art Museum
Click here to learn about the two field trips and the three Adobe Lightroom / Photoshop workshops the Delaware Art Museum has asked me to lead in the spring of 2018.
Digital Photo Classes at the Museum
- Digital Photo Class at Delaware Art Museum
Tuesdays, April 24 – May 29, 2018
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Six weeks, 15 hours total. SLR digital cameras are preferred, as are mirrorless cameras with a manual shooting mode. Simple point-and-shoot cameras and cell phones will not work. Bring to class a camera with adjustments for ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. Students of all skill levels are welcome, age 15 and up. We sometimes photograph a dress rehearsal at the Delaware Childrens' Theatre.
- See the Delaware Art Museum website to learn more about this Studio Art Class, call them at 302 571-9590, or...
- See a typical class outline for Danny's class at the Delaware Art Museum.
- Sample of Students' Images, 2012-2018. About 30 images from each class, usuallly three classes a year.
- What settings can I change on a digital SLR camera? Many!
- Parking at the Delaware Art Museum.
- Photo classes, workshops, and private lessons in and near Wilmington, Delaware.
- Contact Danny Schweers.
Other Photography Classes near Wilmington, Delaware
- Academy of Lifelong Learning (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at University of Delaware) These free classes are for those over 50 years old.
- Cameras, Etc. offers one-on-one tutoring on how to use your camera.
- Delaware College of Art and Design (DCAD) continuing education classes in photography. As of September, 2016, their fall continuing ed photo courses included Basics & Beyond, Intro to Black & White Photography, and Intermediate Black & White Techniques. DCAD also offers a certificate program in photography.
- The Delaware Contemporary - As of September, 2016, they were offering a 3-day class in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator software.
- Delaware Technical and Community College (Del Tech) continuing education classes in photography. As of September, 2016, their continuing education classes included Nature Photography, and Photoshop. Two associates of mine, Kerry Harrison and Jeffrey Rubin, teach at the Stanton campus. Jeffrey said, in November, 2016, "The course that I've been teaching is Photography Intermediate. I may also teach a second course in February called Photography Applications. This class will be sort of extension of my intermediate class and will focus on weekly assignments, critique, and an introduction to digital imaging. The second part of each class will focus on imaging and improving your photographs."
- Delaware Photographic Society - This is an active volunteer organization with weekly meetings and occasional classes, guest speakers, and field trips. DPS is associated with PSA: the Photographic Society of America. As of September, 2016, Instruction Night is held the first Monday of the month at 7:30pm in the duPont Pavilion, Cokesbury Village, 726 Loveville Rd, Hockessin, DE 19707. Also, a Beginners Photography Class was being offered on Tuesdays at the Claymont Community Center.
- Horizon Workshops, Chesapeake City, Maryland. These workshops are offered by Steve Gottlieb, who is one of many instructors. Lots of variety here, including many on-location workshops.
- New Castle County's Art Studio Classes are offered by the Department of Community Services and in the past have offered photography.
- Dan Salvo of Dazzle Photography offers free on-line videos and some in-person introductory and advanced workshops.
- University of Delaware. You don't have to become formally admitted to the University of Delaware in order to register for credit courses. You can register for University of Delaware undergraduate and graduate credit photography classes as a Continuing Education student simply by completing registration forms and paying the appropriate tuition.
- Wilmington University offers many classes in photography for its enrolled students. As of September 2016, this included Basic Techniques, Advanced Photography, Black and White Digital Photography, Nature, the Business of Photography, Surreal Photos, Sports, Photojournalism, Studio Lighting, Location Lighting, Photo Editing, and a custom guided course.
- Wyzant Photography Tutors - This website is a place for local tutors to list their offerings. You can limit your search to tutors within so many miles of your ZIP code. When I searched in Septemer, 2016, I found three tutors within 10 miles of 19801, in Hockessin, Marcus Hook, and Pennsville. Prices were $35 to $54 an hour.
- If you know of a photography course or workshop that should be listed here, please contact Danny Schweers.
Photo Classes in Philadelphia and New York
Danny Schweers (you are on his website) is a member of Philly Photo Arts, which offers photo classes and workshops in Philadelphia.
Kathy Buckalew, who teaches at the Delaware Art Museum, recommends workshops at the International Center for Photography in New York City.
Nearby Photography Galleries, Organizations
- Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE
- Delaware Contemporary, 200 S. Madison, Wilmington, DE
- Delaware Photographic Society
- Colourworks, 1902 Superfine Lane, Wilmington, DE
- Wilmington Art Loop - "Art On The Town" offers many exhibitions on the first Friday of most months.
- Meet-Up Photo Groups in Elkton, MD, and Delaware County, PA.
- Philadelphia Photo Arts, 1400 N. American Street #103
- Print Center, 1614 Latimer Street, Philadelphia, PA
- Washington Printmakers Gallery, 1641 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Washington, DC
Photography Business Advice
A college senior about to graduate asked my advice about the business of photography. Here's what I said, and what six practicing photographers said.
Camera Equipment Links
Photographer Links
- Harold Ross paints with light
- iPhone Art Girl = Meri Walker Daily photos posted with the post-processing apps listed
- Gary Winogrand's Teaching Methods A long article by O.C. Garza. Eventually, he talks about Winogrand's methods.
- Henri Cartier Bresson, French documentary photographer, 1930s-1960s. His ability to create Zen-like perfect moments from ordinary life is still widely admired, including a retrospective exhibit in 2011 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. One of my favorites in his ability to see beauty in the mundane.
- Deborah Bird, paper scuptures frozen in ice, recommended by painter Linda Celestian.
- Harry Callahan, 1949
- Julia Margaret Cameron, 1864
- Professor Harold Edgerton, a scientific photographer, developed stop-action techniques for photographing high-speed objects while working at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His work was exhibited at the Delaware Art Museum in 2011.
- Yousuf Karsh, 1941, of Winston Churchill
- Robert Glenn Ketchum, contemporary landscape photographer. I was first impressed with his book,Order From Chaos, in which he takes confusions of branches and weeds and sees in them some order.
- Annie Leibovitz, contemporary portrait photographer. Has started releasing books of her personal work. Known for her editorial photography, known for traveling with two semi-truck trailers, one full of costumes, and working with a staff of a dozen helpers including makeup artists, costume designers, and lighting specialists.
- Gordon Parks, 1941, of Langston Hughes
- PinholeResource.com - Marc, a student, recommends this resource for pinhole photography.
- Edward Steichen, 1928, of Greta Garbo
- Edward Weston, art photographer, and his sons, Brett Weston and Cole Weston, both landscape photographers.
- Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography at MOMA
There are five photos available. Click the number icons below photo.
- Sheila, a student, recommends "Around The World with an iPhone."
- Untouched model to billboard perfection. Reginald Pike's Yael Staav takes us from model to billboard in under 60 seconds. The Photoshop changes at the end are shown so quickly, you'll need to pause the video to take in the facial reconstruction.
Recommended Links
Videos
Here are links to two videos we watched in class, and two others.
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN FIVE MINUTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoxGEymA8ro
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY IN 21 MINUTES
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZijSBjOVCBo
CINDY SHERMAN: NOBODY’S HERE BUT ME
Documentary of the original selfie artist (1994, 55 minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXKNuWtXZ_U
ON THE ROAD WITH ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Here is a top portrait photographer at work (2016, 4 minutes). This highly commercial video talks a lot about making things real, personal, and authentic. Is that possible in a commercial setting?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GON2Eq0ZiuY
Lending Library
If you'd like to borrow one of these books, contact me.
- Photography by London, Stone & Upton. A complete classroom in a book, 406pp, illustrated with many photos of historical significance.
- Stoppee's Guide to Photography & Light by Brian & Janet Stoppee. Empasis on light and its capture. 502pp.
- The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman. Emphasis on being able to see good compositions. 192pp.
- The Photographer's Mind: Creative Thinking for Better Digital Photos by Michael Freeman. Emphasis on being able to think about what you see. 192pp.
- Developing Vision & Style: A Landscape Photography Masterclass by Cornish, Waite, and Ward. Three British photographers display their best work and talk about what goes into a good image. 158pp.
- Mastering Landscape Photography: The Luminous Landscape Essays by Alain Briot. Thoughful writing about landscape applies to all aspects of photography. 251pp.
- Creative Elements: Darkroom Techniques for Landscape Photography by Eddie Ephraums. This book about toning silver gelatin prints has much to say about the artist's vision. 165pp.
- Still Life in Photography by Paul Martineau. A picture book of still life photography. 112pp.
- Camera Work: The Complete Illustrations 1903-1917 by Alfred Stieglitz. 800pp.
- The New York Times Magazine Photographs, edited by Kathy Ryan, 2011. Each photo includes comments from the photographer about the shot plus comments from the art director. An Aperture Book, with sections on portraits, documentary, photo-illustration, and style. 448pp.
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