What the Class Covers
Washington Photo Focus offers an introduction to digital cameras class in DC that runs across three evening sessions, live over Zoom or at locations around Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC. It's the ideal starting point for anyone who wants to move beyond Auto mode and finally understand their camera's controls.
● Understand ISO, shutter priority, and aperture priority
● Learn JPEG vs. RAW file formats and white balance
● Read histograms and use exposure compensation
● Build a foundation in composition basics
Classes are limited to just 6 participants for genuine personal attention.
Eliot Cohen's own landscape photography — the same eye for light he brings to every class.
3eveningsessions
What You'll Learn
Camera Settings & Controls
ISO, shutter priority, and aperture priority — and how each shapes exposure and motion.
File Formats & Image Quality
Megapixels, resolution, JPEG vs. RAW, and how to choose white balance with confidence.
Histograms & Exposure
What a histogram tells you, and how to use exposure compensation to fine-tune results.
Composition Basics
An introduction to composition, plus useful filters and basic camera maintenance.
Eliot Cohen Founder & Lead Instructor
MEET YOUR INSTRUCTOR
Decades of Teaching, Built Around the Student
Eliot Cohen is one of Washington, DC's most experienced digital photography teachers. He served as Program Head for Photography at Northern Virginia Community College's Loudoun Campus for 21 years, earning the college's highest teaching award, and was a faculty member at the Corcoran School of Art.
His philosophy: keep classes small, keep the pace logical, and never leave a student behind.
That patience and depth of subject knowledge are why students return again and again — and why so many recommend his classes to friends and family.
Find Photography Classes Near You
Whether you join live over Zoom or in person, it's easy to find classes for photography near me across the greater Washington, DC region — including Northern Virginia, Maryland, and DC itself.
Bethesda, Arlington, Alexandria, Rockville, Reston, Fairfax, Silver Spring & more
Live, interactive sessions via Zoom — connect from home
Small groups, typically no more than 6 students
Gift certificates and one-on-one individual instruction available
