This school offers nationwide workshops on digital photography, taught by professional photographers in various cities. It tailors each class to students' skill levels and aims to build long-term photo communities by providing helpful tips and techniques for all different camera types.
Upcoming Classes at
Digital Photo Academy (423)
All courses are held at 4371 Multnomah St, Los Angeles, CA unless indicated.
The school began with the idea of a nationwide workshop series dedicated to promoting the culture of digital photography. The workshops would be taught by talented and accredited professional photographers who live in the cities where they teach. The classes would be small, and the students would be grouped according to skill level so that nobody would feel bored or intimidated.
Richard Rabinowitz and his company R2Rainmaker, which has been working with the world's most accomplished photographers for the last 25 years, started by finding talented professional photographers to teach in each city. A long and rigorous selection process led to signing up 48 accomplished shooters from 26 cities around the country. During intensive meetings and many friendly meals, we hashed out the curriculum for each skill level, developed detailed ideas for outdoor shoots involving students in the advanced workshops, and decided on the equipment required to enhance their skills at post-capture image manipulation. We knew that if we wanted to build long-term photo communities, the tips and techniques had to be helpful to people who owned all different cameras, no matter who manufactured them.
On April 23rd, 2007, our instructors from around the country traveled to DPA headquarters to launch the school. During a four hour photo-shoot designed to express our collective joy in digital photography, the instructors captured hundreds of beautiful images of flowers, ponds, waterfalls, and the inimitable inhabitants of the big apple, which comprise much of the photos on the the school homepage. Shortly thereafter, all the instructors return to their cities, and began running classes throughout the country.
All of the DPA instructors have brought their cameras back to their cities, to assist in teaching the DPA workshops hands on. You can bring any make or model of digital camera manufacturer to your workshop, as our instructors have knowledge and experience with all different kinds of cameras.
Reviews of Digital Photo Academy
(4.7-star rating across
153 reviews)
Digital Photography Live In-the-Field @ Houston Arboretum and Nature Center
Reviewed by Carolyn G. on 10/14/2024
Jim Caldwell was a terrific instructor. He gave me several easy to understand tips on using manual camera settings. I was disappointed however with the venue. Houston Arboretum offered NO opportunities to take pictures to try out my new found skills. It was full of nothing but dead fallen trees & weeds. No flowers. No color. Very little wildlife. Houston Botanic Garden is a much better manicured nature environment.
Half Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (New York)
Reviewed by Christopher A. on 10/13/2024
Alina was thorough in her preparation and the materials that she provided to teach me how to use my Nikon D3300. She was patient and clear in her explanations, and always encouraging as we experimented with different techniques. And she pointed out composition issues with my photos that I didn't notice, raising my awareness of ways to isolate the subject and take better-looking pictures. I'm a beginner in digital photography, and feel much more comfortable talking about and taking photos after my session with Alina.
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (Seattle)
Reviewed by Sara C. on 8/27/2024
Jeff the teacher was great and did a fabulous job of balancing different participants different skills and cameras. The other participants were lovely.
All Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (Chicago)
Anonymous review on 3/16/2024
Great workshop with the guidance and expertise of Ron !
Ron is very experienced in all aspects of photography… makes it clear and accessible.
Learning a new way to approach street photography and depth of field!
Thank you
Half Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (Los Angeles)
Reviewed by Stacy I. on 1/16/2024
Ming is a terrific teacher; I got exactly what I wanted from this class and enjoyed every minute.
Half Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (New York)
Reviewed by Mike W. on 12/15/2023
Alina was great. I really enjoyed the course and can't wait to try some of the things I learned. The school's communication pre and post course were stellar.
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (Chicago)
Reviewed by Brian C. on 11/11/2023
Ron was an excellent instructor, especially for beginners. He helped ensure the content was easy to understand and provided really great recommendations on how to use a camera without overcomplicating things. Really nice person, accommodating, and made sure to answer every question.
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (Los Angeles)
Reviewed by Mark J. on 9/16/2023
It was a very good course, but parking in the Echo Park area on the weekends is a nightmare. I suggest perhaps a different location, a weeknight or an early morning time.
Digital Photography Live In-the-Field @ Eldridge Street Synagogue
Reviewed by Frederick M. on 8/27/2023
I bundled two photo classes back to back. The class(es) itself was great and the instructor was personable, patient and friendly. The synagogue and its environs are perfect and the instructor got to know us well enough that she could adapt the class to what we would shoot in our personal and professional lives. Would recommend. The lead-up to the class was difficult — the coordinator (NOT the instructor) kept changing instructors on us, course times, duration, etc. Communication got confusing via text message, email, phone call at once, with sometimes contradictory info like “Enjoy your class Saturday!” when class was actually scheduled for Sunday. That said, the coordinator was very personable and friendly and I enjoyed talking to him, as delightfully scattered as he came across.
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (New York)
Reviewed by Frederick M. on 8/27/2023
I bundled two photo classes back to back. The class(es) itself was great and the instructor was personable, patient and friendly. The synagogue and its environs are perfect and the instructor got to know us well enough that she could adapt the class to what we would shoot in our personal and professional lives. Would recommend. The lead-up to the class was difficult — the coordinator (NOT the instructor) kept changing instructors on us, course times, duration, etc. Communication got confusing via text message, email, phone call at once, with sometimes contradictory info like “Enjoy your class Saturday!” when class was actually scheduled for Sunday. That said, the coordinator was very personable and friendly and I enjoyed talking to him, as delightfully scattered as he came across.
Half Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (Houston)
Anonymous review on 8/16/2023
My teacher gave me lots of very useful information along with a handout detailing
camera functions.
I do wish he had reviewed his own camera more extensively before we met.
Our cameras were the same except mine was a bit of a newer model.
He was not able to answer some of my questions about various menu functions
of the camera. Other than that it was a very good session.
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (Los Angeles)
Anonymous review on 7/16/2023
Really enjoyed the experience.
Learning the controls and navigating the camera was what I wanted to accomplish by taking the course. Adding the next session which allowed me to experiment and apply techniques learned from the previous session was most beneficial to better understand the different aspects of the camera.
Digital Photography Live In-the-Field @ Fisherman's Wharf
Anonymous review on 6/26/2023
Great class. Well worth it.
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (San Francisco)
Anonymous review on 6/25/2023
Great class
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (Houston)
Anonymous review on 6/18/2023
The instructor knew virtually nothing about my Sony despite that fact that I submitted the maker and model weeks in advanced as requested. I was told it was so the instructor could familiarize himself with the students’ cameras prior to the class. As a result, he was unable to answer any questions that were specific to the controls on my camera.
Half Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (San Francisco)
Reviewed by Natalie C. on 6/7/2023
Jerry Downs was an excellent teacher and great fun.
Digital Photography Live In-the-Field @ Garfield Park Conservatory
Reviewed by Melissa B. on 6/4/2023
Garfield Park Conservatory is an outstanding location and Ron taught me many helpful technical tips about using my camera & stylistic elements to consider while taking photos. Thank you, Ron!
Half Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (DC)
Reviewed by Andy L. on 5/14/2023
Bob was a terrific help giving me a wide-angle look at photography as well as in the weeds helpful hints about the kinds of photos I'll be taking. As a result of this class, I have a renewed confidence in my ability to not just improve my photographs but to keep learning as I go. It was a fun three hours and I'm raring to take improved shots!
Master Your Digital Camera Controls (Chicago)
Reviewed by Melissa B. on 2/5/2023
Ron is an excellent instructor! He was very friendly and patient with all of the students and covered all of the important features on my digital camera. Ron provided and explained each concept with specific examples that were easy to understand and see. He also provided many tips about using the camera settings. I’m hoping he teaches a class at the conservatory so I can take another class with him.
All Day Private Digital Photography for 1-6 People (Seattle)
Reviewed by Emily J. on 11/29/2022
Steve was a phenomenal resource and Richard went the extra mile to make everything was super smooth and taken care of. Perfect! Thanks!
Students who have taken classes at Digital Photo Academy have generally had positive experiences and felt that they learned valuable skills. Many students praised the instructors for their knowledge and ability to explain concepts clearly. They mentioned learning about many technical aspects of photography. Some students appreciated that the instructors provided specific examples. Overall, students felt that the classes were worth their time and helped them improve their photography skills.
Quotes:
1. "I learned so much from Scott about composition and technicals, like how to best use shutter priority or aperture priority, exposure compensation, etc. Really had such an amazing set of moments."
2. "Ron is an excellent instructor! He was very friendly and patient with all of the students and covered all of the important features on my digital camera. Ron provided and explained each concept with specific examples that were easy to understand and see. He also provided many tips about using the camera settings."
3. "Jim Caldwell was very knowledgeable and willing to share his expert experience. He provided many basics for we beginners, but also practical tips that even experienced photographers would find useful."
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