Photographers swiftly capture what sluggish painters cannot, such as the sparkle of a fleeting smile, the identity of a media-shy superhero, or the split-second a peregrine falcon breaks the sound barrier. Attain photographic know-how with this Groupon to Digital Photo Academy. Choose between two options:

• For $49, you get a three-hour Composition in the Field workshop for one (a $99 value).
For $89, you get the above workshop for two (a $198 value).

Workshops are held on Saturday and Sunday at various times and locations.

Professional photographers and instructors, such as Alex Lippisch, James Wyman, and Jeffrey Bishop, teach shutterbugs of all skill levels how to creatively ensnare memories in Digital Photo Academy's array of informative classes. The Composition in the Field workshop fans artistic flames and helps cameras to break a sweat during three-hour on-location workshops with an intimate group of 10 or fewer people. During each open-air outing, the photography gurus guide lenses toward flawless lighting, thoughtful framing, and stealthy snapshots of bald eagles not wearing their hairpieces.

Students choose from various locations, class times, and themes, including a sightseeing snapfest across Virginia Kendall Park's eight trails and picturesque rock outcroppings, a jaunt across the historic brick floors of the West Side Market, and a trip to the maritime and industrial setting of the Flats. Participants should plan to schlep their own digital camera and any other equipment, such as a tripod, to the site of their picturesque adventure.