Smugmug has teamed with Marc Silber, Bay Area photographer to present a series of free introductory workshops entitled Capturing the Spirit of Photography. The first to be held Wednesday, January 23, 7 p.m. at SmugMug HQ, 67 East Evelyn, Mountain View, CA 94041.

"Today everyone has a camera, but do they really know how to use it? Rushing around, snapping pictures distracts from the core joy of photography. The art of photography transcends just looking through a camera lens and leads to really seeing life. I'll give tips to improve anyone's abilities straight from two of the greats of photography, ansel adams and Henri Cartier-Bresson," Siber said.

"There isn't a pro in the field, any field, that won't tell you that the key to improvement is instruction and practical application. With this in mind, we're presenting this series of workshops for photographers of all levels. By adding the element of Marc's workshops we are taking the next step in our in our mission of devotion to priceless photos," SmugMug's Markham Bennett added.

Silber, a Peninsula native attended the San Francisco Art Institute, has been a professional photographer for more than 40 years and enjoys teaching photography through his workshops and published works.