Post Processing Masterclass

Join Joe Cornish and me for this in-depth opportunity to improve your post-processing skills over two days. 

Joe and I have been teaching post-processing for over ten years now. There are countless online tutorials but none of these are tailored to your individual images nor do they allow you to converse with the tutors in real time.

 

We will predominantly be using Lightroom, but reference will also be made to Photoshop, Adobe Camera Raw, and Capture One.

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Whatever the software, in the digital imaging era this is a key skill, as important as composition and proficiency with a camera. In no particular order, the topics covered will be:

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1. Processing for print. Whether for fine art, books or other publishing, translating images for print is a fundamental skill for the advanced photographer.

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2. Layered local adjustments. Whether on raw files in Lightroom, or on output files in Photoshop, layered adjustments, usually allied with masks, are the primary working method for artistic interpretation.

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3. A full exploration of Curves. Curves can control almost all the primary characteristics of luminance and contrast. Globally or locally, Curves is the most useful control in the digital toolbox.

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4. Colour Balance, White Balance, Colour Mixer, Colour Grading, HSL; clarifying and navigating the (sometimes confusing) choice of colour controls.

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5. Black and White conversions.

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6. Options for sharpening, including the important question of whether sharpening is needed?

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7. Inverting the image for interpretation, and other advanced workspace essentials.

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8. What is Image Quality? We find out when we edit our images.

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9. Zonal light. Joe’s foundation philosophy of light for image editing explained.

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10. Developing a direction and philosophy for your photography, and how editing can help.

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We will ask you to bring a maximum of six images for Joe and I to work on during the course. At the end of the session, you will be able to take home the files that Joe and I have worked on with all the edits. You will also be given a print of one of your images prepared by Joe.

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Whilst most teaching on this subject concentrates on the 'hows' we will also be looking at the 'whys'. It's not enough just to add contrast, saturation or clarity. For truly personal, meaningful results we need to think through why we should do these things (or, in some cases, why we shouldn't!). Every manipulation – or edit – if applied thoughtfully, can be used to change and enhance the interpretation of an image, guiding the viewers' eyes by accentuating or de-emphasising areas.

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Ansel Adams once wrote that, "The negative is the score, the print is the performance". A RAW file is, in essence, a digital negative that can, like a physical negative, be translated to produce numerous different impressions.

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If the weather is favourable we will also enjoy some photography time close to the venue. Farndale is one of the most beautiful dales in the North York Moors National Park.

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Saskia, who does all the amazing food for our longer workshops, will prepare lunches and refreshments for us at the venue.

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It would be useful, but not essential, for participants to bring a laptop computer.