BetterPhoto.com

I do a number of classes at BetterPhoto.com, some of which are listed below. These are web-based classes. Once a week, students get a lesson and an assignment that is due the next week. Assignments are critiqued after the deadline for the assignment (though this is not a hard deadline – late assignments are always critiqued). A lot of the learning from a class comes from seeing the work of other students and reading the critiques from the instructor as well as comments from other students.

My classes include:

A Darkroom Called Lightroom – Lightroom is the best image processing program for photographers and this course takes you into working with traditional darkroom techniques in Lightroom. You will learn a basic workflow that ensures the best tonality and color as well as how to interpret your image to get the most out of it. For more information, click here.

Composition Boot Camp – Alright, camper, shape up and get better compositions! This class looks at composition in some ways that you will not find anywhere else. The goal of the class is to get you seeing your subject and scene better than ever so that you can create compelling photos that communicate effectively to a viewer. For more information, click here.

Creating Storytelling Photos – This is probably the most challenging class I teach at BetterPhoto.com. Storytelling photography is not emphasized in most instruction about photography. Making the subject clear and important in the photo is what everyone learns – good things, but that can take you away from story. Story is about the subject and something more. For more information, click here.

Mastering Black-and- White – Blackand- white photography has become an important part of photography once again. Black-andwhite is not about removing color, it is a distinct medium that requires you to think differently. This class covers shooting in black-and-white to better learn how to define an image in black-and-white as well as how to convert color to black-and-white effectively. For more information, click here.

The Magic of F-Stops – Choosing the Right Aperture: f-stops are obviously important for exposure and depth of field, but I find most photographers don’t really understand how to use them well. This course will encourage you to explore possibilities beyond simply getting a lot of depth of field. You might even learn why small apertures can be inferior to larger ones. For more information, click here.

Impact in Your Photographs: The Wow Factor – Photography is so common today that you are bombarded with images almost from the moment you wake up. How do you create images that stand out and grab attention from viewers in such a world? You look for impact in your photography! This goes beyond simply using a new technique, but in using a technique to create an image that is unexpected, unusual, striking and more. For more information, click here.

Paul's Photo Saturday Workshops - Throughout Year

I regularly do classes at Paul’s Photo in Torrance, California. Many of these classes are one-day weekend classes, but we are developing longer classes for their new educational facility. Torrance, California, is right by some of the most famous beach cities in Southern California, such as Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, plus it is not far from mountains and deserts. Paul’s Photo is now developing classes to take advantage of this area as a great destination for photography and photographic learning. Learn more here.

Light Photographic Workshops and Click!, the California Photo Festival

I usually do a couple of workshops a year with Light Photographic Workshops in Los Osos, California. This is a wonderful area along the Central Coast of California with lots of places to go for great photographic opportunities with the classes. In addition, the Light classroom facilities are excellent. The folks who run Light, also put on the excellent week-long California Photo Festival each fall. Learn more here.

Palm Beach Photographic Centre and the FotoFusion Photo Festival

I usually do a couple of workshops a year with Palm Beach Photographic Centre in West Palm Beach, Florida. This is a terrific facility in the Southeast with interesting places nearby for excellent photographic opportunities with the classes. The folks who run the Palm Beach Photographic Centre, also put on an event-filled weeklong FotoFusion Photo Festival in January. Learn more here.