Photography Classes: Magic in Action!

Our Lightroom class learned how to turn the spotlight on Catwoman

There’s no denying it: teaching photography classes is a lot of fun. Seeing someone’s eyes light up when they finally “get” some aspect of photography that’s been frustrating them is one of the best parts of my job. And the more advanced the classes get, the more fun there is to be had. It’s the ability to edit well that takes photos from great to jaw-droppingly awesome. We touch on editing a little in our Photography Beyond the Basics photography classes. We really zero in on it, though, in our Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Unleashed course. Lightroom is a powerful tool for organizing your photos and photo shoots. It also puts some amazing editing tools at your fingertips – like the ability to put Catwoman in the spotlight.

To really appreciate what we did, you need to see the before and after. On the left, you see the image as it came out of the camera. Catwoman? Still dramatic and awesome. But the background and the lighting? Well. They could use a little help. That’s where what we teach in our photography classes comes into play. It might be hard to believe that the image on the right is the same one – just touched with the magic of Lightroom. It’s true, though. Obviously, Catwoman was pleased with the results, but, what did our students think? June said, “It was mind blowing … let into the magician’s bag of tricks.”

Before … and after

Now, you might think this is a cool trick, but wonder how it would be useful to you – since you rarely photograph Catwoman. Another student, Alyssa, thought the class was awesome, and she emailed a day or two later to tell us that she’d applied the technique to a photo of her adorable baby girl. She added a little “oomph” to a shaft of sunlight and took the image from a cute snapshot to a gallery-worthy childhood portrait. Sometimes, a photo can be perfectly framed and composed, but still lack that spark that makes it something truly remarkable. If that happens to you, our photography classes can teach you, too, to wield the magic!

The bad news? Our current Lightroom course is nearly over. The good news? We’ll be running it again in the spring and, in the meantime, our monthly workshops can let you get your feet wet with advanced photography topics. Or, if you’re ready to immerse yourself, our Photo Elite program might be right for you. You can enroll anytime, and each photo field trip is paired with an editing session, where you get to play in Lightroom to your heart’s content. If all else fails, there are always private lessons.

In short, we offer a full array of photography classes. Whether you’re a beginner or a near-pro, we can help you hone your skills.

Walter Schnecker, CPP

Walter Schnecker is the owner of C1M Photography, LLC, in Amherst, NH. He’s been educating photographers in southern New England and beyond for the last seven years. He loves helping people.