Adobe Photoshop Elements Essentials
4-SESSION WORKSHOP

Fundamental Photography Class

LEVEL: Basic Digital Image Processing and Digital Darkroom Techniques
(View Course Requirements)

This 4-session class teaches you, in a comprehensive step-by-step manner, how to take your original digital images and dramatically improve them. You will learn how to use the very popular and inexpensive image editing software called Adobe Photoshop Elements.  (Gift Cards for this class are available.)

Photoshop Elements Essentials See Prices
Location:  Downers Grove, IL
DATES	STATUS
10/18, 10/25, 11/1, 11/8 (Mon.) 7:00PM	OPEN

Adobe Photoshop Elements is an easy-to-use digital darkroom program that allows you to make adjustments to your photos. For instance, the software offers tools for cropping your pictures, correcting the color, adjusting the exposure, removing distracting elements, sharpening your images, preparing them for emailing and printing, and much more. But, it is our philosophy to not overwhelm you with tons of information. Instead, we teach you what you need to know—things you'll be using 99% of the time.

The class is designed so you can practice the lessons on your home computer. You'll essentially be repeating the same lessons you learned in class, but this time you'll be guided by a comprehensive textbook with step-by-step instructions. (Textbook: The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers) And, you'll be working on the very same images found in the book and used during the lecture. This use of repetition and consistency aids in both learning and retention. Plus, you always have the book to help remind you about what to do.

There are two fundamental reasons why we need the digital darkroom. The first is to fix errors made when the picture was taken: red eye, distracting reflections, overexposure, color casts, etc. And though this class will teach you how to correct many technical mistakes, it's always best to take a good photo from the start (see our other classes). You cannot make a great image from a bad original.

With images now being captured by digital cameras, fewer people shoot color negative film and take it to the drugstore lab for processing. The advantage to the lab is that they did a lot of secret work behind the scenes, which the customer didn't know about. They'd correct the color and the exposure, even it was badly screwed up, and then they'd crank out a decent looking print. The downside was that, since the prints looked okay, people figured that they were doing everything correctly. But, the truth is: the lab fixed their mistakes for years and never told them.

So now, with digital capture, the curtain has been drawn aside revealing all of the shooter's photographic frailties. Now, the digital photographer has to do the job of the drugstore lab, if he wants better pictures. This is a good reason why it's important to make adjustments to your images.

The second reason for needing a digital darkroom is to perfect the digitally captured image to best represent the photographer's experience and intention. This step deals with the art of photography. You will learn many useful digital darkroom techniques to better express your own personal vision and to bring your images to life.

Please read the Course Requirements before applying. It is very important that you have a solid basic grasp of your computer.

COURSE AGENDA

All instruction sessions take place in the cozy atmosphere of Mike's home and studio in Downers Grove, Illinois. Each session will last approximately 2 hours.During the lecture, various Photoshop Elements tools and applications are demonstrated using images that come with the textbook The Photoshop Elements 8 Book for Digital Photographers (Voices That Matter). For your homework, you will replicate the steps taken during the lecture, which is the same steps that are clearly laid out in the textbook lessons. So, it'll be very easy to understand and follow along.

This photography class will be limited to 6 to 10 students, depending on the experience level of the participants. So, please register quickly to insure a spot.

Workshop Price: $198     Deposit: $198

Price does not include textbook.

If you have further questions about Mike MacDonald photography workshops just email or phone 630-852-8448.