This is a 4-part Online Live class series (via Zoom) and takes place on four consecutive Wednesday evenings from 6:00pm to 8:00pm Pacific Time, June 5th, 12th, 19th and 26th.
Students should have experience with Lightroom Classic prior to this class. This is not a nuts & bolts of Lightroom series, but rather for anyone who is interested in learning to apply the main processing tools of Lightroom Classic to achieve professional results.
Lightroom was designed to make the basic adjustments most photographers need. But the approach and workflows used by most photographers do not properly address the complex processing problems that are found in most photographs. To solve these problems, we need to “reimagine” how to apply the tools Lightroom gives us.
Rich has done an intense evaluation of the work he does for museums and gallery exhibitions, quantifying what kind of processing decisions are most needed to make professional quality work. The common approaches to using Lightroom will not achieve these results. Most processing requires masking, and approaches that go beyond Lightroom’s “Basic” adjustments. What is needed is a new workflow and application of Lightroom’s tools…a way to mix Lightroom’s ingredients with a recipe that gives better results.
This class will teach you to reimagine how to use Lightroom and approach processing like a master, giving you better results than your current workflow. You’ll learn the core problems that need solving in every photograph, and the fundamentals that will help you diagnose and solve both simple and complex problems. Through this knowledge, you will understand processing and photography better, which will help you work more effectively in the field and behind the monitor.
Week 1 (Wednesday, June 5th) - Thinking Outside the Box
One simple change in your workflow can revolutionize the results you get. Rich will show you how, and teach you a proven process for professional level results.
Week 2 (Wednesday, June 12th) - Contrast and Curves
Contrast is what transforms dull and murky photos into clear, crisp tones that communicate clearly. Learn to unlock the power of curves for ultimate control over contrast to create depth, dimension, and impact.
Week 3 (Wednesday, June 19th) - Seeing Color
Learning to see the difference between “good” and “bad” color is the key to the fine tuning that makes your photographs come alive. Rich will show you how to evaluate and correct the most common problems.
Week 4 (Wednesday, June 26th) - Refinement: Think Global, Act Local
Most photographic problems require local corrections to solve, and to achieve the fine tuning that turns a good photo into great photo. In fact, this is where Rich spends most of his time when processing. Learn how to decide between local and global corrections, and how to make these corrections with refinement.
This Online Live class series will be conducted using Zoom. You will receive a Zoom Invitation Link a few days prior to the first session’s scheduled date. We will have recordings of each session available for four weeks after the session runs for students who miss a session, or would like to review what they learned during the live session.
Rich Seiling’s passion for capturing light and beauty with photography has led him on a series of adventures that have shaped his vision and view of the craft. From a stint at The Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite as an assistant curator, to his pioneering work in digital printmaking, founding of a leading fine art printing studio, and 22 years living in and photographing the Yosemite region of the Sierra Nevada, Rich has deeply explored the vision and craft of photography while continuing to express his own vision.
He learned photography in the darkroom, seeking to make prints with the rich tonal scale exemplified by the West Coast traditions of photography. But his frustration with color processes led him to explore digital photography starting in the early 1990s.
Combining his darkroom knowledge with digital tools led to a process for making color prints of museum quality that pushed the process to new heights. His reputation for making vibrant yet realistic digital prints allowed him to help photographers like Galen Rowell, Jack Dykinga, Robert Glenn Ketchum, and many others, make the transition to digital fine art printing. With his team at West Coast Imaging, he has helped produce numerous museum shows, supplied prints for leading galleries, and done prepress for art books from publishers like Taschen and Houghton Mifflin.
Working in both black & white and color, Rich strives to capture the profound beauty of nature and communicate it through vibrant, and sometimes large, prints. He considers himself a student of light, discovering its qualities and how it communicates the inherent realities of a subject, often seeking out fleeting moments of rare light that make the landscape sing its own voice.
Driven by the belief that each photographer has a unique story only they can tell, Rich teaches the art of photography through workshops and articles. His goal is to help students unlock their potential to tell their own stories by helping them gain control of the craft, expand their vision, and most of all, to experience the enrichment and joy that photography brings.
A full refund will be granted to those who notify us of registration cancelation at least 72 hours (3 days) prior to the series start date.
