EXPAND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC HORIZONS - INDOORS OR OUT!

Photoshop Classes

I use Photoshop daily to move my digital images out of the camera, through my computer, and onto printed media. It is a very powerful tool, and one that I could not work without. But, it has a fairly steep learning curve, and can be quite intimidating on first approach.

In response to the requests I've had to offer classes on using Photoshop to make better photographic prints, I've developed three levels of Photoshop classes for photographers.

Your digital camera can record amazing images, but if you can't move those images off your storage cards (or through your scanner) and out onto paper or canvas, you can't share your creativity and imagination with others. These classes will give you the skills you need to edit and print your photos so they reflect what you were trying to capture in the field and show off your work to its best advantage.

We'll look at ways to optimize your shooting so you have the best possible images to work with, at ways to get accurate color and detail, and to move your finished photographs from ordinary to striking! Our small class size will give everyone time and attention so you can really "dig in" and get comfortable with Adobe's tools. All the training will be applicable to both Windows and Mac OSX systems

The starting point is the Introductory Photoshop Elements class. This class is designed for shooters who have never used Photoshop but want to start using the software tools effectively with their photography. It's based on Photoshop Elements, Adobe's general-purpose image editor aimed at photo enthusiasts. We cover the essentials needed to start using this excellent program to produce prints you'll love, including sizing, cropping, levels, layers, sharpening, and printing fundamentals.

The first session of Introductory Photoshop Elements was held on October 27, 2007. Here are two pictures of the class:

I was particularly gratified by the comments from students in the class, which included, "I'm not afraid of Photoshop any more!" and "You taught me things I didn't know I wanted to know." I'll be using the feedback from those students to refine and improve these classes.

The Intermediate Photoshop Elements course will be aimed at photographers who have started using Elements, can find their way around the program, and now want to expand their skills and improve the quality of their printed work. This class will work on the more advanced features found in Elements. We'll explore layer masks, selective editing, layer options, retouching, photo merging, artistic editing, and more.

The Advanced Photoshop course will be aimed at photographers who have needs that take them beyond what Elements can do and are ready for Photoshop CS. We'll dig into the advanced features of the "big brother" program, and explore curves, masks, color adjustments, high dynamic range images, printer profiles, and more.

All the classes meet in a professional classroom space, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays, in a first-ring Minneapolis suburb. Tuition for each class is $195.00, and includes your use of the classroom, computers, software, and practice images; lunch will be on your own (brown bag or there are several fast food options nearby.)

All class participants are entitled to purchase one Landscape Impact print at 20% off the regular price; that special offer must be exercised within 90 days of the date of the expedition. Any participant returning for another class (or for a photo expedition) will receive a 20% discount off the price of that class session or expedition; there is no time limit on that benefit.

I'll be setting dates for the 2008 series of Introductory, Intermediate, and Advanced classes shortly. If you would be more interested in any of the classes, please send me an email at learning@landscapeimpact.com, and I'll alert you to the next date for the class you want.

Links for Other Resources

Photoworkshop.com is an interactive community, open free to the public. They bring together various Learning Centers made possible by the greatest names in photography and digital imaging. View calendar of their photo events/classes.

Member of the Landscape Photographers List landscape.photographer-s.com

The Web's Top Nature & Landscape Photography Pages at http://www.topphotos.net/

PhotoLinks - The Photography Network. Check out the Photography Directory by PhotoLinks at http://www.PhotoLinks.net/

Apogee Photo...The Internet's Photography Magazine (http://www.apogeephoto.com)
A FREE online magazine designed to inform and entertain photographers of all ages and levels. Check out their list of online photography classes @ http://apogeephoto.groupee.net/groupee.

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Photography Workshops and Trips: Problem-Solving Photo Expeditions into the Wild

 

"My photos don't look like what I thought
I was seeing on my trip!"
"I can't take interesting pictures!"
"So many of my pictures are washed out!"

If you've ever found yourself saying things like this after going through the photos you took on a scenic trip, or if you have just been frustrated by aspects of your outdoor photography and are ready to move up to the next level, a Landscape Impact Photography workshop can help you break through your current limits. See gorgeous landscape sites with photo opportunities in a supportive learning environment — come and be part of the workshop! Landscape Impact invites you to learn in one of our 2008 small-group outdoor photo workshops, and move your photo-taking ahead.

There are two Minnesota photography workshops presently planned for 2008: one in late May and the other in September. We're also planning a third expedition a bit farther from home in October - and you have a chance to determine if that one happens!

Why go on a Landscape Impact photo workshop?

If you are ready to move up to the next level in your outdoor photography, a Landscape Impact workshop can help you break through your current limits. If you want to see some gorgeous parts of Minnesota that offer you wonderful photo opportunities in a supportive learning environment, come and be part of the workshop. But don't delay - once the eight slots in each class are full, that's it!

Chris Sandberg will lead the workshops. He has been teaching adult learners for over 18 years, and has been immersed in digital landscape photography for the last five years. These workshops will let you try out new techniques and polish new skills, in beautiful outdoor environments.

 

"Water and Woods - Falls and North Shore Photo Expedition"
September 5-7, 2008

This is the trip for the photographer who can't get enough water! We'll chase the light up the Minnesota North Shore of Lake Superior, stopping at every photogenic waterfall north of Duluth until we hit the Canadian border (for the highest falls along the shore), and we'll still find time to explore the moods of the Great Lake and the scenic beauty of the surrounding woodland. This is a three-day trip, in order to give us time to go all the way up the Shore for those great shots and learning experiences.

Itinerary
We'll set out on the morning of Friday, September 5 from the Twin Cities, deadhead it to Duluth, and start shooting as the falls emerge on the shore of Lake Superior. We'll hit several spots and end up at Grand Marais for the evening. The harbor there should provide us some memorable evening shots.

Saturday morning we'll push all the way north to Grand Portage, shoot the High Falls, and start working our way south along the shore, stopping for scenic locations and teachable moments. We'll spend Saturday night in Two Harbors.

Sunday morning we'll get sunrise shots on the shore of Lake Superior, and turn our way south, arriving back in the Twin Cities by 4:00 p.m. on the 7th.

 

Photo skills
The beauty of water in motion - cascading down the falls or crashing on the shore - plus the serenity and power of the Lake and the solemnity of the north woods will provide us plentiful opportunities to develop compositional and emotional skills. Besides the abundant large scale locations, we'll work on finding the beauty of the Wild in smaller-scale settings. With any luck at all, Fall colors in the diverse foliage along the Shore will add to our ability to experiment and learn. This will be a collegial and low-pressure group setting, with plenty of personal attention to each participant.

Cost.
The Landscape Impact fee for this expedition is $425.00. Click here to reserve your spot with an email. For students (current college registration required) and seniors (62+), a 25% discount is available, which lowers the fee to $320.

"Going South - Arizona & Utah Photo Expedition"
October 10-15, 2008

This is an exciting new expedition that is in the planning stages. The American Southwest is filled with fantastic photographic opportunities, and this will be a chance to explore some the very best of those locations. These are locations we love, and have had great shooting at on past trips. We're really excited about sharing these natural wonders with you, and giving you some the very best places in the Wild to learn and to develop your photographic skills.

Itinerary
Friday, October 10
We'll meet you at the Canyon de Chelly National Monument in northeastern Arizona for introductions, orientation, and sunset shooting (detailed directions to the meeting point will be provided.)

Saturday, October 11
This is the day we explore Canyon de Chelly - a truly wonderous and magical place. This will be a full day, with sunrise and sunset shooting, plus a circle tour of the Canyon rim during the day. When the light gets poor, we'll take a break for a photo review and exercises.

Sunday, October 12
We'll move on from Canyon de Chelly to Monument Valley. If you are a fan of classic Western movies, you've seen the iconic forms of Monument Valley - the Mittens, Totem Pole, Elephant Butte, the Three Sisters, and on and on. The landscape here is unforgettable, and we'll start with afternoon and evening shooting today.

Monday, October 13
The day starts with sunrise shots at Monument Valley Visitor Center. We'll then get off the tourist track with a Diné guide to go to parts of the Park not open to the general public for more learning and shooting. In the afternoon, we'll explore other sights in the general area, which may include the Goosenecks, Valley of the Gods, or Comb Ridge, depending upon the weather and group interests.

Tuesday, October 14
One last sunrise at Monement Valley (different days, different shots!) and then turn west, heading for Lower Antelope Canyon. The Canyon is truly a photographer's paradise: its steep walls and filtered light provide forms and colors like nowhere else. It's hard work getting the right composition and exposure, but the results will be well worth the effort! The last part of the day will be at Lake Powell.

Wednesday, October 15
Our last sunrise together: Horseshoe Bend of the Colorado River for a fantastic vista. We'll be done mid-morning to give everyone options - head to your airport of choice for a flight home, or extend your trip with some additional photographic locations (and we have several great suggestions in the area.)

Cost.
The projected Landscape Impact fee for this expedition is $1075.00, which includes instruction over the six days, and all admissions and guide fees for all shooting locations. Food, lodging and transportation costs are not included, so participants can adapt those to their preferences - car pooling will be heavily promoted! For students (current college registration required) and seniors (62+), a 25% discount is available, which lowers the fee to $805.

Will this really happen?
That depends entirely on you! This expedition will take place if at least five participants sign up, and has our usual cap of eight. If you are interested, please let us know as soon as you decide you'd like to go. There will be a $250 deposit to hold your place, which will be fully refunded if the expedition does not take place. Because reservations are needed for some of the days' activities, a quick response is the best way to guarantee the expedition will go as planned. Click here to send an email saying you want to be part of this trip.

 

General Information

What will I be expected to do as a participant?

Have fun and challenge yourself!

We'll work with each student to help you find new ways to see a scene, to compose photos that reflect your vision of the landscape, and help you bring back interesting photos that reflect what you saw on the scene. If you want to mostly work alone, with an occasional observation and suggestion, that's fine. If you are looking for more support and assistance, that will be available as well. There will almost certainly be a range of experience and confidence in the group, and the skills instruction will be adapted to each member of the group.

We will be shooting at sunset to get the "magic hour" of wonderful light , and be up again early in the morning for sunrise shooting; you will need to be prepared for those hours, but we'll have some "down time" during the day when the light doesn't lend itself as well to our needs and we shift to discussion and review of technique.

We'll shoot at both well-known and less-known locations that provide satisfying photo opportunities. These locations will give you a variety of outdoor settings to practice your expanding photographic skills. No long hikes are involved; we will drive close to all our shooting locations, and trek in no more that 20 minutes or so at any spot. The spots for the workshops have been chosen based upon the learning opportunities and beauty of the locations, not the physical effort to get to them!

Please remember that we will need to adapt to weather and road conditions, and we'll tweak our itinerary if we need to reflect those factors.

Any special requirements for participants?

Essential: an SLR (digital or film) with the ability to set aperture and speed manually, a sturdy tripod, a selection of lenses (covering at least 35-mm to 200-mm), batteries and charger, and lots of storage media/film! A comfortable camera bag or pack that fits all your gear will make the trip much more enjoyable.

You'll want to dress in layers for that unpredictable weather: temperatures that can range from cool, wet mornings, to hot afternoons, to blustery evenings. Rain gear is essential, along with sturdy footwear suitable to short hikes on wooded and rocky trails with elevation changes.

Bring a Family Radio Service or GMRS hand-held radio (such as a Motorola Talkabout or Uniden GMRS walkie-talkie.) Having everyone "on the air" will let us keep the group together and make sure we can stay on schedule even while you pursue your own vision at our stops.

You'll also want a notebook or portfolio and pens. I'll have handouts to accompany many of the exercises, and you'll probably want to take notes along the way as well.

Participant benefits

All workshop participants are entitled to purchase one Landscape Impact print at 20% off the regular price; that special offer must be exercised within 90 days of the date of the expedition. Any participant returning for another expedition or for a Photoshop class will receive a 20% discount off the price of that workshop or class session; there is no time limit on that benefit.

Cancellation policy

Registration fees are non-refundable. If you are not able to attend, but provide a replacement participant, your registration fee will be credited to that replacement participant, less a $25 change fee. If you are not able to attend and cannot provide a replacement, you can move your registration fee (less a $25 change fee) to another workshop or class within 12 months of the date of the original workshop.

If Landscape Impact has to cancel the workshop, you will receive a full refund.

Liability Waiver and Release

As a participant in any Landscape Impact workshop, you understand that participation in the workshop involves a certain degree of risk that could result in injury, such as bruises, cuts, scrapes, concussion, broken bones, or death, from activities that are a necessary part of a workshop in the outdoors at remote and rustic locations. In consideration of the benefits to be derived from participation, and after carefully considering the risk involved, you agree to hold harmless and waive all claims you may incur against Landscape Impact, Digital Art + Magic LLC, Christopher K. Sandberg, and any other individual(s) involved in delivering the workshop; further, you agree not to sue any of those businesses or persons and release all claims against them for damages.

In case of emergency, you understand that every effort will be made to contact a person listed as your emergency contact. In the event that person cannot be reached, you give your permission to the physician selected by the workshop leader to secure proper medical treatment for you, including hospitalization, anesthesia, surgery, or injection of medications.

Landscape Impact reserves the right to change any workshop arrangements if necessitated by changed conditions, and to revise or cancel any portion of the workshop for safety reasons or if that portion has become impossible to present. While Landscape Impact does not anticipate needing to cancel the workshop, the right to do so is reserved to the sole discretion of Landscape Impact; if a workshop is cancelled, you understand and agree that you will be solely responsible for any costs or expenses you have incurred, including but not limited to airline tickets, car rentals, and hotel or restaurant reservations. You also understand and agree that Landscape Impact is not responsible for any loss of or damage to your personal property, including camera equipment.

By your reservation, you are certifying that you are physically fit and able to participate in outdoor photography in rustic and unimproved locations, and are able to and do assume all risks associated with such locations and weather.