MARCH 4, 2017 – SPECIAL WORKSHOP: DAN BALLARD: ARTISTIC LIGHTROOM AND FOCUS STACKING

by ecc

In the Field and Classroom: Artistic Lightroom and Focus Stacking* with Dan Ballard!

*Simply put, focus stacking allows the photographer to render a scene in focus from very near to very far, more artfully and realistically reflecting what the photographer experiences.


In the Field and Classroom: Artistic Lightroom and Focus Stacking* with Dan Ballard!

*Simply put, focus stacking allows the photographer to render a scene in focus from very near to very far, more artfully and realistically reflecting what the photographer experiences.

It is changing the world of photography, by allowing the photographer to push the limits of creativity and go beyond what was possible even a few years ago. For creating powerful artistic images and producing incredibly sharp technical images, focus stacking is unmatched. You can now get within inches of your foreground subject and capture grand landscapes with more energy and drama then ever before.

Internationally known travel and landscape photographer Dan Ballard will be sharing his techniques on capturing in the field and then creating amazing images in Lightroom and Photoshop This class will break down the key steps to creating truly stunning images from capture to basic editing to focus stacking.

This extraordinary hands-on workshop is limited to 25 participants. Registration is open to paid Evergreen Camera Club members only through February 10th. Then the workshop will be open to non-members if the limit has not been reached.

The class begins promptly at 9:00 am in the Lake House parking lot (29612 Upper Bear Creek Rd, Evergreen). Dan will cover the focus stacking technique and some basic composition ideas from 9:00 am to 10:30 am. Bring your camera, your widest angle lens, and a tripod (optional but recommended).

We will then move to the Bergen Park Fire Station auditorium (1802 Bergen Parkway, Evergreen) to download your images and work on editing. Bring your laptop with Photoshop and/or Lightroom installed and a card reader.

We will begin the indoor session with Dan’s workflow for importing, organizing and safely storing images, then move on to artistic editing, which is the main focus of the class. Dan will show you how to easily and effectively process your images to look great with a minimum learning curve and very little time per image in Lightroom. Dan will cover the “why” we do a certain step in terms of the artistic value as well as how to actually preform the tasks. We will break for lunch at noon and return at 1:00 pm.

As the day progresses, you will learn to draw the eye into the image using dodging and burning, spotlight important areas using sharpness, white balance and clarity, and create a great overall “flow” with graduated filters and brushes. We will cover the basics of focus stacking, the Orton Effect, image blending and double processing in Photoshop. This will be a complete class on how Dan edits his own images from beginning to end!

This class is recommend for all levels! Beginners are welcome and old hands will definitely pick up some new ideas!

Please bring your camera, your widest angle lens, and a tripod (optional) to the outdoor session. Bring your laptop with card reader to the class with Lightroom and Photoshop installed and several of your images ready to be edited.

DAN’S TESTIMONIALS:

“Superb!!! This was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Dan’s demonstration made it clear to me that even as an old guy who is slow to learn that I can learn and use Lightroom and enjoy it. Thanks Dan!!!!”

“Wow…What a fantastic class. Dan is very, very passionate and this definitely comes across. I learned a lot from him and can’t wait to get started. Thanks Dan for all the information. Loved it!”

“That was amazing! Dan’s insights into working with Lightroom was very helpful. He also does a great job of teaching quite a lot in a short amount of time. Dan is an excellent instructor and I am so glad that I signed up for this presentation! I really appreciated that the majority of the time was spent on image editing. It was so helpful to see Dan’s RAW images right out of the camera, and then watch him edit them. Thanks SO much! I learned a LOT!”

“The class was great! I’ve spent more money on a Lightroom class and got half as much productive knowledge out of it. I walked away thinking I can now do something with Lightroom!”

“Dan did a fabulous job sharing his workflow with both landscape and portraits within Lightroom. Showing his before and after photos, then recreating the same effect within the class was a benefit to me. Then repeat those steps several times with various photos helped me to really learn his workflow thus allowing me to incorporate some of his steps into my own photography. Great presentation!!”

“Excellent. Dan Ballard is an accomplished instructor who knows his Lightroom and is able to share it effectively with his audience. The class exceeded my expectations and opened new possibilities for my photography.”