Description

In this comprehensive, one day course we will concentrate on how to optimise your digital workflow to maximise the quality of your images. The session will be based around a detailed discussion of four key topics: how to shoot and optimise your initial exposures, how to convert your RAW files, how to post-produce your images to maximise their quality, and how to output your images for web and print.

In the first part of the course we will concentrate on two interrelated topics: why you should shoot RAW images rather than JPEGs, and how to determine an optimum exposure for subsequent post-production. This will lead on to a detailed discussion of how to process your RAW files using Adobe's Camera Raw plugin for Photoshop. The topics we will discuss include: setting the white balance; varying the exposure; recovering highlight detail; enhancing contrast and saturation; sharpening; black and white conversions; adding and removing vignettes; and so on.

In the third part of the course we will take a look at a variety of post-production techniques and tools that can be used to greatly enhance the quality of your final images. This will include: a detailed discussion of how to use the Curves tool, one of the most powerful and flexible tools within Photoshop; how to alter the colour balance of your images and tone your black and white images using a variety of tools and techniques; and how to use adjustment layers and masks to apply selective adjustments to your images.

In the fourth, and final section, we will take a look at how to optimise your images for web and print. This will include a discussion of output sharpening, colour management, and image resizing.

What you should bring

Some RAW files of your own work.