OM Mentorship Program - Part 3
Introduction to the Program
What to expect
The Nature Photography Post Processing Mentorship Program Part 3 is focused on mastering post processing. So many images are left wanting because the photographer hasn't taken the time to master this critical step in the life of an image.
Would you like to feel confident removing noise and sharpening your images? Would you like to be precise with local adjustments through masking? Have you always wanted to try an HDR image but had no idea how to start? If these and other post processing questions are on your mind, this mentorship program was designed for you!
Sessions
Session One
Introduction to Post Processing
The introductory session will familiarize you with the Zoom meeting platform so that you will be able to fully engage in every live, interactive session, as well as your private live sessions. We will discuss expectations, participation, guidelines, and the OM System Mentorship Program website and how to access session materials. We will discuss the softwares we will use. Finally, we will cover a variety of terms, definitions, and concepts.
Session Two
Introduction to Lightroom
Session two is an introduction to Lightroom where we will discuss the Lightroom preferences settings, the Lightroom modules, interface, panels, toolbar, and various commands.
Session Three
Understanding the Lightroom Catalog
Session three will explore the Lightroom Catalog, the files, and how to find the file and protect it. We will consider whether we should use one or more catalogs. We will walk through the various catalog settings. Moving photos and folders are critical in how we do it and this will be emphasized on how to do it safely. Finally, renaming, optimizing and upgrading a catalog will be discussed.
Session Four
Importing & Organizing Your Images - Part One
Session four will explore selecting an import source, whether to use copy as DNG, copy, move or add, how Lightroom handles your files, renaming your images, using import presets, what you should apply during import, and selecting a destination for your images. We will discuss how to find your images and how to safely move your images. We will learn how to find lost images. Finally we will discuss the various import options.
Session Five
Importing & Organizing Your Images - Part Two
Session five continues learning about the importation of images by considering how to store your images, synchronizing folders, removing images from Lightroom, deleting images from Lightroom, the use of virtual copies, the use of collections, and backing up your images.
Session Six
Lightroom: Viewing, Sorting, Filters & Metadata
Session six will discuss how to view, sort, and filtering your images. We will consider the various viewing options such as grid, loupe, compare, and survey. The importance of sorting your images will be discussed and how to use the toolbar to optimize your workflow. We will learn how to organize our images using groups and stacks. We will discuss how to use keywords and captions. Finally, we will consider metadata and how to edit and use.
Session Seven
DxO PureRaw | Topaz Photo AI | Lightroom Enhance
Session seven will consider how to use DxO PureRaw, Topaz Photo AI, and Lightroom Enhance feature to presharpen and reduce noise on our RAW files before editing them. We will learn about noise, the types, the sources and causes and how to address it. You will learn how to use each software for noise reduction and sharpening so that you start with the best quality RAW files before any other edits are made.
Session Eight
Lightroom Develop Module Basics - Part One
Session eight will begin the deep dive into editing our images beyond noise reduction and sharpening! We will understand a basic philosophy of post processing. We will discuss some basic tips and tool techniques. We will consider how to use the histogram and highlight/shadow alerts in guiding our edits. We will look at the Basic Panel and the Blacks | Shadows | Exposure | Highlights | Whites. We will consider the contrast slider and how to use it effectively. We will consider the relationship between cropping and aspect ratios. Finally, we will discuss color profiles and white balance.
Session Nine
Lightroom Develop Module Basics - Part Two
Session nine will find us learning about the basics and presence panels. You will learn how and when to use the Texture, Clarity, Dehaze, Vibrance and Saturation sliders. We will look at the basic sharpening and noise reduction sliders under the details panel.
Session Ten
Lightroom Develop Module Advanced Editing - Part One
Session ten will take us further into the importance of editing where we will learn how to remove spots and clone | heal images. We will learn how and when to use the color mixer and when to make adjustments. Color grading and depth blur will be the last two elements of this session.
Session Eleven
Lightroom Develop Module Advanced Editing - Part Two
Session eleven will teach you how to make local adjustments using the powerful tool of masking. We will look at the various techniques for creating masks. You will learn how to make develop present and import them from other sources.
Session Twelve
Lightroom Exporting & Sharing Your Images
Session twelve will help you learn how to export your images to other software and how to email, publish, and prepare your images for social media. We will look at how to use plug-ins for Lightroom as well.
Session Thirteen
Editing HDR Images | Focus Bracketed Images
Session thirteen will move us further into advanced editing techniques by teaching you how to edit HDR sequences and focus bracketed sequences into final images. We will look at the Nik Collection HDR Effex and Helicon Focus software.
Session Fourteen
Converting Images to B&W in Silver Efex
Session fourteen will teach you the powerful Nik Collection software for converting images to Black-and-White. There are many different ways to refine and enhance your images with black-and-white and this session will help you begin to see in black-and-white when photographing and editing.
Session Fifteen
Editing Wildlife & Macro Images
Session fifteen will consider how to take all you have learned and apply that specifically to wildlife and macro images!
Session Sixteen
Editing Landscape & Night Sky Images
Session Sixteen will take all you have learned and apply it to the editing of both landscape and night sky images.
Bonus Session One - Video Only
Ingesting & Culling Images with Photo Mechanic
Bonus Session One is a video on my entire process for ingesting, renaming, organizing, and culling images using Photo Mechanic.