Module 1 • Lighting

Lesson 1 • Light, Your First Decision

What’s the first thing you should think about when choosing a location?

We want to be: -Centered Photographers Three priorities for choosing light are:

1. Soft, even light from to

2. Soft, even light in the

3. BONUS: background/

Lesson 2 • Avoid This… Like the Plague!

Avoid light at all cost

Harsh, direct light: Casts

Exposes

The second type of light to avoid is: light

Identify spotty light by: Splotches of sun on the

Distracts the

The third type of light to avoid is: light

Lesson 3 • How to Find the Right Light

Always look for and light.

Always look for even light from: to

Lesson 4 • Educating and Empowering Clients

Empower your clients through

It is important to your clients’ choices

Lesson 5 • The Trick to Finding Open Shade

One of the best ways to achieve indirect, soft light is to find:

The difference between open shade and regular shade is:

1. Subject and shaded

2. Subject can look directly up and see the

Two ways to find shade:

1. Find shade created by an

2. Find a place where the meets the

Lesson 6 • Selecting Intentional Backgrounds

The is going to affect the way the final image looks

Our style is and

Look for backgrounds that are:

in color

and

Have a plan for point of shots

Lesson 7 • Timing Sessions for the Right Light

Plan all sessions for hour

Golden hour is the hour or 45 minutes before

Schedule sessions hours before sunset

Lesson 8 • Timing Each Part of a Session

Always have a for the session

Shoot outfit one in shade

Schedule minutes for outfit changes

Beginning of golden hour = strong

End of golden hour = backlighting

Sunset: turn client the sun

Lesson 9 • Mastering Backlighting Like a Boss

Backlighting creates separation between the and the

Find backlighting by keeping your peeled

Look out at the spot on the ground where the meets the

The main key: Keep the lens in the

Tricks to keeping the lens in the shade without keeping the client in the shade:

1. Shuffle your

2. Use a

3. Use your

4. Look for objects

5. Use a to create shade on the lens

Lesson 10 • Reflectors: Our Favorite “Preset”

Reflector =

The more filling a face, the softer and more flattering

Look for colored surfaces

reflectors are anything we didn’t bring with us

Avoid walls

We use a inch -in-one reflector kit

Use a on a sunny day to block the direct light from hitting our clients, while allowing the indirect light to pass through

On a cloudy day, use a combo reflector and hold it titled toward the subject

Lesson 11 • Keys to Window Light

Find the window

Find the background

Clear the

Turn off the

Face the client the windows

Remember the principles of

Lesson 12 • Making it Work in Bad Light

first

Notes:

Module 2 • Composition

Lesson 1 • Rule of Thirds

Divide the shot into parts

Place your on one of the third lines

Think about both vertical and thirds

Lesson 2 • Framing

Train your eye to look beyond the

Look for of your subjects and anything in the background

Move , not your subject

Lesson 3 • Layering

Examples of elements to layer with:

Place the layering object close to the

Clients shouldn’t be camera

The exposure on the should match the exposure on the and on the

Lesson 4 • Leading Lines

are anything in the environment that already has some kind of linear structure

Placing subjects on a leading line create an illusion where the element is pointing towards the subject

The closer the subject is to your camera, the blurrier the background will be

Lesson 5 • Flattering the Body

Avoid chopping clients at the

Cut at the

Shoot when possible

Use space

Lesson 6 • Combining Elements for Maximum Effect

Review:

Five areas to remember in composition:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Notes:

Module 3 • Exposure and Manual Mode

Lesson 1 • Exposure

Exposure = how much light hits the camera’s

Demos 4:2: Correct exposure is shown by how the client’s looks

Over-exposed = too much

-exposed = not enough light

The three components of exposure are:

1. 2. 3.

Aperture, ISO and Shutter Speed affect:

1. The amount of that hits the sensor 2. One other unique element of the

Lesson 2 • Aperture

has the biggest impact on the way the image looks in the final image

Aperture = the of the hole

The size of the determines how much light hits the

Aperture =

The f stop is the system that describes how big or small the hole is

2.8 5.6 11

aperture means the hole is wider and more light gets in

The size of the hole determines how much is in

Lesson 3 • ISO

ISO = the camera’s sensitivity to

The the ISO, the least sensitive the camera is to the light

ISO = Less Grain

ISO = More Grain

The trick: find the ISO to give you the amount of light you need

Lesson 4 • Shutter Speed

Shutter Speed = how long the camera’s is open

The the curtain is open, the more hits the sensor

The the curtain, the light hits the sensor

Notes:

Module 4 • Depth of Field

Lesson 1 • How Distance Affects Depth

Depth of field = blur compare to

More = more blur

affects depth

Depth of field is affected by: 1. The distance to the

2. The distance to the

Get more blur by:

1. Getting to your 2. Getting your subject from the Get more in focus by:

1. Getting from your 2. Getting your subject to the

Lesson 2 • Choosing Lenses Strategically

Create extra depth with only your

lenses have one fixed focal length

Examples of Prime Lenses: -50 mm - mm -100 mm

lenses have multiple focal lengths

Examples of Zoom Lenses: -24- mm

-70- mm

For portraits, use a lens

Whenever possible, we avoid angle lenses for portraits

Wide angle = under mm

Lesson 3 • Camera Sensors & Focal Length

Full frame sensor

100 mm = mm

Crop sensor = focal length x

100 mm = mm

Lesson 4 • Compression

The background appears

The background appears

The the lens, the softer and bigger the background will appear

Notes:

Module 5 • Focus

Lesson 1 • Focus Settings

Use focus

Picture style:

Image review: zoom

Lesson 2 • One Over Focal Length Rule

must always be at least stop faster than your focal length

Shutter speed should be your focal length

Review: Order of priorities starts with

When focal length is 100 mm, shutter speed should be at least 1/

Back button focus is when we separate the focus from the

Lesson 3 • The Grid

The focal point is the strongest

Two ways to focus: Toggle: 1. Frame your 2. Select your

Recompose:

Focus using the focal point, then recompose the shot

Beware of

Lesson 4 • Individual and Couple Focus

How to focus on individuals:

Choose the closest to the camera

How to focus on a couple: Choose the that is closer to the camera If only one person is looking at the , focus on that person

If both people are looking at the camera, keep their faces on the same

Lesson 5 • Group Focus

When there’s only one row of people, line up their

When there’s two rows of people, shoot an aperture of and focus on the center person in the row

Anytime there are three or four rows, use a aperture

Lesson 6 • Final Focus Tricks

Tricks to focusing with movement

Shot = still

AI Servo =

Review: Focus Tricks

Automatic is on is fast enough Image stabilization Clients on same Correct for groups

Focusing with the in mind Correct mode

If all else fails: -replace -recalibrate

Notes:

Module 6 • ExpoDisc & White Balance

Lesson 1 • Mastering Custom White Balance

White balance = correcting the color temperature of an image so whites look

Kelvin Scale

numbers represent a warmer tone numbers represent a cooler tone

The problem with auto white balance is

The problem with Kelvin is the LCD screen is

Lesson 2 • ExpoDisc Intro

Use the ExpoDisc to get correct:

1. 2.

Before the session:

Set metering mode to metering

Set WB Style to White Balance

Put Custom White Balance in Menu

Lesson 3 • Expo Disc Exposure

Before you shoot:

Stand client in good

Stand next to your

Point camera in the direction from where you will be from

Cover with ExpoDisc (facing side out)

If you do NOT shoot back button focus, temporarily change your lens to focus

While the ExpoDisc is covering your lens, look at your in-camera

Set your exposure:

1. Choose your

2. Set your

3. Set your shutter speed by watching your

If you don’t see the meter right away: 1. Try pressing your finger down 2. Or your settings are stops too high or low

Set your shutter speed so you’re metered to

Remember, your shutter speed needs to be your focal length

Once you’re metered to , your exposure is set

Lesson 4 • ExpoDisc White Balance

With the ExpoDisc still covering the lens, and your camera metered to zero, click the

On the back of the screen, you’ll see a screen of any color. The color on the screen does NOT matter.

Steps for Canon camera:

Click

Only compatible img’s displayed: Click

Use WB data from this image for Custom WB: Click

Walk back to your shooting spot and ignore meter

Lessons 6 and 7 • ExpoDisc Troubleshooting and FAQs

Re-set your exposure and white balance any time the changes

Question: The picture on the back of my screen doesn’t look good. Why?

Answer: Your LCD screen is an monitor

Question: Why does the picture on the back of my screen looks better than my RAW file?

Answer: Processed v RAW file

Question: It takes too long to set my ExpoDisc

Answer: We’d rather spend to save

Notes:

Module 7 • Camera Settings

Lesson 1 • Intro to Camera Settings

A RAW photograph has way more in post processing

A JPEG is for you

A RAW file is meant to be

Lesson 2 • Basic Settings

Select for Image Quality

Turn JPEG

Set Image Review to

Set Beep to

Set White Balance to While Balance

Set Picture Style to

Set ISO Speed NR to

Lesson 3 • Auto Focus Features

Set Selectable AF point to only show type AF points

Set Orientation linked AF point to Select AF points

Lesson 4 • Magnification

Set Magnification to Size (from selected pt.)

Lesson 5 • Formatting Cards

If you get an error message:

Option 1: Turn the camera off and on again or re-install the

Option 2: Take the SD card out of the camera and plug it back into the to format

Set Record func+card/folder sel. to Record func. if only shooting with one card

If shooting with two cards, set Record func. to Rec. to

Create a new to separate images using the same card

Once your images are editing, saved and safe, the card

Click Format card, select the card you want to format, and click okay. Make sure to double check that the photos are saved somewhere else!

Set Auto power off to

Set LCD brightness to

Lesson 6 • Custom Controls

Set ISO speed setting increments to - stop increments

To set-up back button focus:

Disable button from focusing

Set Shutter butt. half-press to start

Set AF-ON button to Metering and start

Set AE button to Metering and AF start

Set multi-controller to AF point selection

Lesson 7 • Favorites Menu

Click My Menu Setings, select Register to My Menu, select Custom White Balance, Select okay

Notes:

Module 8 • Culling in PhotoMechanic

Lesson 1 • Post-Processing Goals

Post processing goals:

1. Deliver quality images

2. turn around time

3. Without spending our lives behind our

is our most valuable asset

Increase your

Lesson 2 • Culling

Culling = selecting which images will be and delivered to the client

We use to cull

Lesson 3 • Opening the Contact Sheet

Navigator bar —> Find card reader —> Control Click —> Open folder and subfolders in new

Lesson 4 • Selecting Images

Cull the images

click on an image to make it larger

Zoom in by hitting button on the keyboard

Use keys on the keyboard to go from one photo to the next

Use letter on the keyboard to tag photos

Things to look for when culling:

Images are in Images are to the client

Lesson 5 • Copying Images onto the Hard Drive

Filter view —> Tagged —> Select all —> Right click —> selected photos —> Choose destination —> … —> Create folder

Lesson 6 • Speeding Up and Backing Up

Use an hard drive to back up all culled RAW files

Copy everything for external hard drive 1 to a copy

Keep your clear

Close all other

Lesson 7 • File Organization

Year —> Category —> of our clients

Notes:

Module 9 • Editing in Lightroom

Lesson 1 • Importing Images

Open Lightroom —> Create new —> Import —> Source —>

Select culled images —> Add —> Build preview —> Standard —>

Don’t import suspected —> Build preview —> Click

Import—> Wait until progress is complete

Lesson 2 • Filtering the Library

Start by ejecting the external

Hit the slash button on the keyboard to show filter

Click attribute —> Select rating

Lesson 3 • How Lightroom Works

Changes in don’t take place in the RAW file until the photo is exported to a JPEG

Lesson 4 • Correcting While Balance and Lens Corrections

Use the module

Lens corrections —> Check Enable Corrections

Basic —> White Balance —> Use and Tint sliders to perfect the color of the

Lesson 5 • Using the Basic Panel

Adjust shadows up in the panel, then down in the panel

Adjust the exposure and up in the tone section

If you make a mistake while editing, use command

Lesson 6 • Synchronizing Edits

Go back to the module

Un-click star ratings to see all photos

Click the adjusted image and select the other images with the same and settings —> Click Sync

Synchronize Settings:

Do not select: Local Adjustments, and Cropping

Lesson 7 • Batch Editing and Example

Don’t forget to check each image after

Lesson 8 • Local Spot Adjustments

Spot adjustments on the side of the toolbar take more time

Lesson 9 • Cropping and Straightening

Straighten horizon lines using the button in the Transform section, then crop

Lesson 10 • Using the Spot Removal Tool for Blemishes

Remove spots from photos using the brush and the heal brush

Change the brush size using the keys on the keyboard

The more , the softer the edges are going to be

Lesson 11 • Spot Removal of Unwanted Environmental Objects

Use the tool to click, drag and remove the unwanted object

Lesson 12 • Red Eye Removal

The red eye tool is under the section of the Develop module - Click and drag

Lesson 13 • Graduated Filter

Use the graduated filter to give one part of the image more or warmth

Lesson 14 • Radial Filter

Uncheck the Mask option to affect the rest of the image, not including what is circled

Lesson 15 • Adjustment Brush

If there is something in the photo that is an odd shape, use the brush

Lesson 16 • Erasing Spot Adjustments

Use the filter to adjust one part of the image

Click , scroll down to and brush off the feature you don’t want on a certain part of the image

Lesson 17 • Noise Reduction

Scroll to the Detail panel, adjust the in the noise reduction section to smooth the pixels and remove the grain

Lesson 18 • Adjusting One Color

Adjust the hue, and luminance to adjust one color in the image

Lesson 19 • Final Note on Spot Adjustments

Just because you CAN use spot adjustment tools, doesn’t always mean you

Lesson 20 • Creating Collections

Move to the module, create collections to organize photos quickly

Change the photo order within a

Lesson 21 • Exporting Images

Plug back into the hard drive before you export

Check that you’re connected to the file

Select all images and export

Choose the location to save the photos

Rename the photos using settings

Notes: