Picture Perfect Start: Basic Lightroom & Photoshop Skills for Photographers by Brenda Kieso
A workshop review by Shelly England
There was no better way to spend a Saturday than by attending “Picture Perfect Start: Basic. Lightroom and Photoshop Skills for Photographers”. This workshop was designed to cater to photographers of varying skill levels, from those who have never opened the software to those with a basic understanding looking to deepen their knowledge. The workshop began with an introduction to the interfaces of both Photoshop and Lightroom, highlighting their basic features and capabilities. Participants were guided through the fundamental tools and functions, ensuring everyone felt comfortable navigating the software.
One of the key strengths of the workshop was the hands-on approach. Participants brought their laptops and Brenda went step by step as participants followed along as she went through the tools and the basic functions. This interactive component allowed attendees to apply the concepts they learned in real-time, making the learning experience both engaging and practical.
In Lightroom, we learned basic organizing of imports, and a primary understanding of the development module. We touched on basic adjustments like exposure, contrast, and color correction. Brenda provided personalized instruction, helping each participant to feel more comfortable with the program.
In Photoshop, the workshop introduced essential tools such as layers, masks, and selections, We learned masking, head swapping and sky replacement, utilizing time to practice each as Brenda monitored and reinforced the learning. Using these tools allowed the participants to, begin basic retouching, as well as practicing applying layers and masks. The hands-on approach in both Lightroom and Photoshop was used to build confidence and competence, allowing participants to experiment with different editing styles and approaches.
The last portion of the workshop allowed participants to work on their own images to practice what they had learned while having Brenda there to answer questions or remind them of steps in the editing process.
Overall, this workshop gave a comprehensive introduction to these powerful editing tools. The combination of step by step instruction, along with time and support in practice, gave participants confidence to apply these skills to their own work. This made the workshop an invaluable experience for budding photographers or anyone looking to begin their journey in enhancing their post-processing abilities and I highly recommend this class if you need basic instruction in either LR or PS, or motivation to kickstart you!