Last year, I wrote about how I was on a mission to change people’s approach to photo editing. Well, I’ve learned a lot in this process and I wanted to share it with you. It relates a lot to things I’ve learned while looking at thousands of photos (that you’ve submitted as a group), specifically while finding photos for my latest No Light, No Problem (Volume 2) course.
But even if you’re not buying the course, this mission and the things I’ve learned about photo editing are still 100% applicable to everyone, so please read on and I’d even love it if you shared with a photographer you think could use it.
Plus, please leave a comment below and let me know how far along this journey you are, and if this resonates or not. I’d love to hear what you think.
First, to recap… I left Kelby about 5 years ago. Went to ON1 for about a year, but decided it was time, instead, to start my own training platform at MattK.com. Since then, I’ve done something different. I’ve made my contact information very available. Anyone that has emailed a question (non customer support, like billing or downloads) to my Support address has gotten an answer from me. I wasn’t really able to do that in my previous life as an educator because the “job” was just so busy.
But now that it’s my company, I spend about 60-90 minutes a day just answering questions. And let me tell ya’… it’s been eye opening!
A New Trend In Questions
As time went on I started to notice a trend in the questions. Nobody was asking what the Exposure slider did. Nobody asked what Shadows and Highlights did or the Temp or Tint sliders. But yet, of all the courses I released as well as others, that’s the topics we covered. Sure… if you’re new, you need that “Start here” training. And trust me, there is no shortage of material out there for you to learn from.
But I also know many of you reading this aren’t brand new, and you’re looking to take your editing to the next step.
But I think the disconnect is that many people feel the next step is just more advanced sliders or settings – and I don’t think it is. I know that people think it’s the next step because the majority of questions I get are about things like sharpening, noise reduction, and lens corrections. And also things like keywords, metadata, XMP files, hard drive choices, and catalogs.
All things that have 0.0001% impact on how your photo will really resonate with people when you share. Not one of those things will change anything about how your photo looks to the rest of the non-photographer world.
It Got Me Thinking…
It got me thinking. See, I’ve changed my courses up from just editing my photos. In most of my new courses, I’ve solicited photos from my community so that I get a wide variety of genres and problems to work with. After looking at these photos I started to notice something in common with most of my thoughts on them. I realized that “technically”, the photographer did everything right. It was sharp, and for the most part well exposed.
But what almost all of them were missing was the “art” behind the editing of the photo. Whether it was the crop (yes, cropping is an art), the subject being darker than all of the distractions around the subject, or a “flat” look to the image. Almost all of my comments were the same and went something like this: (by the way, this is photo from my recent course, photo credit Jacinthe Brault)
“…first I think it’s a great travel photo and you’ve captured a really nice expression which is first and foremost. From there, I’d say his hat is the brightest thing in the photo – and his face is the darkest. Let’s start by fixing the hat…”
“Then try toning down the background so we’re not drawn to it. When we can’t control the lighting, the background is often the brightest part of the photo and we usually need to change that.”
“Finally, let’s use some of the selective adjustment tools like the Radial filter to contour some natural light to his face and eyes, so that he’s the star of the photo, and not the hat or anything else around him. And we need to make it look natural, and not like we just shined a spotlight on his face”
Your Camera Doesn’t Work!
I believe that, for the most part, our cameras don’t capture what we see. They’re limited in range and our eyes see WAY more. And even if they did capture exactly what we see, I think we’d still be surprised at how much editing we still need to do to make our photos look like we imagined they looked when we were there.
Why? Because we were there!
We know exactly what we were looking at and experiencing. The person in the photo was all she was paying attention to, so of course nothing else jumped out to her. Our eyes (and our brain) would have naturally toned down the brightness of that hat so the scene looked even.
But when that photo hits the computer, and our intended audience online, all of that 3D personal experience goes away. And our photos sometimes tend not to live up to our expectations of what we thought.
But I believe getting them there is a creative process that CAN BE TAUGHT!
My Mission Continues
So where is this all going? Like I said last year, I’m on a mission. And while I can tell that the mission has had an impact on many of you, I still think there’s room for more.
I’ve taught plenty of the what and how in photo editing. Now I’m on a mission to talk more about the why behind everything. It’s much harder that way. As you can imagine it’s easier to do a video and just tell you what I’m doing and never explain why. Heck, sometimes I don’t even know why at first. I’ve done it enough, that moving the sliders just happens.
And trying to put what I’m thinking in to words takes WAY longer.
But that has changed, because… well… I’ve been listening to you. I believe the magic behind photo editing isn’t in “what” sliders and settings we use. It’s WHY AND HOW we use them. And that the most important tools we have are the Brushes and Gradient/Radial filters because those are the tools that let us direct attention to various parts of the photo.
Step 1 of this mission has already happened and if you’ve watched any of my tutorials lately you should have seen it. But another key step is to continue to create courses that focus on this, and preset you with new photos, challenges, and ideas to work with.
In fact, in these courses I almost defiantly guarantee you that you WILL NOT LEARN ANY NEW TOOLS. That’s my promise 🙂
You already know the tools! Just like me, as an intermediate guitar player, I know the notes on the guitar. But I need as much creative input as I can to learn how to really use those notes. And that process never stops.
It’s why I decided to create my new No Light? No Problem (Volume 2) course. Not only does it take a very popular problem which is, sometimes we aren’t graced with great light in all of our photos, but does that mean we shouldn’t have the photo we hoped for. But it also tackles the why behind my editing. I try to explain what I’m looking at, and why I think it needs to change and why I use a certain tool to change it.
I hope you’ll swing by and check it out.
Thanks!
Matt, thank you as always. Great insights. Amazing to see the abundance of comments and the message they convey about the professional caring person you are and the way you teach, share and sometimes learn from those around you. I echo every bit of what’s been said.
Matt, I purchased Version 1 in August 2018 and thoroughly enjoyed the tips and it helped me tremendously as I was new to ON1. Purchased Version 2 yesterday and I couldn’t stop until I had gone through all the tutorials. Awesome training videos and the tips have elevated my appreciation on the power of ON1 PR 2020 by several notches. For me Version 2 actually built on what was introduced in Version 1 as Version 2 provides more in depth tips and how they work together to get the “wow” into the finished photo. Another great training aid from you.
Matt,
Purchased this course last night and have watched all of the videos.
What a great training course.
I have followed you and watched your training courses since Lightroom version 1.
And i’m thinking how can this guy show me anymore tips, “and you always do”.
The video about the lighting the bird and the church video were an eye opener for me.
The way you put the beam of light in the church was an AH HA for me.
I’ll be 70 this month and still loving photo editing.
Thanks,
Dave N.
Matt, You continue to amaze me – your insight, your caring, your ability to make a difference. Thank you for all your effort. Taking time to answer emails personally is unheard of in today’s world! Any yet you do it! Thank you!
P.S. How was your trip to New England? The colors are extraordinary this year, aren’t they?
Hi Linda. You’re very welcome. And yes, the trip was great and the colors were amazing. Some of the best I’ve seen! I didn’t want to leave, but some heavy winds and rain arrived the day we were leaving so it may not have been as nice after. Best!
Hi Matt, nice to see your mission continues : ). I have taken many of your courses and just recently purchased this one. I migrated from LR to On1 a couple of years ago and I’m very glad you continue to offer courses for On1 users. I noticed that this course, however, the bonus preset pack does not work for On1 users. Any chance that On1 users could get a bonus pack as well? You continue to offer excellent courses Matt, thanks.
Hi. I will offer some ON1 brushes as soon as they support them. Right now they don’t have to way to support custom brushes but I believe they’re working on it. Thanks!
Thank you. You continue to inspire me to improve.
Matt – I believe you have hit upon something that is the key to great images and am totally behind you.
I often say to people that I don’t take photographs but I paint with light and your courses have really inspired and helped me along this road but there is still a long way for me to go.
Thank you and I look forward to much more of the same to help me along the road
Hai Matt, I’ll try to compose some decent English(as being a Dutch woman of nearly 80).
I’m not a very good hobby photographer, but I’m completely fascinated on the possibilities of Photo editing programs.
I can say I have learned a lot from your tutorials, but now its getting harder for me to ‘keep’ these things in my brain, as i’m getting older.
Besides that, we don’t have much money to spend so I cannot afford to buy any new tutorials.
But having said this, I see almost all your free tutorials (PTC and YT) and try to use and remember all your tips.
Pse go on this way, for me and many others.
Thank you Matt for your (as ever) well considered advice. As a Lightroom user, I’m getting pleasing results from using a sharpening brush and a texture brush.
My Photography Journey started in the 1950’s when my Father gave me his Exakta vx when he upgraded to a newer camera. I figured I was on the “new equipment plan” every time my Dad upgraded. Years later I was still using the Exacta vx as my Father explained – “you know how to twist all the dials, load cartridges from bulk B&W, and push the shutter” BUT YOUR COMPOSITION SUCKS and a newer camera can’t fix that! So…… decades later as I moved into the DSLR world, I started with a very low end DSLR and concentrated on the Software for processing images in ways that couldn’t be done in the darkroom. BUT…… I admit that I got hung up in the Slider/Preset/LUT world. Your new “mantra” of “Why & How” is spot on. I’m now in the mode of only pushing the shutter if the subject and viewfinder image “Speaks to my Heart not my Brain”. I also absolutely force myself to select at most a “bakers dozen” images from each event. Imagine my challenge, as the sports photographer for my GrandSon’s High School Swim team, taking 8 frames per second yielding 1000+ action images from an event BUT realizing that the Best of the Best will be no more than my forced 13, so I “Brutally Delete” before doing any editing. Beyond the action photography, the majority of my shoots are automotive events. When I arrive at the venue, I will leave my camera in the car and walk the event looking for subjects and details that “SPEAK to my HEART”. Returning with camera in hand, I force the “best of the best” by taking only 12, 24 or at most 36 shots (remembering the film days) in total for the entire event, sometimes spending as much time as necessary (how about 30 minutes waiting for the sun to be in the right position!) to compose (with my Daddy’s “Your Composition Sucks ringing in my brain”), frame, focus, visualize etc. Editing with your “Why & How” Brushes and Gradient/Radial filters techniques provides the ability to “Draw Viewers into the Image and hopefully Tug @ Their Heart Strings”. Carry On. Let’s Listen to our Hearts.
Sadly, our technology has reduced photography to a technological skill largely rather than a form of artistic expression.
We are constantly being marketed to with new cameras offering more megapixels and better dynamic range as well as updated software that advertises its A.I. ability to quickly produce even better images than we could ourselves in post production.
The sheer number of digital cameras owned by individuals has turned an art form into a mass of digital snapshots!
In spite of these great new camera sensors and better dynamic range, we still are producing images with a “bright hat and background and a dark face”.
We need to realize that more expensive gear and the latest computer hardware and software upgrades are
NOT the keys to more impactful photography.
I have been a Flikr member for many years. I know…it’s not as prestigious as 500px or other sites, but I like it…in part because people on the site are friendly and not trying to impress one another with how great they are!
In my years on that site I have followed many different photographers that I have liked. Mostly landscape photographers, that have all had collections of work that I really enjoyed viewing because they are artistically pleasing and create feeling and emotion in me.
I have always adhered to a single rule of NOT looking at the metadata to see what gear images were taken with. I just wanted to experience the imagery and be inspired by it.
However about a year ago I violated that single rule! I had been (and still am) following a landscape photographer whose work I simply found breathtaking! Every image left me eager to see what he had in store for me next!
Finally my curiosity got the better of me – I had to know what gear he was shooting with to get these amazing images! I was absolutely stunned when I discovered he shoots exclusively with an iPhone 6s+!!!
That’s when I learned the greatest lesson about photography I have ever learned. Forget gear, technology and all of the trappings! Get a camera…any modern digital camera will do. Get one decent lens for it. Then go out and shoot. But instead of shoot and hope you get something good, shoot with a vision in mind! What are you shooting? Why? What are you trying to communicate to the viewer?
Work on composition – this is FAR more important than technology!
When you are more deliberate with the images you make, you will take far fewer pictures, but have far more keepers. As a side benefit, I never have to cull through hundreds of images when I get back form a weekend shoot.
Stop shooting everything just because you can. Be intentional and you will see your photography improve more than you can imagine.
Great thoughts. My only reply back would be that photography was WAY MORE of a technical skill back in the film days. It was reserved for only the techiest of techie people who understood the math and the tech behind it. Most people were too afraid to even try because it was so difficult. I’d say that photography today is more creative than ever because (once you have the gear), experimenting and doing things that are not the norm is free. You see instant results and can adjust your creative thoughts from there. That’s just my take anyway 🙂
Interesting take Matt. I was still a newbie in the film days and never really advanced beyond shooting color.
I missed the “darkroom experience” that so many others did not. I think those were really important skills to really understanding editing and post-production.
I’m working my way through Ansel Adam’s “The Camera”’, “The Negative” and “ The Print”. These came highly recommended by Blake Rudis to take my understanding of photography to a deeper level.
They are NOT light reads or for the faint of heart. Much of it is very dry reading of a lot of technical information. But assuming I can make it all the way through I think I am going to have a much deeper under understanding of our craft!
You said it perfect… “daunting technical information”. We’ve progressed today that you don’t need to be technical. You can point, shoot, and the most important thing is to get a good subject in front of your lens. You can be as creative as you want, because the technical part (the camera) is easily reachable and usable by anyone these days.
I’m an old retired science professor and totally agree with the “how to why” journey in learning. Now, I still teach LR/PS at my camera clubs. I am color challenged so my editing is not always accepted. There is just one unknown that escapes me.
What exactly is the “WOW” factor? You know it when you see but…
Can it be simplified? Is it color, composition, focus, exposure, or all of the above?
Can “WOW” be near perfection according to the observer?
I following you everywhere Matt and we are neighbors. So Lunch?
Hi Patrick.
I believe the “WOW” factor can be learned. Its that thing that when a group of people sit by and look at image after image and then one comes up and the entire group goes “wow”. It’s not easy to figure out, but I believe it can be learned and it’s a combination of being at the right place, with the right gear, at the right time AND knowing what to do with it (with maybe a little luck thrown in).
Where do you live?
My journey started about 11or 12 years ago when I got my first serious camera Nikon D300. A friend told me about Lightroom so I got the brand new Lightroom 2. I used Kelby a lot to figure it all out. Liked your teaching style, and followed you to On1. I’m always trying to improve and in the process my photography has also evolved. I’m not only trying to get it technically correct, I’m trying to show how I felt at that moment I pressed the shutter. Sometimes it takes me days to get a picture right. I’m now seeing things more creatively in the field. Thanks for all you do, and it’s been great following your teaching and work all these years.
Matt, Like so many, I have been following you since your days at Kelby One – I’ve read what you are saying about Volume 2 (I did not buy Volume 1) but have purchased other courses. I I believe that volume 2 will help me in the one thing that I am now working more on – creating mood and creating a focal point in a given photograph – taking that every day photograph and making it something that begins to tell more of a story because you have done those things to focus the attention in a single place and create some mood by focusing the attention – I’ve done that mostly with PS and the brush in LR – not as much with the gradient and some with the radial filter – I’m hoping that your course will show me additional ways to determine a good method for doing this more often. One thing I do really like – your courses are downloadable – I pet sit and don’t have access to their internet, but I can watch your videos on my tablet while hanging out with the dogs & cats! Thanks!
Hi Matt
Like many, I purchased one of your PS courses all those years ago (Kelby days)
Since then, this old timer has forgotten a lot and PS has changes so much
Hope to pull the trigger on your PS course soon
I haven’t pulled the trigger yet as the AUD is basket case
Another course I would like to see, is a PS course that specialises in all those “hidden” PS tricks, for example the option where you can take a series of images in an area that has people walking around and end up with a “clean” image with no people, to name just one
Regards,
Gary
Hi Matt
I liked your No light part1 course and now I am looking forward to get volume 2. I really like your approach of why in explaining your technique. Thanks a lot
I like taking your courses Matt, but I’m just a lowly amateur and not trying to be a pro or plan to. I have found that LR is more for the pro as is Photoshop so I have given them up because their cost does not warrant my need. I sure hope that ON1 doesn’t go the PS n LR ways which require constant $$$$ out with having nothing coming back in to feed it. My question is, this new Vol 2 course No Light No Problem mainly pertain to needing and using LR and PS?? Or since my passion is landscapes will it help me take better photos? Living in Montana, I want to capture the beauty and essence of this heaven on earth
Hi. The course doesn’t deal at all with taking photos. It’s an editing course for when the photos you do take don’t live up to what you had hoped. It works for both LR/PS or ON1 so you can download either version you wish.
Matt, I have your Volume 1 and am considering purchasing Volume 2. The only thing making me hesitate is that I spend so much time trying to learn from courses that I have little time to devote to actually practicing … something I certainly need to get better at. Nevertheless, the fact that you always provide something new to learn and consider and the fact that the courses are in small bites that I can actually finish, I’m all in.
Thanks for all your hard work in trying to help us learn what’s really important in photo editing. Perhaps one day it will all sink in 🙂
Hi Mary. I would say hold off then. You have to find that balance and if you feel you’re watching too many videos and not using the information then maybe hold off. Thanks!
Finding your site came at the exact right time in my progression. I was so sure there was a magic formula of technical settings that would make me a “good” photographer. Then I was sure there was the same in post processing. The big turning point for me was watching Michael Melford and he said “I do this because I like it and if you do, too, that’s a bonus.” (not an exact quote). Then I saw Karen Hutton on Kelby One and her course on putting yourself into your photos. Then you came into my educational world. It’s interesting how you flatly state that some stuff is just B.S. (hype). I’m at the point where I have my own style, know what it is, and am happy with it. I clearly know “why” I made the photo. I am working on helping others see it, too. So this is exactly what I’m looking for. I saw a dreamy ocean scene, how do I use the LR tools to make it come through? I saw a glow of morning sunlight spotlighting my subject, how do I bring that to life in my photo? I guess the planetary orbits align when they need to. I deeply appreciate the tools you’re providing in my photographic journey right now!
Glad to help Dan! Sounds like you’re on a good track!
Matt,
I’ve been following you since your Kelby days. I’ve found my overall approach to post-processing has changed significantly in that time. The changes have been for the better in every instance. While not a novice I’d be fooling myself if I believed I didn’t have something to learn each day.
As with many things in our lives it takes someone to point the way. It is then incumbent on us then to practice and practice some more. That is the take away I get from your blogs and your courses. Always, there is some kernel I can find each time I rewatch one of your videos. I find as you teach me something new I’d not considered before I go back and rework certain photos. Those photos take on a whole new dimension and are closer to why I took the photos originally.
Whatever you do don’t stop challenging us.
Thanks for making me a better photo editor.
Matt,
Your are so right. There is no “majic button”, the majic happens in you head, which is hopefully, conneted to your heart. I really appriciate the direction you are headed.
Thanks Christopher. I think the best thing I read in your comment was the word “practice”. None of this means anything without practice. I’d rather some one come and buy a course when they’re ready to practice, rather than buy something and let it sit. Learning is great… but my whole goal in all of this is to give you ideas and have you go off and use them on your own photos. Take care!
True Matt! This is the part of photography that is often missing and most difficult to master.
Too many people think that they become a better photographer by buying the latest camera and by moving a few sliders in a similar way to an instructor/educator.
The same can be said for presets. I recently saw an on-line advert for a 5,000 preset pack, should I have clicked the link and bought them straight away so my images would be super good? Noooo!
I’m sure you’ve heard the analogy of person buying a set of spanners and calling themselves a mechanic? They don’t! However, so many people buy a camera and think they are a photographer! If you buy the best art brushes in the shop that does not make you the best artist.
Many many years ago I attended a welding course. After 2 hours I was still struggeling. I stated to the instructor that my work was no where as good as his demonstration piece. His response was. “You’ve have had one lesson and 2 hours to practice and you seriously expect to be at my level?” He then continued. ” I did an apprenticeship for 5 years and then worked as a welder for another 35 years before becoming an instructor!”
Another way of looking at this is. There are many millions of people in the world who can drive a motor vechicle. There are less who drive as part of their job and even less who become F1 drivers. There is a big difference yet each vechicle has an engine, steering wheel, brake and accelerator. A good car like a good camera will be a benefit but without an expert behind the wheel or the camera you will never use them to the best of their capabilities. The same applies for Lightroom, Photoshop or any other software for editing images.
Oh Matt, what have you done?? When I bought my first course from you I was ready to throw out all my thousands of photos and start over again! I just bought my 5th course from you but I still feel that I ought to go back and re-edit most of the old photos. But there is no time to do that.
I love the way you teach and it is exactly what I need to learn: how to see more and why I should edit in a creative way.
Now, if I could only convince you to teach your least best selling course again…
Thank you, Matt.
I would argue that this statement “I believe the magic behind photo editing isn’t in the sliders and settings we use. It’s HOW we use them.”
should be
“I believe the magic behind photo editing isn’t in the sliders and settings we use. It’s WHY we use them.”
But overall I agree with your premise, and look forward to hearing your thoughts as you move in this direction.
Hi Matt, I have Vol. 1 and loved it. I watched your video on why you did Vol. 2 geared at folks like me who have Vol. 1. My question is around the ON1 content of the course. I finally gave up on ON1 a couple versions ago after using it from day 1. Just decided I needed to focus on LR/PS. Is the ON1 content in Vol. 2 just showing how to do the same or similar things that you do in LR/PS? If I don’t use ON1 anymore, Vol. 2 is still just as useful for someone like me who only uses LR/PS? Thanks.
Your comment is about the difference between a paid professional and the “average consumer”. I saw exactly the same thing in “minor league” theater, the “Fringe Festival”. Performers starting out put on short shows, while “professional” theater reviewers from the various media (TV, Print, Radio etc) publish “reviews” and spell the difference between “life and death” of a show. Some of these “professionals” are paid to see up to 100 (free) performances during a 10 day run of the festival, while the average viewer might see as many as 10. The problem is, that the reviewers are reviewing these beginners as if they were established professionals. The reviewer see’s so much theater that they are looking for and seeing something totally different than “civilian” viewers. One of the best performances at the festival I ever saw was totally killed by a bad review at the start of the run. The company were so badly affected (they didn’t even break even on their minimal expenses) that they planned to never return to this city, because they simply couldn’t afford it.
The same applies to your “eye”. I love what you did with the example picture. But frankly, as a rank amateur, I never would have even considered what you did was even possible, let alone doing it.
PS: to finish up your example, I would like to see a side by side comparison of the “before” and “after” pictures. Just to make it easier to see all of the tweaks (without having to scroll up and down like a log roller on speed).
As the coordinator of one of the largest photo shows in the country I can say…right on. So often the images we see are technically ok but just don’t tell the, or any, story…there is no wow factor. We get hundreds of images that all look alike. Course 1 was excellent I am sure course 2 well be also.
Right on, Matt. I loved Vol 1 and bought Vol 2 just as soon as you announced it :-). I’ve learned a ton and I like the way each video is not overly long or complicated. And I’ve found them easy to come back to when I hit a moment “I saw Matt do that in one of his videos” – very valuable. The “Art of Landscape Photography” was also phenomenal – so many cool techniques to use. Keep them coming!
Thanks Paul!
Thank you, Matt. You absolutely hit the nail on the head. My problems today are why or what, not how to fix something. It’s making my photo look like what I saw when I took the shot. I didn’t realize that until I read this blog.
Thank you! That’s great to hear. Exactly what I was hoping to happen. Enjoy!
I enjoy your approach. However, after two years of working with Lightroom I still have trouble using this software. That includes everything from importing through editing to exporting. I keep running into snags where what should be a simple step just doesn’t work.
Matt,
Point well taken! I have enjoyed your courses and they have made a significant difference in the quality of my images. You are spot on with emphasis on lighting. Most award winning images I see have that same common thread…beautiful lighting…especially with portraits and landscapes. Thanks for shining light on the subject!
you’re welcome Gayle.
Thank you Matt.
I have been following you since your NAPP days and my work has significantly improved because of your way of doing things.
As influenced by your articles, tutorials and work, I am constantly re-thinking my approach to photography. My approach includes:
Know your camera’s attributes and shortcomings.
Photograph with editing in mind.
Try to master your editing software.
Think not only how the subject appears to you but also how you want it to be displayed. For example, envision a cityscape that you capture in daylight as a dusk or dark image.
Even if you process for your image according to your vision, try other approaches as well.
Experiment, experiment, experiment. Try movies, try out-of-focus, try hdr, try stacking.
Share your work with others and photograph with others.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks Chuck. I love the experiment part. It’s free – doesn’t cost a penny to try those things out. And in the end, I think it makes us feel more comfortable in our choices when we’ve tried a bunch of things out. We tend to feel better about what we choose when we know what the alternatives are and have tried them before. Best!
Thanks for reminding me of the gradient tool and brushes.
Anytime!
Most of what I shoot, wildlife and sports, I want to look as natural as possible.
What you are talking about here are things I am working on. I need to learn when enough is enough.
When I get “artsy” I get heavy handed and over do it too easily.
Matt, a great read and true to my skill level. You are a great instructor with down to earth and easy advice on how to improve our photos. Thank you for being you and sharing the wealth of information and experience you have as an instructor.
that all sounds great but i need to know how to get started in on 1 2019 before i do this course. So even though i will probably get this course could you please direct me to where i can learn the tools? i am used to photshop Elements and i am now switching to on 1 camera raw 2019. Thanks so much for responding.
Hi Chana – I’d say one of the best things to do is check out their user guide on their site. Or just google “ON1 user guide” if you can’t find it. It’s a great place to start. Good luck!
Thanks, Matt!
You have always been a great teacher, and I agree that the why is the most interesting part. As am educator myself, I have noticed that the novice student is most interested in the “how” and only later, when they learn the tools and start to make more deliberate creative decisions, do they migrate to the “why.” I think it is a normal human characteristic. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Bill. That’s a really insightful thought and I think you nailed it. When we start out we have to concentrate on the “how” because that gets us moving. But eventually the how needs to take a back seat to actually doing it and learning more about what goes behind it.
Matt,
Just a quick question I use Lightroom for editing. Do you use photoshop and if so would this class teach enough that I could make it work.
Hi Joe – most of the course is done in LR. I jump to PS to remove some distractions but that’s about it.
Matt, you are the best! My number one go to for advice