April Monthly Meeting

This month we had a packed room of photographers clearly interested in learning how to take their workflow from camera to output to new levels.  Mark Killian, owner at 6ixGun, a commercial photographer who’s work has been featured in magazines and websites across the country showed us his tips.

Topics included:

• RAW files and how they allow you to capture more color and data.
• How to reprogram camera buttons for metering and autofocus preferences.
• Benefits of utilizing custom whitebalance tools and different colored cards.
• Flash filters to balance the light.

He discussed how getting the image exposed correctly in camera was vital to a faster workflow and how reflectors and metering can fill in dark spots for a clearer image.

Once the image is brought into Adobe Lightroom, it’s very quick and easy to use the tools to adjust white balance, temperature, tint, exposure and fill light.  By using a few quick adjustment brushes, you can have very professional looking images.  Sharpening works really well in Lightroom.

I was impressed with the before and after photos as well as how easy it is to bring them up side by side in Lightroom.  In fact, the whole interface was pretty impressive and intuitive.

Mark also showed us how easy it was to save all edits and make a virtual copy of the photo without the edits in order to preserve the original for backup.  He also discussed the importance of backing up photos and different technologies of hard drives.  Backing up original photos allows you to grow with your photography.  You may want to edit them differently as you learn new techniques and by saving the originals, you don’t damage pixels.  Lightroom is clearly a master program that handles all of this and more.

Thank you Mark Killian for the lesson!

Nick handed out SmugMug prizes this month and food was provided, as usual.  Thank you for coming and we’ll see you next month!

Be sure to download your free trial copy of Lightroom 4 if you haven’t already and post your photos @ http://www.PhotoAdvClub.com !

-Seana