UNLEASH YOUR CREATIVE VISION

10am - 5.30pm

Developing Ideas Worth Creating

Day One is all about creativity. Before we open Photoshop, we are going to slow things down and explore where ideas come from, how they develop and what turns an interesting idea into a compelling piece of artwork.

Unlocking Your Creative Mind

We will look at practical ways to generate ideas, get yourself out of a creative rut and start thinking more conceptually. You will learn how to recognise inspiration in unexpected places and begin building a process for capturing those ideas before they disappear.

Learning to See

Inspiration is everywhere when you know how to look for it. We will explore work from painters, photographers, filmmakers, illustrators and other artists to understand how they use composition, colour, light, symbolism and visual hierarchy to communicate an idea.

Rather than simply looking at whether we like an image, we will start asking why it works and what we can learn from it.

Developing the Idea

Ideas rarely arrive fully formed. I will take you through my own process of developing concepts, including ideas that have changed dramatically along the way, ideas that have been abandoned and even those that have sat around for years before finally finding their way into an image.

We will explore how to tease more out of an idea, develop a storyline and recognise when a concept needs more time rather than rushing to create it.

Visual Storytelling

What is the story and why should your viewer care?

We will look at how the different elements within an image can work together to create narrative, emotion and curiosity. You will learn how to make deliberate choices about what belongs in your image and, just as importantly, what does not.

From Concept to Shoot Plan

Once you have an idea worth pursuing, it is time to work out how to create it. We will look at research, reference images, sketching, mood boards, asset lists and shoot planning.

You will learn how I work backwards from the finished image I have in my head to determine exactly what needs to be photographed and how careful planning can save an enormous amount of time later.

By the end of Day One, you should have a much clearer understanding of your own creative process and a practical framework you can use to take an idea from that first little spark through to a fully developed concept.

10am - 5.30pm

Building Your World

Day Two is where we start turning ideas into images. We will begin with the fundamentals of photographing for composite work before moving into Photoshop and building your scene.

Photographing for Composite

Successful composites start with the shoot.

We will cover the things you need to consider before picking up the camera, including perspective, camera height, focal length, lighting direction, scale and photographing subjects and props with enough flexibility to use them successfully later.

This is not a class on how to use your camera or lighting equipment. You should already be comfortable with those skills. Instead, we will concentrate on how your decisions during the shoot affect what is possible once you get into Photoshop.

Meet Your Asset Library

You will be supplied with a collection of professionally photographed animals, props and other elements to use throughout the workshop.

Rather than everyone following along and recreating the same image, you will choose the elements that speak to you and decide what you want to create with them.

Planning Your Artwork

Before diving into Photoshop, you will spend some time exploring your available assets, developing your idea and considering the story you want your finished piece to tell.

The challenge is not simply figuring out what you can make from the files. It is deciding what you want to say with them.

Building Your Composite

From here, we head into Photoshop.

I will demonstrate my workflow while you build your own artwork alongside me. We will cover file organisation, non destructive editing, selections, masking, perspective, scale and bringing multiple photographic elements together into one believable scene.

We will also look at the small details that can instantly give away a composite and how to recognise and correct them.

By the end of Day Two, your world should be built and your story should be taking shape.

10am - 3.30pm

Bring It to Life

Day Three is about transforming your composite from a collection of well placed elements into a finished piece of photographic art.

This is where we refine, polish and bring everything together.

Creating Believable Light

Light is one of the biggest factors in making a composite believable. We will look closely at light direction, luminosity, highlights, shadows, contact points and how to manipulate existing light so that separately photographed elements feel as though they genuinely belong together.

Creating Depth and Atmosphere

We will explore techniques for creating depth and dimension within your image through light, colour, contrast, atmosphere and perspective.

You will learn how subtle changes can help guide the viewer through the scene and create a greater sense of space and realism.

Colour and Cohesion

Colour is an incredibly powerful storytelling tool.

We will look at how colour can influence mood, direct attention and help bring completely separate elements together. You will learn how I approach colour grading and use it to create cohesion throughout the finished artwork.

The Final Polish

This is where all those tiny details come into play.

We will work through dodge and burn, colour refinement, atmosphere, texture, sharpening and the finishing touches that take an image from technically complete to truly finished.

Review, Refine and Problem Solve

Throughout the day there will be time to step away from your image, come back with fresh eyes and look critically at what is working and what is not.

We will review everyone's progress, troubleshoot individual challenges and discuss where an image may need more work rather than simply adding more effects for the sake of it.

By the end of Day Three, the goal is not for everyone to have created the same polished composite. It is for each person to have created something original while developing a repeatable process they can take home and apply to their own ideas, photography and artwork.