Course Outline
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Week 1: Introduction to Raw Capture
Learn why Raw capture is the top capture choice of professional photographers. Find out why exposure is especially important in getting the most from your camera’s image sensor. Sidebar 1: What is Bit-Depth and Why Should You Care? Sidebar 2: What Is DNG and Why Is It Important?
Assignment: Capture a Raw image with optimum exposure.
Week 2: Raw Image Evaluation and Conversion
Review the goals of the Raw conversion process, learn how to evaluate a Raw image before conversion, and then learn how to get the best conversion of your Raw images. Sidebar 1: Why Is Color Space Important? Sidebar 2: More About Highlight Recovery.
Assignment: Shoot and convert a Raw image in Adobe Camera Raw.
Week 3: Workflow for Image Editing
This lesson establishes a workflow for image editing in Photoshop ranging from cleaning up images using various Photoshop tools, tweaking tone and contrast, making selective adjustments, converting images from 16- to 8-bit, and sharpening images for different output uses. Sidebar 1: Portraits: Retouching Blemishes and Wrinkles.
Assignment: Shoot and convert a Raw image in Adobe Camera Raw, and edit it in Photoshop CS3 for final output (either for printing or Web display).
Week 4: Special Processing Techniques
This lesson includes a variety of creative techniques including converting Raw images to black-and-white in Adobe Camera Raw, correcting aberrations, removing or adding a vignette, and creating a sepia-toned image in Camera Raw. Sidebar: Double-processing and compositing images to increase the dynamic range.
Assignment: Convert a color image to a black-and-white image in Camera Raw, and convert a color image to a sepia-toned image in Camera Raw.
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FAQ
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Is this course intended only for beginning/intermediate photographers or can advanced photographers take part too?
This course is open to any photographer who wants to get started in Raw shooting, processing, and Photoshop image editing techniques. At a minimum, you should have a basic working knowledge of Adobe Bridge (the file browser that comes with Photoshop) and Photoshop.
What kind of equipment and software will I need to complete the photo assignments?
Any camera digital SLR that allows you to shoot Raw images. You don’t need a wide selection of lenses, but You will need to have the latest version of Photoshop, and of Adobe Camera Raw. Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) is included within Photoshop at no extra cost, but you may need to download the latest version from the Adobe.com Web site. ACR updates are free from Adobe.
Note: This course is designed for users of Photoshop, not Elements.
What if I have Photoshop, but it isn’t the latest version?
As long as you have Photoshop CS 2 or later, you will not lose anything during the course. However, the lesson text may not match the names of buttons and functions you see in your version of ACR and Photoshop, and you will not have the newer ACR and Photoshop options discussed in the lessons.
How do I start Adobe Camera Raw?
You can start Camera Raw from Adobe Bridge, the file browser for Photoshop. Just right-click a Raw file, and then choose Open in Camera Raw from the menu. The Camera Raw dialog box opens displaying your Raw file. However, if you get an error message, it most likely means that you need to go to the Adobe Downloads Web site and download the latest version of ACR. ACR is updated very often to support the latest cameras, and your version of ACR may be a version before your camera was supported.
Can I use Raw conversion programs from the camera manufacturer or Lightroom?
For the best learning experience for all students, this class is standardized for Adobe Camera Raw for Raw image conversion and Photoshop. This course does not cover other Raw conversion programs. When the new version of Camera Raw and Photoshop are officially released, the course will be updated for the new releases.
Can I take this course if I use Adobe Elements?
No. Currently the course is concentrates only on Photoshop.
Can we use image-editing software for our weekly submissions?
For the first two lessons, we won’t edit images in Photoshop, but in Lesson 3, we will begin editing in Photoshop. Lessons 2 through 4 concentrate on image conversion and editing, first using Adobe Camera Raw, and then using Photoshop. The goal is to learn good, basic editing techniques and workflow. So in short, the answer is yes, but also please don’t use editing to add filters such as motion blur, create watercolor effects, and so on.
© Charlotte Lowrie | 
© Charlotte Lowrie |
Do I have to be online at any specific time?
No, you do not need to be online at any specific time. The lessons are sent to your email and you are also provided the Campus Square - where you interact with your classmates and instructor. This is also where you upload your photos to be critiqued by your instructor. The instructors are very punctual and respond quickly.
Will I have access to the instructor to ask questions during the photo course?
Absolutely! Students can ask questions in the special Q&A forum set up in the course's Campus Square, or can ask the instructor via email.
Do you offer a money back guarantee?
Yes. We are confident that you will fully enjoy our courses. All the same, for our 8-week classes, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent out. If for any reason, you are not satisfied and let us know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #3 is sent, you will be promptly refunded.
For our 4-week courses, we offer a 100% money back guarantee before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent out from BetterPhoto. If for any reason you are not satisfied and you let the ordering department know that you would like to withdraw before the Wednesday that Lesson #2 is sent, you will be refunded within 7 days. After the second lesson has been sent out, no refunds will be given.
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Charlotte K. Lowrie
