Workshops

Public Online Workshops
We schedule live online public workshops periodically. All of our public workshops are available live using Zoom meetings and are recorded, and as an attendee, you're provided with a link to the recording to review as often as you like.

We have a professional livestream studio complete with a gigabit internet connection, professional lighting, audio and cameras. Our presentations are professional quality.

Click here to see our scheduled workshops.

 
Camera Clubs
The live Zoom presentations listed here can be used in two ways with your club – for meeting presentations or where your club charges attendees (members or nonmembers) and can earn a profit. The shorter presentations are suitable for club meeting nights and longer ones for club "special events". My fee is the same for either and the latter provides an earning option for clubs.

The workshops can be tailored to your needs. If your club meeting has a hard-stop, we can accomodate that. We will work with you to provide the best experience within your time limit.

See here for more information on our club presentations.


 
Links to the workshops below:
 



The Art of Seeing and Visualization    New
Next class: Sat Nov 9, 2024 (see here)
Learn to take the pictures you expect., 2 hours
Skill level: Any skill level
 
This presentation is all about fine-tuning how you see as a photographer. Seeing is the first step to visualizing, and visualizing is how you see photographically.

Unlock the power of your imagination and embark on a captivating photographic journey like never before!

My class on seeing and visualization is designed to ignite your creative spark and elevate your photography skills to new heights. Imagine being able to see a picture in your mind's eye before you even lift your camera – this class will teach you exactly that. Regardless of your experience level, this course will empower you to transform ordinary scenes into works of art.

Join us and open the door to a world where your vision becomes your most potent tool, creating images that resonate, inspire, and leave a lasting impression. Don't just take pictures; craft them with intention and passion. Your photographic dreams await in this exhilarating journey of visualization.

Topics include:
  • Photographic Intent
  • The Art of Seeing
  • Why we take pictures
  • What happens when our images are viewed
  • What is Visualization
  • How cameras see
  • Eyes vs Camera
  • Brain trickery
  • Seeing photographically
  • Visualizing post-processing
  • Making it yours


You attend this workshop from the comfort of your own home or from wherever you happen to be using Zoom.

The workshop will be recorded, and you'll get to view the recorded video as often as you like, so you can review the techniques we demonstrate.

 

Sample YouTube Video »

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How AI is Changing Photography    Timely and popular
(Not currently scheduled)
How to put AI to work for you., 2 hours
Skill level: Any skill level
 
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is RAPIDLY changing the world of photography.

In a matter of months, photography has undergone a paradigm shift. No longer is the camera the lone tool in the photographer’s camera bag. AI changes everything – from camera capabilities to editing to generative AI. The future of photography is open to those who learn to use all the tools available to them. The past year has been just the beginning, merely scratching the surface of the boundless potential that AI holds for photography.

In this captivating presentation I explain, in simple terms, how AI works, what you can do with AI and how you can combine AI with the tools and skills we already have as photographers.

Prepare for thought-provoking inquiries that challenge conventional wisdom. Together, we will uncover new perspectives you may not have yet contemplated.

I will show you some of the more useful AI options available to photographers today. Gain valuable insights into the diverse applications of AI, including the groundbreaking AI features in Photoshop, alongside a range of other cutting-edge AI tools. We'll look at how these tools can be combined to open up a whole new world of creativity.

Embrace the future of photography with AI as your ally, as we navigate this transformative journey together.

If you take pictures, this should be an eye-opening event!


Some actual comments about this presentation:
KUDOS for the very best presentation I have ever watched!!!
IMHO one of the best prepared and impressive presentations I have ever seen Bert and I have seen many thousands.
I can't thank you enough for your presentation. It was clearly one of the best presentations that any of our invited speakers has offered over the last few years. I hope you will be open to future invitations to speak to our club.

 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Keeping Your Photography Fresh    New
(Not currently scheduled)
Learn to recognize and eliminate stagnation in your photography, 75 minutes
Skill level: Any skill level
 
Over time, most photographers naturally develop a unique style or rhythm with their photography. It's where we feel most comfortable.

This presentation is all about using what we've learned so far, and exploring the endless possibilities to add fresh sparks to our creativity. We'll dive into some exciting techniques to breathe new life into our images and discover fresh perspectives. Together, we'll explore how to stay inspired and keep growing in our photographic journey!

The topics we cover are:
  • The Signs of Stagnation
  • Evolution is the Cure for Stagnation
  • Obstacles to Evolution
  • Freshness Matters!
  • New Subjects
  • New Techniques
  • Things to Think About
  • Getting Inspiration
  • Getting Feedback
  • Continuous Learning
  • Putting it all together


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Everything you ever wanted to know about Infrared Photography    Very popular
(Not currently scheduled)
130+ professional PowerPoint slides, 3 hours
Skill level: Anyone with or without an infrared camera
 
Your digital camera as a hidden super-power! This workshop shows you how to use it.

Infrared photography is very different than visible-light photography. In this workshop, you will learn what infrared energy is, and how to take IR images with either a converted camera or a non-converted camera (yes, you can photograph infrared without having to do a conversion!). If you choose to convert a camera, or purchase an already converted camera, I'll help you decide what kind of IR conversion is best for you.

This is a very comprehensive workshop where you will learn everything you need to know. You will be able to ask questions and participate in this Zoom meeting. You'll leave with a very comfortable understanding of infrared photography.

Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link of the recording to review as often as they like.

Topics covered include:
  • Origins of infrared photography
  • What is light?
  • What is infrared energy?
  • Solar radiation & infrared
  • Why shoot infrared?
  • When is the best time to shoot IR?
  • Camera sensors
  • Camera conversions
  • Shooting with non-converted cameras
  • The "hot mirror" filter
  • The different conversion options available
  • False color
  • Common IR filter frequencies
  • Specialty filters (Astro-photography, Ektrachrome IR emulation)
  • Exposures based on IR frequencies
  • Sample Images
  • Subjects that photograph well with IR
  • Cutting through haze with IR
  • Camera techniques and tools
  • JPEG vs RAW IR shooting
  • White Balance and IR
  • Post Processing IR images
  • Purchasing an already-converted camera
  • Things to consider
  • References / tutorials


 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Focus Stacking – Guide to successful focus-stacked images with Photoshop and/or Helicon Focus    Popular
(Not currently scheduled)
100+ professional PowerPoint slides with shooting and post-processing demonstrations, 2 hours
Skill level: Anyone who shoots macro or landscape images
 
Focus Stacking is a technique which allows you to create the precise depth of field that you want. When you focus-stack, you get extended depth of field in perfect focus and sharpness, while maintaining a blurred background if desired. It is the perfect technique for macro, landscape and product photography.

As a photographer who's been focus stacking for over 15 years, I teach everything a photographer needs to know to start focus stacking, including lighting, how to take the images and how to process your images using Lightroom & Photoshop, Photoshop, or Helicon Focus software. The workshop includes a PowerPoint presentation along with demonstrations showing how to shoot and process stacked images.

Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link of the recording to review as often as they like.

Covered topics include:

  • What is focus stacking and why do it?
  • What does focus stacking software do?
  • Sharpness vs Depth of Field
  • Understanding sharpness
  • How diffraction softens images
  • How focus breathing affects images
  • Getting the exposure right
  • What is Helicon Focus?
  • What you need to get started
  • Sample images
  • Macro focus stacking
  • Landscape image focus stacking
  • Product photography focus stacking
  • How to shoot the stacked images
  • Shooting with Helicon Remote
  • Shooting with manual focusing
  • Shooting with automatic focusing
  • Shooting focus-stacked images that have bokeh
  • Stacking the images with Photoshop
  • Stacking the images with Helicon Focus
  • Options with Helicon Focus
  • Resolving issues and retouching
  • Creating 3d images with Helicon Focus
  • Things to consider


 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Masking in Lightroom & Adobe Camera Raw    Very popular
(Not currently scheduled)
80+ professional PowerPoint slides w/lots of demonstrations, 2 hours
Skill level: Anyone who uses Lightroom or Photoshop
 
Masking is one of the most powerful tools in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. It allows you to make local adjustments – e.g., selectively apply adjustments to specific areas of your images – which can be used to dramatically improve your images.

Adobe keeps updating the masking features in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw. This presentation teaches how to take advantage of the latest masking options in Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw (in Photoshop).

I will teach you how to use masking in a way that creates natural and professional-looking results. There is a PowerPoint presentation interwoven with live demonstrations using both Lightroom and Adobe Camera RAW (masking is the same in both products). This will allow me to walk you through the process of masking step-by-step and to answer any questions that you may have.

If you want to learn how to use masking to enhance your photos and create professional-looking results, I encourage you to sign up for this workshop. I will teach you everything you need to know about masking in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw, and I will provide you with the tips and tricks you need to use masking effectively.

I will finish up demonstrating the powerful masking in Photoshop and comparing it to the masking in Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw.

We will cover a variety of topics, including:

  • What is Adobe Camera Raw (ACR)?
  • The Interfaces – Lightroom vs ACR
  • What is "masking"?
  • AI masks
  • Manual masks
  • Flow and density
  • Automasking
  • Displaying masks
  • Adding to a mask
  • Subtracting from a mask
  • Intersecting masks
  • How to best use masking
  • Renaming masks
  • Creating Adjustment presets
  • Auto resetting sliders
  • Process version
  • Menu options
  • Keyboard shortcuts
  • Masking Examples
  • Things to be aware of
  • Masking in Photoshop and how it differs from Lightroom and ACR

 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Night Sky Photography    Popular
(Not currently scheduled)
80+ professional PowerPoint slides, 2 hours
Skill level: Anyone who understands photography basics.
 
This presentation teaches everything a photographer needs to know to take spectacular night sky images.

Photographers need to understand their subject, and night sky photography is no different. We start off with a fascinating and easy-to-understand science lesson on our night sky. Understanding the science of what we are photographing makes shooting the night sky much easier!

This presentation is geared to photographers who want to capture great night sky images of the moon, stars, milky way and aurora. Also included are tips on how to light-paint and post-process night-sky images with Lightroom or Photoshop.

There are lots of example images with explanations of how they were taken.

Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link of the recording to review as often as they like.

Topics include:

  • Getting Started - what do you need?
  • How to find dark skies
  • Your camera's "Super Power"
  • JPEG vs RAW night sky shooting
  • Night Sky photography planning tools
  • Shooting the moon
  • Composition in night sky photography
  • Shooting the moon during the blue hour
  • Shooting the stars
  • How your eyes change at night
  • Handling high ISO noise
  • Handling long exposure noise
  • How to calculate the longest exposure for pin-point stars
  • The NPF rule
  • Lens selection for the stars
  • Light painting
  • Shooting the milky way
  • A little science lesson on our neighborhood in the universe
  • Where and when to shoot the milky way
  • Shooting the "core"
  • Using foregrounds
  • Light pollution
  • Star stacking
  • Star tracker mounts
  • Shooting the Aurora
  • Shooting thru a telescope
  • Post processing night sky images
 

Sample YouTube Video »

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The Joy of Macro & Close-up Photography    New
(Not currently scheduled)
100+ professional PowerPoint slides, 2 hours
Skill level: Anyone who understands photography basics.
 
Learn a new photography skill and discover a whole new realm of artistic expression in this 90-minute online class.

Learn the essential knowledge and skills needed to capture stunning macro and up-close images. This class is appropriate for beginners looking to explore the world of macro photography or experienced photographers wanting to take their images further.

You'll learn about the equipment, lighting, techniques, and creative approaches that make macro photography so rewarding. We’ll show you how to get started shooting spectacular macro images without having to invest in expensive equipment. You'll also learn about depth of field, one of the most important concepts in macro photography, and we’ll even explain how focus stacking can be used to achieve truly remarkable macro images.

Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link to the recording to review as often as they like..

Topics include:

  • What is Macro/Micro photography?
  • What is close-up photography?
  • Why shoot macro?
  • Macro gear
  • Macro focusing
  • Lighting options
  • Background options
  • Using color
  • Getting creative
  • Thinking out of the box
  • Depth of field issues with macro
  • Shooting with different focal length lenses
  • How diffraction affects macro images
  • An introduction to focus stacking
  • Summary


 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Image Editing Workshop    Popular
Next class: Sat Oct 12, 2024 (see here)
A free-form image editing workshop, 2 hours
Skill level: Anyone who want to improve their editing skills
 
If you're curious about image editing or you want to improve your editing, you won't want to miss this!

Have you tried to edit your images without much success?

Are you looking to improve your image editing techniques?

This workshop will cover image editing, composition and will touch on shooting techniques.

Join Bert in this interactive online session where Bert will show you the tips and tricks of simple, but very effective, image editing. You can choose to just watch and listen or you can participate by asking questions or by making suggestions.

PhotoBert can teach you how to simply edit your images to create images that are a joy to view. It’s amazing how much data is in a digital image. With the proper image editing techniques, you can simply bring out that detail and visual clarity to make your images beautiful. Image editing doesn’t have to be difficult – you just need to know the tricks of the trade.

Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop will be used, and we may also demonstrate some other useful products (Topaz Photo AI, etc.). There are SO many options in these tools, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, but this workshop will teach you which tools are the most useful and when and how to use them. Our goal is to simplify image editing for the best results.

Images edited in the workshop can be submitted by the attendees. Once registered, you will be able to submit up to 2 images for editing during the session. Note: Images must be unedited and reasonably sharp. RAW images will be preferred, although JPEG images (straight out of the camera) may be submitted. Some images may not be selected for editing depending on time limitations.

You attend this workshop from the comfort of your own home or from wherever you happen to be using Zoom.

The workshop will be recorded, and you'll get to view the recorded video as often as you like, so you can review the techniques we demonstrate.

 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Understanding Layers in Photoshop    Very popular
(Not currently scheduled)
90+ professional PowerPoint slides plus lots of demonstrations, 3 hours
Skill level: Lightroom or Photoshop users
 
Learn the most important feature in Photoshop!
 
If you use Lightroom and/or Photoshop and don't use Photoshop layers, you're missing out on one of the most powerful image editing functions.
This very popular online workshop is intended for:
  • People with no experience using layers or
  • Lightroom/Photoshop users who would like to learn the secrets to great image editing.
Layers aren't difficult - you just need to have them explained in a way that makes them simple to understand.

Learn everything you need to know to use Photoshop layers like an expert!

We cover everything you need to know about layers, and how to best use them. This is an intensive class that will provide you with an outline and video that you'll be able to reference over and over again until you become an expert with Photoshop layers.
Regardless of your experience with Lightroom or Photoshop, we're sure you'll leave with some great tips that will improve your editing.

This comprehensive workshop is ideal for Lightroom users that don’t understand Photoshop layers or users of layers who aren’t as comfortable with them as they would like to be. There is a PowerPoint presentation with interwoven live demonstrations.

This live 3.5 hour online presentation teaches everything you need to know about layers, including:

• What is a Photoshop Layer?• Layer Visibility• Blending Modes
• Why Use Layers?• Type Layers• Blend If
• The Layer Panel• Shape Layers• Linking Layers
• The Background Layer• Layer Styles• Layer Groups
• Creating New Layers• Layer Masks• Layer Locks
• Deleting Layers• Adjustment Layers• Compositing Layers
• Moving Layers• Adjustment Layers with Layer Mask(s) 
• Opacity & Transparency• Smart Objects 


Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link of the recording to review as often as they like.

 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Digital Photography - the Complete course    Very comprehensive
(Not currently scheduled)
120+ professional PowerPoint slides, 3 hours, 30 minutes
Skill level: Anyone with a minimal photography skill level
 
This is a very complete course on digital photography. In this workshop, I teach the Fundamentals of Digital Photography in an easy to understand way.

Learning photography isn’t easy, so we’ve gone to great lengths to make it easier to learn. I explain the most important camera features and how to use them. This is an interactive workshop, where the participants will be able to ask questions and participate. This workshop will help you take control over your camera to create beautiful images that stand out from the crowd.

This workshop covers a wide range of topics and is appropriate for novices as well as seasoned photographers that want to refresh their skills.

Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link of the recording to review as often as they like.

Topics include:

  • What makes a great picture?
  • Main camera controls/systems
  • Dynamic range / HDR
  • Lenses
  • Exposure
  • Shooting modes
  • Depth of field
  • Exposure compensation & bracketing
  • White balance
  • Focusing & Depth of Field
  • Filters
  • RAW vs JPEG
  • Post processing
  • Storage & management
  • Guidelines for success


 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Adobe Camera Raw - The engine behind Lightroom and Photoshop    Very comprehensive
(Not currently scheduled)
A 50+ page eBook, a PowerPoint presentation and lots of demonstrations and discussion, 4 hours
Skill level: Anyone who uses Photoshop or Lightroom
 
In this workshop, I teach the latest techniques and features for editing images with Adobe Camera Raw, the engine that powers image editing in Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. Learn everything you ever wanted to know about processing images with Adobe software in this Zoom workshop. This 4-hour workshop covers all of the features in Adobe’s newest version of Camera Raw, used in Photoshop and Lightroom Classic. No matter what your level of expertise in post-processing (even if you’ve never done it!), you will undoubtedly gain a lot from this workshop.

Participants receive our 50+ page eBook worth $19.95, covering everything in Adobe Camera Raw.

This incredibly comprehensive workshop covers the following topics:

•  The XMP Sidecar File •  Mask Options
•  Keyboard Shortcuts •  Size, Feather, Flow & Density
•  ACR Tools and Options •  Range Masks
•  Color Sampler •  Graduated Filter Tool
•  Zooming •  Range Masks
•  “DNG” files •  Brush Adjustments
•  Hidden Options •  Radial Filter Tool
•  The Filmstrip •  Invert
•  Before / After viewing •  Range Masks
•  Undo / Redo / Reset •  Red Eye Reduction Tool
•  Histogram •  Snapshots
•  Main Tools •  Presets
•  The “Auto” & “B&W” buttons •  ISO Adaptive
•  Edit Tools •  Changing the Default Preset
•  Edit - Profile •  More Image Settings
•  Edit - Basic •  Additional Features
•  Edit - Curve •  Merge to HDR
•  Edit - Detail •  Merge to Panorama
•  Edit - B&W Mixer •  Synchronize Edits
•  Edit - Color Mixer •  Enhance Details
•  Edit - Color Grading •  Camera Raw Preferences
•  Edit - Optics •  General
•  Edit - Geometry •  File Handling
•  Edit - Effects •  Performance
•  Edit – Calibration •  Raw Defaults
•  Crop & Rotate tool •  Workflow
•  Spot Removal Tool •  Tips
•  Adjustment Brush Tool •  How to Approach Editing your images


Participants are provided with a copy of the PowerPoint slides, a 50+ page eBook, and the presentation will be recorded. Attendees are provided with a private link of the recording to review as often as they like.

 

Sample YouTube Video »

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Costa Rica Photography (travel photography)    Great images
(Not currently scheduled)
150+ professional PowerPoint slides, 90 minutes
 
Ideally suited for photographers, this presentation relates Images and stories of Costa Rican wildlife and flora.

The presentation covers 4 distinct locations within Costa Rica that photographers may want to visit. There are many images of birds, hummingbirds, parrots, frogs, snakes, sloths, butterflies, monkeys, insects, etc., etc. Basic EXIF information is shown for the images to help photographers understand how the images were shot and the unique shooting conditions of the jungle are explained along with shooting solutions.







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The Flora and Fauna of the Everglades (travel photography)    Great images
(Not currently scheduled)
120 professional PowerPoint slides, 90 minutes
 
Ideally suited for photographers, this presentation provides interesting facts about the Everglades along with lots of fascinating images of the birds, alligators, crocodiles (yes, there are crocodiles), plants, trees, and other wildlife of the Everglades.

Basic EXIF information is shown for the images to help photographers understand how the images were shot.

The images and stories have been accumulated from many years of photographing the Everglades.




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