Growing Up FDSA - Free Ebook

Back in the good ol' days of film, clicking the camera only got you halfway to a completed photograph. The other half was the development process, whether that was done at a commercial lab or in a photographer's custom darkroom. Only after the film was put through several rounds of chemical baths to bring out all of the details did the print emerge as a finished product. 

In the digital photography era, the click of the shutter is still only half of the process. Photo do not come out of a camera in their completed form. They too are sent through a process similar to their film counterparts, albeit without quite as much of a mess. Instead of chemical baths, we use computers and software. 

Many photographers are overwhelmed when they think about processing their images. The software appears complicated and it can be hard to know where to start. In this class, you will learn a simple, step-by-step procedure for taking your photo from blah to beautiful. Lectures will explain the tools and how they work, while the assignments give you a chance to practice them on photos with access to expert help from your instructor. 

Ideally we should be trying to capture the best image we can in-camera, but the tools in Lightroom can also be used to fix our mistakes, such as underexposed or overexposed photos. Cropping a photo can dramatically improve our overall composition. Lightroom is also better at giving us more control over the color and contrast in our images. 

The course material for this class is written for Lightroom Classic. You may use other photo editing software, but the instructor will only provide detailed technical support for the most current version of Lightroom Classic. 

Completion of Shoot the Dog and/or Expose the Dog is strongly recommended.  You may sign up for a Gold level spot if you have not completed Shoot the Dog and/or Expose the Dog, but familiarity of the basic photography skills taught in those classes will be assumed. 

Please see the Equipment requirements for this class in the "Prerequisties & Supplies" section below.

Teaching Approach

Lectures are released 1-2 times a week, along with a corresponding assignment that follows the lecture material. Students will submit homework for each assignment, as well as additional submissions with revisions to your images based on instructor feedback.  

Some assignments include step-by-step instructions to follow to demonstrate that the student understands a skill. Some are more open-ended, leaving more of the choices for the student to make in how they complete the assignment.

Lectures are primarily written, with supplementary videos from a variety of sources on YouTube.  Some videos may have subtitles, but it varies depending on the source. 

Instructor: Amy Johnson

Amy Johnson (she/her) is the official show photographer for many of the premier agility events in the United States, including the AKC National Agility Championships, AKC Agility Invitational, USDAA Cynosport World Games, UKI US Open, and NADAC Championships, as well as numerous local trials, regional events, and breed national specialties.  She has photographed a wide variety of dog sports, including agility, obedience, rally, and conformation.  (Click here for full bio and to view Amy's upcoming courses.)