I get so excited about sharing student work because, well, my students make some pretty exciting strides by the end of The Simple Edit. Many people come in with the belief their editing is inconsistent and they don't make cohesive work. By the end of class, students see their work in a completely different way. And they make new work that blows me away!
I have been struggling with how to put words to this class, a short blurb on what this class is all about, something that grabs you and makes you want to take this course with me. But to be honest it's hard to sum it up in one line--we cover a lot in three weeks.
This is a full-on Lightroom class. If you don't know how to use it, you will by the end of the class. If you know how to use it, you'll learn a few new tricks and workflow techniques to save time and add value. I get super excited to show everything I know it's capable of; how it can take hours off your workflow, keep you out of photoshop, create collections to be shared online, make books that hold a family's favorite memories, use the print module to make grids for sharing....and so much more.
In addition to all that technical stuff, we also explore style, editing technique, shooting with heart, learning and growing from the work you make and curating the strongest images. It saves a lot of time when we can decern between what makes our heart sing and what's not worth the struggle--put your time where it matters. Realize where you are making mistakes, shoot your next image with the right exposure or step back next time, every time we improve our in-camera work, we save time in post-processing and take our work to the next level. Lightroom is a great platform for this kind of reflection.
One of our assignments is to make new work and use the skills learned in Lightroom to curate and edit. Here is a sample of the work made my a few of my students this year in class. So proud!
Toward the end of class I teach them how to make a grid in the print module (comes in handy for all kinds of things, not just printing). At the same time, I have them scour through their work and curate a "best work" grid. They need to include about nine images that reflect the kind of work they want to make and then re-edit with their new set of eyes. By the end, I've talked most students into the fact that their work is indeed cohesive.
"I first started learning how to edit in Lightroom about 3 years ago. I learned mostly from my brother in law and watching tutorials here and there. I ended up figuring it out and making do with a system I thought everyone had for LR - I just saw it as this beast that I only understood partially, but in the end, was what I needed to edit my photos. If I would have known about Leah's class back then, it would have saved me so much time and energy. I now can honestly say that I now have the tools to do my job, and do it confidently and efficiently. There was so much about LR that I learned in this class that I didn't even think was possible. Thank you so much Leah!!" Mindy Dunlap
"This class really opened my eye for simple vs easy. There is nothing easy on having a good filing and organizing system and the ability to edit your pictures so that the edit looks simple. But it's so worth it to learn. And this is what Leah teaches. She has a fabulous style and I love what she taught me on my edits. This was really eye-opening." Anna Weber
"Leah is an open book, she shared so much knowledge over the course of this class. Her feedback is personal and heartfelt which made the experience really lovely. I learned so much about editing, but also about Lightroom, which was an unexpected bonus and a real game changer for me. I am now culling my images with more conviction and seeing my editing process evolve into a more intentional one. I highly recommend this class and am thankful to Leah for all that she gives to her students." Ellen Shaw
"Leah's class, 'The Simple Edit', was so much more than I thought it would be. Prior to the class I only used presets and while I had a fair understanding of how to alter them I was not achieving the final image that I had envisioned. I can now edit from scratch and alter presets when I want to, I can see what I want to do and know how to do it! My understanding of Lightroom modules and workflow has also really improved. This is what I was hoping for but Leah also took the time to get to know each student individually. She guided each of us appropriately, to our differing skill levels and to our personal styles, she emphasized the importance of staying true to what we love and helped us achieve that. Leah was so caring and gave her all, this is more than just an editing class, it is so worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyable. I loved it!" Megan O'Donnell
Leah Zawadzki | instructor of The Simple Edit
The next run of this class starts September 17. Active seats sold out in the first few days, but there are still a few silent seats left if you would like to participate. This class will teach you Lightroom, including workflow optimization and editing techniques, which will save time and allow more space to focus on artistry and vision.
Head here to grab a seat.