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Editing Critique Part 2

Lesson 57 from: Group Mentorship: Grow Your Wedding Photography Business

Susan Stripling

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Lesson Info

57. Editing Critique Part 2

Lessons

Class Trailer

Day 1

1

Mentorship: Introduction and Overview

20:49
2

Mentorship: Business and Marketing

30:42
3

Mentorship: Shooting & Post Production

15:21
4

Social Media Marketing

13:07
5

Google Analytics

29:16
6

Targeting Your Market with Social Media

25:54
7

Social Media Marketing Q&A

10:21
8

Common Issues and Problems

20:01
9

Student Questions and Critique Part 1

26:18
10

Student Questions and Critique Part 2

20:41

Day 2

11

Month 1, Week 1 (Sept 8-14) - Assignment Video

10:28
12

Month 1, Week 1 (Sept 8-14) - Feedback & Weekly Review

53:10
13

Month 1, Week 2 (Sept 15-21) - Assignment Video

09:43
14

Month 1, Week 2 (Sept 15-21) - Feedback & Weekly Review

43:05
15

Month 1, Week 3 (Sept 22-28) - Assignment Video

07:12
16

Month 1, Week 3 (Sept 22-28) - Feedback & Weekly Review

39:17
17

Month 1, Week 4 (Sept 29-Oct 6) - Assignment Video

06:41

Day 3

18

Office Hours Overview

13:42
19

Name Your Business Review

31:41
20

Where are You Running Your Business Review

09:41
21

Get Set Up Legally Review

16:12
22

Personal and Business Finances Review

26:58
23

Banking and Paying Yourself Review

15:42
24

Pricing Problems and Case Studies

35:12
25

When the World Isn't Perfect Review

23:56
26

Mission Statement and Target Client Review

25:46
27

Shooting: Macro and Getting Ready

17:26
28

Shooting: Portraits of the Bride

14:24
29

Shooting: Formals, Ceremony, and Cocktail Hour

16:30
30

Shooting: Reception and Nighttime Portraits

18:46

Day 4

31

Month 2, Week 1 (Oct 6-12) - Feedback & Weekly Review

57:47
32

Month 2, Week 2 (Oct 13-19) - Feedback & Weekly Review

55:04
33

Month 2, Week 3 (Oct 20-26) - Feedback & Weekly Review

57:13
34

Month 2, Week 4 (Oct 27-Nov 2) - Feedback & Weekly Review

47:48

Day 5

35

Details Critique Part 1

28:49
36

Details Critique Part 2

23:57
37

Getting Ready Critique

29:38
38

Missed Moments Critique

11:44
39

Bride Alone Critique Part 1

12:39
40

Bride Alone Critique Part 2

21:04
41

Ceremony Critique

12:36
42

Wedding Formals Critique

19:18
43

Bride and Groom Formals Critique

24:23
44

Reception Critique

18:33
45

Introductions and Toasts Critique

18:14
46

First Dances and Parent Dances Critique

17:47
47

Reception Party Critique

20:08
48

Night Portraits Critique

15:38
49

Month Three Homework

18:45

Day 6

50

Month 3, Week 1 - "Office Hours" Checkin

43:05
51

Month 3, Week 2 - "Office Hours" Checkin

28:11
52

Month 3, Week 3 - "Office Hours" Checkin

36:06

Day 7

53

Get Organized

30:40
54

Editing Q&A Part 1

28:57
55

Editing Q&A Part 2

32:18
56

Editing Critique Part 1

33:32
57

Editing Critique Part 2

31:48
58

Editing Critique Part 3

28:43
59

Editing Critique Part 4

29:33
60

Editing Critique Part 5

21:51
61

Final Image Critique

36:28
62

Album Design and Final Q&A

21:57

Lesson Info

Editing Critique Part 2

This is an improvement. It still feels a little yellow. I almost feel like there's a sulfur white or something in this image. I could be wrong. I mean the image thing that is poorly lit because the subject's faces turned away from any lights. Worse that you might possibly have a great. So there are some issues with the capture, but the Post has improvement. Yeah, and improved it again. The crop money. But look at the kid. A kid kills me in this picture. It's so funny. I get why you You know what? You kept this image. I would totally have kept this image. I think it's hilarious, but again, there's not. There's no need to crop like it's fine on the left. It's fine. Well, they probably didn't like the lens in the ceiling, but I would have left it because again, you could've gotten an eight by 10 of this. If you had left the original crop, you improved it and post you definitely improved it. Eyes. Yeah, I think it's fine. That kid is is not great lighting overall. I mean, you have some hot...

spots, but he's probably sweating its way. You're doing the best you can look at a post dancing moments. It's nice. Wow, that you hate it when the bride is really petite and the groom is really, really tall, She literally comes up to his breastbone. That's adorable. You improved it. I don't like what I'm seeing in the mirror. I don't know if you look like you might slash Yeah. Just be careful with mirrors, guys. Because you can definitely get Not only can you detail get thrown off, but also, you know, you can when you're looking at this, I'm literally staring at the mirror like the chandelier in the bright flash bringing man. But you did improve the color balance. Yes, definitely. Yeah. I mean, you improved it. I don't love the way that it was shot. I think you could have shot this a little more flattering on this girl. And I would have had her. I probably have done a little something different with her arm, but you definitely improved it in the editing. Yes. This is interesting, because I actually like this photo. Um I would have gone to black and white here. I wouldn't want to look like to not because I couldn't fix the color. But because I really graphically into the drama of the image, this is an image that I would actually spend some time on a photo shop. I would have converted to Black and White would not. For pre approved for myself, for my blawg. I would have gotten rid of that light, would have gotten rid of the light switch, maybe the others. I don't know if I could have told the things off of the door if I could wait. It didn't look, Yeah, but that would have gone. That would have won. That would have gone. Yeah, this is the kind of image I would have spent some time on for the Blawg because I think it's cool. But I think what you did in post it still looks a little bit yellow to me. Other than that, I think it's I think it's a cool photo. This I like a lot looks great. We thought the editing on this was good. She looks very Taylor Swift E Yeah, right. It's lovely. The highlights are bright, but they're not blown in. Equatorial contrast in a positive way. This is an example of editing, enhancing what you've done exactly. If you want it cropped like that, shoot it like that. And again, we're not going to hurt anybody's feelings. But relying on crop to get right where you want to be. Compositionally is something that people do a little bit too much. Yeah, try to force yourself to do that because it's gonna make you a better photographer. I mean, the main issue is that you got a huge highlight on her trial. Is that a highlight on her chest? And there's no light on her face and it's just a little accord. Yeah, I feel like he put her in the wrong spot. I would have been very interested to see if I had been in the singing to find a different way to shoot this and that there. I'm sorry. I know this isn't editing critique for this image. I don't mean to have found the maker over. The problem is that when there are technical issues with shooting the image, it's hard to critique it on an editing side because some of the issues should have been fixed when it was shot right. It's like a lot. Maybe it's a little dark little muddy for May. I think you needed a little bit more contrast. Little more white in the whites would have helped this image a little bit in terms of the at it. Um, I'm not a fan of this. Um, I get what you did here. You're going for, like, a vintage look. And I mean, you did kind of accomplish that goal if that was the goal. But the file is kind of a disaster. You look really close at it. It is. It's noise in a way that can't be fixed. I feel like you could have found a little bit of a happier medium here. I guess I would say Yeah. And again, it's hard to do a vintage edit on something with a harsh light condition, right? Like it just it ends up not looking quite right. I mean, if if the person here is using flash, consider getting a video light because you can see it before you take the image. And that can sometimes help you when you're trying to go for and if you're going for something a little more vintage vintage generally doesn't have this hard sidelights. So everybody flat overall light instead of a harder highlight on the side. And then the edit would have made more sense. And this is an example of the edit not matching the picture too bright. And you didn't need to crop it. Yeah, she's a little too bright. Tough room suffering. Did a good job. It looks not good in the first place, to be honest, and then, yeah, it's a nice black and white. I might have straightened it, to be honest with you a little bit because you had room. You could have straightened it a little bit. You did a good job. Yeah, for sure. Are we sure about the foreign after on this? No, I'm not sure. I don't know whether you took something that was blown out and you brought it back, which would have been a good move in my book or whether you took something that was fairly well exposed and then tried to go for a Fadi effect, which I think blew out all the highlights. Yeah, I can go relook at the re look at it during the break and see, But I was pretty careful. I don't know why the crop. Yeah, kind of like that fringing anything over her head. I did. I think it's a nice and now you have nowhere to crop. Here. Later, I live and listen. I'm not saying that every single image you shoot has to be probable to eight by 10. But when you put this in an album crop like this, you don't have a whole lot of options as to what you can do with that size wise. And there was no need for the crop. It was beautiful, but energy leaves were nice. It's beautiful shadow on the hand. Is that something that you would have? No, I'm not taking that out. Not taking it out Great. I'm not even taking it out in the album unless nobody asks me to. It's just not It's gonna make your I know something's wrong if you dio but like why? You know what? Like any there there is. And then where do you stop? Right? Let you know what I mean? Like I could go to town. Then there's the veil Shadow. Gotta go. This has got to go. That's gotta go. That's gotta go. That's gotta go hair around here. That's a mess in here. We got there some stuff going on in here and fix this. That's a little God. Are you know, where do you stop? This isn't the cover of Vanity Fair. Do you know what I mean? Like, there's there have to be a limit so good at giving people body image problems, weight in a part of the problem. It's fashion retouching is ruining everything. First of all, this isn't a fashion shoot. You know, I didn't have a budget of $300,000.5 assistance and two days to get this shot over here on the right of the person. Probably had five minutes if they were lucky, tops. You can't expect this to look like fashion magazine work. I thought they did a good job. Yeah, I wouldn't cropped it, but I like it. Um, that's fine. Yeah. Good job time. He shot it find too. So I see what you're going for. I do. I think the little blown out. Yeah, I would have raised it quite so much. I know you're looking for a ferial. You could have raised the whites a little bit without raising the overall exposure. Right again. A little too bright, too bright, too bright in the capture, Too bright in the post. Look, I understand this is a tough scenario, my friend. I probably would have maybe tried to have my assistant holding a video light t bring them up a little bit. Well, there's a here, but that looks like a light in the background that was ringing studio here. Yeah, and again I would never have removed. I did, but I think they sure, but to make this better, you can't make it better in editing. You needed toe light it better. Yeah, I would have delighted with video. Fine. It's fine because they feel like a low video light wouldn't have destroyed the The fact that the idea that they're being led by this thing, the truth is there not being led by it because it's too far away. You would have had to add light if you wanted to create that effect. And then I don't like there's some edits that I don't understand, like there's a There's something that is here a minute. It was taken out there, but yet there's this here, but that's still there. I'm just not sure. And then this woman who's holding what looks like an IPad. You took the light or the logo logo. I don't What do you food Network? A Like it. That's the level of edit that I don't understand, right? Like for a proof days. And there's a difference between proof album and website slash competition. Print. Like every image that's on my website has been analyzed to death. The stuff that I send out for competition has been has been edited like it's going on the cover of Vanity Fair. Listen, that's one fine. I think there's a little bit. There's a little bit too much of bringing back of the blue in the sky. You start to see that you can see that the really recoverable. I wouldn't have bothered to save this, To be honest with you, Yeah, I don't think it's a good moment. There's not a lot going on. I can't even really tell her expression because she's just kind of yeah, I mean, if it was necessary and you had to say that you did a good job saving it, but again work on the actual capture of the photograph so that these things don't happen to in the future. It'll what will speed up. Your editing is bringing images that you're not having to do this too. I mean, do you, for the most part in your work, in my work, it's not a lot of time spent saving. You can tell when I send you something where you're like, Oh, you turned from one lighting scenario to another and you didn't quite adjust your settings all the way. But for the most part, we're not. We're not up here saying like, I'm better than you are. I'm like, super awesome And all of my files are perfect. Of course they're not. But as your skills do get better, you're editing also get easier. I mean, listen, I got to talk about this one first. The person who shot this sent it in last month, and I talked about all of the issues that the image had. And then it seems like it was reedited and resubmitted again, and it still has the same issues. It was a Lin selection. All of the settings were off. She's not facing the line facing the lightest, and the edits that have been done are starting to destroy her face like it just it's blotchy because it's been pushed and pulled so hard. And once you've changed your exposure so drastically, then it gets really hard to get in there and retouch it because of kind of the destruction of the file by having to bring it up multiple stops. Find her, Shoot it that way. Don't crop it that way. Maybe a little blue, but it's fine. Fine. This is great. Yeah, we like this. It's lovely that the little subtle and guessing alien skin like up there looks nice. Looks wonderful, because it's a direction that the light will concede could conceivably have come from. We've got a few images in here that will get to where light has been added, coming from a direction that light would never come from. But this is it's beautifully shot. It's well edited. Really, really, really happy. This is this is editing, bringing your style home. You know what I mean? Like really saying and really well done. That kid looks miserable, but hey, that's what shooting kids basically is. These are all still too green to me. And you know what? You're you're in a room with green carpet it's gonna be have to eliminate all the color balance in this situation. I mean, you tried, you made some improvements for sure, it would have helped to turn the subject towards the window and said having their back on their sides. And I talked about this a lot last month. No wide angle verticals. It's just not It's very unflattering. No matter who you are or how big you are, it sort of works you out a little bit. And I mean, I'll be honest. Like I tell people to turn to her the window when they're putting their dress on. I mean, if you consider yourself to be a full on photojournalist who doesn't interfere, that's totally your prerogative. But my view on it is I'm at a wedding. You know what? This is a contrived event. They want the best photos taken, get. I'm not gonna boss them around the whole time, but I can at least put them in a position where I know I'm gonna be successful. But if I were also appear, photojournalist and I were approaching a scene like this and she insisted on facing that way, I would change my angle of You agreed. It was nice. Nice. Looks good. They're cute. He's cute. She's cute. The moments cute. The lights cue. They look happy. It's nice. Good job. I don't. There's, like the way the color turned out. It looks like a saturated almost. And we also have to talk again about unnecessary extraneous editing. This this, that being removed over there. I'm not even gonna remove it for a blawg post. It just doesn't need to come out like it. It doesn't hurt the image by it being there. And then where do you stop? If you think those things are distracting, there are other things I think are distracting. And I know where this is distracting. I think this is. But it is what it is, right? Like this is an issue that you aren't directed when you think you have to take all of these things out. You really, really don't. But I know what happened here. I mean, I can see the glow coming from the left. You have mixed lighting. You left the tungsten lights on and you put it by the window. No, no, You have to turn the light off. He would have been so much easier of the time. White balancing this photo. It's true again with the, you know, the lights just in the wrong place here and you tried to fix it, but it's still a little green. Yeah, shoot it like this, right? Like the crop and the tilt. Just start training yourself to see what you want to see through your camera, but otherwise looks little blue to may. Well, blue, but better. Better for sure. Two blown out, That's all. Yep. Little too bright. Let's really get actually. Yeah, I think that was a fine way to fix that. I well done for about the detail. Um, look, you know, I don't believe spot. I don't believe you with your sky. I mean, I know I know you're lying, but, you know, there's a little bit of a halo effect that you're creating by doing that. Has there some areas? I probably pull back that blue. Maybe about halfway between a little Yeah. Yeah. And then, you know, this is a tough spot. The guys were getting that glare on their face, the lightning for deaf, but it's definitely an improvement. It's just I have to actually believe that this guy actually looked like that. But otherwise Well done. You have been better off of you. Just gone like Rubies. And you would have gotten more of the top of the building, and you wouldn't have the crop. The feet area. Ruth, it's I don't love this. I don't like we talked about many Pia again. Is this it? Is this a, uh which mccall like a duo tone type of it Looks like it. Yeah, it almost looks like I can't move the name of this, but there's, like, an effect. Um, you know, I think straightening it was a good move. Yeah, we used to mix, um, you know, the CPS sort of split tone. Look to my image. What town Now it's really toned in a while. Yeah. Yeah. Kept. Yeah. Yeah, it's an improvement, will to yellow, but better but better. This is one of the ones that we looked at that looked really similar before. After your problem here is you've got a bride who looks like she has one foot. That's a pumpkin. Yeah, I know. It was just unfortunate placement of holiday fall decor. It's just an awkward posed to start with. They've got their hands kind of crunched up in the middle and they don't look comfortable. But the edit I keep looking at pumpkin foot? Yes. Are you know, I get it. Like the maker just didn't notice that I probably would have noticed it myself. But you have to just be careful that what they're doing looks I know this isn't an image critique, but I think that it the editing is fine. The couple just looks a little uncomfortable, but the editing is fine. I'm not sure what happened here. Yeah, we looked at this one for a while yesterday. I'm confused. Um, I feel like the computer looked very remember. We looked at it yesterday. She was very, very orange in what I understood to be the after. And I thought that that was a big mistake. So I would say you need to back that orange off. If that was intentional. Just skin tones are tough. And if if you look at it and it doesn't look natural, it this looks like self tanner and watch the bra when you're taking the picture. Because that's always tough to move because it's online's Yep, it's an improvement. It's an improvement. You're a little blocked up on your blacks. I raise your blacks were shadows a little bit on us to get a suit back. And the kids hair is blending into it a little bit, too. Yeah, just crop it this way when you shoot it. Agreed. It's fun. She's still a little pink. But, I mean, we're being super super nitpicky, right? Like super nitpicky. Um, yeah, This is a thing that Jamie's all taught me. If there's any writing anywhere in the image, you're gonna look at it. So all I'm looking at is that looks like a football jersey. I know that's that's like an image critique thing, but I think the black and white conversion is fine. But all I keep looking at is the Packers jersey in the background. A fair point. You gotta be careful with writing because your I will want to read it. Yeah, so now we're going into one critic, not a critic, but before, before and after on wars on horizontal. So before after good job straightening it up to find conversion, I think pretty fair treatment with the conversion. This is again son coming from a direction where the sun's not coming from their guys. It is like if you look at her and you look at how the shadows looking around the sun is coming from over there on the male side, there can't be coming from over here. You just have to make sure that what you're doing is is realistic because you're I will know. Yeah. I thought you grouped all these together, resident by moving. All right, Well, nobody asked you. Jen way looked at this last night. I mean, get on with your bad self. I guess I just don't I don't understand why I fake back around. Always words me out a little, but, I mean, you did a fine job with it. I'm not here to really critique federal shop skills to be completely honest. No, it's a little It gets a little sloppy up in the corner. This looks fake to me. This left corner where the walkway ends because you basically created out of nothing and I can tell by the corner there's a smudge. I guess my question would be Why? Why? You know I don't Is it something that you shot in the client was then, like, make it look like I'm somewhere else. Okay, right? I don't know. I guess I just don't get it. I don't get it either. What looks good? Looks good. Good straightening good. I like that. Good. A little too bright. I know you're in a church and it's turning into you. See how hard it's been pushed? Look at the image on the right. Look at the blacks. It's just a noisy dio you too much here and it was unnecessary. Yeah, I know what you talk about the door. Right? But why, right? Like it could have taking out the door, didn't it? If I'm going to remove a large element of the photograph, it needs to drastically improve the photograph and removing the door just didn't. I just don't know why. I mean, it's an improvement. I would have just shot this differently so that you didn't have the door in the first. Yes, not to Monday morning quarterback, which I guess is kind of what critiquing is. But if you had shot it, the processing is fine like this. You wouldn't have ever had the door problem to begin with. So again, just for fun composition that it is fine, I think. Why crop in? You know what I mean? Like it's It's a crop for I don't understand why. And also the curtain they brought in a black curtain. Yeah, that's guys that's killing me, right? Like there's somebody bending over back here in the background. But then they basically just colored this in black on the right. Like I I'm not gonna pretend like they didn't do a fairly good job. Yeah, they did a good job. But why? Maybe I can see. Okay, she wants to put this image in the background, But that's her hair person that really ticked her off. And she were working on an album right now where my clients hated their hair and makeup people. They were up in their faces all day long. They were really they made the bride 90 minutes late to her reception like they were a disaster. She wants him cropped out of all of her getting ready images. So we're having to do above and beyond edits to make that happen. They're paying for it, but so I can see doing that for an album. If the client wants that person out, but I would never do it on a on a proof stage. And if I am gonna go to the effort to block out that person there, but there's no retouching going on on the skin at all, do you know what I mean? Like it's It's 11 but not finishing. It's not your effort on the wrong things. Yes. Still looks a touch yellow to me, at least on that monitor. Yeah, I mean, nothing. Improvement. It's an improvement. But again, guys, you're taking out stuff that you don't need to take out, You know? Why are you taking this out? And why are you taking this out and the ceiling? You might want to tell your second shooter to scooted out of the way a little bit next time. But why is all of this gone like it? It doesn't need it, You know what I mean? Like, just because it's back there doesn't mean you have to take it off the wall. Sure, but fun. Look, it's a little over the top for May, but you did a good job with it. Yeah, I have a hard time believing the sun actually looked like that and spread raise across the sky like that, and it's a little bit blown out. But it's not bad. No, I think it's a bad at all. I think I might have done in that last one was just to bring down the church a little, because all I can look at is that we no wonder right there. And I want to be looking at that couple right? So I probably would have brought down the building. Said that the couple could have been a little more prominent. Truth. If you want it to look like I like that right? You know, you look at the final file and I can tell it's been pushed and pulled up. Yeah, it's just a It's a bit much When you look at the final file over here, where this has been taken out, it just looks like it was colored over with a blur tool. Right? Like it, it's removing things in. Photo shop is tough on Git was it's obviously done. It's just all a bit much for May. I mean, they took the ties out to the belt from the dress. Well, those clamps I was out with a big there. Clamps. Yeah, I would have gotten off. That actually wasn't well done either, because I could see the blurs of the clamps being removed. It's get her off the background, like showing the plants that could have been fixed before you shot it. Agreed. It's just just a little, much less is more always. This is fine again, But again, you know, try to shoot it that way before after I'm getting what you're doing here, right? Like I see. Try to get rid of the glue. There's the glue and then the lips have been completely changed in color. This is not necessary, right? Like and this I can also see where the black is now. It also doesn't look riel. None of it the color. But it's been colored in. I mean, it's just very effective. Yeah, before, after you improved it better. Better getting closer to spend my balance. You know, it's rough is a tough scenario. What is a Robert before? After nice Looks good. Good punch before. After. See the before again? Uh I mean, you improved it. I feel like he did something with vibrance that I'm not loving. Same. It's just It's a bad one. I think it's bad. It's just a little looks. A little Lord of the Rings E. Yeah, it's going a little blowing before after. That's nice. Yeah, before after. Could save. Yeah, gets a before after Mr Find Morgan, it is a pretty good job of popping up. The contrast. Looks like a local contrast. Didn't something or other. I think that's nice. Before after, I mean, the issue is once you taken image that's already shot at a slightly higher I s O. And then you crop it and then you push it, the noise starts to become starting. Will see everything. Yeah, before after. That's fine. I mean, it would be better if you could just try to shoot it that way. Just think about it. Next time is everything in the frame something that I need before after nice looks, fun thing. We're gonna go back and forth a couple times looking to talk. Look at the top of the frame. It's the heavy handed brush vignette thing. Just be super probably with that light room in the new circle. But I would recommend if you start when I start doing a lot of work with the background of the image all literally in light room. Go back and look at the beginning and look at the end and look at the beginning and look at the end and be like, Whoa, that's way much. Yeah, that's your back. Just a little bit. Much before after. Definitely improved up. Yeah, definitely improved it before. After they look a little green to may. Ah, little green. It went from a little flat to a little green. Yeah, but I don't know what you did with your lighting here. I mean, I probably would have let something like this so that I didn't have to try toe like Theo, you know, fixing it afterwards. Yeah, Um, just little green. You did improve it before after? Yeah. Well chosen conversion, I think. Well chosen. Conversion. Still a little. Don't be afraid to pull it down a little bit more, but the black and white is a really nice choice here. I listen, before we even look at the after like we all find ourselves in situations like this. It's a church ceremony with lighting that is generally overall. Just like exactly what You don't want them toe lights. You can't focus. Improved. It's the best you can do, right? I mean, the thing is pushed a little hard. You push it really hard and you're getting a lot of grain. So I might have had to sacrifice the shadows a little bit more in this photo. And again, it's another argument for making sure you get it right in camera, because having to push it up those extra couple of stops ugly? Yeah. Still a little orangey. Yeah, I agree. And again, it's that something odd has been none of the shadows. Kind of almost like a faux HDR a fact. But it's fine. Fine. One to just shoot it like that. Yeah, don't shoot it like that. Shoot it like that I listen mining, and this is very there is no lighting and very difficult. Yeah, this is somebody speaking and they're facing the audience. Or is this a formal? Because it's very hard for me to tell. I can't tell, but either way, even if this is a ceremony and I have to do, I mean they've got to be posing right, cause I've got the bouquets on her train this is Yeah. It looks like maybe the person up there is practicing, or I'd I don't know. There they were going to get a good result with us. You know, this is you can't save this. The lighting on them is their raccoons. And then they have highlights in their foreheads, from whatever the lightest, and you've tried to bring back the shadows. But what you ended up is there's all this grain now in the shadows. You're gonna have a hard time. You tried to save it, and it's just you saved it. I mean, hopefully it how sure, but, um, it would have been so much easier on you if you had just added some light to get the shadows out of their eyes. Agree? We're gonna go through these babies. 12 Fine, fine time. And then we got one, 23 and it's kind of the same thing. I feel like the black and whites. A little money, little muddy. I don't know. Uh, before one time, I appreciate you got rid of whatever that oranges. I don't know what that is, and I don't even see it here. Look, so you don't even see it at all. Not weird on the image that we're looking at on the screen in front of us. It looks almost like a baby. The baby is eating Cheetos like the hands of the palm's or orange. Maybe it was like an Indian wedding where they put the orange because I can't tell the city of the baby, but But it's it's just it's lacking a little contrast. Agree, and then just shoot it like you shoot it that way with a mackerel. But good job getting the crumbs off. Exactly. I liked those. Yeah, this was nothing. It's nice. And one last one, which is not a baby, but I just click to it. So we're gonna do it anyhow. you proved it. But you know, if you can try to shoot it more zoomed, and that would help you. I mean, it's a table shot. If you want to zoom in a little bit more, you're going to need to not use on camera flash. You're gonna need to be able to back up and have someone supplementing with off camera flash

Class Materials

bonus material with purchase

Mentorship Launch and Social Media Keynote.pdf
Susan Stripling - Study Packet Spreadsheets for Numbers.zip
Susan Stripling - Study Packet Spreadsheets for Excel.zip
Susan Stripling - Month 1 Mentorship Assignments 1 - 7.pdf
Susan Stripling - Business and Marketing Workbook.pdf
Susan Stripling - Study Packet Spreadsheets - PDF.zip
Susan Stripling - Month 1 Mentorship Assignments 8 - 14.pdf
Susan Stripling - Month 1 Mentorship Assignments 15 - 21.pdf
Susan Stripling - Month 1 Mentorship Assignments 22 - 28.pdf
Susan Stripling - Month 2 Homework.pdf
Susan Stripling - Month Two Introduction Keynote.pdf
Susan Stripling - Month Three Assignments.pdf

Ratings and Reviews

a Creativelive Student
 

A couple years ago I attended WPPI and sat in on Susan's class. Out of all the classes I sat in on that year her's was in the top 2 for actual information and not just fluffy feel good hype. So I figured her Group Mentorship course would be a good one and it definitely has! A bit of background on me, I've been running my own wedding photography business for the last 6 years, 5 of those full time. I've taken tons of business courses and have circled back around to taking more classes to improve my craft. Susan's class focuses on both business and improving your craft. The big warning I have for this class is that there is a lot of homework, A LOT!!! But that is not a bad thing at all. I was swamped with weddings as the class started and was late to get to my homework but I'm so glad I didn't skip it because there was a lot of things I learned about my business just in answering her questions. I believe there were homework assignments every single day and while some are quick others will take awhile. So my recommendation is to take this course in your off season and use that down time to really concentrate on doing the homework and putting together questions to ask during the weekly chats. I was not able to do that as much as I wanted because of my schedule and I feel I did myself a disservice by not taking full advantage of what was offered. As another reviewer stated there were a lot of basic questions that were asked like how to get proper exposure in an image, etc. If you aren't sure how to do that then this class is not for you. I believe this class is geared towards those who are past the portfolio building stage and are looking to set their business up for success on the back end while improving their craft. Remember to ask questions, keep a notebook and write them down while doing your homework. Don't focus so much on what she uses for everything but why she uses it, if you understand the why you can apply that better to your business vs just the what. Again I would say to properly allocate time to take this class, treat it like a college class with weekly homework and study required. Don't buy it to watch later as you will lose out on most of what this class is about which is access to Susan for questions and feedback. Do the homework, I found the questions she asked us to answer led to a lot of revelations for myself in my business. Her questions led me to ask my own questions and review a lot of historical data for my business to get a better grasp on where I am. Luckily for me I'm doing way better then I thought ;)! Also I recommend for image critique to not just submit your best images, while we all like a pat on the back that won't make you better. She requested a mix of your best and areas of struggle. The images I submitted that I was struggling with are the ones where her advice will improve my craft.

Carissa
 

Susan, simply amazing photographer, amazing woman, amazing business woman! If you want your but kicked then this the course for you! A kick start for your 'business', awesome .. honest .... brutal.... critique.... don't take it personally.This is a course for beginners and for those been in business for 4 + years. I have been in business for 4 years and this helped me seriously start from the beginning again on the business side of things and fine tune my processes. I learnt so much.... but was also great to know I was on the right track. For those beginning - oh I wish I had this as a guide 4 years ago!!! Enjoy! worth every penny! cheers Carissa www.capture-t-moment.com

a Creativelive Student
 

I found this course helpful - but I also did all (well most) of the homework and I think to get the most out of this class you really need to be prepared to do the homework - which does require a reasonable time commitment. I found the business information (month 1) invaluable, and Susan was very, very active in the Facebook group, constantly answering our questions, which was great. Month 2 was a big image critique and I also found this very helpful. Month 3 was about editing and it was also a critique, which was helpful as well. Susan, Sandra (her assistant), Jen (her post production person) and CL worked very hard for us so we could get the best out of this course and I really feel I did get the most out of it that I could have gotten out of it. It is definitely worth it if you are willing to do the work. All of my questions were answered and I feel like my work is going to improve for the better now. If CL run any more mentorships such as this one, I would highly recommend them as I found I learned a lot more than in a regular class - because of the homework and the feedback (direct from Susan) on the homework. I am so glad that she was honest about my images because now I am seeing them in a new light (no pun intended).

Student Work

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