• Instructors

    Sonora MindWerl
    Andrew Kearns
  • Skill Level

    Level 1

    New: You are just picking up a camera and learning fundamentals. You want to improve your editing skills and deepen your knowledge overall.

  • What You Get

    115 minutes of learning

    + 13 segments

    + Kearns' Iceland Guide

    + Sonora's Directing Tips

    + Lightroom shortcut cheat sheet

  • Learn To

    Capture images that are posed yet effortless and develop your own look

    + Confidently direct your subject
    + Select clean backdrops for better portraits using natural light
    + Use basic manual tools and shortcuts in Lightroom
    + Color correct images to create your own distinctive style
    + Stitch images together for a more compressed wide image

What You'll Learn

Andrew is going to put you in the field and show you how it’s done. The end result = more candid portraits. Even Sonora jumps in to teach a segment about directing from a model’s point of view, sharing insights that most photographers miss.

For the second half, Andrew goes through his workflow from photo selection to specific tools he uses in Lightroom, teaching you how to edit your photos for a nostalgic, timeless look. There is so much more potential in your editing to create photos that are like a memory. This lesson will encourage you to critically approach edits with an end goal in mind.

Introduction: The Shoot

1/14 (2:31)

Let's get started. We cover an outline of the class and get into Kearns' photography philosophy, which sets the stage for how to capture candid moments. We'll also cover how not to settle for an image that you know could be better.

Pre Production & Gear

2/14 (8:36)

We dive into the gear Andrew uses. Learn his lens, camera type, and how he uses them in capturing portraits. You'll learn why he shoots with a single lens, how he plans a shoot, and why keeping it simple is essential.

Directing vs. Allowing | Iceland Highlands

3/14 (15.42)

Now we get into directing versus allowing the scene to come to you. With the Iceland Highlands as the backdrop, Andrew teaches you his techniques on capturing the adventure as it unfolds, providing subtle direction to improve the shots. In this segment, you'll also learn how to direct based on real life inspiration, and what to look for in an image.

Model's Perspective | Directing Tips

4/14 (6:45)

We turn the camera around and Sonora shares tips from a model's perspective on how to best direct a model. She’s going to share insights on how to direct a subject to make them feel comfortable and get the best images possible — because no one likes to pose for cheesy photos.

In the Field

5/14 (10:42)

Kearns takes you into the field and show you how it’s done. Over his shoulder, you learn his techniques while he shoots a few different scenes with Sonora. You'll see him direct the model, talking out loud as he shoots. This segment has no music or voice over — just you in the action.

Conclusion: The Shoot

6/14 (0:39)

We wrap it up, summarizing the techniques taught and how you can apply them to your everyday photography. See you out there!

Introduction: The Edit

7/14 (0:51)

Let’s get the lesson started. We pick up from the trip to Iceland with Sonora to walk you through Kearns' editing lesson. Here, we'll intro you to the lesson and get started talking about his process for editing.

Selecting & Organizing

8/14 (11:24)

We’re going to jump into how Kearns organizes his photos before editing. We’ll talk about proper workflow, all to save you time down the road as you start editing images. He'll also teach you how to use photo mechanics to quickly make selects, and the key items to look for in an image.

Efficient Lightroom Shortcuts

9/14 (7:10)

Kearns keeps it simple, but in order to go faster with a manual process he teaches you his go to shortcuts. He'll provide a shortcut PDF at the end of the lesson so this takes you through his hot-keys as he uses them. In this segment, he'll also go over how to set up your Lightroom, and everything you need to think through before the editing begins.

Understanding Kearns' Perspective

10/14 (6:05)

I'll take you through my style so you better understand my intent. Here, I'll show you how to create photos that are warm, nostalgic, and feel like real experiences. You'll get a walkthrough of the tones and colors I love, learn how to look introspectively at your own style, and learn how to understand what tones and colors you prefer.

Image Stitching | Editing a Landscape

11/14 (16:34)

Getting more technical, you'll dive into how to stitch images together. It’s a way to combine images to get something better than what you started with. Kearns will also teach you how to master your tone curve, how to effectively use a graduated filter, when to add haze to your image, and walk through color correcting a landscape image.

Editing a Portrait of Sonora

12/14 (10:09)

We look at portraits and how he prefers to edit them. Often his style is about adding warmth to make photos of people feel like a memory. In this segment, you'll learn how to bring life to a moody portrait, how to work with and edit a dark portrait with heavy shadows, and how to effectively use radial filters on faces.

Editing for a Brand

13/14 (9:43)

Editing for a brand can be different than editing for yourself. Kearns explains the difference and how to edit if the photos are for someone other than yourself. He'll walk you through editing a photograph highlighting props, using radial filters to highlight props, and bringing life to the image with warmth.

Conclusion: The Edit

14/14 (2:22)

In this final segment, you'll review what was learned in the lesson and he'll give his closing thoughts. See you out there!

Class Extras

Get more out of the lesson with a private podcast, a guide to Iceland, a PDF of Sonora's exclusive directing tips, and a cheat sheet for Kearns' Lightroom shortcuts.

Andrew Kearns

Photographer, filmmaker, & climber.
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ATK 9188 1

Sonora MindWerl

From Oaxaca and Oregon.
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