PHOTOGRAPHY SOFTWARE

PERC Photography School offers award winning, fun, and innovative learning programs and field workshops for all skill levels and ages, regardless of camera – from point and shoot to DSLR. Our students have ranged from 15 years old to 92 years young!

We deliver the most comprehensive classroom training, distance education and webinars available for top photography software programs such as:

• Adobe Photoshop CS ”X”
• Adobe Photoshop Elements
• Adobe Lightroom
• Photomatix Pro
• Photo Mechanic
• ACDSee
• Neat Image
• Noise Ninja

We also provide webinars, distance education and classroom training for the following Photoshop and Lightroom plug-ins:

• Alien Skin
o Exposure
o Bokeh
o Blow Up
o Image Doctor
o Snap Art

• Nik Software
o Dfine
o Sharpener Pro
o Viveza
o Color Efex Pro
o Silver Efex Pro
o HDR Efex Pro

• On One
o Perfect Portrait
o Perfect Layers
o Perfect Mask
o Perfect Effects
o Perfect Resize
o Perfect Focal Point
o Perfect Photo Frame
o Photo Tools
o Photo Tune

• Topaz Labs
o Topaz B&W Effects
o Topaz Lens Effects
o Topaz Adjust
o Topaz DeNoise
o Topaz Star Effects
o Topaz InFocus
o Topaz ReMask
o Topaz Simplify
o Topaz Detail
o Topaz DeJPEG
o Topaz Clean

• Imagenomic
o Noiseware
o Portraiture
o RealGrain

• Tiffen DFx

Whether it is Photoshop CS, Elements, Lightroom, Photomatix Pro, or any of the various plug-ins, the PERC Photography School has courses for the most novice user to the most experienced pro.

Depending on the course, we teach fundamentals – interface, menus, tools, functions, speed keys and performance enhancement settings – to the most advanced, creative aspects where you learn to how combine everything for world-class results.

Our classroom training, field workshops and distance education are very much hands-on offerings. Guided by experienced photographers, you will learn more in an hour at one our courses than you will from any other courses or self instruction.

We teach you the “why” as well as the “how” so that you gain a fundamental understanding of non-destructive editing techniques, utilizing all the special tools and techniques we have learned in more than 30 years of photography – including 17 years of digital photography!

Some of the key topics we cover while teaching photography software include:

• Calibrating Your Monitor
• Creating and Using Photoshop Actions
• Restoration and Retouching Techniques
• Aging Techniques
• Noise Reduction Techniques
• Sharpening Techniques
• High Dynamic Range (HDR)
• Customizing Photoshop Brushes
• Layout & Design
• Custom Matting and Framing
• Tilt / Shift Perspective Adjustments
• Printing (Color Management and Profiles)
• Using Filters, Blurs and other Effects
• Using Selections, Layers & Masks In Combination
• Using and Customizing Gradients
• Creating Artistic Text in Photoshop
• Using Photoshop Blending Modes
• Using Curves, Levels and Hue/Saturation
• Creating Fine Art Images
• Non-destructive Editing\Using Smart Objects
• Using Clipping Layers

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY

We teach you the “why” as well as the “how” so that you learn the fundamentals of photography. This knowledge will help you solve problems when you are in the field or shooting for a client. In other words, we teach you how to fish; we just don’t give you a flounder for a single meal!

Like our software offerings, our photography school provides digital photography education for any experience level and any age from 15 and above. Whether you have a basic Point and Shoot or a professional grade DSLR, you will learn how to make maximum use of its capabilities through our classroom training, distance education, webinars and field workshops. And, of course, our programs are very hands-on oriented so you can truly learn quickly.

By teaching the art and science of digital photography in a fun, engaging manner, we makes it easy for you to master new techniques and take your photography to the next level.

In the process of teaching Basic, Intermediate and Advanced Digital Photography we cover many topics of interest, including:

• Composition
• Astronomy
• Posing
• Macro
• Bokeh / Depth of Field
• Night & Low Light Techniques
• Painting with Light Techniques
• Digital Pinhole Photography
• Infrared Techniques
• Ultraviolet Techniques
• Using Lens Babies
• How to Use Light Meters Properly
• How to Use a Graphics Tablet
• Tripod Tricks & Tips
• Using a Gray/White Card
• Using a Target for Post Production Work
• Calculating Hyperfocal distance
• Digital Workflow
• High Dynamic Range (HDR)
• Architecture (Tilt/Shift)
• Using On-camera Filters
o Circular Polarizers
o Star effects
o Special effects
o Cooling / Warming
• Remote Shooting
• Tethered Shooting

LIGHTING

At the PERC Photography School you will learn how to master on- and off-camera flash, studio lighting, ambient light and alternate or specialty lighting. You will also learn how to best use bounce cards, umbrellas, reflectors, diffusers, snoots, gels, soft boxes, neutral density filters, beauty dishes, barn doors and grids. We even have an entire series of light modifiers for Speedlite flash units – effectively turning them into mini-studio lights.

You will learn basic set-ups with key, fill, side, hair and backlighting. The Inverse Square Law will be discussed and demonstrated, along with methods to quickly achieve proper lighting levels, including the use of feathering.

Depending on the session, you will gain using various lighting techniques, including broad and short lighting, Hollywood glamour lighting, Rembrandt lighting, and ratio lighting. And our group model shoots allow you to practice with professional models in-studio or at various locations – a great way build your portfolio and have fun at the same time.

You will also learn how to use wireless remote flash triggering systems and light meters in hands-on operation using our equipment (classroom training and field workshops).

Our courses also cover the limitations of TTL, how to set your flash’s custom functions for the way you want to shoot, X-synch speed (and how to get around it), and ultimately how to master the mysteries of manual flash so that you can match fill light to ambient light – which is the ultimate test of your ability to use a flash!

Our comprehensive lighting curriculum covers all of these topics:

• Seeing and Using Ambient Light
• Setting Up Key and Fill Lighting
• Achieving Proper White Balance in Mixed Lighting
• Using On- and Off-camera Flash
• How to Use Studio Lighting
• Using Wireless Triggering Systems
• Fashion Lighting
• Flash Exposure Compensation Techniques
• Using Reflectors & GoBos
• Flash Exposure Locking Techniques
• Setting Your Custom Flash Functions
• Using Gels, Neutral Density Filters & Scrims
• How to Use Diffusers, Snoots & Grids
• Broad, Short & Feathered Lighting Techniques
• Ratio, Rembrandt & Classic Hollywood Techniques
• One Light Techniques
• Creative Alternate Lighting Techniques