One of the best ways to improve your photographic skills is to participate in a photo workshop. These are hands-on workshops, guided by instructors who not only know photography, but have been making it easy to understand for years. This means you get a chance to listen to, ask questions about and then practice the new techniques and skills. We want you to bring your camera, your ideas, your questions and some hiking boots, and enjoy learning about photography, both in the classroom and in the field. And take home some great images

Workshop group photos

Special Workshops

Matting and Framing workshops are planned!
Need to get that print finished and on the wall??
Or just ready to show in competition??

Matting and framing can seem like such a daunting task that you might even be tempted to turn over to a frame shop and pay an huge fee just to get a mat cut and a frame assembled. You can do this yourself, we can help. We custom mat and frame photos all year long and we have all the tools and techniques to make the job easier. Come join us and get some helpful hints, good material sources and the satisfaction of actually getting a couple of photos matted and framed during this workshop.

• Fourteen workshops completed,
• Next workshops:
  
  planned for early 2019

Tuition costs will cover most materials and tools for two projects, like the acid free hinge tape, double-sided tape, rulers, foam core/backing board, finishing paper, the tools like the mat cutters, scissors, wire and hanging hardware. We'll have some standard mats in black, white, and colors available as well as the colors you choose if locally available. Additional tuition costs may apply, please contact the registration person for the workshop you are interested in.

You will need to bring a couple of images and frames with glass to fit your images.

Some of the topics we will discuss are:

• options on types of mat board and where you can buy
• options on mat cutters and where to buy
• choosing a good mat color for your image
• options for frames, glass, backing board, etc.
• sources for glass, frames and supplies
• how to cut single, double and triple mats
• float and shadow matting and mounting techniques
• frame assembly and finishing
• techniques and help to assemble your final image

First session, typically 2-3 hours, bring some print or artwork choices so we can discuss good mat colors and the best techniques to enhance your prints. This will be primarily a discussion night to prepare for the matting at the next session.

Second session, We will bring the mats that were discussed at previous session. After reviewing the different options, we will help you cut mats for your photos and assemble the mats, photos and frames to produce a ready-to-hang photographs.

Class size is limited to six people so everyone gets time to practice and finish at least two prints. Email for more details .

Darrell has been teaching Adobe Photoshop software to photographers since Photoshop version 2.5 in the early 1990's. He has attended Adobe workshops around the country to keep his skills up to date. He has presented special workshops to government agencies, manufacturing and design companies, and camera clubs over the last 30 years. He presently teaches intro and advanced Photoshop courses to aspiring photographers at Dakota county Technical College in Rosemount. These workshops give you a chance to watch demonstrations, follow along and practice techniques and ask tons of questions about the complexities of Photoshop. Versons of Photoshop from CS5 to current CC 2018 can be covered as needed.

We have been hosting three different levels of PhotoShop workshops since January 2006. Watch for more details coming soon. Next workshops planned for spring of 2019

Each of the three levels of workshops will be based on skills and knowledge typically needed by users of digital cameras and printers (both home inkjet and sending to commercial labs).

Each workshop will consist of a session approximately 3 hours long, with demos, practice images, discussions and hands-on practice. Cost of each workshop is $20-40 and you must register in advance.

Books like "The Complete Guide to Digital Photography" and the "PhotoShop - Restoration and Retouching" will be used as reference in class, but purchasing is optional. When planning to attend the Intermediate or Advanced workshops, previous knowledge and skills with PhotoShop is necessary.

100 - PhotoShop Basic Tools
This first workshop designed to help you get the most out of the common tools used in digital photography. There will be time to discuss and explore issues and problems you have experienced in these areas. There will be handouts and practice images provided.

• Digital image quality and resizing variables
• Selection tool options and how to make them work for you
• Using histograms, levels, eyedroppers for adjustments
• Basic Workflow for digital shooters/printers
• Storage and file format issues
• Getting organized and contact sheets
• Using PS browser/bridge to organize images
• Preparing images for professional lab printing
• Questions and special topics brought up by participants
  

Dates: being planned

200 - Intermediate PhotoShop (Layers and Masks)

• Continuing color/density correction issues
• Using layers and shortcuts to improve images
• Using layers for composite images
• Using masks to dodge, burn, modify, enhance, and saturate
• Using masks for enhancing portraits and nature images
• Managing profiles for printing, importing, and workflow
• Image improvement/retouching tools and techniques
• Questions and special topics brought up by participants

Dates: being planned

300 - Advanced PhotoShop Techniques for Digital Photography

• Continue working with layer masks for special effects and difficult problems
• Creating and modifying layer masks for non-destructive image modification
• Using masks to apply correction or enhancement to parts of the image
• Combining exposures to increase image latitude/quality (HDR)
• Alternative sharpening methods
• Using Photomerge to create panaramas
• Using ACTIONS to create workflow improvements
• Working with RAW images and DNG converters
• Questions and special topics brought up by participants

Schedule: not scheduled at this time.

Other Workshops

The “Know-How’s” of Digital Photography: (2-hour session) Have a new digital camera?  Confused by all the adjustments and options? Having trouble getting sharp colorful photos? This workshop will help answer those questions and cover digital photography techniques including; what subjects to shoot, how to steady your camera, catching the excitement of certain moments, and getting the most out of your digital camera's features. Also, learn a little about troubleshooting problems that may occur when taking digital photos including dealing with red-eye reduction, cloudy or cold weather, and reducing lens flare. (Bring your cameras and sample problem pictures)

Dates: , being planned

Panoramic Photography:  (3 hour session) Think out of the box, the 8x10 and 5x7 box that is.  Panoramic photos can be easier captured with today’s digital cameras.  Some careful planning and the right settings can produce a set of individual images that can be “stitched” together into one long high-quality image.  This workshop will cover the unique techniques of taking panoramas and how to stitch them together using one of the best softwares on the market, Adobe PhotoShop – Photo Merge.  (bring some of your pano images, a CD-R or jump drive)

Dates: being planned for spring of 2019

Photography Workshop - Long-Weekends

Our North Shore Photography Workshops have been held on the beautiful North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. The three day workshop consisted of lectures, discussions, slide shows filled with tips on metering difficult scenes, using your equipment effectively, shooting waterfalls, nature, landscapes, sunrises, and close-ups. This workshop was designed for the intermediate photographer who want to take their photography to the next level.

Part of each of the three days was spent in the field shooting under the guidance of the instructor with a final student critique on the last day of the workshop.

Limited to 15 people.

Dates: We are planning more north shore workshops during 2018-19 and exploring some 1-2 days workshops in the metro area. Watch this site for more details.

For 2018: workshops being planned:

Summer workshop wasJune 7-10th, 2018, centered out of Gooseberry State Park (offered through Dakota County Tech College as a one-credit course)

Fall workshop planned for Sept 27-30th, 2018 centered out of the Schroeder/Tofte area in MN. (offered through DCTC) registration opens in April 2018 through DCTC

Winter workshop being planned for Feb xxx, 2019 for Split Rock Lighthouse and Gooseberry Falls area. Through DCTC, available for registration in Oct 2018

Advanced workshops being offered the Porcupine Wilderness State Park of Michigan the second weekend in Oct through DCTC.

Times: Out-of-town workshops typically run from Thursday evening through Sunday mid-afternoon unless otherwise mentioned. We suggest you plan to arrive at the meeting location on Thursday night around 8 pm for the workshop overview and planning session. However, if you experience a conflict of schedules, please let Darrell know as soon as you can.

Places: North Shore of Lake Superior in Minnesota. Near the towns of Beaver Bay, Schroeder, Tofte and the State Parks of Split Rock, Gooseberry and Temperance. Other places are being considered for future workshops

Cost:
Workshop through through Dakota County Technical College for a 1 credit college tuition is approximately $190 plus lodging, meals and misc as listed below. Registration occurs through DCTC and normal course registrations. However this is open to general public, as well as students.

Workshops run through Backroad Images are non-credit workshops. Costs vary with location, email for details.

Lodging, meals, personal transportation are extra and must be arranged individually. Average cost of lodging is $85 - 105 per night. We will recommend a place to stay and attempt to block out some rooms to get better prices. We recommend you consider sharing rooms with other participants to reduce costs. Summer trips have a camping option as well

For the non-college credit option, a $25 nonrefundable fee is due when registering to hold your place in class. Complete payment is due 7 days prior to the first day of the workshop. Email for current prices.. Credit cards, checks and cash is accepted.

Registration: Call or e-mail for more info, brochure, or application.
952-894-0518 (Darrell)

Lodging: Reasonable rates at nearby hotels, lodges and cabins. Three State Parks and private campgrounds nearby offer great natural surroundings and facilities. Lodging is not included in workshop fee, however we will help you with some recommendations of nearby accommodations and we have reserved some rooms.

Looking to the North East over Lake Superior towards Split Rock Lighthouse just before sunrise.
This image was taken during one of our first June workshops.

Summer moonrise over Duluth lighthouses on the June 10, 2006 workshop.

Copyrights

All images on this site are the sole property of Backroad Images and it's photographers. Any use of, copying or downloading is strictly prohibited.