Digital photography workshop for nature photographers available Dec. 18

GOSHEN, Ind. – Are you better with a camera than a computer? Did last summer’s vacation photos disappoint you? If so, join the staff from Merry Lea Environmental Learning Center of Goshen College for a one-day Adobe Photoshop workshop on Monday, Dec. 18 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Goshen College’s Good Library computer lab.

Professional photographer Tim Stiffler will lead participants as they learn how to manipulate digital images in ways that make them look their best. Stiffler, of Syracuse, Ind., makes a living shooting family portraits, weddings and high school seniors, but when he has free time, his favorite activity is to wander outdoors with a camera in his hand. “I have this thing about leaves,” Stiffler says. “I’m going for the perfect leaf picture.”

Stiffler also enjoys manipulating and fine-tuning his photos with Adobe Photoshop. With a sheaf of his photos in hand, Stiffler explains how he tweaked them. “I changed this color image to high contrast black and white,” he says, indicating a striking leaf photograph that evokes a night-time rain. A close-up of a female cardinal benefited from cropping and sharpening. Another shot features a weathered barn in a surreal woodland setting. Although it appears similar to photos shot with infrared film, Stiffler created this effect with Photoshop. Removing a “No Trespassing” sign was also essential for the other-worldly mood of the photograph.

Attendees at the Dec. 18 workshop will see many more samples of Stiffler’s work. They will learn what kinds of digital files to shoot and some best practices for storing them. Using clone tools and patch tools, they’ll retouch a portrait and then apply these skills to nature photography. Stiffler will also deal with questions such as how to adjust colors and select parts of a picture. In addition to hands-on instruction, aspiring photographers will receive a take-home CD.

Registration for the workshop is $75; advance registration required. Call (260) 799-5869 or e-mail jenniferhs@goshen.edu.

Editors: For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.