Group Photo Reviews: The Key to Improving Your Photo Skills

Yesterday I asked one of our Santa Fe workshop attendees from a few years back to send me some of her photos so I could write a lesson around them.
During our photo expeditions we take attendee photos like hers and critique them in group photo reviews.
During the group photo reviews, one of the instructors — either professional photographer Shelly Perry or Rich Wagner — will put the photos up on the screen, import them into Adobe Lightroom, and offer the photographer suggestions for improvement.
Can he/she fix this photo in a post-processing program like Adobe Lightroom? Does the photographer seem to be making the same mistake over and over again? And, if so, is there anything she can do in the future to avoid that mistake?
Often, the answer to all of these questions is: Yes… Which is why group photo reviews are such an important part of our photo expeditions and any workshop that deals with improving your photo skills.
I thought it would be helpful this week if I sent this past attendee’s photos to professional photographer, Shelly Perry, for review. I asked Shelly to record her responses so you can see the kinds of things she looks for when she’s critiquing photographs.
I also thought it would be helpful for you to see the kinds of mistakes this attendee made in case you’re doing the same thing in your own photos and you don’t even know it.
And… well, I’m not going to lie…
I also wanted you to see some of the pictures this attendee got the last time we held a photo shoot with live models in Santa Fe at the Bonanza Creek Ranch.
We’ve rented the Ranch again this year for our big stock photography event coming up in October. And, if you don’t mind, I’d like to give that event a big shameless plug…
In Santa Fe, NM October 16-18, we’ll concentrate solely and completely on stock photography. You’ll hear from nearly a half-dozen successful stock photographers — all with different styles and different approaches to the industry. And, you’ll participate in several studio shoots… including an outdoor shoot at the Bonanza Creek Ranch.
You’ll learn:
** How to turn your photos of family, pets, even furniture and household items into a passive income stream… earning you money while you sleep…
** The three key elements in every saleable stock image and how to include them in your photos…
** Pro-level Photoshop and Lightroom post-processing techniques that’ll make any photographer look like an expert…
** Simple tricks to photographing one of the best-selling stock photo subjects — people…
** The ins and outs of setting up a model shoot, from where to find models to arranging lights and backgrounds…
** Hot stock trends… and which photo compositions, subjects, and styles sell best as stock…
** The specifics on working with models and model releases…
** How to erase logos, heal blemishes, and “fix” your photos in Lightroom…
And, when you’re not in general sessions or in the studio, you’ll be in the laptop lab where you’ll also get a few Lightroom Presets you can take home that’ll help you process your images with the click of a button.
Right now, we have just 13 seats left. So, if you’d like to take part in these hands-on, information-packed sessions…and walk away with saleable photos…you’d better register fast.
Tomorrow, I’ll send you the video I told you about above — the one Shelly created on how to edit your photos for stock and what to look out for the next time you’re out photographing people.
And also read this other free guide on our website on how to get started selling your photos.
In Santa Fe we’re focusing only on stock photography. But that’s not the only option you have for selling your photos.
For details on breaking into other markets like magazines, newspapers, websites and more, you’ll find the recordings from our most recent workshop.
Enjoy!
— Lori
Lori Allen
Director, Great Escape Publishing