Seeing Beyond the Shutter with Sandra Dann (Two-Part On-Demand Series)
Watch the highlights from Part 1: https://youtu.be/qSh7Mrg0Rak
Do you ever look at one of your photographs and feel like it is missing its soul? You know it has the potential to be something special, but when you sit down to edit, you are not quite sure how to bridge the gap between the flat RAW file and the feeling you had when you stood there with your camera.
There is a big difference between processing an image so it is technically correct and processing it so it actually evokes an emotion. In this fantastic short series, the wonderful Sandra Dann is going to show us exactly how to find that missing piece.
Instead of giving you a rigid recipe to copy, Sandra is opening up her workflow to show us how to make active creative choices, rather than just shifting a few sliders here and there. She takes us behind the scenes of her imagery, proving that you do not need a flawless capture to begin with, because you can start with an ordinary, less than perfect photograph and still transform it into a meaningful piece of art.
A Note from Mark: I hold Sandra in the absolute highest regard, both as a gifted digital artist and as a super teacher. Photoshop can sometimes feel intimidating, but Sandra has a beautifully warm, patient, and encouraging approach that instantly puts you at ease. She has a genuine gift for breaking down complex creative choices into clear, simple steps. You really could not be in safer or more welcoming hands.
What You Will Learn
The Power of Creative Intention: How to look at a raw capture and form a clear artistic plan before you even touch a tool or slider.
Inside the Layers and Textures: A clear look at Sandra’s Photoshop workflow, showing exactly how she introduces textures, builds depth, adjusts light, and guides the viewer's eye.
Creative Problem-Solving: The specific workarounds and techniques Sandra uses when an image is not behaving quite as you planned, turning difficulties into breakthroughs.
Beyond the Sliders: Shifting your mindset from basic correction to true digital artistry, learning how to create images that stay with the viewer.
Practical Editing Techniques: Follow along as Sandra breaks down her Tuscan chapel and New Zealand winter shearing shed photos layer by layer. Learn how to use the transform scale tool to recompose a scene without losing pixels, master non-destructive dodging and burning with paintbrushes on a neutral grey layer, work with colour lookup tables (LUTs), and use free interactive luminosity masking plugins to target highlights, mid-tones, and shadows cleanly.
Feedback from the Camversation Community
The original live broadcasts generated fantastic creative energy, and participants left feeling completely inspired to raid their own image archives. Here is exactly what members said in the live chat log during the sessions:
Fabulous insight to editing, learnt so much. Looking forward to knocking seven bells out of my average images, - Alan Glover.
I have enjoyed every moment and learned so much. You are such an incredible inspiration, - Simone.
You are a wonderful inspiration to learn how to use all the tools you can and then think about how you imagined the image you want. Thank you very much for such a great day, - Danelle Jones.
Brilliant session, looking forward to trying the scale and transform, - Patricia.
So eye opening, thank you, - ljmai.
I have three pages of notes with useful points from tonight, - Deborah Webb.
So educational, thank you, - Jan.
Great session, looking forward to experimenting and playing with old images to find out what I like, - Gill.
Once again, you are the absolute best tutor, thank you, - Fi Reddaway.
On-Demand Course Details
Format: Complete on-demand access to both workshop session video recordings.
Duration: Approximately 70 minutes per session.
Access Window: Available to watch on demand for 4 weeks from purchase, allowing you to pause, rewind, and practice alongside Sandra at your own pace.
Software Focus: Demonstrating Photoshop methods, with workflows easily transferable to other layer-based editing platforms.
About Sandra Dann
Based in Sydney, Australia, Sandra Dann is an award-winning digital artist, international photography tutor, and photographer. She holds credentials as an Adobe Community Expert and a DxO affiliate. Combining her extensive background in adult education with a passion for visual storytelling, Sandra specialises in teaching fine art digital processing and Photoshop techniques to a global community of photography enthusiasts.
