It’s not uncommon for photographers to state that their final images fall short of what they feel they saw during the act of making a photo. There is often a divide between our creative vision, or what we see with our mind’s eye, and our final realization of that vision.

Often, that disconnect is due to our inability to translate what drew us to photograph a scene into something that works in a static, two-dimensional photo. In this session, we’ll explore how to recognize what first compels us to press the shutter and then how to bring that moment to life for ourselves and our viewers in the final edited version of a photo. We’ll discuss some of the following concepts:

1. Finding the moment and scene when working in the field
2. Managing expectations to avoid tunnel vision and disappointment
3. Reflecting on what the heart of the scene is as we begin the editing process
4. Understanding how to leverage different editing techniques to realize our creative vision and convey the photo’s heart to our viewers

You’ll learn how to recognize, and critique, your creative vision more consciously from composition to edit, allowing you to more effectively realize that vision for yourself and your viewers.