The Summer of Refinement:Â Image Review
Refining the Vision: A thoughtful series focused on image critiques and artistic growth, where expert photographers guide you through the subtle art of evaluating and elevating your own work.
Building on the refinement from the Post-Processing series in July we will turn our focus to image critiques / image reviews. This is a crucial part of our journey and how we can objectively see the work we are mostly deeply connected to emotionally. How can we remain impartial and yet still see the flaws in what we are trying to represent.
To define refinement or to look at how it applies to our work. We find definitions like "elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste." or "developed or improved so as to be precise or subtle." Very few parts of our work do we have such a great opportunity to do exactly that. Be subtle, elegant, or precise.
For this series I have assembled four of our most thoughtful educators to come together on different weeks to talk about how they approach evaluating their own work, what they look for in a great image vs one they like, what types of things are easy to overlook, and some common mistakes they make in assembling their finished images.
After this introductory talk, we will turn our focus to your images. We will look at images from individuals in image sets of 3-5 images. These should be post-processed images that are in JPG format and can include some type of narrative of what you are trying to accomplish, where you would like input, or something that bothers you.
Each week we will have a different reviewer and will be reviewing a different set of images from one of you. Even if you don’t want to submit your own images this is guaranteed to be a thought provoking and informative session. We will try to get to your images over the course of this 4 week session, lasting 2.5 hours each session, but we do not want the input to feel rushed or formulaic.
Who are we going to hear from over these 4 weeks? Well. All of them have presented before to the NPC audience. Each of them go about their work in distinctive ways. But, also each of them are not short on expertise or opinions. I could list their achievements, accolades and accomplishments but we only have so much time, so let's get to it:
- The series starts with NLPA Photographer Of the Year and someone that I personally consider one of the most thoughtful photographers practicing today, Eric Bennett (LIVE August 6th).
- Our second speaker is the founder of NLPA, host of the longest running podcast on nature photography (F-Stop, Collaborate, and Listen) the hardest working guy in photography today, Matt Payne (LIVE August 12th).
- We then shift to a crowd favorite and someone that hosted an incredible series for a number of years on image reviews / critiques, Ian Plant (LIVE August 20th).
- Making her fifth appearance on NPC, and bringing us home will be the inspirational and insightful Sarah Marino (LIVE August 27th).
All LIVE Sessions will be held at 4:00 pm PT / 7:00 pm ET and will be approximately 2.5 hours in length.
So to recap: we will look at images from individuals in image sets of 3-5 images. These should be post-processed images that are in JPG format and can include some type of narrative of what you are trying to accomplish, where you would like input, or something that bothers you or you have a question about. We will get to as many as we can in the 2.5 hours we have together; whatever we do not get to that week will be rolled forward to the next week, and the next week, and the next week. There is no guarantee we will get to your image (but we will try), but there is a guarantee you will learn a ton both from the instructors' image, how they approach other images, and with the interactive questions as they go through their presentation.
The series will be moderated by past NPC speaker and the host of the Pixels Podcast, Beth Buelow.
Priced at $27 each or $87 for the entire series you can cost effectively dive into the creation of your own stories.
Registration for the series comes with the opportunity to ask questions live, rewatch the sessions as much as you want for as long as you want, and even download for offline viewing. They are all recorded so no need to be there live! You will have permanent access to the recordings through your NPC account, YouTube or Dropbox file download.
Are you an annual or monthly member? You’ll gain access to all these sessions the day after they’re streamed live!
Nature Photography Classes offer are a unique opportunity to hear from and interact with people that rarely speak with audiences and are considered some of the best photography educators in the world. Â
5% of all registration fees will be donated to the environmental cause or organization of the speakers choosing. Another great opportunity to give back!
This series will be hosted by Beth Buelow.
Eric Bennett teaches “The Art of Curation"
Eric Bennett
Eric Bennett will share how he evaluates his own images and decides which photographs will be released and how.
Bio:
Eric is a full-time nature photographer focusing on revealing the beauty of wild places and advocating for their protection. He has authored three photography books and regularly teach workshops both online and in different locations.
Learn more about Eric on his website.Â
Eric will be supporting Quiet Parks International with 5% from the registration feesÂ
Matt Payne teaches “Culling Your Lightroom Catalog Like a Boss"
Matt Payne
Join professional landscape photographer Matt Payne for a practical session on managing your photos after returning from the field. In this focused presentation, Matt will walk through his personal workflow in Adobe Lightroom, demonstrating how to efficiently cull large batches of images, apply smart organizational systems, and use filtering tools to quickly identify your strongest work. Whether you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of files, you’ll leave with actionable tips to streamline your process and spend more time editing the photos you actually love.
Bio:
Matt Payne is a nature and landscape photographer based in Durango, Colorado, whose path has led him to a profound connection with nature that shapes both his work and lifestyle. Raised in Colorado, Matt spent much of his childhood outdoors, exploring the rugged surrounding mountains. Those early experiences instilled in him a fascination with nature and a lasting bond with the wilderness, ultimately inspiring him to capture landscapes in ways that reflect both their grandeur and fragility. Photography was not always Matt’s primary focus. Initially, he approached these landscapes as a climber and mountaineer, eager to explore and conquer Colorado’s iconic fourteeners. Driven by a passion for the heights and the challenges they presented, Matt spent countless hours navigating these landscapes. In 2012, he completed Colorado’s 14ers, and by 2018, he had achieved his goal of climbing the state’s highest 100 mountains. Along the way, his relationship with the mountains evolved; rather than merely summiting peaks, he wanted to capture the beauty that had inspired him all along. Photography became his outlet to share these experiences and convey the immense scale, isolation, and magic of these remote places. Matt strives to capture landscapes in ways that are both truthful and ethical. In recent years, he has become increasingly vocal about responsible editing and avoiding deceptive practices, as he believes nature’s beauty speaks for itself without exaggeration. Advocating strongly for conservation, he feels a deep responsibility to protect these landscapes and promote ethical photography practices. For Matt, respecting the land always comes first, as photographers hold significant influence in presenting nature to the world. Through his podcast, “F-Stop Collaborate and Listen,” Matt connects with photographers and industry leaders globally. The podcast provides a space for meaningful discussions on photography, ethics, and the challenges faced in an era of rapid environmental change. It has become a way to explore a range of perspectives within the photography community, from well-established names to emerging voices. These conversations have influenced Matt’s work and fostered a broader understanding of the collective responsibility photographers share. Beyond technique and ethics, Matt’s philosophy on landscape photography is deeply personal. For him, photography goes beyond the final image—it’s about the journey, adventure, and moments of solitude in nature. Each photograph represents a piece of that experience, serving as a way to connect with the landscape, honor it, and share its beauty to inspire others to cherish and protect it. Matt is also the co-founder of Nature First Photography, an organization established in 2018 to raise ethical awareness in nature photography. Additionally, he is the co-creator of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, an international competition that celebrates nature photographers dedicated to realistic photography and editing practices.
You can learn more about Matt on his website.
Matt will be supporting Mountain Studies Institute with 5% from the registration feesÂ
Ian Plant teaches “Artistic Transformation"
Ian Plant
The very best photographs transform their subjects into art through the creative use of composition, light, and the magic of the moment. In my presentation, I will discuss how I evaluate my own images, advancing only those that embody this goal.
Bio:
Whether hanging over the rim of an active volcano or braving the elements to photograph critically endangered species, Ian Plant has spent the past two decades traveling the globe in his never-ending quest to capture the beauty of our world with his camera. Ian has reached hundreds of thousands of people in his mission to inspire and educate others in the art of photography. Ian is the author of dozens of books and instructional videos, an instructor for KelbyOne and other photography education outlets, and founder of Photo Masters, a site dedicated to photography education and inspiration.Â
You can learn more about Ian and his work on his website.
Ian will be supporting Sumatran Orangutan Society with 5% from the registration feesÂ
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Sarah Marino teaches “Details Matter: Why Paying Attention to the Small Things Will Elevate Your Photography”
Sarah Marino
When it comes to refining your photos, the details matter—things like precise composition, careful framing, eliminating distractions, a subtle approach to processing, and attention to colors across the frame. Beyond paying attention to the details for each individual, it is also essential to consider how a set of photos will work together. For this talk, Sarah will start with a brief discussion about her approach to refining her own work and then will move onto reviewing your submissions with a focus on the details, both for each individual photo and in terms of the curation and sequencing for the set as a whole.
For Sarah's session, please consider submitting a curated set of photos that have some cohesive visual message or thread. Sarah will assess the individual photos and each set as a whole.
Bio:
Sarah Marino is a nature photographer, photography educator, and writer based in southwestern Colorado. In addition to photographing grand landscapes, Sarah is best known for her photographs of smaller subjects including intimate landscapes, abstract renditions of natural subjects, and creative portraits of plants and trees. Sarah is the author or co-author of a diverse range of educational resources for nature photographers on subjects including composition, photographing nature’s small scenes, and black and white photography. Sarah, a co-founder of the Nature First Alliance for Responsible Nature Photography, also seeks to promote the responsible stewardship of natural and wild places through her photography and teaching.
Learn more about Sarah on her website.
Sarah will be supporting Amargosa Conservancy with 5% from the registration feesÂ
