Making the Image: From Visualization to Realization

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.

How to Watch: This live presentation is exclusively for Nature Photography Academy members. It will be recorded, and the replay—along with recordings from all other speakers—will be accessible inside the Academy within 24 hours. Not a member yet? You can watch the live presentation and all recordings free with a 7-day trial. Click here to learn more and join.

Meet Your Speaker:
Michael Rung is a full-time nature and landscape photographer based out of Fort Worth, Texas. After a 2015 business trip to Ireland sparked a heightened interest in photography, he bought his first DSLR. The rest, as they say, is history…

Michael’s focus has shifted over the years from travel and grand landscapes to smaller scenes, with a special interest in the intimate beauty of the woodlands in his local park. Also deeply passionate about printmaking, he takes great joy in bringing his photographs to life by producing his prints in his home studio. His personally produced, ready-to-frame prints are offered as his Artist Series line, in addition to ready-to-hang options that are fulfilled through a trusted third-party print lab.

With a deep background in coaching and development throughout his former career, Michael is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with others through webinars, online one-to-one sessions, and in-field workshops.

You can learn more about Michael at his website and YouTube Channel.