There is no such thing as taking too much time, because your soul is in that picture. – Ruth Bernhard

Creative visualization - envisioning the end result - is the key to making a good photograph.

Image capture is only part of the process. Unlimited creative, and corrective, possibilities await us in Photoshop, Lightroom and with plug-ins, such as Photomatix, the plug-in I use and recommend for HDR. and Topaz DeNoise, the plug-in I use for reducing noise.

Opening pair of images: On my Iceland workshop with Tim Vollmer last week, when the light was not quite right in this glacier lagoon scene, I envisioned opening up the shadows, toning down the highlights, increasing the saturation, cropping, reducing the noise, and adding a painterly touch to the image. I took the shot with my Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 24-105mm IS lens. (All my gear is listed here.)

When I got back to my hotel room, I got to work in the digital darkroom. Tim and I also sat with the workshop participants and helped them enhance their images on their laptops, which is always a rewarding experience and great fun!

I teach creative visualization, Photoshop and plug-ins on all my workshop. Tim and I hope to see you in Iceland in 2015.

I also teach creative composition and exposure on-line.