Lightroom through Len's lens

Lightroom Through Len’s Lens

Discover the artist’s approach to editing your photographs

When you choose to study Lightroom through Len Metcalf’s lens, you have the freedom to learn in the way that suits you best. Some people thrive in the energy and camaraderie of a small group workshop, while others prefer the focus and comfort of individual tuition — and both can be experienced either in person or online.

For groups, we offer a two-day workshop where strong foundations are built in organisation and editing, with an optional third day for those who want to explore vision, style, and the artistic side of processing at a deeper level.

For individuals, Len provides a more flexible program: a full day one-on-one, where we establish the essentials together, followed by four shorter three-hour sessions. This rhythm allows space to practise, return with questions, and consolidate skills gradually.

Whichever pathway you choose, we focus on more than sliders and shortcuts. Len guides you through a clear, simple workflow for organising and editing, while opening the door to creative approaches that shape mood, tone and style. With his background as both an artist and educator, you can expect patient, personal guidance, practical exercises, and an experience designed to make Lightroom accessible, inspiring and deeply rewarding.

By the end of your learning journey, you will:

• Feel confident managing and finding your photographs

• Use a repeatable workflow that removes confusion

• Gain skills to edit with clarity, mood and style

• Begin to develop a personal artistic vision in Lightroom

This workshop is about more than software. It’s about learning to see — and editing in a way that makes your photographs truly yours.

Lightroom Through Len’s Lens – Program at a Glance

Group Workshop

• Two-day workshop — build strong foundations in organisation and editing

• Optional third day — advanced creative editing, vision and style

• Small group size for personal attention

• Social and supportive learning environment

• In-person workshops and online workshops

Individual Tuition

• One full day one-on-one with Len Metcalf — establish the essentials together

• Four follow-up sessions (3 hours each) — practise, consolidate, and return with questions

• Personalised pace and content

• Flexible scheduling to suit your lifestyle

• In-person or online delivery

Two-Day Lightroom Workshop with Len Metcalf

Day 1 – Foundations & Essential Editing

• Setting up Lightroom and understanding catalogues

• Importing photographs with confidence (file handling, naming, metadata)

• Organising your library with folders, collections, keywords and ratings

• Essential editing tools: histogram, exposure, white balance, tonal sliders

• Cropping, straightening and simple local adjustments

• Hands-on practice: edit your own images from start to finish

Day 2 – Intermediate Workflow & Creative Control

• Tone curve for fine tonal adjustments

• Colour mixer (HSL) for precise colour control

• Sharpening, noise reduction and lens corrections

• Advanced masking: subject, sky, background and object selections

• Healing and cloning for spot removal

• Creative editing for mood and style (colour grading, virtual copies, presets)

• Guided exercises: landscapes, portraits, and challenging files

Optional Advanced Day – Vision, Style & Artistic Editing

• Editing with intention: mood, emotion and storytelling through Lightroom

• Developing a consistent look across a body of work

• Black & white conversions as an artistic choice (overview only)

• Creative exercises: processing one file in multiple moods

• Building your personal style — finding your visual signature

• Student project: edit a small series for consistency and impact

investment

two day group workshop AUD$990

one day advanced group workshop AUD$590

one day individual training session AUD$990

four three hour follow up sessions AUD$1990

individual full package AUD$2690

dates

group workshop at Willoughby East

online group workshop - please enquire and we will schedule a date

individual training - mutually suitable times

details

workshop and individual sessions held at Len’s studio in Willoughby East, Sydney

individual sessions can be held over zoom

Lightroom classic and Lightroom mobile demonstrated

you need to attend with a laptop with a working version of the latest Lightroom classic installed - you will also need images to work with

by booking you are agreeing to our terms and conditions which can be read here.

please enquire with any questions hello@lensschool.com

Bellow is a full list of skills we will teach you over three days of training:

1. Getting Started & Setup

• Difference between Lightroom Classic vs Lightroom (Cloud)

• Installing, updating, and configuring preferences

• Understanding catalogues (what they are, how they work)

• Setting up a logical folder structure on your drives

• Backup strategies (catalogues and original files)

2. Importing & File Management

• Import dialog: file handling, copy vs move vs add

• Applying file renaming, metadata, and keywords at import

• Choosing where to store originals

• Smart previews vs standard previews

• Setting up import presets

3. Organising & Managing Photos

• Navigating the Library module

• Flags, star ratings, colour labels (culling workflow)

• Using Collections, Smart Collections, and Collection Sets

• Adding, editing, and organising keywords

• Searching and filtering images efficiently

• Working with metadata (copyright, captions, location)

4. Core Editing Skills (Develop Module Basics)

• Interface overview: panels, histogram, history

• Understanding exposure and histogram feedback

• White balance adjustments

• Exposure, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, blacks

• Presence controls: clarity, dehaze, texture, vibrance, saturation

• Cropping, aspect ratios, and straightening

5. Intermediate Editing Techniques

• Tone curve (point curve vs parametric curve)

• HSL/Colour Mixer: controlling hue, saturation, luminance

• Detail panel: sharpening, noise reduction

• Lens corrections: distortion, chromatic aberration, vignetting

• Transform panel: perspective corrections

6. Local Adjustments & Masking

• Adjustment Brush basics

• Graduated and Radial filters

• Range masks (luminance, colour)

• AI masks: subject, sky, background, object, people

• Combining and inverting masks for precision

• Healing and cloning tools

7. Creative Editing & Advanced Tools

• Colour grading / split toning for mood

• Virtual copies: exploring different looks from one RAW

• Using presets effectively (and creating your own)

• Black & white conversions (profiles, sliders, toning)

• Panorama stitching and HDR merge

• Soft proofing for print

8. Workflow & Efficiency

• Batch editing: syncing settings across multiple images

• Copying/pasting settings

• Using Auto-Sync mode safely

• Snapshots and history states

• Working with Smart Collections for workflow automation

• Keyboard shortcuts that save time

9. Exporting & Output

• Export dialog: file formats, sizes, naming, location

• Export presets for web, print, social media, archive

• Watermarking

• Colour spaces (sRGB vs AdobeRGB vs ProPhoto)

• Printing module basics

• Book, Slideshow, and Web modules (if relevant)

10. Integration & Beyond

• Round-tripping with Photoshop (Edit In workflow)

• Working with plug-ins (e.g. Nik, Topaz, Luminar)

• Syncing with mobile Lightroom (if using CC ecosystem)

• Exporting catalogues or collections for collaboration

11. Artistic & Vision Development (the often-missed part)

• Editing as interpretation rather than correction

• Using Lightroom tools to support emotion and storytelling

• Building consistency across a body of work

• Developing a personal style through tone, colour, and mood

• Knowing when not to edit — restraint as an artistic choice