Session 6: Mid-Summer Masterclass: Impressionist Photography Series

Session 6:
Technical Mastery for Creative Freedom

Tools That Serve Your Vision

Technical skills should enhance, not constrain, your creative vision. This session covers essential technical knowledge specifically for impressionist photography.

Camera Settings for Impressionism:

• Aperture Priority Mode: Start with f/2.8-f/4 for most situations
• ISO Strategy: Don’t fear higher ISOs—grain can add to the impressionist aesthetic
• Shutter Speed Creativity: 1/60th for slight motion blur, 1/15th for intentional movement, 1/4 second for dramatic blur

Lens Choices:

• 85mm: Perfect for portraits with beautiful bokeh
• 50mm: Versatile for street and lifestyle impressionism
• 35mm: Great for environmental stories and context
• Vintage Lenses: Old manual lenses often have character and softer rendering

Post-Processing Philosophy:

• Enhance, Don’t Create: Use editing to bring out what was already there
• Warmth and Softness: Slight warm colour grading and gentle highlights
• Texture and Grain: Don’t eliminate all imperfections—they add character

Post your images on our Facebook group

​https://www.facebook.com/groups/878244939696285​

Use #MidSummerMasterclass when sharing your work—I’ll be personally commenting and celebrating your progress!

To go dipper check out this Summer ICM Guide—an 98-page, richly illustrated resource packed with practical techniques, creative exercises, post-processing tips, and seasonal inspiration to help you make your most expressive work yet.

Get it here: https://evapolak.com/summer-guide.html