Creative Foundations in Photoshop
with Shelley Vandegrift
April 1 – 29, 2026
Course Description
Every creative image starts with a vision—and the right tools to make it real. In this online workshop, Photoshop becomes more than just software; it’s a creative instrument to shape, layer, and bring your ideas to life. Guiding you through it all is Shelley Vandegrift, whose clear teaching style turns complex techniques into something engaging, accessible, and even fun.
In this five-session workshop, Shelley covers the essential tools and techniques of Photoshop while introducing artistic approaches that go beyond basic editing. Her instruction blends technical clarity with creative exploration, offering structure without limiting imagination. Each session includes homework assignments that reinforce key concepts, along with image reviews to support your growth and experimentation.
Throughout the workshop, you practice making precise selections, blending and layering images, enhancing mood through color and toning, and adding depth with textures and overlays. Shelley also introduces dreamy effects like glows and blurs, as well as methods for building unique compositions that combine multiple images and visual elements. Editing with flexibility and intention opens the door to limitless creativity—perfect for photographers, digital artists, and anyone curious about bringing their artistic vision to life.
Additional Information
WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Amateurs and Advanced Amateurs who are looking for a foundation in the basics of Photoshop and an introduction to its creative options.
What You Should Know:
A working knowledge of either Lightroom or Camera Raw to prepare images for editing in Photoshop.
Special Notes:
Class will meet 1:00 – 3:30 pm (Mountain Time) on Wednesdays starting April 1 and ending April 29 (five online group sessions). Enrollment is limited to 15 participants.
Zoom Video Conferencing software (available for no charge from Zoom.com) will be used to facilitate the class sessions. Further details will be emailed to registrants.
Santa Fe Workshops always aims to produce a high-quality experience for our online attendees. That said, variables including regional and local internet provider speeds, traffic on Zoom's servers, and your own computing hardware can contribute to a less than ideal streaming event. While we do our best to minimize the impact of these variables, they are outside the control of Santa Fe Workshops.
Policies:
View Withdrawal and Transfer Policies for online programs.
For the convenience of participants, recordings of each class session are posted privately for one month after the end of each session. Santa Fe Workshops takes the recordings down after one month to protect the intellectual property of our instructors.
Categories
about
Shelley Vandegrift’s journey into photography began at age 10, mesmerized by the magic of her father’s darkroom. This early exposure sparked a lifelong passion for blending the creative artistry of capturing images with the technical precision of post-production. The emergence of digital photography provided the perfect medium for Shelley to unite her love of photography with her expertise in computer technology. Today, she channels this synergy into her photographic art and teaching imaging software, artistic post-processing, and infrared photography.
Shelley is known for making complex techniques accessible to all. She has lectured for Skylum and DxO software, earned the 23rd Julia Margaret Cameron Award for Digital Manipulation and Collage, and co-authored Infrared Photography: Digital Techniques for Artistic Images, 2nd Edition.
Her work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, including The Beauty of Invisible Light at the Commons Gallery, as well as in B&W Magazine, A. Smith Gallery, the Latino Cultural Center of Dallas, PhotoPlace Gallery, and the Art Travelers Gallery at Dallas Love Field Airport.
Through her evocative art and empowering teaching, Shelley inspires others to discover the magic of photography and craft their own creative stories.
Website: vandegriftphotography.com
Instagram: @vandegriftphotography
