How to Visualize Your Best Image Before You Edit
- Presented by: Nico Pretorious and Neal Cooper
- When: Thursday, July 9, 2026 8:00 pm EDT
What You'll Learn:
- Learn how to evaluate a photograph before editing so you can identify strengths, distractions, and hidden opportunities.
- Discover a practical framework for analyzing light, shadow, color, detail, texture, and composition with greater clarity.
- Train your eye to recognize the image’s full potential before making a single adjustment.
- Develop a clear creative vision that guides every editing decision from start to finish.
- Learn how experienced photographers decide what to enhance, reduce, or leave untouched.
- Explore how tools like Lightroom and DxO PhotoLab can support your creative goals when used with purpose.
To attend this live event or watch the replay, you must be a member of the Journal of Wildlife Photography.
Meet Your Instructor
Nico Pretorious and Neal Cooper
Nico Pretorius and Neal Cooper are nature and wildlife photography mentors with CNP Safaris, bringing a practical blend of field experience, image review, workflow guidance, and creative instruction to this Journal of Wildlife Photography Masterclass.
Nico’s background includes a strong technical understanding of cameras and editing software, along with experience mentoring photographers through the practical decisions that shape stronger nature images. His approach is especially relevant to photographers who want to better understand what their files are capable of — and how to make editing choices with more confidence and control.
Neal brings more than two decades of experience as a nature and wildlife photographer and photographic tour leader, with a particular passion for bird photography and extensive experience guiding photographers in some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife destinations. His perspective helps connect the creative vision behind an image with the practical decisions needed to bring that vision to life.
Together, Nico and Neal will guide photographers through a more intentional way of approaching post-processing — beginning with how to see the potential in an image before making adjustments, then moving into the practical choices around light, shadow, colour, detail, and software tools.
In this live session, you won’t just learn which tools to use.
You’ll learn how to see the finished image before you begin — and edit with the purpose, precision, and vision needed to bring it to life
What to Expect
Here's What Our Live Trainings Are Like
Each month, we host a live 90-minute training led by an award-winning wildlife photographer, followed by a live Q&A where you can ask questions and get direct feedback.
These sessions cover both field techniques and post-processing, so you can improve how you capture images and how you finish them.
You’ll see how experienced photographers approach real situations, make decisions in the moment, and handle challenges like difficult light, fast action, and editing choices that impact the final image.
If you can’t attend live, every session is recorded and added to the full training library so you can watch anytime.
To attend this live event or watch the replay, you must be a member of the Journal of Wildlife Photography.
Get Inspired by some of Nico Pretorious and Neal Cooper's work
Members get access to live trainings and critiques designed to help serious wildlife photographers improve faster through real instruction and real feedback.
Each session focuses on practical decisions made in the field and why certain images succeed while others fall short.
When you join today, you can attend live or watch the full replay anytime.
Unlock this session and all member-only trainings and critiques by choosing a membership below.
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- 10 Free Anytime Photo Credits ($100 Value). These credits can be used on any future monthly wildlife photo contest you choose. They never expire, so you can save them for themes you really love throughout the year.