Each year, I dedicate time during a Winter month to study some of the many helpful photography training videos offered through Kelby Training. Over the past two Winters, I've completed an average of about 25 courses a year. In my opinion, the $25 fee for unlimited training for a month is an incredible value. During this past month I worked through the following on-line classes:

1. Lightroom 4 In Depth Developing and Editing Your Photos by Matt Kloskowski
2. Conquering Midday Light by Lindsay Adler
3. Mastering Curves: Adjusting Tonality by Ben Willmore
4. Mastering Curves: Correcting Color by Ben Willmore
5. Creative Compositing: Professional Techniques for Composite Photography by Joel Grimes
6. Creative Compositing Part 2: Putting it Together in Photoshop by Joel Grimes
7. A Week With Jay Maisel in Paris by Jay Maisel
8. High School Football Photography by Dave Black
9. Environmental Sports Portraiture: Action Sports Photography by Bill Frakes
10. Photographing the Making of an Athlete by Bill Frake
11. Career and Lifestyle Portraiture by Bill Frake
12. Painting With Light: A Unique Approach by Dave Black
13. Light Painting: Illuminating Models by Dave Black
14. Painting Grand Landscapes by Dave Black
15. Capturing the Modern Family Portrait by Tamera Lackey
16. Outdoor Lifestyle Photography by Erik Valind
17. Simple Lighting Techniques for Photographers by Tony Corbell
18. Setup, Shoot, and Photoshop: Creating a Commercial Photography Package by Jim DiVitale
19. Commercial Photography Lighting and Photoshop: Shooting Clear and Reflective Objects by Jim DiVitale
20. Composition Made Easy by David Ziser
21. Perfect Posing Techniques for Wedding Photographers by Jerry Ghionis
22. Essential Gear for Sports Photography by Bill Frakes

Most of these courses take about an hour to complete. I find it convenient to view the classes. Not only can I watch from the large monitor of my desktop computer, but Kelby Training offers an app through iTunes that makes it easy for me to view the classes on my iPad. One way I get through so many videos is by watching while working out on the treadmill!

I've been using Lightroom 4 with Photoshop CS5 for the past year, so I found the course by Matt Kloskowski to be a helpful review of all of the features included in the Develop Module of Lightroom. The courses by Ben Willmore gave me a much better understanding of how to use Curves within Photoshop.

One of the main reasons I was excited to get started with my month's subscription was to view the compositing courses by Joel Grimes. Joel provided detailed instructions on how he accomplishes his gritty sports composites. I plan to try my hand at the technique this Spring when I shoot my youth sports portraits.

Watching Jay Maisel is always a pleasure. Last year, I watched two other courses by Jay Maisel through Kelby Training. I find his work to be inspiring. More importantly, his perspectives on photography always challenge me to improve.

I never really put much thought into light painting. Dave Black's courses on light painting has me excited about the possibilities. In the third course of the series, he demonstrated how to paint landscapes in two locations in Grand Teton National Park that I visited a few months ago. I wish that I had been familiar with this technique before I visited the park as his results are amazing.

Kelby Training gives me an opportunity to practically look over the shoulder of the masters at work--all for just over $1 per class!