INSIDE THE MODERN DARKROOM.
The photograph isn’t finished when the shutter clicks.
Join photographer and educator Ken Wiele for an immersive evening exploring the art of photographic editing — the place where light, color, mood, and storytelling fully come into focus.
Following the morning’s Nature Photography Walk, participants will gather at Theatre North for a live editing session that pulls back the curtain on today’s digital darkroom. Using a large screen and real audience-submitted images, Ken will guide viewers through his personal editing workflow, demonstrating how thoughtful adjustments in composition, contrast, color, cropping, and atmosphere can transform an ordinary image into something emotionally compelling and visually unforgettable.
Throughout the evening, audiences will experience dramatic “before and after” transformations while gaining insight into the creative decisions photographers make after the image is captured.
And you don’t need to attend the morning workshop to participate.
Photographers from across the community are invited to submit their own images for possible live editing during the session — whether captured on a phone, DSLR, or mirrorless camera.
Part workshop, part masterclass, part artistic reveal, Beyond the Snapshot offers a fascinating look at the invisible half of modern photography: shaping not just what the camera saw, but what the artist felt.
ABOUT PATHWAYS IN PHOTOGRAPHY
Following a successful debut in 2025, Pathways in Photography returns with an expanded series of free workshops designed for everyone from casual iPhone photographers to experienced artists working with professional camera systems. Led by members of Emberlight’s acclaimed photography team, these immersive sessions invite participants to sharpen both their technical skills and creative instincts while exploring the landscapes, people, and night skies of the Northwoods.
TEACHERS
MORE ART TO DISCOVER
In addition to Emberlight Photographers, which has become one of the festival’s signature events, we are pleased to expand our photography offerings this summer.
Pathways in Photography offers free classes with members of our Photography Team in three distinct techniques: Nature Photography Walk (June 27), Beyond the Snapshot (June 27), and Superior at Night (July 15). Click • Capture • Create (July 29) is also back this summer, bringing audiences “behind the lens” with stories and anecdotes from our photographers, hosted by Ken Wiele.
