1 - Complete list of contents of the Beaux Arts Printing Mastery DVD Workshop:
1 - 28 main steps and over 100 sub-steps organized in PDF menus -- click here to see one of the 28 steps PDF menus
2 - 80 Tutorial Movies -- Over 9 hours of Movie tutorials -- in both regular movie format and iPod movie format
-----> • click here to watch the Movie Sampler
-----> • iPod Movie user? Click here (or right click) to download the Movie Sampler in iPod movie format (.m4v)
3 - 25 tutorial Audio Files -- Over 2.5 hours of Audio Recordings -- click here to listen to the Audio Sampler
-----> • iPod user? All the audio files on the DVD can be played on your iPod
4 - 15 PDF tutorials
5 - 26 Example photographs with layers featuring images used to demonstrate specific steps on the DVD
6 - 28 Quickstep Files (see description below)
7 - The Photoshop CS2 actions set used by Alain every day
8 –The 4 Monitor Calibration files created and used by Alain
9 - Alain's  Print Labels Template
10 - Set of 18 correction curves each one designed to perform a specific image adjustment
11 - A Master Curves file featuring each of the 18 correction curves applied to a single image
12- Updates posted to a private link on this website accessible only to DVD owners. The DVD will always feature my latest workflow choices in order to keep you on the cutting edge of digital technology.
13- The Master File of the companion print "Canyons of the San Juan 3"

2 - In addition, you also receive with the DVD:
A 5x7 Master Companion Print of one of the images I work on in the DVD: Canyons of the San Juan 3. This photograph is printed to my exacting standards using the exact steps, printers, software and paper described on the DVD. You also receive the Master file for the Master Companion Print. This companion print allows you to compare my results to yours and evaluate your work and your system precisely. The value of this Master companion print with the master file is $150. It is not sold separately. The Master File used to create this companion print is provided as well on the DVD.

A 9 hours audio recording of the 2006 Fine Art Expressive Print Seminar. This recording features each session of the 2006 Seminar, for a total of 9 hours of live audio recordings. It is the closest thing to actually attending the Seminar without being physically there..The Expressive Print Seminar Audio CD alone is worth the price of this entire package. This Audio CD is not sold separately.

3 - Description of The Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD
The Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD teaches you the exact 28 steps – and over 80 sub-steps- that I follow to create my own fine art photographs, starting with a Raw file or an original scan, and going all the way to a mounted, matted and professionally-presented piece. 

The DVD covers everything that I do after the original photograph is taken. It starts with a description of my approach to color -- with a detailed account of my view of color theory presented in 7 audio files-- continues with color management, then with scanning and raw conversion, then the multitude of controls that are applied in Photoshop, to finishing touches such as noise removal, continues by looking a print curating, then looks at dry mounting and finally concludes with matting, presentation and protection of the final prints.

I call this process Alain's 28 steps process because it consists of a total of 28 very careful chosen main steps. Each of these 28 main steps is divided into sub-steps, each of the 28 steps having from 2 to 10 or more sub steps. The total number of steps and substeps is about 200. Not each of these steps and substeps is used on every image. However, all of them are used by me regularly. Mastery, a concept which is explained in detail on the DVD, is what enables you to know when to use each specific step or substep. Once you master this concept, something which is achieved through studying the materials on the DVD, you will be able to approach each image so as to create the finest print from it, then finishing this print to world-class standards and finally displaying it and protecting it in a professional manner.

The steps outlined on the Mastery DVD are taught in my Expressive Print Seminar and during the Digital Summit. However, during the seminar we do not look at print finishing, curating, dry mounting, matting, protection and presentation. Therefore, the DVD has actually more information and goes further into the process than the Expressive Print and the Summit seminars.

Furthermore, the DVD is something you can watch and study over and over again, without the need to take any notes whatsoever. The seminars on the the other hand requires you take notes and be physically present.

4 - Short History of how the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD came to be
The idea for the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD came about when I thought it was important to create a comprehensive description of how I create my images after I take the original photograph in the field. At first, I envisioned a fairly simple presentation, and I estimated the completion time to a month or so.

As I started work on the project I quickly realized that I had under-estimated the actual scope of this project and the exact difficulty of the task I had assigned to myself. At first I estimated that I went through about 4 to 7 separate steps to go from a raw file or scan to a finished print. As I worked on documenting what I do, this number started growing higher and higher. I realized I had to include my theoretical approach to color for example, because color is at the center of what I do, and this whether I work in color or in black and white (why color & black and white are directly related is explained on the DVD in the Color Theory step).

I also realized I needed to include a section on color management, because many students make costly errors in setting up their color management system and in managing color throughout the 28 steps process. However, I did not want this step to be purely theoretical because experience has shown me that a theoretical approach to color management is not the best way to learn. So I had to find a practical, hands on way to teach color management on the DVD. The solution I found is to simply show you step by step how I manage color on my system and show you the exact hardware, software and settings that I use every day.

I then saw that there were countless operations I performed in Photoshop. Exactly how many, and exactly which operations, I wasn't sure because I had been doing my Photoshop work intuitively and never sat down to make a final list of everything that I did. Furthermore, what I did varies according to the image I am working on. I found numerous sub-steps that I use only for specific images. I found others that I use on every image. All in all, I also had to sort out redundant steps, that is different ways to do the same thing. In sorting these out I decided to keep only the most effective way. At equal quality results, I also decided to keep the approach that took the least amount of time. I did not see the point of complicating things unnecessarily if results are indistinguishable. In the end, the work I do in Photoshop accounts for 18 of the 28 steps and for 61 sub-steps.

The research necessary to finalize the steps and sub-steps I perform in Photoshop took me over 9 months. The reason for what may seem to be an overly long time is that I had to sort through hundreds of files each describing a particular way to conduct each step, each operation. Someone once said that there are 20 different ways to do anything in Photoshop. Truer words were never spoken. The problem is that nobody needs to know all 20 different ways. What you need is to know the way that works best. On this DVD I show you the way that works best for me, the way I selected after many years of practice, trial and error and experience.

I also realized that a fine art print is not complete when it comes out of the printer. In order to be displayed this print has to be curated (what curating consists of is explained in the DVD because it is one of the 28 steps), dry mounted, matted, mounted and finally displayed and protected. Without each of these steps all you have is an image on paper, not a print ready to be displayed and not a print that you can safeguard for generations to come. I therefore added a section for each of these steps, describing the entire process I go through with each print after they come out of the printer and until they are safely stored in my collection or exhibited in galleries.

5 - Quicksteps
I decided to include many unique files on the DVD, files that are not available anywhere else. These files include a concept I developed and created that I call Quickstep Files. Quickstep Files are printable documents that describe each step I go through step by step, in a simple and precise manner. Quickstep files are comparable to notes you would take while watching the tutorial movies (there are 80 tutorial movies on the DVD) or listen to the tutorial audio files (over 20 audio files are on the DVD) or read one of the PDF tutorials (over 15 PDF tutorials are on the DVD). However, these notes have already been taken for you, and all you need to do is follow them to complete each step on your own. You can even print them if you like and place them in a binder or use them as you study and practice the 28 steps. There are 28 Quicksteps on the DVD, one for each Step.

There are also example photographs, with layers, of many of the images I used to demonstrate each step in movies on the DVD. To make things more interesting, I used many different images to demonstrate each step. I decided to include as many of the example photographs as possible so you could study them on your own, at your leisure, and see exactly what I did to each image file.

The actions I use in Photoshop every day are also included on the DVD. All you need to do is load them in Photoshop. A Quickstep describing exactly how to do this, step by step, is provided.

A list of all the software, hardware and supplies I use is provided, together with links to each manufacturer's website. This link is a treasure trove of information, one that would take you a long time to assemble. As it is, you do not need to do anything except click on the links to see exactly what I use and where I get it from.

6 - DVD Updates
Updates of the 28 steps and 80 sub-steps will be posted to a private area of my website. DVD owners will receive a link to this area each time an update is posted. Updates will usually follow software and hardware updates. These updates consist of tutorial movies and PDFs demonstrating how I use these latest versions, what are their advantages, how it fits in my workflow, and so on.

CS3 Update
An Update to Adobe Photoshop CS3 is available in the Update area. This update covers the new features of CS3. I focus on how I am using these new features in my workflow. My approach to image enhancement has not changed very much while going from Photoshop CS2 to Photoshop CS3, however there are some great new features in CS 3 and I cover all of the ones I use in this update.

The CS3 Update is 1 hour 30' long and is available by direct and free download from the DVD owners updates area. The link to the updates area is sent to you when you order the DVD.