PIET VAN DEN EYNDE'S
FOCUS!
15 Lightroom Techniques To Focus On The Subject Of Your Photographs
Do you know that feeling? Your photo is sharp and well-exposed. Technically, it's perfect… and yet it just doesn't "work." In Focus!, you'll discover why this happens and, more importantly, how to fix it with an array of 15 practical post-processing techniques in Lightroom Classic and a touch of Photoshop, that can help you guide the viewer's eye to what really matters in your photo: the subject!
✔ Online course: learn at your own pace
✔ Stream or download: the choice is yours!
✔ In English
✔ 4 hours
✔ Taught by a Lightroom expert with 15+ years of experience
US$99 US$59 LAUNCH DISCOUNT + BONUS FOCUS! PRESET PACK
Why your photos sometimes don't 'work' even when technically, there's nothing wrong with them
Your photo can be perfectly sharp, yet lack impact. This is usually due to one thing: the lack of a clear hierarchy in your image. A busy background that screams for attention, highlights at the edges of your photo that distract from the essence, fine details that are sharpened equally everywhere, resulting in a viewer who doesn't know where to look first...
What FOCUS! does...
In Focus!, you'll learn various and mutually combinable techniques to direct the viewer's attention with local adjustments: you'll accentuate what's important and tone down or remove what's distracting.
This photo of a cogwheel seller in the Indian city of Tiruchirappalli ('Trichy' for friends) had several problems I couldn't immediately address during the shoot: the door and the man's trousers are far too bright, while his face and merchandise are too dark. By combining several techniques found in the FOCUS! course, I was able to pull the eye of the viewer to where it matters and make this environmental portrait stand out more.
Ready to add more FOCUS! to your images?
Immediate access.
Stream online or download to watch where you want.
What changes when you start working selectively
When you apply one or a combination of the techniques from Focus! to your images, you'll notice your subject stands out from the background without overdoing it. Your photo will feel calmer and sharper all the same because you'll have focused on the right details in the right places. Moreover, your edits will be faster because you'll know what to address first and you won't waste time on lengthy and even counterproductive edits.
Top left: the original photo. Top right: a common mistake where an overdose of the global "Presence" sliders (Clarity, Texture, and Dehaze), causes the background that was intentionally photographed out-of-focus to become very busy and distracting. (Screenshots taken from the Dutch version of the course. The English version of Focus! obviously features the English Lightroom interface).
A much more balanced edit, selectively working with light and dark, texture, and color. Because the dog itself was photographed with a shallow depth of field, I created a mask that simulated that depth of field before accentuating the dog's fur with the Texture slider. After all, there's no point in sharpening something you've deliberately blurred in-camera!
Ready to add more FOCUS! to your photos?
Immediate access.
Stream online or download to watch wherever you want!
FOCUS! is not a preset-course...
FOCUS! isn't a preset course (although early birds do get a super-handy preset pack as a bonus!). Above all, FOCUS! teaches you a way of looking and editing in various stages:
✔ Cleanup (what is disturbing has to go)
✔ Light hierarchy (where do you want the viewer's eye to go?)
✔ Detail hierarchy (where should you add micro-contrast?)
✔ Color hierarchy (what draws unnecessary attention?)
✔ Finishing (vignetting, adding glows, backlight effects)
Did you know that you can also add depth to your photo with lighting effects. In this case, a fully feathered Radial Gradient was enough to create the illusion of light in the background, adding more depth to the photo. (Screenshots taken from the Dutch version of the course. The English version of Focus! obviously features the English Lightroom interface).
Ready to add more FOCUS! to your images?
Immediate access.Stream online or download to watch wherever you want!
These are the 15 techniques from FOCUS!
When you apply one or a combination of the Focus! techniques to your photos, you'll notice your subject starts to stand out from the background without having to apply overly dramatic effects. Your photos will feel calmer and sharper at the same time because you'll focus on the right details in the right places. Moreover, your edits will become faster because you'll know what to address first and won't waste time on counterproductive edits.
These are the 15 techniques you'll learn to implement on your own images:
In FOCUS!, you'll not only learn HOW to practically perform a particular edit but also WHY it will improve your image, using practical case studies like this one. (Screenshots taken from the Dutch version of the course. The English version of Focus! obviously features the English Lightroom interface).
- Removing distractions
- Cropping & adjusting the image's aspect ratio
- Brighten subject, darkening the background
- Different ways to add a vignette, including a technique that allows for much more control
- Selective contrast adjustments
- Selective Texture / Clarity / Dehaze adjustments
- Selective adjustments in color
- Accentuating the eyes
- Simulating shallow depth of field
- The tilt-shift effect
- Portraits that pop
- Dodging & Burning 2.0
- Adding depth
- Backlight-effects
- Putting a glow behind your subject
Two of my favorite, more advanced chapters from the course are #12. Dodge & Burn 2.0 and #13. Adding Depth. It's incredible how much you can enhance the depth of field in a photo by combining these techniques. A little local dodging and burning is enough to turn a rectangle into a cylinder, and a circle into a sphere. In Lightroom!
You don't always get to choose the time of day an interesting subject, like this Armenian Brutalist gem, crosses your path. The light was anything but perfect, and waiting wasn't an option...
So I used the techniques from Chapters 12 and 13 to add more depth to this photo and almost, digitally relight it.
Although it's also possible to do so in Lightroom, in this case I chose to remove the power lines in Photoshop. This can be done automatically with "Remove Distractions". I try to work in Lightroom or Camera Raw as much as possible, but when something works faster, better, or both faster AND better in Photoshop, the choice is easy!
Ready to add more FOCUS! to your images?
Immediate access. Stream online or download to watch wherever you want!
What students say about my courses:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This course is pure gold and from now on we will call you "Piet the great Lightroom wizard" 😉
CARL
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Fantastic, Piet. Your clear explanations opened up a whole new world for me!
MICHEL
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A very informative course, but we already know that from Piet: the training is always excellent. Thanks!
PETER
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A very valuable course!
KAREN
What students say about my courses:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
This course is pure gold and from now on we will call you "Piet the great Lightroom wizard" 😉
CARL
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Fantastic, Piet. Your clear explanations opened up a whole new world for me!
MICHEL
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A very informative course, but we already know that from Piet: the training is always excellent. Thanks!
PETER
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
A very valuable course!
KAREN
Buy 'FOCUS!' before March 1st and you'll
receive the 'Focus!' preset-pack FREE!
The Focus! Preset Pack is a set of stackable Lightroom presets that allows you to quickly and non-destructively apply some of the techniques taught in the course.
The pack will be added to your course's curriculum automatically on or before March 15, 2026.
100% risk free for 7 days
I'm convinced the videos in this course will change and improve the way you edit your photos. But if you decide it's not for you, email me within 7 days and I'll give you a full refund, no questions asked!
Meet your instructor!
Piet Van den Eynde is a professional photographer, author, and trainer with years of experience in Lightroom and Photoshop. He has written more than ten books on photography and image editing and regularly publishes articles in international photography magazines.
With his training, he helps photographers not to edit more, but better: more selectively, more purposefully, and with a focus on what makes a photo visually strong. In Focus!, he shares the exact techniques he uses on a daily to give his images more focus, depth, and impact.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone who wants less clutter and more focus in their images. Although this is an image editing course, some techniques will also improve your actual photography, as several can already be implemented during capture.
Which software is being used in the course?
In this course, we'll be using Lightroom Classic 90% of the time, but the techniques are the same in Adobe Camera Raw or the "new" Lightroom. The tools are identical, only the interface is slightly different. For some techniques, Photoshop (included with your Lightroom subscription) is used and on a couple of occasions, we'll show you how optional plug-ins can come in handy, while not being mandatory at all.
Does this also work for my style of photography?
Yes: portrait, travel, street, landscsape.... FOCUS! is all about directing the viewer's attention, not a specific style. That's why you'll see wildlife shots as well as architecture photos and portraits as well as landscapes be edited in the course.
How long do I have access to this course?
You get streaming access, so you can rewatch the lessons whenever you want and learn at your own pace. You can also download the course videos to watch them offline.
Is FOCUS! voor beginners or more advanced photographers?
FOCUS! is for both beginners and advanced photographers: as the course progresses, more advanced techniques are introduced, including some I haven't seen anywhere else.
Watch a free preview lesson below:
Below, you can view one of the fifteen chapters. It's one of the easier techniques for making your topic more engaging, but there's more to it than you might think!
Ready to give more direction to your images?
Register now for 'FOCUS!'
Strong photos aren't created by MORE editing, but by BETTER, MORE INFORMED choices while editing. In FOCUS!, you'll learn how to direct attention with local, selective adjustments: you'll enhance what matters and tone down what distracts. This results in images with more visual calm yet more impact, more depth, and more 'pull', regardless of your genre or skill level. If you want to work faster all while creating more expressive photos, then FOCUS! is the course for you!
US$99 US$59
LAUNCH DISCOUNT (UNTIL MARCH 01) – ONE-TIME PAYMENT – PURCHASE NOW
INCLUDES THE FOCUS! PRESET PACK
Immediate access. Stream online or download to watch whenever and wherever you want.
©2026 Piet Van den Eynde