Crafting the Black and White Image with Silver Efex
© Kai McBride
Crafting the Black and White Image with Silver Efex
© Kai McBride
Crafting the Black and White Image with Silver Efex
© Kai McBride
ONLINE COURSE

Crafting the Black and White Image with Silver Efex

Dates: Tuesdays, Sept 9–Oct 21, 2025
Time: 12–2pm (ET)
Sessions: 6 (No class on Sept 23)
Limited enrollment: 8 students
Fee: $455 $410
Earlybird Special! 10% off selected classes through Wednesday, July 16!

Register Now

When you want to create a powerful black-and-white photograph, your camera is just the starting point — the next, and equally important, step is processing the image. In this 6-week class, learn how to deepen the drama and expression of your images and take more control of how they look overall using Silver Efex, a powerful black-and-white plugin for Photoshop and Lightroom included in the Nik Collection. Kai will guide you through the program’s sophisticated monochrome-specific tools to help you craft a wide range of compelling interpretations from your RAW files, and weekly exercises will strengthen your black-and-white visualization skills and give you hands-on experience developing your own expressive style. Whether you’re a recent convert to digital black-and-white photography or a veteran of the darkroom looking to emulate film work of the past, you’ll discover new ways to take control of your black-and-white images and express yourself.

Please note: Students will need to already own or install a free 30-day demo of Silver Efex
 
I have taken photography classes at most of the renowned schools and organizations in the US, but none are better than those taught by Kai McBride of StrudelmediaLive.  He is an incredibly intelligent and gifted educator who goes out of his way to make every class a memorable experience filled with ‘aha’ moments. Kai has talent galore. Don’t miss his courses!
—Patricia (Bronx, NY)
Just wanted to let you know that Kai McBride's class on B&W Digital Photography was GREAT. He structured and conducted the sessions in a very organized way and provided an abundance of useful information. The assignments were useful and creative. I would definitely take a class with him again.
—Barbara (New York)
Thanks, Kai! The class was an enormous learning experience for me. The arc of my understanding between weeks one and four amazed me. I thank you for sharing your encyclopedic knowledge and your methods and I hope we have the chance to experience another class together soon. I can’t wait to get back in the studio to cut and paste. 
—Fran (New York City)


Kai McBride
Kai McBride

Kai McBride is a photographer, musician, teacher, and avid cyclist who recently uprooted from Brooklyn to sunny Santa Fe, New Mexico. He spent the last ten years teaching photography and managing the photo facilities at Columbia University, his alma mater, where he received an MFA in 2008.

Born on the island of Kauai in 1972, by his 18th birthday Kai had lived in California, Oregon, Mississippi, Wisconsin, Texas, Oahu, North Carolina, and Massachusetts. He sharpened his powers of observation while adjusting to life between suburban ranch-style homes, cabins with no running water, and a 20-foot teepee in the field of a commune.

His photographs have been exhibited in museum and gallery exhibitions, and are held in public and private collections. His first monograph, About Face: Picturing Tampa, was published by SPQR Editions in Fall 2016.

Kai teaches black and white photography, photobooks, and more for StrudelmediaLive.