Classes

This class packed the room in 2026, and it’s back!

Throwing light at a subject isn’t enough. If you want portraits with depth, mood, and impact, you’ve got to know how to shape it.

It is now easier than ever to create cinematic portraits that come to life using constant lighting!

In this live demo, I’ll build portraits one light at a time, right in front of you. You’ll watch in real time as each light creates more depth and drama. Layer by layer, from one light to a full setup, you’ll can see exactly how intentional lighting decisions transform a shot.

We’re not playing it safe this year. We’re making intentional choices to create work that command attention!

Bridal parties don’t have to be the chaos of the wedding day. In this hands-on class, Michelle teaches you how to capture stunning, editorial-level bridal party portraits in just 10 minutes flat. You’ll learn quick transitional poses that flow naturally from one setup to the next, the exact gear that makes the difference, and the verbal cues that command attention and keep 8+ people moving without losing energy. Walk away with a repeatable system that impresses your clients, wins over wedding planners, and gets you back on schedule every single time.

How to take classic boudoir poses and transform them into emotive, editorial imagery through light, movement, direction, and connection.

In this live demonstration class, Jasmin Jade breaks down 15 foundational boudoir poses and shows how to elevate them beyond stiff, repetitive posing into images that feel natural, flattering, cinematic, and emotionally connected.

Rather than teaching endless pose memorization, this class focuses on refining and transforming poses through subtle changes in body language, movement, camera angle, light, and direction to create imagery with more depth and intention.

Students will learn how to:

• Build poses for all body types

• Create natural movement and connection within a pose

• Avoid stiff hands, awkward tension, and forced expressions

• Use light and camera angle to enhance emotion and shape

• Turn simple poses into editorial-style imagery

• Create more variety from a single pose setup

The class includes:

• A live boudoir shooting demonstration

• 15 foundational boudoir poses and variations

• Real-time posing refinements and adjustments

• Lighting and angle demonstrations

• Direction techniques for natural emotion and movement

If your couples posing starts and ends with “look here and now kiss,” this class is your reset. Jen will teach you 5 poses in 5 minutes that work for every couple—fast, flattering, and full of lifestyle vibes, but posed and predictable. Less awkward direction. More connected images that look effortless on purpose.

Jen teaches this the way photographers actually need it taught: clear, direct, and instantly usable. She breaks down exactly what to say, what to fix, and how to get couples looking connected without overthinking the process.

By the end of this class, attendees will be able to:

Master a fast 5-pose approach for couples sessions

Direct couples with clear, confident prompts

Spot strong light and clean backgrounds fast

Capture natural, polished, connected portraits

Ready to take your wedding photography to the next level?

This class is designed for photographers who want to move beyond simply taking photos and start creating unforgettable wedding imagery that feels emotional, intentional, and timeless.
In this class we will learn how to take simple locations, and turn them into masterpieces using various techniques from OCF, Light Separation (using different types of lighting), Composition, and more!

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your style, this class will help you elevate your creativity, confidence, and overall approach to wedding photography.

Adobe Express is the underrated MVP already sitting in your Adobe subscription, and honestly, it deserves way more hype. If Adobe Express is new to you, here’s the tea: it’s an easy-to-use tool for creating polished social posts, flyers, and branding content without needing a full-on design degree or a meltdown. In this beginner live demo, Jen breaks it down so it feels simple, smart, and instantly useful. You’ll learn how to build your brand, create polished marketing in a snap, and use Adobe Express to turn your post-production into clean, professional content without giving it your whole calendar.

Jen is an Adobe Certified Professional in Content Creation and Marketing Using Adobe Express, and she’ll walk you through a beginner-friendly workflow that keeps your business looking put together, not chaotic. You’ll see how to schedule content, connect with your Lightroom catalog, and lock in your brand setup so your social media post-production workflow stays polished, consistent, and completely brand aligned.

Lightroom Classic is a mystery wrapped in an enigma, loaded with powerful tools, sneaky shortcuts, and useful little secrets most photographers never even realize are there. In this class, Jen opens the vault and shows you the smart, practical Lightroom Classic moves that make your workflow faster, your edits cleaner, and your post-production life a whole lot easier. If you’re over the hype and ready for the really good stuff, this is where Jen spills the tea.

Go on a step by step exploration voyage with Jen to make Lightroom Classic work for you, not you work for Lightroom Classic.

Attendees will learn how to:

Find the Lightroom Classic tools that actually make a difference in real-world editing

Use smart shortcuts and hidden features to move through post-production faster

Clean up their workflow for smoother culling, editing, and file organization

Make stronger, cleaner edits with practical tips Jen uses every day

Ready to stop shooting frozen, lifeless sports portraits and start creating images that actually feel like the game? This hands-on class with Sondra LaRay is completely focused on mastering shutter drag to create sports portraits packed with movement, energy, and controlled chaos.

Sondra will break down exactly how she uses shutter drag to create dramatic motion blur, intense action effects, and sports portraits that look fast, gritty, and cinematic. You’ll learn how to combine flash with movement, control ambient light, and direct athletes in a way that creates powerful images straight out of a hype video or highlight reel.

This class isn’t about safe, perfectly still portraits. It’s about pushing motion creatively, embracing chaos, and learning how to create sports images that instantly grab attention.

In This Class You’ll Learn:
-The fundamentals of shutter drag and how it works
-How to combine flash and motion for dramatic sports portraits
-Creating intentional motion blur without losing your subject
-Camera settings for different motion effects and environments
-How to direct athletes for movement that looks powerful and natural
-Using light to amplify speed, action, and intensity
-Building sports portraits that feel loud, energetic, and alive

If you’ve ever wanted your sports portraits to feel more dynamic, cinematic, and unforgettable, this class will show you exactly how to make it happen.

If you are ready to go to the next level in your corporate/commercial work – THIS is the class for you! We will discuss what Commercial Lifestyle photography is, how it differs from basic branding, and how the corporate world is taking massive notice and becoming a huge income opportunity for all of us. I’ll walk you through client decks, shot lists, and more. We will discuss flat rate shoots as well as licensing and day rates for the larger corporate shoots. I’ll show you how to promote and network yourself to marketing and production agencies (your gateway to the bigger clients). I’ll give you the ins and outs of working in tandem alongside a video crew, and the importance of being able to adapt to every scenario and lighting challenge on the fly. You’ll know how to confidently walk onto a set with a production team and look like you belong there.
If you are looking to move beyond simple branding sessions, this is the class for you!

“In this specialized photography class, Paulina will teach photographers how to confidently create powerful, intentional portraits of exotic and unusual animal, other non-traditional pets that do not respond to standard posing commands. This class is designed for working with animals that cannot be directed in the same way as dogs or human models, yet still share a deep, meaningful connection with their owners.

Paulina will guide students through how to build entire portrait sessions around the animal’s natural behavior, energy, and presence, rather than trying to control or force movement. The focus is on observation, patience, preparation, and designing a shoot that embraces unpredictability while still producing refined, cohesive fine art imagery.

Students will learn how to:

Light exotic and unpredictable animals in a way that enhances texture, detail, and personality
Design compositions that work even with minimal movement or posing options
Build a full gallery of strong images despite limited interaction or direction from the animal
Create styling and set designs that support both the pet and the owner in a cohesive portrait
Work safely and calmly with unusual pets
Understand animal behavior cues to anticipate movement rather than control it
Direct owners in ways that strengthen connection without disturbing the animal
Prepare clients properly for a smooth, stress-free exotic pet session
Adapt quickly when animals do not follow expectations or remain still
Turn limitations into creative opportunities for fine art storytelling

Paulina will also cover essential safety practices for working with non-traditional animals, including handling awareness, environmental control, stress reduction for the animal, and creating a calm, controlled studio or on-location setup that prioritizes the wellbeing of both animal and human.

This class is about learning how to see beauty in unpredictability, and how to create meaningful, high-end portraits even when traditional posing and direction are not possible. Students will walk away with a new approach to photographing animals that are not “trained models,” but living, sensitive companions who still share powerful bonds with their humans.

Designed for photographers who want to expand beyond traditional pet photography, this class opens the door to a more intuitive, adaptive, and art-driven way of working with animals that are rare, misunderstood, or unconventional.”

Group portraits should feel connected, intentional, and visually dynamic — not stiff or repetitive. In this class, Esther Kay teaches photographers how to confidently pose couples, families, and groups in a way that feels elevated, natural, and luxury-driven. Students will learn how to create flow, depth, balance, and authentic interaction while avoiding common posing mistakes that can make group portraits feel flat or awkward.

Through live demonstrations and practical techniques, Esther breaks down how to direct multiple people with confidence while creating imagery that feels editorial, emotional, and polished. From subtle hand placement and body angles to layering and movement, this class focuses on transforming traditional group posing into refined storytelling portraits clients will connect with and remember.

Clients and companies want content that feels organic and invites the viewer to imagine themselves in the moment. That’s lifestyle photography. It’s a craft built on knowing how to direct people into authentic engaging moments rather than stiff manufactured poses. (AND BONUS – The same directing skills that make great lifestyle images also make great video content too. As more clients ask for both, THIS IS THE SKILLSET THAT SETS YOU APART.)
In this live demonstration, we’ll breakdown what lifestyle photography actually is and why directing – not posing – is the skill that changes everything!
While this class will mainly be a demonstration, you are welcome to capture whatever you’d like as long as it’s not disruptive to the class. Also, this is planned for outdoors (weather permitting) please dress accordingly.

Ready to break into the world of school sports photography and create images athletes actually get excited about? In this lecture-style class, Sondra LaRay shares the strategies behind building a successful sports photography brand that stands out to schools, coaches, athletes, and parents alike.

You’ll learn how to find opportunities, build strong relationships with athletic departments, and create bold, high-impact images that go beyond standard team photos. From working in challenging gym lighting to marketing your work like a pro, this class is packed with real-world advice and actionable steps you can start using immediately.

Topics Covered:
-Finding opportunities and connecting with schools, coaches, and athletic directors
-Building trust and credibility within sports programs and local communities
-Shooting strategies for gyms, stadiums, fields, and fast-paced environments
-Creating epic athlete portraits that stand out from traditional sports photography
-Marketing your work through social media, school partnerships, and local exposure
-Pricing, presentation, and growing long-term school relationships

Sondra’s sports work has been featured by ESPN, SportsCenter, and House of Highlights, giving her firsthand insight into what makes sports imagery grab attention. You’ll leave with practical tools, marketing ideas, and a roadmap for building a thriving school sports photography business.

Studio lighting doesn’t have to be neutral. Color can completely transform the mood of an image, create emotion, and turn a simple portrait into a piece of art.
In this live demonstration, Marta Ponsko will reveal how she uses colored gels, creative modifiers, and intentional light placement to create her signature bold, cinematic portraits. Learn how to confidently mix colors, shape light, and build striking lighting setups that stand out in today’s photography industry.
You’ll watch Marta create different looks live, explaining her thought process behind every lighting decision—from choosing complementary colors to balancing shadows and highlights for maximum impact.
Whether you’re new to gels or looking to push your creativity further, this class will give you the confidence to experiment and develop a signature style of your own.
What You’ll Learn
How to use color gels without creating muddy or oversaturated images
Understanding complementary and analogous color combinations
Building cinematic portraits with bold, creative lighting
Choosing the right modifiers for different lighting effects
How to sculpt the face and body using multiple light sources
Balancing ambient light with studio strobes
Creating multiple looks from a single lighting setup
Using color intentionally to evoke mood and emotion
Marta’s favorite lighting recipes for portraits and maternity sessions
Practical tips for creating memorable images that stand out in your portfolio and on social media
Perfect for photographers who want to move beyond traditional studio lighting and create bold, artistic portraits with confidence, creativity, and purpose.

Blogging is one of the most powerful ways photographers can improve visibility on Google and attract ideal clients organically. This class breaks down how intentional blogging and content strategy can help photographers get found through the topics, locations, venues, and questions their clients are already searching for online.

From deciding what to blog to understanding keywords, search intent, and post structure, photographers will learn practical strategies for creating content that feels approachable, sustainable, and effective — without burning out or feeling chained to constant content creation.

Bodyscapes can look intimidating from the outside — but once you break them down, you’re really just shaping light across the human form. That’s it. No magic, no secret sauce.

This class is for photographers who’ve always wanted to try bodyscapes but didn’t know where to start, or who’ve tried and walked away frustrated. No prior experience needed. We’re going to slow down and actually walk you through the two things that matter most: the light, and the pose.

The Lighting Setups

We’ll go step by step through the setups that make bodyscapes work — starting with a single light and building from there. You’ll learn:

• Where to place your light to carve out the curves of the body, and what changes when you move it just a few inches

• How distance, angle, and feathering completely change the mood of an image

• How to use a grid, a strip box,  to control exactly what the light touches — and what it doesn’t

• Why shadow does more of the work than the light itself, and how to use it on purpose

We’ll demo each setup live, explain the WHY behind every choice, and break it down so you can repeat it at home with whatever gear you already own.

Posing the Client / Model

The pose is half the image. We’ll spend real time on:

• Simple, repeatable poses that flatter every body type — no contortion, no Instagram-only shapes

• How to direct your client or model in plain language so they feel comfortable and confident in front of the camera

• The small adjustments — a tilted hip, a curved spine, a turned wrist — that take a pose from “fine” to “wow”

• How to keep the conversation flowing so your subject relaxes — and you actually get the shot

• What to say when something isn’t working, without making anyone feel self-conscious

And then — once we’ve walked you through everything — you’ll be invited to move the lights yourself, adjust the setup, try your own angle, and shoot the way YOU see it. The goal isn’t to copy our shots from a setup that’s already in place. It’s to leave with the comfort and confidence to build your own.

We’ll also talk about where this can go next — how bodyscapes can grow into fine art and abstract art pieces worthy of a gallery wall, and the simple next steps to start pushing your work in that direction.

Come ready to learn. Leave ready to create bodyscapes that feel like yours.

Gen Z isn’t just changing the wedding industry, they’re rewriting the rules of connection, branding, and what makes a business truly desirable. In this high-energy keynote, luxury wedding photographer and brand educator Chris J. Evans breaks down the cultural shifts shaping the next generation of clients and reveals why traditional marketing tactics are rapidly losing relevance.

This isn’t another lecture about trends or algorithms. It’s a deep dive into emotional architecture, identity-driven branding, and the psychology behind what Gen Z actually responds to. From authenticity over perfection, experience over aesthetics, and storytelling over sales tactics, attendees will walk away understanding how to build brands that feel magnetic instead of manufactured.

Chris pulls back the curtain on what’s officially “out” from overly polished brands, transactional client experiences, generic luxury, trend-chasing, and content without emotional depth and what’s undeniably “in” human connection, intentional imperfection, immersive experiences, cinematic storytelling, values-based branding, and creating work people feel.

Designed for photographers who want to remain relevant while elevating into the luxury market, this keynote delivers practical insight, sharp humor, powerful storytelling, and a roadmap for attracting the most influential generation of consumers the industry has ever seen.

Ready to have a full branding session in your portfolio? This styled shoot will feature a REAL St. Louis-based business! We’ll kick the class off with a run-down of the planning that went into each station concept, the client’s goals, and how to shoot for website, socials, and beyond. You’ll leave with a full, consistent gallery of images that you can share as proof of concept in your own marketing!

Most photographers don’t have a marketing problem. They have a system problem.
They’re constantly posting, creating new content, chasing the algorithm, running on a constant hamster wheel and wondering where their next inquiry will come from. But what if more of your marketing could happen automatically?
In this hands-on class, photographers will learn how to build a simple marketing ecosystem using tools and content they already have. We’ll look at how email marketing, lead magnets, automated nurture sequences, past-client communication, referrals, and evergreen content can work together to move people from discovering your business to inquiring, booking, and coming back again.
Attendees will map their existing marketing, find the biggest opportunities for automation while keeping the human touch, and build a realistic 90-day plan focused on creating systems instead of constantly creating more content.
The goal isn’t to give you 47 new marketing tasks. It’s to help you build a marketing system that keeps working even when you’re not.

Your lighting is one of the fastest ways people begin to recognize your work. In this live lighting demonstration, Chloe Ramirez breaks down how she developed a lighting style that feels emotionally driven, visually distinct, and adaptable across different types of shoots and environments.

Through live demonstrations and real world setups, students will watch Chloe build several of her signature lighting looks while explaining the creative and technical decisions behind each one. From shaping dramatic editorial portraits to creating softer, connection driven imagery, this class focuses on how light can become part of your artistic voice rather than just a technical tool.

Students will learn how modifier choice, light placement, shadow, ambient balance, and subtle shifts in direction can dramatically change the feeling of an image. Chloe will also discuss how to create consistency across your work so your lighting begins to feel recognizable and intentional no matter the subject or location.

This class is designed for photographers who want to stop relying on random setups and start building a lighting approach that feels personal, expressive, and true to the kind of work they want to be known for.

What if your Christmas mini sessions could become the most profitable and talked-about event of your entire year?

In this lecture, we will pull back the curtain on how we create a premium holiday photography event that generates $30K–$50K in just a few short weeks leading up to Christmas.

This isn’t about “quick mall Santa photos.” This is about creating a magical, immersive client experience that families return to year after year and building a highly profitable seasonal revenue stream for your business.

In this class, we’ll cover:

• Designing an unforgettable Santa experience clients rave about

• Creating sets and interactions that feel magical and authentic

• The psychology behind why families emotionally connect to Christmas photography

• How to create interaction-focused experiences instead of stiff posing

• Lighting and shooting strategies for fast-paced holiday sessions

• Workflow, scheduling, and keeping sessions running smoothly

• How to structure pricing and sales for higher profitability

• Marketing strategies that build anticipation and demand before booking opens

We’ll share real-world numbers, lessons learned, behind-the-scenes processes, and the strategies that helped us turn a seasonal idea into a major income stream for our studio.

Whether you’re just starting with holiday minis or looking to elevate what you already offer, this class will give you the tools, confidence, and inspiration to create an experience that stands out and keeps clients coming back every Christmas.

Come learn how to create more than just photos… create Christmas magic.

Ever have kids running around your studio not wanting to sit for a photo? We’ve all been there! Turn your studio sessions into an interactive experience that your clients will talk about for years to come. This hands on class will show you how to use printed backdrops and a few simple props to design interactive sets that kids enjoy and will actually want to get their photos taken on. These themed activity sessions will capture authentic images which will result in higher sales for you! This class will be packed with tips and tricks for working with kids of all ages as well as resources for building up your studio collection.

How to Create a Photographic Experience That Helps Women Feel Confident, Visible, and Celebrated Through Portraits, Branding and Headshots

Women over 40 often arrive in front of the camera carrying years of ideas about how they photograph: “I’m not photogenic.” “I need to lose weight first.” “I hate having my picture taken.”

And posing a woman over 40 isn’t always the same as posing a high school senior. Bodies change, and flexibility, balance, mobility, and comfort vary from woman to woman. Having a broad posing vocabulary—and plenty of alternatives—allows you to adapt quickly, work with the woman in front of you, and create flattering, confident portraits without making her feel limited by what she can or can’t comfortably do.

In this live demonstration class, Kia Bondurant will share the approach she uses when photographing women for beauty portraits, personal branding, and headshots. You’ll watch how she directs, poses, lights, and communicates with her subject while creating different looks for different purposes.

Attendees will learn how to:
• Pose women in flattering, natural ways that work with their bodies rather than against them
• Adapt poses for differences in flexibility, balance, mobility, and comfort
• Use small adjustments in body position, hands, expression, and camera angle to create flattering shape and variety
• Direct women who tell you they aren’t comfortable in front of the camera
• Create expression and confidence through communication
• Adapt your approach for beauty portraits, branding images, and professional headshots
• Create variety while keeping the woman recognizable as herself
• Build a portrait experience that feels as good as the finished photographs look

This class isn’t about making women look younger. It’s about learning how to photograph the woman standing in front of you beautifully, confidently, comfortably, and intentionally.

This is the ultimate Wedding Day Timeline planning guide, from meeting to final delivery.

The difference between photographers who are just surviving in the wedding industry and photographers who are dominating them is simple: one reacts to the day, the other leads it.

This class is all about building and controlling wedding timelines in a way that keeps clients relaxed, emotionally present, and fully trusting you. I am going to break down everything from start to finish – when to build the timeline, how to involve clients (without losing authority), listening to their needs while still getting yours met, how to structure the entire day for better images, and how to prevent out-of-time chaos before it ever starts. With over 20 years of experience I can tell you that when couples feel guided through their day instead of rushed from photo shoot to photo shoot, everything changes…and your photographs get better!

I will show you real weddings and how I captured their days from start to finish, using my timeline as the framework that holds it all together. I will also give you tricks on how to overcome objections in a fun but firm manner so that your client still feel they are in control and are happy (but you get exactly what you need from them).

I am going to dive into the professional intelligence needed from you on wedding days: identifying who matters most, recognizing emotional moments before they happen, creating connection instead of forced posing, and documenting the story with intention instead of spray-and-pray coverage. This is one of my most requested 1-on-1 mentoring topics because it’s where everything typically falls apart. Strong timeline management doesn’t just create better images it creates trust, referrals, calmer wedding days, and higher-paying clients. Couples who have no guidance or trust in their photographer will not refer them. It is the photographers who can confidently lead the experience who are the ones clients remember, recommend, and happily pay more for!

In this class, ShutterFest attendees will dive into the fast-paced world of volume photography — without losing creativity, sanity, or profit. From schools and sports to dance studios, leagues, and high-volume portrait events, this class breaks down how to create an efficient system that delivers a polished client experience at scale.

We’ll cover workflow, lighting setups, posing efficiency, sales strategies, staffing, organization, delivery timelines, and how to keep quality high while moving fast. You’ll learn how to turn volume photography into a repeatable, profitable part of your business instead of a burnout machine.

Whether you’re photographing 20 kids or 2,000, this class is about building systems that scale, creating an experience people remember, and making volume photography feel a whole lot less… volume-y.

LED lighting has changed how many photographers approach portraits, especially in today’s world of hybrid photo and video production.  Instead of guessing what your light will look like after taking the shot, you can shape and adjust everything in real time.

In this hands-on class, we’ll explore how to create cinematic portraits using continuous LED lighting in ways that feel practical, fast, and approachable.  You’ll learn how to build lighting setups that work for corporate headshots, branding sessions, editorial portraits, and dramatic creative work without relying on overly complicated gear.

We’ll cover how to shape light for depth and mood, use modifiers effectively, direct subjects naturally, and create polished images that feel intentional and dynamic.  Along the way, we’ll also talk about why LED lighting has become such a valuable tool for photographers who are adding video services or working in fast-paced environments.

This class is designed to be interactive.  You’ll rotate through live lighting setups, work in small groups, photograph models, and experiment with different looks throughout the session.

By the end of the class, you’ll walk away with stronger images, a better understanding of modern lighting techniques, and a more confident approach to creating portraits that feel cinematic instead of flat.

Boudoir doesn’t have to stay hidden behind studio walls and bedroom sets. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your clients is invite them out into the world, into the open air, the city streets, the rooftops, the alleyways, the sunlight, and the freedom of being fully seen and immersed in nature.

In this hands-on class, Jenn Maesen teaches photographers how to create bold, artistic, and emotionally empowering outdoor boudoir experiences using urban backdrops and natural elements. This class is all about breaking out of comfort zones, embracing adventure, and learning how to create imagery that feels raw, confidence-inspiring, and completely different from traditional indoor boudoir.

Attendees will learn the important foundations of planning and executing successful outdoor boudoir sessions, including location scouting, timing and lighting considerations, client wardrobe and styling, safety, boundaries, professionalism, client communication, posing in public spaces, and how to help clients feel comfortable and confident while shooting outdoors.

Then it’s time to hit the streets of St. Louis and create. Attendees will photograph models while learning how to use urban textures, architecture, natural elements, and environmental storytelling to create striking imagery filled with movement, emotion, and personality. Jenn will also demonstrate how to incorporate props, natural light, and off-camera flash to add depth, mood, variety, and artistic edge to outdoor boudoir sessions.

This class goes beyond simply taking boudoir photos outside. It’s about creating an unforgettable experience for your clients, one that feels adventurous, freeing, empowering, and alive. Attendees will leave with portfolio-worthy images, practical outdoor boudoir techniques, confidence directing clients in public spaces, and creative tools they can immediately use to create sessions that feel authentic, bold, and wildly fun. Boudoir isn’t just about being photographed. Sometimes it’s about taking up space in the world and feeling fearless while doing it.

Ray and Kay are back for another round of their signature creative portrait magic. In this hands on class, Ray will show how he uses gels, off camera flash, color, and direction to create bold portraits while Kay brings the beauty side of the vision to life through makeup artistry.
As Ray’s makeup artist, creative partner, and one of the featured models, Kay plays a major role in how the final image comes together before the flash even fires. This class will show photographers how makeup choices, skin tone, wardrobe, gels, and lighting all work together to create portraits that feel intentional instead of random.
Ray will break down how he chooses gel colors, places lights, balances color, and directs the subject while also explaining how makeup can either support the lighting or fight against it. Kay will share how she approaches makeup for creative portrait work and what photographers should think about when working with a makeup artist on styled shoots, branding sessions, beauty portraits, and creative concepts.
Attendees will learn how to blend makeup artistry with gels, how to create mood with color, and how to build portraits that feel polished, dramatic, and cohesive from start to finish.

What to expect:
* Step by step gel lighting setups with modifiers THAT MAKE SENSE!
* How to use colors and contrast to add drama and interest
* A live styled shoot with Kay and models that you’ll be able to use for your portfolio
* A fun, laid-back vibe with a lot of value packed in

Discover how framing can transform ordinary scenes into compelling photographs. This hands on class explores how to use your environment to create depth, guide the viewer’s eye, and strengthen composition.
Learn:
How to find natural framing opportunities
Techniques for adding depth and dimension
Ways to eliminate distractions through composition
How framing can enhance storytelling and impact

Last year, Connection-Driven Storytelling explored how intentional touchpoints like engagement sessions, wedding rehearsals, and meaningful communication help photographers build trust and arrive on the wedding day as more than just another vendor with a camera.

This class goes behind the scenes of that approach. I’ll walk through the HoneyBook workflows, email templates, questionnaires, guides, and systems I use to create and manage a connected client experience from inquiry through the wedding day.

Attendees will learn how to build a workflow that keeps clients informed and supported while still feeling personal. The goal is not simply better project management. It is creating the structure that gives photographers the time, context, and trust needed to become genuinely invested in their couples and tell their stories well.