Classes

Outdoor portraits do not have to be limited by the light you find. In this hands-on workshop, JC Carey will teach photographers how to use portable strobes to take control of bright, flat, or unpredictable ambient light and turn ordinary locations into dramatic portrait opportunities.

This class focuses on understanding the relationship between ambient exposure and flash. Attendees will learn how shutter speed, aperture, ISO, subject placement, and strobe power work together to create mood, separation, and impact. The goal is not to memorize a lighting setup. The goal is to understand how to build a look intentionally, whether the final image feels natural, bold, cinematic, or dramatic.

Through live demonstration and guided shooting, photographers will practice making creative decisions in real time. They will learn how to darken a background, shape light on the subject, use direction and distance with purpose, and create images that feel controlled even in challenging outdoor conditions.

Attendees will learn:

How to balance or overpower ambient light, how to use portable strobes outdoors, how to create drama with direction and exposure, and how to make lighting decisions based on the look they want instead of guessing.

Off-camera flash can feel intimidating until someone gives you a process that makes it make sense. From Fear to Flash is a beginner-friendly, hands-on workshop created for photographers who want to use strobes but still feel unsure about where to start.

JC Carey will break strobe lighting down into simple, approachable decisions that photographers can use on real shoots. Attendees will learn how to think through ISO, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, ambient light, and flash as creative tools rather than random settings. The focus is on building confidence through repetition, not overwhelming photographers with technical jargon.

Using portable flashes, strobes, and modifiers, attendees will photograph models in practical portrait scenarios while learning how to make small changes that create big visual differences. This class is perfect for photographers who want to move beyond natural light, improve consistency, and finally feel in control when adding flash.

The goal is simple: leave less afraid of the gear, more confident in the process, and excited to use strobes in the real world.

Attendees will learn:

How to start with the camera settings, how to decide what the ambient light should do, how to add flash without overthinking it, and how to make lighting feel repeatable instead of random.

Great location lighting does not have to start with complicated gear, confusing settings, or memorized diagrams. In this hands-on workshop, JC Carey will show photographers how to create bold, clean, dramatic portraits using one portable strobe and a simple repeatable decision-making process.

Instead of teaching a fixed recipe that only works in one location, this class focuses on how to think through the image step by step: what matters in the scene, how much ambient light to keep, where the subject should live, and how to add flash with purpose. Attendees will see how small changes in direction, distance, modifier choice, and exposure can completely change the mood of an image.

After a short demonstration, photographers will rotate through hands-on shooting opportunities designed to build confidence quickly. The goal is not just to leave with strong portfolio images. The goal is to leave understanding why the images worked and how to recreate that success later with their own clients.

Attendees will learn:

How to use one strobe to create polished location portraits, how to balance ambient light with flash, how to choose camera settings with intention, and how to stop guessing when working outdoors or in any location.