Classes

What do you do if its the day of your shoot and the skies have turned dark and cloudy? Or maybe someone really wants to book a shoot with you, but you can’t make it during daylight hours? If these scenarios stop you dead in your tracks, then this class is for you. This class is aimed at beginners. We will simplify and demystify the tools and process for using off-camera flash. We’ll cover the basics of lighting modifiers and go over some simple setups to get you started. We’ll also talk about what to do if things aren’t looking like you want. After the discussion we’ll break into smaller groups to practice and build confidence shooting with off-camera flash. If you’ve been avoiding adding off-camera flash to your toolkit because it seemed too complex, or you just didn’t know where to start, we’ll get you up and running in no time!
Bring your camera. I’ll have lights and triggers to pass around!

Do you want to offer your clients something beyond standard portraits? Fantasy and science fiction are firmly entrenched in popular culture and many people would love the chance to be someone (or something) else for a day. This class will show you how to apply these elements to create fantastical portraits and give your clients something unique. We’ll discuss where to find inspiration, styling options and makeup for concept, as well as the use of props and prop sourcing. We’ll also discuss lighting for concept, posing, location selection and set design considerations too.
Bring your camera! You’re going to shoot these concepts too! The goal for the class is to give you the necessary skills to help your clients bring their character concepts to life and give them an experience they won’t soon forget. This class will cover setting up and shooting the concept. Part 2 will cover compositing and editing for concept. Don’t worry if you can’t attend both classes!

You’ve finished photographing your client’s scifi/fantasy session so now what? This class will cover the post-production elements that go into creating a finished piece of art that your client will love. We’ll go over basic image cleanup and re-touching techniques in Lightroom and Photoshop as well as ways to fix problems. We’ll also cover more advanced topics including blend-modes, color grading and compositing to include additional elements that couldn’t be captured in camera (No Smoke!). Along the way we’ll discuss creating or sourcing stock photography, custom brush creation and using AI to speed up your workflow.
Bring your computer if you want to follow along and edit shots from Part 1. If you couldn’t make part 1, practice images will be provided. Don’t worry if you can’t attend both classes! Basic knowledge of Photoshop and Lightroom will be helpful.