Speakers
This year’s lineup of over 60 speakers, returning vets and newbies alike, are here to deliver an incredible experience for all ShutterFesters!
Shutterfest 2027 Speaker Lineup
Rafael Serrano
Specialty: Social Media , Weddings and Quinceañeras , creative lighting
Rafael Serrano is an award-winning wedding and portrait photographer, educator, speaker, and organic social media strategist based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area with over a decade of experience behind the camera. Known for his bold imagery, emotional storytelling, and high-energy teaching style, Rafael has built a photography brand followed by more than 150K people across social media through organic, story-driven marketing. He photographs over 50 events and 100+ portrait sessions each year while specializing in weddings, quinceañeras, families, and legacy-driven artwork. Rafael is the creator of the #2bEpic system — a practical approach built around composition, posing, and lighting designed to help photographers create impactful images in real-world situations. Through his classes, live demos, and hands-on experiences, Rafael is passionate about helping photographers create work that feels more authentic, cinematic, and unforgettable.
Follow Rafael Serrano:
Rafael Serrano’s Classes:
THE REEL WORLD: WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS BEHIND VIRAL PHOTOGRAPHY BRANDS
Class Description:
Most photographers think they have a content problem. In reality, they have a system problem.
With over 150K followers across social media, Rafael Serrano and the RSP team have built a workflow that turns real sessions, weddings, and everyday moments into consistent, story-driven content that actually connects with people.
In today’s world, the final product alone is no longer what makes people buy. People connect through experience, emotion, social proof, and the stories behind the brand and photographers who are not taking advantage of the free marketing tools sitting in their pockets are falling behind.
In this class, Rafael breaks down the exact system his team uses before every shoot to intentionally plan, capture, and organize content in real time allowing them to consistently leave every session with weeks of marketing already done.
The class begins with a short lecture covering: -how the RSP team plans content before every session. -how to recognize content opportunities in real time. -how to create story-driven content without interrupting the client experience. -how to stop overthinking social media and start documenting naturally.
Then Rafael will do a LIVE couple session demo showing exactly how his team captures content while simultaneously creating an elevated client experience.
This is not a trends or influencer class.
It’s a real-world system designed to help photographers create consistent, authentic content that builds connection, visibility, and bookings without burnout.
Walk away with a repeatable workflow you can immediately implement to make social media finally feel effortless.
What to Bring to Class:
Class Description:
Every year, this shoot becomes a favorite experience for many ShutterFest attendees.
Over 100 photographers apply. Only a select few get in.
Why?
Because this is not another styled shoot built around perfect conditions and copied poses.
This is a live, hands-on experience built around the exact #2bEpic system Rafael Serrano has refined over more than a decade photographing 50+ events and 100+ portrait sessions every year.
Attendees will photograph both a wedding couple and a quinceañera while Rafael breaks down the real-world formula behind consistently creating bold, emotional, high-impact imagery:
Compose + Pose + Lighting = EPIC
No gatekeeping. No fluff. No unrealistic setups.
Just real shooting situations, real creative challenges, and a proven system designed to help photographers create powerful images under pressure, changing light, tight timelines, and unpredictable environments.
This is a working shoot … not a lecture.
You’ll shoot alongside Rafael, ask questions in real time, and walk away with:
-strong portfolio images.
-a repeatable shooting system.
-better posing, composition, and lighting confidence.
-real-world techniques you can immediately apply.
If you’ve ever wondered how Rafael consistently creates impactful images year after year in real conditions… this is your chance to see it happen live.
What to Bring to Class:
everyone need to bring their camera , lenses ( prefer wide lenses but also zoom )
Class Description:
If your lighting looks like everyone else’s… your work will too.
In this high-energy live demo, Rafael Serrano breaks down the creative lighting techniques that help his images stand out in a crowded industry , using simple flash setups, modifiers, and color gels to create bold, cinematic photos in real-world situations.
You’ll learn how to use color intentionally, shape light with confidence, and create dramatic images without needing complicated setups or a truckload of gear.
After a short lecture covering practical lighting formulas and creative concepts, Rafael will build multiple live setups showing how these techniques can be used across weddings, quinceañeras, seniors, graduations, engagement sessions, and everyday portrait work.
This is not a boring technical class packed with confusing diagrams.
It’s a fast-paced creative experience designed to help photographers stop playing it safe and start creating images people actually remember.
If you want your work to feel more modern, bold, emotional, and impossible to scroll past… Put a Gel on It.