Speakers

Class Description:

Neon photography is bold, atmospheric, cinematic, and technically demanding. Balancing vivid color, low light, reflections, and environmental storytelling requires far more intention than simply placing a subject in front of a sign. Yet that challenge is exactly what makes neon portraiture so visually powerful — and why it remains one of the most underexplored styles in modern photography.

This class is designed to help photographers confidently step into that world.

In the first half of the class, I’ll break down the complete foundation behind my neon photography process through an in-depth presentation covering composition, exposure, environmental storytelling, color theory, prism/filter usage, editing philosophy, and common technical mistakes photographers encounter in low-light environments. We’ll discuss how to use neon not just as decoration, but as a tool for shaping emotion, atmosphere, and narrative within an image.

In the second half, attendees will put those concepts into practice through a guided hands-on shooting experience using live models, multiple neon signs, prisms, fractals, filters, and creative light manipulation tools that I will provide for the class. Attendees will rotate through setups while learning how to build cinematic images in real time and troubleshoot difficult lighting situations on the fly.

This class is ideal for photographers wanting to elevate their low-light work, experiment with bold color, create more cinematic imagery, and develop confidence shooting in challenging ambient-light environments without relying heavily on traditional lighting setups.

Learning Objectives / Takeaways
How to expose for neon environments while preserving atmosphere and skin tones.
Using neon placement intentionally for mood, depth, rim light, and storytelling.
Creative techniques using prisms, fractals, reflections, blur, and foreground elements.
How to approach public low-light environments with confidence and adaptability.
Editing techniques that unify bold color while maintaining polished, natural-looking subjects.
How to create cinematic imagery with minimal equipment and intentional composition.
90-Minute Class Structure

0 – 30 min | Foundations of Neon Photography

Introduction, portfolio showcase, and creative philosophy.
Exposure settings and low-light shooting strategy.
Subject placement and environmental storytelling.
Neon color theory and balancing mixed light sources.
Prisms, fractals, reflections, and creative distortion techniques.
Common mistakes and troubleshooting difficult neon environments.
Editing philosophy and workflow overview.

30 – 80 min | Guided Hands-On Shooting Experience

Live shooting with models and neon setups.
Attendees rotate through shooting opportunities.
Hands-on experimentation with prisms, filters, and creative tools.
Real-time guidance on composition, lighting, and environmental usage.
Troubleshooting and adapting to difficult lighting conditions live.

80 – 90 min | Wrap-Up + Q&A

Final thoughts and key takeaways.
Audience Q&A and creative discussion.

Class Description:

Modern photography is filled with visually incredible environments: neon bars, arcades, speakeasies, museums, night streets, and low-light venues packed with atmosphere. But many of these locations share the same problem – difficult lighting conditions and restrictions on traditional lighting equipment.

So how do you create intentional, cinematic light when flash and strobes aren’t an option?

This class is designed to answer that question.

In this lecture-based course, I’ll break down my complete approach to creating dimensional, believable lighting through editing using Lightroom, Photoshop, Luminar Neo, and specialized plugins. Rather than treating editing as simple correction, this class focuses on using post-production as a tool for shaping mood, depth, luminosity, and visual storytelling.

You’ll learn how to transform flat or difficult ambient-light images into photographs that feel intentionally lit while still maintaining realism, atmosphere, skin integrity, and dynamic range.

This class is especially valuable for photographers who work in public spaces, nightlife environments, editorial portraiture, concerts, bars, arcades, museums, or any location where lighting conditions are unpredictable and artificial lighting may not be permitted.

What You’ll Learn
How to use masking tools to realistically illuminate subjects hidden in deep shadow.
Techniques for sculpting dimension into skin, clothing, and environments without overprocessing.
Creating believable directional lighting in images that originally appear flat.
Building high-contrast, cinematic depth while preserving skin tones and highlight detail.
How to begin your edits in ways that maximize dynamic range and editing flexibility.
Moving light intentionally through foreground, middleground, and background elements.
Using luminosity, glow, and the Orton Effect to create ethereal atmosphere without destroying detail.
Creating subject separation through light shaping instead of relying entirely on shallow depth of field.
Controlling saturation and color contamination when increasing contrast and luminosity.
Adding localized pockets of light to guide viewer attention throughout the frame.
In-camera techniques that make advanced lighting manipulation possible in post-production.
How color relationships influence perceived brightness, shadow depth, and cinematic mood.

Class Structure

0 – 15 min | Philosophy of Light & Environmental Constraints

Why difficult lighting environments create unique creative opportunities.
Understanding atmosphere, mood, and dimensionality.
How to intentionally shoot for post-production flexibility.

15 – 45 min | Building Light Through Editing

Lightroom masking fundamentals and advanced light shaping.
Creating believable directional light.
Contouring faces, skin, and clothing with masks.
Balancing luminosity, contrast, and color saturation.
Preserving highlight detail while increasing perceived brightness.

45 – 70 min | Advanced Cinematic Techniques

Foreground/middleground/background light separation.
Atmospheric glow and Orton Effect implementation.
Color theory and luminosity relationships.
Creating depth without excessive blur.
Plugin workflow demonstrations in Luminar Neo and Photoshop.

70 – 90 min | Full Edit Breakdowns + Q&A

Start-to-finish demonstrations on real images.
Breaking down decision-making during edits.
Audience Q&A and troubleshooting discussion.

Class Description:

One of the hardest skills in photography is learning how to walk into an unfamiliar environment and immediately identify creative opportunities within it.

Many photographers become attached to the same handful of locations, angles, and compositions. Over time, this can limit creative flexibility and make it difficult to confidently create compelling work in impromptu or visually challenging spaces.

Over the last three years, I’ve photographed full sessions in more than 200 unique locations with dramatically different aesthetics – from arcades and speakeasies to museums, drive-ins, libraries, bars, dance halls, and neon environments. Through that process, I’ve trained my eye to quickly identify storytelling opportunities, environmental framing, lighting advantages, texture, scale, and composition in almost any setting.

This class is about learning how to maximize the world around you.

In this lecture, I’ll break down how to sharpen your creative eye for environmental storytelling, how to direct subjects in ways that feel naturally integrated into a location, and how to consistently create diverse, visually compelling work without relying on the same recycled concepts or locations.

Rather than teaching photographers to search for “perfect” environments, this class focuses on developing the ability to recognize potential anywhere.

Topics We’ll Cover

How intentional backgrounds can dramatically expand your compositional possibilities
Using foreground, middleground, and background elements to create depth and dimensionality
How changing angles and perspective can make environments feel larger, more cinematic, and more immersive
Why avoiding constant eye-level compositions instantly increases visual variety
How to identify useful light sources within difficult environments and incorporate them creatively
Using color theory to recognize opportunities for contrast and visual harmony within a scene
Training your eye to recognize texture, reflections, framing elements, and environmental layers
How to quickly identify “signature spots” within locations that can elevate an entire shoot
Techniques for navigating through a location strategically to maximize shot diversity
How to use wide-angle lenses to showcase environments while still grounding the subject emotionally
Why looking upward and utilizing “hero” or “Superman” angles can create scale, wonder, and impact
How to use environmental framing and composition to strengthen storytelling
Directing clients in ways that make them interact naturally and convincingly with the space around them
Shooting with editing in mind so you are not creatively limited by imperfect lighting conditions
Editing techniques that allow you to subtly sculpt and illuminate subjects, expanding what environments become photographically viable

Who This Class Is For

This class is for photographers who want to:

Stop relying on the same repeated locations and shot ideas
Become creatively confident in unfamiliar environments
Develop stronger environmental storytelling skills
Learn how to create compelling work in visually chaotic or difficult spaces
Increase the variety, scale, and intentionality of their compositions
Train themselves to see photographic opportunities that most people overlook

Through image breakdowns and real-world examples, attendees will learn how to approach environments with greater creativity, flexibility, and artistic awareness – allowing them to create stronger work no matter where they shoot.