Where do we find and develop our creativity for our portrait process? A deeper look into classic artists, painters, photographers, and sculptors. Understanding the creative process that is conceptualization, visualization and execution. George will walk you through how to develop a concept, how to visualize it by creating the image in your mind, and how to bring into visibility that which you have visualized.

I will go over our process for building up hype when we deliver our photo and video and why. This will Start with the first inquiry all the way up to delivering the final product. For my studio, we don’t just hand over their photos and videos and call it a day. We build excitement around the finished pieces. By having this process of building hype our clients excitement goes through the roof which has caused them to share their photos and videos more…which then leads to more referrals and bookings! Some of the topics we will cover is how prepare the the couple through our CRM. How we share their photos and videos online, our process for social media, and more.

This class is designed to cover how to run a dance shoot, tips and tricks to help things go smoothly, as well as pitfalls to avoid.

I will go over the following: Teach you that you can sell and you likely already have several times. Understand what your goal is for your client How to accept REJECTION, it will happen How to change a NO into a YES or NOT RIGHT NOW.

Creative genius isn’t something that some photographers have and some don’t. Developing your creativity is a choice you get to make. So, let’s get your creative juices flowing and give you the tools to cultivate unlimited creativity every single day of your life!

Tracie will explain the essential gear she uses and recommends what to simply leave at home.  It’s time to push your photographic passion forward with an intuitive system that will expand your photographic abilities.

Learn why light is not just light. We will explore the technical aspects of proper lighting for artists on and off set.  This will be a great class for photographers/videographers to understand why a certain “type” of light is necessary for the artist.

In this class we will speed through some of the basics of body painting. You will learn how to create dimension in a face and body with both hand painting and airbrush techniques.

Join Panasonic Lumix Ambassador and Award Winning Filmmaker Matthew Sutherland for this Live online workshop that will teach you everything you need to know about lighting, sound, and camera movement for professional documentary interviews. We will go over the differences in lighting interviews for all different projects and how to create different moods and tones with lighting and cinematic camera movements.

Composing our images in camera or in computer can make or break the success of an image. We will be taking a closer look at composing images in detail in order to better take advantage of our surroundings, our subjects and props. By reviewing a number of award winning images, we’ll see what you can do as an artist before and after the shutter is clicked to inspire thought provoking and attention grabbing work.

Great images require planning and collaboration and are the result of great problem solving. Photographing people for any reason is a relationship game and the gear must take a back seat to the interaction between you and your subject. Together, we will take a deep dive through my entire process and I will share with you how I plan and execute a shoot. I’ll cover everything from shoot prep with both my subjects and makeup artists and I will review lighting, shooting, communication and posing techniques and much more.

Joe will explain the essential gear he uses and recommends what to simply leave at home.  It’s time to push your photographic passion forward with an intuitive system that will expand your photographic abilities.

Veronica Cotter and Kevin Graham will review the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt and Photo Collection of papers. They will include the Features and Benefits of both, with a focus on several unique products including Hahnemühle FineArt Tins, Certificates of Authenticity and Deckled Edge Papers.

• Branding, photography, hair and makeup, and more.
• How can all that help a model and their career?
• Where to start?
• The Do’s & Don’ts in the industry.
• Turning your passion into reality.
• The hard work that goes into it along the way.

This presentation explores all the various techniques of balancing the exposure of strobe and ambient light sources in one photo. For example: taking a photo of someone outside at night by using a portable flash and also capturing the city lights in the background. Bobbi explains how to determine the proper balance of exposure between the two light sources – flash and ambient – then how to creatively play by shaking or spinning the camera, zooming the lens, panning, and more. The flash will light the subject and freeze any motion, and then moving the camera will blur the ambient light in the background in a variety of ways. It’s a creative and fun way to make your photos more dynamic and effective!

In this class, Jen will help you step up your skills by offering a review of your boudoir photos. She will present constructive criticism on posing, lighting, and all the other ingredients that go into making a beautiful image.

Join Westcott and learn what’s new and exciting in their product line.

As a photographer, you have educated yourself on the differences between various cameras and lights and methods for capturing your images and chosen tools that fit your style and preferences. It’s time for you to understand the differences between your editing tool options. Just like different cameras, Lightroom and Lightroom Classic both have their unique strengths and advantages. Both tools are extremely powerful tools to help you get your post-processing done efficiently and to take your images from good to great! Join Jared Platt and learn how Lightroom and Lightroom Classic can improve your photo workflow.

LIGHTROOM (Part 1): The first half of this class will be devoted to the newest version of Lightroom for desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. In this section, you will learn how to use Lightroom and the Lightroom “ecosystem” to simplify your life, backup your critical photos, easily edit your images and share them in seconds. This is not just a class for beginners… even advanced Lightroom Classic users will learn tips that will change the way you think about post-production and how to shoot and edit with your smartphone. For those of you who are fairly new to the world of post-production and need a simple, non-intimidating way to work with your photos… this is where you should begin. And don’t forget, the best camera is the one you have with you. And because you always have your phone, you always have a “big camera” in your phone with the mobile Lightroom App. Learn how you can use Lightroom’s powerful camera for your personal and professional work.

LIGHTROOM CLASSIC (Part 2): In the second half of this class, you will learn how Lightroom Classic differs from Lightroom so you can make an informed decision on which tool is right for your photography workflow. You will also learn how to use some incredibly powerful Lightroom Classic tools that will quickly turn you into an editing pro! You will learn how to accomplish serious retouching without leaving Lightroom Classic and how to organize, find, and share your photos with speed and ease. Don’t worry, if you are new to Lightroom, Jared Platt is a master teacher and makes everything understandable. And if you are a seasoned professional in Lightroom Classic, you will undoubtedly learn some game-changing tips.

This class is perfect for advanced users and beginners alike and is absolutely critical for those who are still wondering which tool is right for them: Lightroom or Lightroom Classic. Come answer that question for yourself once and for all, and learn some incredible methods and tools as well. After each segment, there will be a Question & Answer session, so bring your questions. This is a great opportunity to get some answers from the Lightroom Guru.

Outex co-founder and underwater photographer JR deSouza discusses insights, tips, tricks, gear selection, lighting,  settings, and setup based on 10+ years of photography and work with leading professional on the cutting edge of content creation, imagery, and cinematography.  Bring your questions.

Do you want to shoot small? Photographer and Sigma tech rep, Brett Wells will teach you his tips and tricks. Learn the basics of macro photography and how to utilize them at home, whether in your yard or your living room. He’ll talk about necessary equipment, camera settings and tips that will have you producing great macro shots in your own surroundings.

This pandemic is awful for business. Can I get an amen? If you are a photographer who is feeling your bookings continue to show uncertainty even into 2021, you don’t want to miss this class which will provide an understanding on how to add wedding videography to your wedding photography business to help you work more and earn more money. We will cover topics such as mindsets, lead generation, wedding day logistics, equipment, and more! The class will end with tangible steps to starting off your new successful business! Plenty of time for Q&A!

Sponsored By: Litra, PhotoPXL

Many that pick up the camera for the first time, fall in love with it and enjoy photographing friends and family. It’s a hobby at first and then the thought hits, “Hey, I can charge for this!” Maybe it’s a children’s session or a family portrait that gets the ball rolling. Turning this into a business the photographer needs to look at other ways to create income from the camera and without a doubt headshot photography should be a the top of any portrait photographers list. A growing field that requires a unique skillset comprised of a combination of technical know-how and the ability to direct your subject. In this class, Peter Hurley will run through the process he has used to become the leader in this industry. He’ll go through how to get started with building your kit as well as directing your subject and creating a consistent look that gets you booked. If you like photographing people and haven’t considered adding headshots to your list of services then this class is definitely for you.

Weddings are so much more then pretty pictures, and a pretty photo is absolutely nothing and will fall flat without real emotion. Learn not only how to easily guide your clients into complimentary poses (with all the constraints of the day) but how to bring out the emotional connections that are vital to enduring story telling. You will be surprised on the tiny things you need to change to make an enormous impact on your work and for your clients!

I am often asked about my POST session routine. In this class, I will show you how I cull and prep files in less than 30 minutes for my in-person sales sessions. I will also go over how I involve the client in the image selection to make it more efficient. If you are NOT doing in-person sales or you are spending way too much time prepping your proofs, this class is for you!

The demand for photographers to create video content is greater than ever before, and there’s never been a more perfect time to get started! Learn from an award winning Hollywood cinematographer how to get started off right so you can achieve the best results possible. You will learn proper camera settings, setting color temp, the use of filtration, how to record sound, screen direction and eye lines, and various lighting setups to create cinematic images that will get you hired. Also covered will be location scouting, creating a shot list, and suggested software for editing, sun tracking, etc. Paolo’s IMDb credits: www.imdb.com/name/nm0143148

As a creative, you create beautiful images to tell a story and communicate to the world. Then there’s another group of humans, the ones who communicate through facts, figures and numbers. The people who can speak both languages are few and far between. Andrew is one of those number nerds who has the ability to translate numbers into creative terms, so everyone understands what is being communicated. When you attend “Making Sense of the Dollars & Cents,” you’ll learn easy ways to get your books in order without having to be a bookkeeper and discover how you can save money on your taxes annually.

Topics covered include:

• Understanding Taxes
• Income tax
• Self-employment tax
• S Corporation
• Sales tax
• Understanding Financial Statements
• Profit and loss
• Balance Sheets
• Budgets

I’ll be talking about how to work with dancers on location in all different types of settings and natural light conditions. I’ll be sharing a video of me working/directing/collaborating with a dancer on a photo shoot to see how we work together to create a wall-worthy image. The class will focus on shooting during the golden hours, but will also include ways to photograph dancers with the mid-day sun. We will break down images from shoots that worked, and also those that did not work.

Join CPA Andrew Jordan for this vendor presentation about what Big Picture CPA can do for you and your business!

Ever wonder how to properly expose outdoor portraits using studio lighting? This class will teach you the steps I use to create vibrant outdoor portraits while still exposing for the background! By using high speed sync I will teach you how to get the most out of locations even in the harshest of light conditions.

Creative thinking is at the heart of standing out as a photographer. Whether you are a seasoned photographer or just starting; this class will help you learn to find inspiration, experiment and make innovative photography no matter who or what you photograph. Make new discoveries with your photography through the art of noticing. You will learn how to think and create outside of your comfort zone. Through a series of simple and playful inspired exercises you will learn how to harness your visual voice and unique personality to stand out in a crowd.

Learn how to leverage color in Photoshop for correction and creativity, and how to really start thinking about color in your work. Your color correction and color grading define your personal vision in your portrait work, so let’s learn how to master it.

Veronica Cotter and Kevin Graham will review the Hahnemühle Digital FineArt Photocards, both 4×6 and A5 (5.8”x8.3”).  Including an overview of the various surfaces and interesting applications: postcards, promo cards, greeting cards, recipe cards and creative projects for kids.

Learn the essential skills needed when working in Luminar. You’ll learn how to use Luminar as a standalone editor and a plugin for Adobe and Apple. – Open your photos in Luminar – Develop images for proper exposure – Enhance detail and structure – Bring colors to life – Edit portraits and landscapes – Use Luminar Looks to get instant results and much more!

Have you ever thought about how different skin tones interact with different lighting techniques? It’s important to represent and make visible the entire spectrum of skin tones this world has to offer. Misha Wynn specializes in photographing many different wedding cultures such as traditional African weddings, Muslim and Indian, and is an expert in successfully photographing darker skin tones. Misha’s talk will inspire you to capture a plethora of skins tones in a different light and will provide you with a deeper understand of light utilization than you ever thought possible.

Learn how to get genuine interactions and true connections with your families and younger kids by using prompts. We will talk about how I pose families and use prompts to elicit genuine laughters and smiles from both kids and adults. Walk away with some specific prompts I use in all of my sessions and tips on how you can come up with your own prompts and use across any genre of photography.

• Loved a particular area that would typically be thought of as “impossible” to shoot?
• Or a beautiful background, but awful light?
• A dark space the client insists you use?
• A bright space with perfect lighting but absolutely zero interest in the background?

During this fast paced sales course, Charlie will unleash a myriad of techniques to not only generate more clients but also make the most of the sessions when they hit the viewing room. Charlie Kaufman FSWPP Hon. Is one of the world’s foremost authorities on generating money in the portrait industry, his company Click has generated over $400M for studios accros the UK through various marketing initiatives and campaigns it has set up so he practices what he preaches. From client generation, the warm up call, pricing structures, IPS and retaining clients Charlie will cover it all and also give a ton of useful tips to help you make the most of your clients and their connections.

If you have a camera then someone will eventually ask you to take a headshot for them. In this class, you will learn the basics of gear, lighting, and posing to ensure that you can produce a consistent and professional look for all your clients. In addition to doing a standard headshot, we will cover those “challenges” of real-life such as glasses, older clients, double chins, etc.

A year ago you were hunkered down and business looked like it would never come back. And while it’s still a struggle, as much as things have changed, one thing will NEVER change – the need to keep building relationships with your community and your clients. Skip will be wrapping up our April conference with new ideas to expand your reach, be a leader in how you communicate, and keep building trust with your target audience. Social media is in the the driver’s seat, but are you taking full advantage of all the resources at your fingertips? And while this is meant to be a 60 minute program, it’s the last one of the day, so the floor will be open to field questions to help you stay on track building your business and brand.