Changing it up - New Workshop / New Techniques / New Price.

There is no denying the economy has taken us all through some pretty rough patches, and I have been asked repeatedly if there was a way to cut the costs down so more people could attend. The answer is YES. We Can.

And we did. The rest of the year will feature a one day "Learn to Light" Workshop for those who want to learn the ins and outs of lighting. We will be teaching you skills for working with single and multiple lights, as well as setups for a variety of effects. From beauty lighting to corporate headshots, we will focus on the real-world information you need to enhance your photographic experience.

Most of what was taught in the two day workshop is being addressed in this one day workshop, but because of the time frame compression, it is mostly lecture demonstration. Never fear, there is plenty to learn and with the DVD of the setups taught, the NEW Lighting Essentials DVD and membership in the Lighting Essentials Members group, the learning continues on after the workshop. We do setups right there, showing you how they affect the model's face and look. We use a big-screen to show to the group and DVD will walk you through what you may have forgotten after the workshop.

For those of you who are wanting the shooting experience as well, that will be offered on Sunday as a first come, first served event. It is tightly limited for availability. If you sign up for that workshop, the two day, you are automatically signed up for the one day workshop. It is the same price as we have maintained for the last two years (we are not participating in the inflationary spiral... LOL)

My goal is to take you from what ever point you are and move you up a couple of levels. Will I be able to make you a great photographer after a weekend? Hell no. Anyone promising that is simply not telling you the truth - or worse. I can show you how to work the tools to find the light YOU want, and how to work with it. And how that all plays into your photography.

And I want to motivate you to make better pictures. I want to inspire you to shoot with both knowledge and heart. And I want you to be successful in your photographic adventure.

Simple Tools: Great Light

Look, having the coolest strobes on the planet is, well, cool. But it doesn't mean that you must have that gear to make great photos. Light is light. If you know how to light and how to use light, you can use a Home Depot work light and a shower curtain, or an old flash you bought off of Ebay and a cheap umbrella, or even the sun bounced into a car window shade for fill. I am not making that up, I do all of that and more.

Sure, there are times when you need the big guns, and we teach you what to do when you use them. If you know how, you can always rent some big ol' killer strobes when you need that power. But in my workshop, we focus on making light work for you.

Less Me, More You - Less Bluster, More Shooting

If you have ever attended a workshop where the presenter went on and on about how cool it was being them. And who they shot when. And all the cool people they hang out with... you are gonna be shocked at this one. We talk about light. We do light. We make light... we make pictures... we shoot. We light some more and we shoot some more. If you want to talk about me, we go out afterwards and you buy me a Corona. I'll tell you all you want to know and more... but when you are paying me to learn to light... we're gonna learn to light!

Why This Workshop Is Different From Most Others

We will explore the concepts of lighting, and the hands-on creation of lighting. From a simple natural light headshot, to a glamour shot with only one strobe, to a multi-strobed shot with several lights... we will do it from the position of power. No guessing and 'chimping' to find out what works. You know what works, now you can finesse it into what you want. See it in your head, light it in your head and then produce the photograph you wanted all along.

Girls of Rocky Point Weekend from Jesse Hoekstra on Vimeo