If you’re a photographer, it’s time again to book your seat at Texas School. What is Texas School? It’s a big once-a-year event where you spend a week with an instructor of your choice. It’s where you have the ability to do a deep-dive into lighting, social dynamics and expression, and your business. The event is in April, but registration opens tonight. It’s good to book your seat early.

This awesome video was created by my wrangler, Robert Ray. I think it really shows the feel of the event. I posted some images from the event already of the red-headed model. It’s worth checking those images out here.

We practice on individual models because we’re working on specific skills and drills. But throughout the week we build out into posing and working with groups. It means understanding how to first nail the individual portrait, then incorporate that into couples, then families, and then very large extended family groups.

I set up multiple studios for photographers to try various things. Each studio is set up differently, and there are various challenges so that photographers are individually pushed into new areas. We do a mix of indoor studio, outdoor, and even mixed lighting indoors like what we might encounter at a wedding reception or corporate portrait shoot. The challenge is to quickly nail the lighting on multiple levels (color balance, exposure, and perfect angles for the models skin, eyes, face, waist, etc.). The image should look retouched before we do any retouching.

With different models with different personalities, one challenge is to continually create new images with new poses that work with and tell a story about the subject’s personality. A viewer should feel who the model is, by just looking at a portrait. And of course lighting must continually be nailed, without excuse – inside, outside, mixed lighting, matching with difficult backgrounds.

The photographers in my class do most of the shooting, trying out certain drills or challenges. But I need to demo certain techniques here and there, so here’s some of the images I created. Keep in mind, these were all shot in short 2-5 minute segments per model. The rest of the time is for the photographers in the class to shoot. This model I photographed with only natural light and then with a pop-up flash. It was a lesson on how to create under pressure, with a lack of equipment.

Next, this cute young girl was a dancer. I wanted to show first how to get her to relax and get real expressions, and secondly how to light her so well that she doesn’t need any retouching. The glow of her skin and light in her eyes is all done with lighting. 

With lots of different models, looks, and personalities, it’s a lot of fun creating new portraits.

If you’re a photographer and would like to attend, find all the details here on my training website.

And if you’re a client and ready for some new headshots or portraits, give me a call at 801-728-3317.

I just got back from teaching at my big one-week hands on lighting event, Texas School. It’s where photographers can sign up to spend an entire week with one instructor and learn hands on with equipment and models. It’s a mix of both classroom instruction and actual shooting.

I demo various techniques in order to give challenges for photographers to each try. I like starting in a studio, then adding lights and complexity, then moving out on location with lighting gear to tackle common lighting problems.

One of my wranglers, Bob Ray, shot video and behind the scenes footage of me and created this cool video.

One of the key things I like to emphasize is doing as much in camera and with lighting as possible. That way the images look as if they’re already retouched before editing them. Knowing how to light a woman really well saves time in post production. That time can better be spent doing detailed and fine retouching on the key portraits, or even painting over the image as this image shows below.

During this event, I only shoot each model for a few moments in order to demo ideas and get some good sample images for the models. The rest of the time is for the photographers in attendance to shoot. But here’s some of my favorites that I created in these short moments.

If you’d like some fun and beautiful new portraits in studio or out on location, give me a call at 801-728-3317. Spring is here and it’s perfect outside to create something magical of you.

And if you’re a photographer and would like more training, check out my live events as well as online courses at BryCoxWORKSHOPS.com.

And until next time, America.