On March 10, 2012 I hosted my first-ever workshop at Regent University in Virginia Beach. I had 13 participants, two of whom came from out of town! Everyone said they learned something new and loved being a part of the workshop. This is a brief review of the workshop; I hope to do some more in the future.

We started the day at 9:00 AM with introductions and moved into a review of my gear and my style of photography. We covered some of the basics of photography such as ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed and how they relate to the different camera modes. We discussed exposure compensation and working in various lighting conditions such as harsh sunlight and using flash outdoors. Just before lunch we talked about posing and composition so that we could practice these things with the models after lunch.

Thanks to Er’Nest Liles of EyeMazing You Makeup, our models were retouched to look their best. For the models, I had two couples, a family, and a dancer for the participants to practice with. We split into four groups by teaming everyone up with similar camera models, which proved especially useful for members who needed to ask questions about their cameras to each other.

I walked around to each group of photographers and assisted them with tips and tricks to practice. I even pulled out my camera and took a few shots, which are posted below and on my Facebook page.

Once we were finished shooting around 4:00 PM, we went back to the classroom to discuss my workflow using the images I took with the models. By using the images I had just photographed, the participants were able to see how I rename them, import into Lightroom, adjust the settings, and fix any flaws with Photoshop. We finished the day at 7:00 PM after giving out some great door prizes.

I really enjoyed meeting and working with the other photographers and answering their questions. I hope to do some more workshops in the future, so please check the workshop page and like me on Facebook to stay tuned!