Teaching at Porto Photo Fest this October

Just a quick heads-up for anyone based in Europe that I'll be teaching several classes at the Porto Photo Fest on October 12-13 this fall. This is the only time I'll be teaching in a public event this year.

The folks at PFF gave us a lot of control in structuring the classes (which they may live to regret!) But we think we have come up with some really cool stuff.

PLEASE NOTE: There is currently early bird pricing in effect. So if you might be interested, it's worth acting in a timely manner.


Co-Teaching with Sara Lando

I'm stoked to once be again collaborating with Sara Lando, one of the most creative people (and brilliant photographers) that I know. We will be co-teaching a class, something we last did together in Ireland in 2017.

This Sunday, October 13 class will be on photographing people. It will be taught from two different perspectives. Sara and I will essentially be representing the right and left sides of your brain respectively.

We'll be flipping back and forth from between the lighting/technical side and the interpersonal/creative side. This is a class designed both to enhance your strengths and, more important, to really go after your weaknesses. At some point Sara and I will probably get into an argument. (Not to worry, she's Italian, so this is perfectly normal.)

This setup is probably my very favorite approach to teaching lighting, because it interweaves some more organic/human/creative layers with f/stops and lighting techniques.

The course description is not very detailed, so here is what you should know. We'll be a class of (max) 20 people, usually split into two groups of ten. We'll work all day progressively hitting both the interpersonal stuff (with Sara) and the technical stuff (with me.)

We will further separate into smaller groups of 3-4 people, and you'll be shooting all day. Lighting equipment will be provided. If time permits, we may bust out a little Iron Chef-style competition at the end of the day. We'll have to see. No matter what, this class will be both fast-paced and fun.


Portrait Class details and signup



In the Fish Bowl

Later Sunday evening, Sara and I will transition from our co-class to an onstage event where we'll be putting some of these yin-yang principles to the test in front of an audience, real-time, mistakes and all. Think of it as a tag-team portrait session between two brains that think nothing alike.

If you are in the day class, you are automatically included in the evening event. But you can also attend separately.



(Way) Outside the Box

On Saturday morning (October 12) I'll be doing a 3-hour talk on some of the things we usually don't think about as photographers. But these are things that, in retrospect, probably should have been obvious. This is an evolution of a talk I have given in Seattle, Berlin and London.

This class is designed to help you to integrate your photography with the rest of your non-photo life skills and expertises; to learn to think of photography not as an end-all but as a catalyst for creating more powerful and unique other things.

We'll look at how other photographers have quietly applied this approach to great ends, and I'll help you to roadmap how you can learn to adapt this thought process to your own situation.

In short, the key to being able to compete effectively with the bajillion other image makers out there is to create, and then own, a very un-level playing field. Because if life is not going to be fair anyway, it should at least be unfair in your favor.

Class details and signup