Join our hands-on portrait photography workshop in Northwest Arkansas and learn how to bring out the best in your subjects using creative lighting, dynamic posing, and powerful visual storytelling — no experience needed.
Knowing how to create a stunning portrait can lead to an exciting and successful career.
EFA / LEARNS Vendor. Class Wallet Approved.
This 4-hour intensive workshop is designed for students, creatives, and future professionals who want to capture people in a way that feels authentic, emotional, and editorial-quality.
Subject Connection
How to direct and interact with your subject for natural expressions
Reading facial structure and personality for better results
Creating comfort and confidence during a shoot
Lighting Techniques
Using natural and artificial light to create mood
One-light, two-light, and window light setups made simple
Controlling shadows and highlights for drama or softness
Posing Techniques
Go-to poses that always work
Posing hands, arms, and expressions — what to avoid
Creating movement and story within static images
Creating Vision
Backgrounds, colors, and framing that elevate the portrait
Developing a style that fits YOU and your subject
Bonus: Crash Editing for Speed
Stick around for our bonus 1-hour session — we’ll show you our quick step by step process in Lightroom to turn out photos quickly.
What you need.
No gear required! We’ll provide lights, modifiers, and studio setups.
You’ll benefit most if you bring a camera, but it’s not mandatory.
- Please bring a pad & pen, or a computer to take notes.
What you'll leave with.
Professional-grade portraits taken by YOU
Real-world experience using professional lights and backdrops
A go-to posing and lighting system you can reuse
Personal feedback and direction
Confidence to book or shoot your next portrait session
We are a Northwest Arkansas EFA / LEARNS Vendor & Class Wallet Approved program.
Dates are being determined for 2025/2026 school year.
TBD.
Classroom location is TBD at this time but will be centralized in the Rogers/Bentonville area.
Students will learn about, and participate in, the various aspects of portrait photography and be able to host their own portrait sessions with confidence.
Students will also receive photos they took in class to edit and add to their portfolios.
Meet your instructor
I’ve been making films for 20+ years; Features, Docs, Series, Children’s content, Church films, commercials, advertising – pretty much whatever pays bills.
I have content on Pureflix, Amazon, Tubi, Freevee, and many others.
I have a Th.M. from DTS – first graduate with a film emphasis and a screenplay attached to my dissertation.
I have been married 20+ years and have 6 kids.
I founded Hello Coco Agency in 2022 – it creates videos, photography, and marketing materials for small businesses and entertainment companies. It also serves as the production house for my films and TV series like Guardians (now streaming on Pure Flix).
I have had the privilege to teach film studies for various homeschool communities around Texas, including the Texas Home School Coalition conferences.
I have a passion for teaching and I look forward to sharing all the things I have learned about portrait photography along the way.
FAQs
Do I need my own equipment or a fancy camera?
No. But you are encouraged to bring one to class if you own one.
What grades are eligible to attend?
9th – 12th grades.
What do I need to know before attending?
No previous photography experience is required. We will go over camera basics but in a hurried format.
How big are class sizes?
We are aiming for each section to fit a minimum of 15 students. Max class size will be 25 students. Limited enrollment.
Will students be on camera?
We will have some B-Roll being filmed for future classes. A release form will be required from parents for their students. We will also get some volunteers from the class to stand in for lighting demos.
What software will you be teaching from?
We will only have a limited time for editing in this class and we will use Lightroom.
What cameras will we be using?
We will be using primarily Canon R series cameras, but the techniques will apply to all brands of cameras.
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