Attending the Sue Bryce Portrait Masters Event

Wow

That pretty much sums it up, actually. I say that not only because it was a phenomenal event but that I was pretty much stupefied the entire time, being surrounded by Oliphant backdrops (the Rolls Royce of backdrops…#goals), beautiful models, fantastic lighting, sets and wardrobe but also seeing sooo many of my mentors, live and in person, interacting with me and willing to answer questions. It was literally all I could do not to just stand in the middle of the room with my mouth open, incoherent and drooling like a Pavlovian experiment. I could hardly believe my eyes and wanted to keep pinching myself to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming.

The mentors

While there were a whole lot of phenomenal, world-class and famous photographers there, each assigned to their own book, each booth with it’s own set, lighting scenario and model, there were a few who I was seriously star-struck by. Many of these individuals I have been following for years. They have taught me, though online classes, books and articles, how to become a better photographer for my clients. For almost a decade, Sue Bryce has taught me posing and business, Peter Hurley has taught me the art of interaction and getting the perfect headshot, Jonny Edward taught me to be creative with lighting and elements within the shot, Felix Kunze taught me the basics of lighting with strobes and so many more. Here I was, intermingling with them, shooting right next to them, talking to them, asking questions and getting answers. #swoon

What are my takeaways

Well, aside from amazing images (and oh boy, there are a lot of those) and reiterating how badly I want a backdrop from the prestigious Oliphant Studios and that my mentors really are as awesome in person as they are on the internet, I learned a great deal. I think that all 25 booths had their own unique lighting so I was taking notes, studying and taking photos of the setups so I could take it to my own studio. I learned about new equipment, too, like creating a rain room, using eye tracking and facial recognition focus systems in different cameras. I learned more about posing, using props and draping materials and even using wigs to add a creative touch. It was just a fantastic trip and I’m so very glad that I want. My attendance at that conference will definitely help me to up my game for my clients, going forward.