I recently had the privilege of teaching 15 students about storytelling and conceptual artwork. We focused on a story of Lost Travelers for this workshop, and explored the behind the scenes details of building a set, finding inspiration, and bringing that inspiration to life in a full scale shoot. I am still in awe of how brilliant everyone involved in this workshop is, working with such talented models and students made such a huge impression on me!

We started the day out in beautiful nature, live on the scene of a set that my team and I built the night before. Months of planning cultivated this feat of organization, leading to a successfully convincing gypsy set.

In the first chapter of our day, students got to witness me doing a live shoot, including 5 models and a horse, and complete with a finicky smoke machine (challenges always present great learning opportunities! We discussed the importance of developing characters in a story and working with models to extract convincing emotion. The models for the day couldn't have been more entertaining, and proved that working with professionals that are good at what they do is always worth the investment or time spent building a good relationship.

After demonstrating my shooting styles and techniques, and after a healthy and delicious lunch break, students had their own opportunities in chapter 2 to work with the models. Many were amazed at how easy it is to work with trained professionals, and once again the models made every moment fantastic! It was incredible to see 15 individuals soaking in what they had learned and expanding their own ideas to tell stories with the talent, props, and surroundings we had available.

With a huge and successful workshop under my belt, I am quite excited to continue developing these imaginative and inspiring learning opportunities! Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or interest in being a part of a future workshop.

Here are some of my images from the day: