Mastering Portrait Photography: Unlock the Secrets to Captivating Portraits in Just Four Sessions!

A workshop series

Mastering Portrait Photography: Unlock the Secrets to Captivating Portraits in Just Four Sessions!

Do you swipe through Instagram wondering why you can’t quite create the striking images you’re seeing. You’ve spent money to get a decent camera, and you understand how it works, but the images just don’t look as good as you’d like them to. Whether you’re looking to capture stunning portraits of family, friends, or clients, this three-part workshop series will give you the tools, confidence, and skills to create breathtaking, professional-quality portraits—every time. We’ll focus on the elements behind great photographs, and by the time you’re finished, you’ll know more than 90% of the photographers out there.

Why These Workshops Are Perfect for You:

Hands-On Learning: These aren’t theory-heavy classes. In every session, you’ll be actively shooting, learning in real-time with feedback and support. Perfect for visual and tactile learners!
Practical and Results Oriented: Each session has a particular goal that highlights the three essential skills you need to master photography: Focus, exposure and composition. In working towards each session’s goal, you’ll unlock the secrets that high-level photographers use in each of these areas to create stunning images.
Small Group Sizes: With a maximum of 6 photographers, you’ll get personal attention and have plenty of time behind the camera to experiment and refine your techniques.
Real-World Practice: You’ll learn and apply techniques that work in natural light environments—no complicated gear or setups needed! Focus on mastering your camera and honing your creative vision.
Progressive Skill Building: The three workshops are designed to build on each other, so you’ll leave with a well-rounded understanding of portrait photography.

Here’s What You’ll Learn:

Session 1: Producing Beautiful, Creamy Backgrounds

Create those sought-after blurred backgrounds (bokeh) while selectively keeping your subjects sharp so they pop out of the image.
Learn how to control focus and use lens selection to enhance background separation and hide cluttered surroundings.

Session 2: Creating Mood and Dimension with Light

Understand how to manipulate light direction, intensity, and quality to make your images pop.
Learn how to use natural light and simple modifiers (like reflectors and diffusers) to create mood and add depth to your portraits.
Discover how to use light to transform the mood of your portraits, whether you want dark, moody, and sensual, or bright, airy, and joyful.

Session 3: Flattering Your Subject

Discover how to use angles, posing, and focal length to enhance your subject’s best features and minimize perceived flaws.
Learn to control perspective and lens distortion through smart composition choices, whether shooting full body, three-quarter, or headshots.

Bonus: Session 4: Elevate Your Portraits with Expert Editing Techniques

While capturing a great portrait in-camera is important, editing is where your artistic vision comes to life. In this bonus session, you’ll learn how to fine-tune your images with easy-to-follow techniques that will take your portraits from good to extraordinary without learning Photoshop. We’ll edit using two programs to illustrate what’s possible: Lightroom and Evoto.

In this bonus session which will be done on Zoom and recorded for your reference, you’ll discover how to bring out the best in your images using simple, yet powerful editing techniques, enhancing your portraits and giving them that polished, magazine-worthy finish.

Why These Workshops Will Change the Way You Shoot Portraits:

Learn by Doing: Each session is packed with practical exercises, so you’re not just learning concepts—you’re applying them in real time.
Shoot in a Natural Light Studio: No need to master complex lighting setups! You’ll learn to work with and manipulate available light, making these skills easy to replicate anywhere.
Flexible Learning Pace: We meet every second weekend, giving you time to digest what you’ve learned, practice on your own, and come back ready to tackle new challenges.
Personalized Feedback: You’re not passively watching a YouTube video. You’re getting direct, personalized feedback that helps you understand exactly what you need to do to improve.

Details & Enrollment:

Who Is This For? Beginner to intermediate photographers who want to level up their portrait photography (any genre that involves photographing a person: family, senior, fashion, boudoir, figurative, or editorial) and create stunning images.
Workshop Length: Four 3-hour sessions held every second weekend. Three sessions in a styled natural light studio and one on Zoom.
Group Size: Maximum of 6 photographers—ensuring you get the personalized guidance and practice time you need.
Location: RAW Photographic Studios, 3777 Quentin St, Denver, CO.
Dates: Starting [insert start date], every second weekend.
Cost: $199 for all four sessions.

Don’t Miss Out!

With only 6 spots available, this is an exclusive, hands-on learning opportunity that will help you transform your portrait photography. Whether you’re capturing personal moments or building your portfolio, you’ll walk away with skills you can use immediately and stunning images that showcase your talent.

Sign Up Today and start your journey toward creating stunning photographs!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is this so cheap?

Let’s not call it cheap. Let’s call it value priced. Studio rental alone is $100/hour, and my time is worth more, so obviously making money on these upcoming workshops is not my primary motivation. I’m doing this as a pilot program to test out the instructional method and curriculum. If this short program works like I think it will the pricing will increase, and I’ll offer it on a regular basis or turn it into a self-guided online program.

What happens if I have to miss a session?

You don’t have to do all sessions. Although they are designed as a complete program, each session is self-contained. So even if you have to miss a session because you have a prior engagement, you’ll still benefit. There is no refund for missed sessions. At $49 per session, it’s a steal.

Can I use the images I take in my portfolio?

This is not designed as a portfolio-building opportunity, but rather as an instructional program. For the most part, you’ll be photographing the other photographers. Throughout these sessions, I’ll have you purposely taking bad pictures so you can compare and contrast images to see exactly how these photographic principles work. You’ll discover how to evaluate and correct yourself when your images are not turning out as planned.

Why not bring in models? Model fees are anywhere from $50 to $150 per hour, and I’d need to bring in a couple models for each session. So, models would cost almost $2000 over three sessions and I’d have to pass that cost on to you. Let’s keep the cost down this time around and you can practice on friends, family or any willing subject between sessions. I’ll also have some portfolio building opportunities on alternate weeks that you can participate in if you want that option.

What do I need to bring?

Just bring your camera, an empty SD card, a full battery, and your creative spirit.

Will we be doing any off-camera flash or strobe lighting?

No. We are not going to complicate the process by using flash or strobe. You’ll learn how to use and manipulate natural light so you can go home after each session and shoot effectively anywhere with existing light. I’ll host workshops for studio lighting in the future and this series of workshops is a great prerequisite for those.

Who are you?

I’m Eric Upside Brown. I did over a decade of video production before immigrating to the United States and taking up photography. I’ve been an educator for most of my life and specialize in instructional design, which means I’m an expert in how people learn. I have a business publishing digital textbooks which allows me to devote a lot of time to explore photography and host photography workshops and portfolio building events. I do get paid for commercial and editorial work, both video and photography, but my passion is figurative art nude. As a former professional ballet dancer, I love the human body as a vehicle for expression. Although I no longer dance, I still model occasionally.