Powerful Portraits: Connection, Light, and Intention

Spend a full day immersed in the art and craft of portrait photography with six leading experts who will challenge and inspire you to elevate your work. This summit covers every angle of portraiture, from discovering your personal style to building striking concepts on a budget. You’ll explore how to guide authentic expression through emotion-driven posing, use light intentionally to shape mood, and make styling choices that create maximum impact. Rounding out the day, you’ll learn how to craft portraits that tell powerful stories within a single frame. Whether you’re refining your voice or seeking fresh creative approaches, this summit will leave you with practical tools and renewed inspiration to transform your portrait work.

Additional information on The Portrait Summit can be found here.

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: Kelly Brown, In-Camera Creativity: From Concept to Capture
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM: Jerry Ghionis, Effortless Posing for Powerful Portraits
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM: Laretta Houston, Broad Contrast: Shaping Light for Modern Portraiture 
11:30 AM - 12:45 PM: Lunch (on own)  
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: AB+DM, The Fashion Eye: Mastering Editorial Vision in Portraiture
2:15 PM - 3:15 PM: Julia Trotti , Behind the Portrait: Planning, Shooting & Editing 
3:30 PM - 4:30 PM: Caroline Tran, The Art of the Pivot: How to Build a Portrait Brand That Evolves With You

 Great portraits don’t just happen at the click of a shutter—they start with preparation. In this seminar, Jessica Kobeissi will walk you through the steps she takes before ever pressing the button, from finding the best light and choosing the right time of day, to selecting locations, backgrounds, and gear that set you up for success.

Jessica will share example images and break down her process so you can understand not just how she shoots, but why she makes each decision. You’ll leave with practical tools to elevate your own portraits and the confidence to approach any session with clarity and vision.

What You’ll Learn:

How to find and shape the best lighting for portraits

The most flattering times of day to shoot

Choosing locations and backgrounds that elevate your images

Common mistakes to avoid during setup and shooting

Jessica’s go-to settings, gear, and lenses for portraits

 This hands-on Photo Walk invites photographers to discover how to tell compelling stories through the female form without relying on elaborate sets or props. Attendees will explore how body language, movement, light, and direction alone can create narrative-rich portraits that feel powerful and authentic. Sophia will guide participants step by step in posing, directing, and connecting with subjects to capture images that speak volumes. Perfect for those looking to refine their ability to create impact with simplicity, this session proves that the strongest stories are often told with the most minimal tools—just a camera, a subject, and vision.