John Gress

Join commercial photographer and educator John Gress for a hands-on photo walk focused on creating polished portraits in a found environment. Working with models and a simple one- or two-light setup, John will demonstrate how he evaluates a location, chooses where to place his subject, and builds the lighting step by step. Along the way, attendees will learn how to make practical decisions about light placement, exposure, composition, and the existing environment while seeing how small adjustments can dramatically change the final image. The goal is not to recreate one specific lighting setup, but to develop a repeatable approach photographers can use when photographing people in a variety of locations. Attendees should bring a camera and be ready to shoot, experiment, and see how John approaches lighting and problem-solving in real time.

(This class requires pre-registration. Please purchase it with your WPPI pass or add it to your existing registration.)

During this seminar, John Gress will demonstrate how to achieve high-end, professional-looking results using flashes you already own and modifiers crafted from everyday items you might find around your house or at the store around the corner. Whether you're working with a speedlight or a $4,000 monolight, you'll learn how to shape, control, and finesse your lighting like a pro. But this session isn't really about saving money or building homemade gear...it's about understanding the principles that make great lighting work and discovering creative ways to experiment with them. Along the way, you'll see how everyday materials can be used to explore ideas that apply to every level of photography, from simple portraits to sophisticated setups. You'll leave with practical techniques you can use immediately, a deeper understanding of how light behaves, and fresh ideas for experimenting with tools you may already have at home. If you've ever wondered how photographers create polished, professional images, this class will show you that great lighting starts with understanding how light works. The techniques you'll learn can be applied with improvised tools, the gear you already own, or the professional equipment you may add to your kit in the future.