Color, Shape, Atmosphere: How to Build a Creative Portrait | Gilmar Smith

The next evolution of the WPPI Lighting Summit. More hands-on. More access. More ways to master light. Learn directly from Michael Anthony, Dixie Dixon, and Roberto Valenzuela in a full-day experience split between stage demonstrations and hands-on practice.

Discover how to build one lighting setup and create all the assets you need, from stills and motion to social content, without starting over every time you switch formats. See how to move between photography and video while maintaining a consistent look, quality, and creative vision, then put those techniques into practice with guidance from the instructors. Bring your camera and come ready to shoot.

Three masters. One setup. All the assets. Stills + motion.

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Lighting plays a huge role in crafting a beautiful narrative photograph. Jonathan Thorpe approaches much of his work as a cinematographer would. In this session, he'll share how he starts with a story before creating an image. Key points include lighting for the subject separately from lighting the location, the role of lens choice in narrative work, and finally, how to bring it all together with minimal editing required.

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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.