Whenever I have the honor of hosting The Workshop, I wake up extra early the morning of the event then pace my bedroom. I set the alarm for 5 a.m. but my eyes are usually open before the buzzard rings. I'm extraordinarily nervous because 20 photographers from around the world will spend an entire day with me, in my neighborhood, sharing openly about The Eight Components of Branding. For as open as I am on the web, I'm also a very private person, so the idea of exposing new levels of myself sometimes worries me. What if I let them down? What if trip during the shoot? What if I'm the only person laughing at my jokes?!
Thankfully, the group was more than a girl could ever ask for. Supportive, outgoing, funny, encouraging, ready to learn. But I knew this in advance because they created a Facebook group weeks before the workshop and created a network of fabulousness in advance. When everyone arrived in the morning, it was a mere extension of an online conversation…I loved it! I counted myself extraordinarily lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people.
I host the photography workshops in Orange County and while I enjoy where I live, Jaclyne of Heavenly Blooms designed these beautiful centerpieces to create just the perfect environment to learn!
We start the day early and it's quite possible that at the end of the workshop, people are silently begging me to shut up after hearing me talk all.day.long.
Lucky for us, we worked with an amazing couple, Dylan and Chrisoula as models. They're so in love and have a beautiful chemistry…
Chrisoula is a beautiful girl and it looked like this Quail wedding gown was made just for her. Many thanks to Michelle from Quail for working with me on this workshop by providing an amazing dress…such an honor!
Like always, a HUMUNGOUS thank you must go to my good friend and hair/makeup stylist, Vivian Tran of All Made Up Team for working her amazing skills with the models…
The class was shooting in the bright sun, which could be difficult, but everyone rocked it out…
…and in case anyone doubted just how HOT and BRIGHT it really was, please note the really high-budget and classy technique I taught everyone. I'm way fancy.
The main reason I pulled the class into the full sun was to demonstrate that if you can shoot in this type of light and produce an image you're proud of, you can shoot anywhere.
Here's the resulting image I took from the photo above…85mm f/1.2 1/4000 100 ISO
Because of heat, we moved to the shade for a more enjoyable experience…
Dylan and Chrisoula met at a Salsa club (they're both professional dancers), so I asked them to show off a few of their moves…I'm gonna come out and admit I was jealous.
Is this girl GORGE or what?!
I'm always so happy to work with Heavenly Blooms…I said I wanted hints of gold, so Jaclyne created a truly unique bouquet!
The wedding veil were created by Kristin at Petal and Thorn…her hairpieces are so fab and a perfect touch to a wedding day!
My favorite photo of the day…
To my new friends and peers…
Thank you for making me fall more in love with what I do. At the start of the day, I encountered a group of timid photographers, but by the end of the night we hugged and departed as friends. Yes, it could have been the carbs and wine that made everyone so happy, but I can't help but think the network you created with each other goes much deeper than that. I have no doubt you'll grow as a photographer and develop your brand in the process. I appreciate y'all more than I can really express. Air-kisses…. j*
p.s. A huuuuuuuge thank you must go to my mom and JD for being the backbone to the entire day…I couldn't do it without them!
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