Hello Dubai photographers! Join me at Gulf Photo Plus Photo Week 2018 from February 7-12, 2018 for my first photography workshops in Dubai.

Secrets of Great Portrait Photography
Brian Smith with SONY
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Concrete, Alserkal Avenue
This event is FREE to attend, but registration is required.

In this talk, celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith shares his top 5 secrets to what makes a great portrait. From an experience spanning over 30 years, Brian has captured the faces of the famous and infamous as a top magazine portrait photographer.

Camera technology is evolving at a staggering pace, but that is just one of the other equally, if not more, important elements that make that great shot.

Brian will demonstrate some of his secrets on stage through a live shoot, tethered so you can watch him in action and ask him your questions through a Q&A session afterwards.

Studio Portrait Photography
February 8th, 2018
Level: Lighting – Intermediate
Instructor: Brian Smith
Type: One Day Workshop

Portrait photographer Brian Smith shares his use of lighting modifiers to control and shape light and shadow to create bold iconic portraits of Hollywood’s A-list celebrities.

You’ll learn how to work quickly under pressure, on productions both small and large. You will also learn how to control the quality of light and how the choice between hard light and soft light allows you to control the mood.

From his simple problem-solving approach to both sculpting light in the studio and overcoming harsh daylight by blending strobe with ambient light, you’ll learn how to take cues from reality to make the most of great light when you find it and to create it when you don’t. Smith will share celebrity portraits from his books ‘Art & Soul’ and ‘Secrets of Great Portrait Photography’ to demonstrate ways you can make everyone you photograph look and feel like a star.

Sony Photo Friday
February 9th, 2018
SESSION 4 | 4:30pm to 6:00pm
Brian Smith: Portraits of the Famous and Infamous

What do Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Donald Trump, burlesque dancers, and nudist golfers have in common? They’ve all been photographed by Miami celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith.

In this session, listen to Pulitzer Prize winner Brian Smith as he shares the stories behind his photos of the rich and famous and the lessons learned in 30 years of photographing people of all walks of life, particularly celebrities. He’ll talk about the many ways he connects with his subjects to get the winning shot, convincing them to do what he wants and that it was their idea to do so.

Location Portrait Photography
February 10-11th, 2018
Level: Lighting – Intermediate
Instructor: Brian Smith
Type: Two Day Workshop

Great environmental portraits capture both personality and place. Brian photographs noteworthy and notorious celebrities in locations where they live, work and play. Smith will show you how he photographs subjects so that the environment adds another dimension to the shoot, citing examples of how he approaches shooting on location whether it’s a large production shoot of a famous subject or simply the someone he runs into on the street while traveling. This 2-day hands-on workshop will discuss location lighting and tips on selecting the best location to add visual interest to your photographs.

Portrait Retouching in Photoshop
February 12th, 2018
Level: Processing – Confident Beginner
Instructor: Brian Smith
Type: One Day Workshop

This One-day workshop will take students through the favorite retouching techniques of celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith. Students from his Portrait Lighting or Location Portrait Photography workshops who are encouraged to bring their photos from those workshops.