Portrait Photographers Miami l Celebrity Portrait Photography Florida

WPPI Portrait Photography Expo – Las Vegas March 11-13, 2013

Come see Sony Cameras at WPPI Portrait Photography Expo from March 11-13, 2013 at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. Stop by the Sony Booth 601 on the WPPI Expo Floor to see see presentations by Sony Artisans Matthew Jordan Smith, Brian Smith, David McLain and photographers Robert Evans, Scott Robert Lim, Joe Brady and Gary Fong. Then check out the latest Sony digital cameras, the full-frame a99 and RX1; NEX-6 and best-in-class Cybershot RX100.

Don’t miss these WPPI Platform Talks by Sony Artisans of Imagery Brian Smith, Matthew Jordan Smith and David McLain speaking about Portrait Photography Lighting, Building a Powerful Photography Career and the Convergence of Still and Video.

Matthew Jordan Smith: 10 Secrets to Building a Powerful Photography Career

Mon, Mar 11, 2013 – 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Track: Motivational
Type: Platform Class presented by Sony

How do you stand out as a photographer when your clients have the same camera equipment as you? Celebrity portrait photographer, Matthew Jordan Smith shares secrets to help you elevate your photography business, while having fun at the same time. From weddings to portraits, fashion to seniors, Matthew’s insightful tips and techniques will help you stand out from the competition by giving you powerful tools to become a better photographer. This motivational seminar will change the way you look at photography, your business, and your life. This is the seminar everyone will be talking about for years to come so don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to make your business stand out from the rest. You’ve seen Matthew on America’s Next Top Model and CreativeLIVE, now see him in person as he shares his passion to help you succeed in your wedding, portrait, senior and fashion photography business. Matthew will also share many of his lighting techniques, which include diagrams, equipment used and more. A special marketing section will include bold new ideas for marketing your business to new and existing clients. Learn how to become comfortable, efficient and extremely profitable by using techniques Matthew has learned during his career. Matthew’s clients include Oprah, Tyra, Olay, Pantene, Revlon and more. Come early to get the best seat, as Matthew’s last seminar was standing room only!

David McLain: New Opportunities: When Still Photography and Video Converge

Mon, Mar 11, 2013 – 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Track: Video
Type: Platform Class presented by Sony

David McLain has shot 7 feature length stories for National Geographic Magazine and more recently has turned his eye toward cinematography. He will walk viewers through his transition from stills to video by sharing different bodies of work he has shot over the years. This seminar will get you excited about the prospects of shooting motion and give you a better understanding of some of the new opportunities.

Brian Smith: Secrets of Great Portrait Photography Lighting

Wed, Mar 13, 2013 – 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
Track: Lighting/Posing
Type: Platform Class presented by Sony

Celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith shares his use of lighting modifiers to control and shape light and shadow to create bold iconic portrait photography of Hollywood’s A-list. You’ll learn how to work quickly under pressure, on productions both small and large. Learn how to control the quality of light had 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 how to overcome harsh daylight by blending strobe with ambient light to on location, Brian will show you 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 of from his books Art & Soul and Secrets of Great Portrait Photography to share ways that you can make everyone you photograph look and feel like a star.

Come early to get the best seat, Brian’s last seminar was standing room only!

More speaking appearances by Brian Smith.

I’ll be presenting an all-new portrait lighting seminar at WPPI. Expanding upon the lighting portions of my talk and book Secrets of Great Portrait Photography, this seminar will focus on how to master light. This is my third year presenting a platform talk at WPPI and my 6th year speaking at the Expo.

Every time I’m asked to speak, I start with one single thought, “would I shell out money to sit through this talk?” With that in mind I’ve crammed two hours with all the lighting tips and tricks I wish someone told me about lighting when I was starting out.

I’ll break down many of my favorite celebrity portrait shoots to show you how we lit them – but more importantly why I lit them the way I did. Come eager to learn ways to use light to get the look you want and to make everyone you photograph look and feel like a star.

Brian Smith: Secrets of Great Portrait Lighting

Wed, Mar 13, 2013 – 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
Track: Lighting/Posing
Type: Platform Class presented by Sony

Mastering great portrait lighting begins with a simple understanding how to control what light reveals and shadows hide. The best way to understand how to control and shape light is to first break lighting down to a few simple principles beginning with an understanding of how light can create drama and enhance the mood. Celebrity 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. You’ll learn how to work quickly under pressure, on productions both small and large. Learn how to control the quality of light had 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 how to overcome harsh daylight by blending strobe with ambient light to on location, you’ll learn how to take cues from reality make the most of great light when you find it and to create it when you don’t. Smith will share celebrity portraits of from his books ART & SOUL and SECRETS OF GREAT PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY to share ways that you can make everyone you photograph look and feel like a star.

Come early to get the best seat, Brian’s last seminar was standing room only!

More speaking appearances by Brian Smith.

I’m heading back to WPPI 2012 in Las Vegas to speak about my favorite subject – capturing great portraits. WPPI is always a great show for the portrait and wedding photography industry I’m looking forward to bringing this talk back to Vegas after packed crowds at PhotoPlus Expo and Estudio Brasil in Sao Paulo.

New for WPPI, I’ve added a lot of new images to my talk including photos from my shoot on The X Factor. I’ll be speaking about everything from how to connect with your subject to ways that hair, make-up and styling can add production value to your shoots and all the things that go into the decision making process on a shoot from concept to location to lighting to refining the final look in post.

Secrets of Great Portrait Photography

Tuesday, February 21, 8:00 am – 10:00 am
MGM Conference Center – Room 318
sponsored by Sony

Celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith will share the lessons he’s learned over the past 30 years capturing the faces of the famous, infamous and unknown as a top magazine portrait photographer. Brian will discuss his approach to editorial and commercial photography assignments from concept to final images, and detailing his approach to lighting and problem solving on productions both small and large. He will also share secrets about how to quickly capture the personality of the people in your photographs. He will also discuss how personal projects can be used to generate editorial and commercial assignments, and allow your personal style to evolve and grow while generating assignments you love to shoot.

We’ve got some great raffle giveaways from:

LOWEPRO: LoweProDSLR Video Fastpack 250 AW (a $149 value)
PHOTO SHELTER: One Free 1 Year Standard account (a $329 value)
SONG FREEDOM: Two Free Bronze Packages (valued at $360 each)
Each one gives the winner 10 songs to use over the next year.
TETHERING TOOLS: TetherTools TetherPro USB 3.0 SuperSpeed Extension Cable + JerkStopper

Golfer Graeme McDowell photographed in Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda

The X Factor Winner Melanie Amaro

The X Factor Finalist Marcus Canty

Be sure to stop by the Sony booth on the WPPI show floor where I’ll be speaking and doing lighting demos each day.

Monday February 20, 2012:
Noon – 12:45pm CAPTURING PERSONALITY – BURLESQUE (LIVE SHOOT) – Sony Booth 421
1:30pm – 2:15pm THE NEX BIG THING: SMALL CAMERA – BIG RESULTS – Sony Booth 421
3:00pm – 3:45pm CAPTURING PERSONALITY – BURLESQUE (LIVE SHOOT) – Sony Booth 421
8:00pm – 10:00pm SONY SHOOTOUT MGM Conference Center, Level 3, Rooms 312-320

Tuesday, February 21, 2012:
8:00am – 10:00am ‘SECRETS OF GREAT PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY’ – MGM Conference Center – Room 318
Noon -12:45pm THE NEX BIG THING: SMALL CAMERA – BIG RESULTS – Sony Booth 421
1:30pm – 2:15pm CAPTURING PERSONALITY – BURLESQUE (LIVE SHOOT) – Sony Booth 421

Wednesday, February 22, 2012:
11:15am – Noon CAPTURING PERSONALITY – BURLESQUE (LIVE SHOOT) – Sony Booth 421
12:45pm – 1:30pm THE NEX BIG THING: SMALL CAMERA – BIG RESULTS – Sony Booth 421
2:15pm – 3:00pm CAPTURING PERSONALITY – BURLESQUE (LIVE SHOOT) – Sony Booth 421

Stop by to say hello to me and my fellow Sony Artisans of Imagery Matthew Jordan Smith, Me Ra Koh and fab photographers Sarah France and Daniel Boswell. It’s going to be an absolutely great show – hope to see you there!

More speaking appearances by Brian Smith.

I’m really looking forward to my FIFTH straight year speaking for Sony at WPPI in Las Vegas. It’s one of my favorite photography trade shows because the whole show has such a positive vibe. In addition to the talks I’m doing at the Sony Booth, I will also be giving a platform talk on the ‘Secrets of Great Portrait Photography’ at 8am Tuesday, February 21, 2012.

Great crowd at ‘Secrets of Great Portrait Photography’ WPPI 2011

Here’s my list of of can’t-miss seminars to see at WPPI 2012:

Sun, Feb 19, 2012 – 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
So You Really Want To Be a Wedding Photographer?
Speaker: Cliff Mautner
Cliff Mautner, one of American Photo’s top 10 wedding photographers in the world, WPPI Grand Award winner, Nikon spokesperson and 30-year pro will talk straight about what it takes to succeed in this insane business, including insights about business, lighting and a lifetime in an ever-evolving industry. Cliff will share his work ethic, style of shooting and tell you how to develop your own. He’ll also share a ton of mistakes he’s made along the way, so you don’t repeat them. Be prepared to be inspired and educated in his straightforward, honest east coast style!

Sun, Feb 19, 2012 – 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Creative Portrait and Retouching Techniques
Speaker: Lindsay Adler
Creativity in your images extends into your Photoshop techniques. This class will help you take your creativity to another level and make your images even more eye-catching through your Photoshop techniques. In this session you will learn essential retouching techniques as well as a variety of tools to add a creative flair to your images in Photoshop. Learn essential retouching tools, retouching plugins, and the best way to approach your retouching workflow, including blemish removal, body reshaping, and feature enhancement. Understand how to add textures to your images, add borders, adjust coloration. And see a wide range of other beautiful and creative retouching techniques.

Mon, Feb 20, 2012 – 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Aperture Intensive
Speaker: Sara France
Apple regularly sends Sara around the world to train photographers in using Aperture, and now it’s your turn. In this program, she takes you through Aperture from start to finish, walking you through the workflow process while giving you tips and tricks along the way. From download, to adjustments, to album design, to export, Sara shows you all the basics and all the things you never knew were possible with this powerful program.

Mon, Feb 20, 2012 – 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Lab Printing with Lightroom: Color Management and Step-by-Step Workflow
Speaker: Andrew Darlow
Photo labs offer an array of products for the professional photographer, but one thing always remains constant�for great results, you’ve got to color-manage your system and prepare files properly. In this two-hour lecture, an award-winning author and photographer, Andrew covers the proofing and printing process for a range of lab printing products, including digital c-prints, canvas prints and press-printed products using a step-by-step approach. Learn how to set the resolution of images, inexpensively color-test lab products, batch-process images and more.

Tue, Feb 21, 2012 – 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
New Secrets of Great Portrait Photography
Speaker: Brian Smith
Celebrity portrait photographer Brian Smith will share the lessons he’s learned over the past 30 years capturing the faces of the famous, infamous and unknown as a top magazine portrait photographer. He will discuss his approach to editorial and commercial assignments from concept to final images, and detailing his approach to lighting and problem solving on productions both small and large. He will share secrets about how to quickly capture the personality of the people in your photographs and will also discuss how personal projects can be used to generate editorial and commercial assignments.

Tue, Feb 21, 2012 – 3:30 PM to 5:30 PM
Telling Stories in Pictures
Speakers: Alan Weiner
We’ve all heard the term “wedding photojournalism,” but these days, it includes all different types of photography. At its core, photojournalism is the telling of a story through pictures. Alan spent 20 years working as a contract photographer for The New York Times, telling stories with his camera. Now, he applies the same tools he honed as a news photojournalist to tell the story of hundreds of brides and grooms. Come hear his approach!

Tue, Feb 21, 2012 – 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM
How Knowledge of Cinema Storytelling Has Influenced Photography and Album Design
Speaker: Amina Moreau
Stillmotion knows that storytelling techniques aren’t really taught in post-secondary photography programs. As a part of a photo and cinema team, Amina has taken inspiration from the world of filmmaking and applied it to her stills. Cinema is about lifespan, sequencing, time-shifting, transitioning and creating an emotional response that photography often lacks. The principal goal of this seminar is to teach attendees how to apply a moviemaker’s eye to their photography and album design so it’s no longer about capturing memories your clients can see, but about creating sequences they can feel.

Wed, Feb 22, 2012 – 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Using Social Media Strategically: What Works vs. What is Just Noise
Speaker: Me Ra Koh
We are going to dive into what type of social media benefits a photographer’s business the most. Do you need a static website if you have a blog? Do you spend your time on Facebook and forget about a blog? How important is Twitter to growing your business? Or, do you already take advantage of these platforms and still don’t get the traffic you are looking for? The question isn’t whether you need one platform over the other, but what is the purpose of each and will it help you meet YOUR specific business goals. As a busy mom, business owner and photography expert for The Nate Berkus Show, hear Me Ra share what she’s found that makes sense for photographers in the social media world vs. what is noise. Whether you are just launching a new business and trying to book clients or you’re an established pro wanting to expand your brand, Me Ra is going to leave you excited and empowered with a whole new juicy set of social media tools to grow your business, make you money and most of all, save you TIME!

Wed, Feb 22, 2012 – 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
New Social Media for Next Generation Photographers
Speaker: Jack Hollingsworth
New and Social Media is upon us. In full force. In every direction. If you snooze, you lose. It’s that dramatic. It’s time to start thinking like a next generation photographer and not only explore, but exploit every single marketing tool and technology available to you. Come and listen to veteran photographer, social media coach and consultant Jack Hollingsworth, speak on why he passionately believes that it’s the greatest time in history to be a working photographer. Inspirational topics will include: what social media channels work best for photographers, how to brand, market and promote yourself in a crowded marketplace, how and why iPhone photography is changing the game, and the top 10 resources and guides to help you become a marketing success.

Wed, Feb 22, 2012 – 2:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Storytelling in Stills & Motion
Speaker: Deanne Fitzmaurice
Pulitzer Prize winning photographer, Deanne Fitzmaurice will show how personal projects in the Digital Revolution can spark your creativity. She will discuss how she gains trust and access in challenging situations. With a forward-thinking approach to visual storytelling, Deanne will also discuss how she is using HDSLR video and audio to enhance the narrative of her stories. Some of the stories Deanne will show include her Pulitzer Prize winning story of an injured Iraqi boy and a multimedia piece about a Circus Sideshow performer at Coney Island.

Speaking at WPPI 2011 has been a fantastic experience thanks to the amazing positive energy off everyone in attendance! Massive thanks to the great crowd at my platform talk ‘Secrets of Great Portrait Photography’ – you guys made this trip wonderful! My deepest thanks to everyone from Sony & Blue Pixel for a great trade show booth where I spoke on Location Portraits and did a live shooting demo of Burlesque dancer Miss Redd. Thanks to George Varanakis and Kate Volpe of WPPI for making this such a great show.

Great crowd at ‘Secrets of Great Portrait Photography’ WPPI 2011

Las Vegas Burlesque dancer Miss Redd with 30″x40″ prints from our live shoot at WPPI Sony Booth

30″x40″ prints at the WPPI Sony Booth from our live shoot of Las Vegas Burlesque dancer Miss Redd

More speaking appearances by Brian Smith.