My “Lighting Sensei”, Don Giannatti, came into town in May to teach his Lighting Essentials workshop. Don is a commercial and portrait photographer with decades of experience who is giving it back to hundreds of aspiring photographers. He was the guy who opened up my imagination at the workshop I attended last June. It was an intensive two-day drink from a firehose of knowledge and worth every penny.

Flash – especially off camera flash – was kind of a mystery to me for a long time. I used it, but never really felt confident as I placed the lights and modifiers. What combination of equipment at what power and with what modifier was going to fit the image in my head? Did I even have the shoot mapped out in my head before I picked up my camera? Don brought a lot of knowledge to the table and gave clarity to the whole process. Ever since that workshop last year, I have a vision and a plan for every shoot.

I spent a lot of my time helping the workshop go smoothly – everything from promotion to running out for lunch so that the students could get the most time possible out of Don. I did take a ton of notes and learned even more the second time round. I also got the chance to get a few shots in.

It was great to help walk students through what I learned. If you are a photographer, you need to take this workshop before you buy your next piece of gear. Don will teach you to get the most out of what you have and help you figure out the best gear to add to your arsenal. Check out his blog too!