photography workshops and creative business courses

I often wonder where I learn new things. When I’m taking new chances with a photograph, where do those bursts of inspiration come from? Are they from direct instruction through classes or photography workshops I’ve personally taken? Are they latent images in my mind of photos I’ve once seen? Or are they new thoughts and amalgamations from other experiences altogether?

Seeing is growing as a visual artist. I am all about doing research and looking anywhere and everywhere for ideas and inspiration. I am even comfortable with stumbling through online tutorials…to a point. Step-by-step posts and videos can be super helpful, but they don’t take into account the variables that may arise. Once you’re “in it”, there’s little to no room in trying something new with certainty.

Nothing compares to the practice of in-person guidance and hands-on training. EVERY single time I get in the room with someone who is equally passionate about our trade, I see a massive change in what I am able to achieve. I’ve been fortunate to find mentors and leaders in this field to help me in this process. Through workshops and tutorials, I have been able to take new concepts and applications to properly execute my intended vision.

Let KJAD teach you

Basically, hands-on learning is where it’s at. We are excited to announce our very first workshop series “[ISO] in search of…“. These three workshops (2 photography workshops + 1 branding course) are designed to cater to a wide variety of creatives.

The first two workshops are for photographers with varying levels of knowledge of the medium. “[ISO] BASICS” is a photography workshop for enthusiasts, hobbyists, and beginner photographers. Photographers who want more control over the images they capture and a better understanding of their cameras and flash. “[ISO] LIGHT” is a photography workshop for working photography professionals. Those taking LIGHT want to grow their understanding of off-camera lighting and other lighting techniques. The last of this workshop series is “[ISO] BRAND”. This course is for creative entrepreneurs looking to start and structure a business more effectively. Additionally, we will be focusing on the visual brand of each persons’ business – meaning all of the front facing elements like logo, website, color, social presence, etc.

Why host a workshop?

Being a photographer for 20 plus years has given me the experience and confidence to face any lighting or composition challenge with enthusiasm and excitement. And while that is vastly important to my creative and consistent photography career, it’s seems unfortunate to not share those techniques and knowledge with others.

Additionally, I have taught at Wilkes University in the Digital Design and Media Art program for over a decade. As an artist, I fondly reflect on my interactions in college with professors and peers, and think of everything that brought me to where I am now. As an instructor, I regularly strive to build those same meaningful connections with my students to help them advance their creative careers.

By starting this workshop series, I now have the opportunity to merge these two aspects of my life into one. Education at the KJAD Studio has been a goal of mine since the day I opened my doors in 2015… and now it’s time.

Event Details

in search of BASICS • June 4, 2023 • 9:30am-7:30pm

in search of BRAND • June 8, 2023 • 5pm-9pm

in search of LIGHT • June 25, 2023 • 9am-9pm