Join professional photographer and Image Flow founder Stuart Schwartz for a hands-on workshop that will help you grow your portrait photography skills. You’ll study the work of iconic portrait photographers and learn how to use both natural and studio lighting to create compelling images.

This six-session workshop includes studio and on-location shoots where you’ll gain practical experience working with subjects and using light to shape mood and expression. Weekly portrait shooting assignments will help you stay engaged and develop your style over time. You’ll receive supportive critiques from both your peers and your instructor to help guide your progress. Image critiques will be held in print form, and you’re welcome to print your work either at The Image Flow or at home.

By the end of the workshop, you’ll have the tools and confidence to create portraits that feel personal, powerful, and uniquely your own.

Class Schedule

February 18, Day 1: Introduction followed by print viewing and discussion. Outline of assignments for the duration of the workshop.

February 25, Day 2: Lighting demo outdoors and with a strobe in a makeshift studio setting at The Image Flow.

March 4, Day 3: Critique of first assignment — portraits shot in available light.

March 14 or 15, Day 4: Studio time to be reserved for individual photo shoots. Participants will schedule a 90-minute time slot.

March 25, Day 5: Critique of second assignment — studio portrait where showing a variety of emotions is the goal.

April 8, Day 6: Critique of the third assignment — shot on location, a portrait of someone with 3 additional images that help to tell a story about the individual.

Workshop presented by The Image Flow Photography Center, providing photography classes, custom printing services, and studio rentals.

Check out our blog Photography Studio Equipment: Getting Started with Studio Lighting Setup for tips on home photo studio setup and suggestions for photography lighting equipment for beginners.

Instructor Bio

Rory Earnshaw is a San Francisco–based photographer specializing in fine-art and commercial work. He enjoys leading workshops for the opportunity to share in his students’ enthusiasm for the art and craft of photography, sending them off with new tools and a renewed sense of creative momentum.

His work has been exhibited at SFMOMA Artist Gallery, Center for Photographic Art, LightBox Gallery, and The Image Flow in Mill Valley. Commercial clients include Apple, Oracle, Kodak, and many more.