Chris Knight is a photographer based in New York City. We sat down to talk about his upcoming book, The Dramatic Portrait.

He combines his unconditional love of art history with his conditional love of technology, topping it off with a flare for the cinematic and an uncompromising eye for detail.

Chris also has a full blown workshop via RGGEDU.com called Dramatic Portraiture & Lighting With Chris Knight.

Use the code: TIFFINBOX (to get 15% off for a very limited time)

The Interview

The questions I asked Chris:

1) I love reading biographies on photographer's websites and yours stands out a bit.

Speaking of yourself you say: “He combines his unconditional love of art history with his conditional love of technology, topping it off with a flare for the cinematic and an uncompromising eye for detail.”

Where did you acquire that kind of discipline?

2) Your photographs remind me of paintings that one would see in a museum. Is that your end goal?

3) Why is drama so important to you in portraits?

4) You give light and shadow almost equal value in telling a story. Most of your photographs don't draw attention to the use of artificial light. Is that a skill that was taught to you or is it something that you have honed yourself?

5) Let's talk about your book, The Dramatic Portrait: The Art of Crafting Light and Shadow. What prompted you to write this book and who is it for?

6) Most photography books about portraits jump right into loop lighting or Rembrandt lighting. You spend nearly 40 pages describing the history of portraiture? Why do you believe this is important?

7) You say: “The hows and whys are inextricably entangled in a successful photograph, and hitting both of those points shows mastery of the technical medium.” Can you explain that briefly?

8) What does it mean to you to have a published book? Does it open more doors for you to teach?

9) What can we expect from you next?

10) How can people find you and your work online?

The Dramatic Portrait

Buy Chris Knight's book now or buy the PROEDU.com tutorial today. For a limited time, PROEDU.com is including the book with the purchase of the tutorial.

Do you prefer to buy The Dramatic Portrait on Amazon?

You can also catch Chris Knight teaching at CreativeLive in these online workshops:

Exploring Low Key Portraiture

Creating Advanced Masks

How To Work Faster In Adobe Photoshop CC

Feel free to use this affiliate link for CreativeLive when you browse through Chris Knight's courses.

The Portrait Portfolio

Here's a small sample of Chris' portrait photography. I urge you to visit his website and bookmark it. It's absolutely stunning work!

Marie's Soft-Touch Marketing Idea

The last time I interviewed Marie Masse, it was to introduce you to her awesome website Fearless & Framed.

If you are photographing families in your community, documenting their reality may be your thing as well, but how do you go about persuading people to work with you? What would convince them more than anything else that this genre of photography is a good fit for them?

“You teach them,” said Marie.

Jaw dropped, I said, “Say what? Can you tell me more about this?”

Marie suggests conducting timely but profitable photography workshops for moms (and I suspect dads are welcome too).

Teaching Sells

If you are a photographer, I am pretty sure you have had someone in the past roll up to you and asked you about a feature or two on their DSLR that they simply do not get. The fact is, most people who own DSLR's are using it in “P” mode or “A” mode and never in “M” mode.

As a professional photographer, you've been rocking your sessions on manual mode forever and feel very comfortable talking about the exposure triangle, the rule of thirds or anticipating peak moments.

You are a pro, after all.

But for most moms and dads there is a mismatch between what they envisioned their photographs of their children would be like and what their skill set is with their fancy cameras.

A photography workshop that you can offer them, bridges this gap, giving them the rudimentary skills to get going and most importantly to value what you do as a professional.

In some ways you are disabusing them of the notion that to create a photograph, of a quality worthy to be displayed on their walls, all they need to do is to push a button.

By teaching them the basic in's and out's of photography, you are in some ways letting them know that what you do isn't as easy as that; it takes years of training and experience and most of all patience.

When they come to value what you do and see the artwork that you create for other clients, there is an excellent chance they will recruit you to be their family photographer.

Bingo!

Structuring The Workshop

At this point you must be thinking, “do I have to teach them for free?” The answer is a resounding: NO!

Educate your potential clients from the very beginning that your time is valuable. So, conducting these photography workshops for moms and dads in your community could be a boost to your bottom line if you do it right.

You are going to want to publicize it and of course, launch your first photography workshop. I have done three so far at the local library, but you may want to choose a different spot in town. Regardless, there is a structure that you can and perhaps should follow to set it up correctly.

Marie Masse just launched a course called Profitable Photography Workshops For Moms and based on the webinars she has conducted over the last few weeks, it might be just the thing for you.

The Interview

We got together for another chat, specifically about this new resource for professional photographers like you:

Profitable Photography Workshops For Moms

From Marie's website, here is what you can expect to receive when you invest in Profitable Photography Workshops for Moms:

The Complete Guide to Running Photography Workshops for Moms ebook – this 50-page guide will walk you through everything you need to know, step-by-step. From planning the workshop, filling workshop seats, how to create an incentive plan to book workshops from workshops, running this workshop in-person as well as getting started with taking this workshop online, and how to make lasting connections AFTER the workshop that can turn into more business through running a Facebook Group (which will be a gold mine for information direct from your ideal clients). No topic was left behind in this guide!

Connective Email Templates – inside of the guide, you’ll get email templates to help you fill up your first workshop, welcome new students to the workshop and questions to get to know your new students before the workshop, keep your workshop hostess pumped up and on fire to fill her workshops up, a reminder email to students, and after-workshop communication emails to encourage a continued relationship through a photo challenge, a Facebook group, and recommended resources and equipment list. The how and the why behind all of this communication is laid out inside of the guide.

Marie’s Beginner Photography Workshop 4 part Video Series – listen to this real demo again and again until the content flows off your tongue with ease. Feel confident knowing Marie has sold out her workshops using this specific class. You’ll see Marie’s slideshow packaged and put together inside this demonstration video series.

Marie’s Workshop Video Transcript (aka Word-for-Word Demo Swipe Files!) – all four videos come with a transcript for you to read and use as your outline to practice your class demo until you feel confident

Clean & Simple PowerPoint Slideshow Template – Marie’s demo includes all of the words with a license for you to use, so all you have to do is drop in your photos to make this workshop your own. The template has a variety of slides from title and engagement slides to single image slides and collage slides. We kept the professional design of this slideshow minimalist and clean, so your images shine and the slideshow has a timeless look and feel.

Cheat Sheets for Students Galore – Camera Settings Scavenger Hunt (pdf), Light Guide Template (InDesign file so you can add your images to the light categories), Exposure Cheat Sheet (pdf), and My Photo Wishlist (pdf).

Workshop Planner to create your blueprint to launch your workshop in 30 days (pdf). The planner a fillable pdf for you to map out all of the details, your workshop plan and policies and even a slide planner to help you cull your photos. Get organized in no time flat!

Two Organization Tools: a Sign-In sheet & an Open Date sheet to use at your workshops to keep track of who showed up, collect email addresses and to inspire your students to book their workshop, advanced class or session.

Bonus: Real is the New Perfect Photo Challenge – the exact quiz, beautifully designed to challenge your students during the workshop to help inspire their documentary shooting ideas and potentially needs for their own session (pdf)

Bonus: Access to the Private Facebook Group just for Workshop Instructors to unite. The Facebook Group is a place for instructors to support one another and grow together through your ideas + success stories you bring to the table. The online group is a place to connect, problem solve and gets questions answered from other instructors. The Fearless and Framed team will be inside and active in the group answering some questions, but this is not a place to receive 1:1 support from Marie/Fearless and Framed.

Wowza! Marie pretty much sets you right up for success!

A Testimonial

This is what one reviewer said about Profitable Photography Workshops For Moms:

I’m naturally good at teaching and inspiring others, but the concept of creating a workshop was intimidating and therefore I’ve never gotten it off the ground. I didn’t know where to start, how in-depth to go on certain topics and only setting it all up from scratch was just not something I had the time for. So you could imagine my surprise and delight when I discovered that Marie had created the Profitable Photography Workshop for Moms bundle. Finally, I would be able to take the leap and do something that I’ve been afraid of doing for so long – and best yet it's practically all set up for me all I have to do is insert my images and branding, market it and bam, I’m done.

A Challenge & An Offer

So, here's my challenge for all of you – in the next 60 days will you launch your profitable photography workshop? What's stopping you from trying to reach an even greater number of people in your community who could very reliably become your clients for life! Comment below.

Here's my offer to you all. If you use this affiliate link to buy Profitable Photography Workshops for Moms, and you send me your receipt (seshu at tiffinbox dot org), I'll schedule a 30 minute Skype call with you to discuss your workshop plans. This offer is only for those of you who jump in and buy between now and July 31st, 2016, though.

Sound good? I look forward to speaking with you about your profitable photography workshop.

Mary & Justin Marantz are wedding photographers based in New Haven, Connecticut with clients who span the globe. They are also active educators and mentors to many photographers.

Skip Cohen loves to refer to their gorgeous website and work, so I am going to send you there to take a quick peek. When you come back, do me a favor and comment below, a word or two that best describes their website. I am curious to know what you came up with.

To say the Marantz are busy would be an understatement. I am not quite sure how they are able to do it all – photographing weddings, running a successful business, blogging on three separate websites, teach sold-out workshops and travel to some of the most amazing destinations.

The short answer to my own question: they've worked for it.

Curious to know where they blog? Here you go:

Well Groomed Groom
The Black Tie Bride
Justin & Mary Blog

Thanks to ShootDotEdit, Justin and Mary Marantz will present a FREE webinar on May 27th on how photographers like you can create stand-out images in the toughest of situations just like them. Register for the webinar here.

Given that they are sort of neighbors (we live about an hour away from each other, so “neighbors” may be a bit of stretch), I invited them to chat about their business, how and why they love shooting in tough situations and what kinds of solutions they bring with them when they are photographing weddings across the country.

Curious to know more about their business marketing guide and lighting guide? Visit their shop now.

I asked nicely and Mary & Justin gladly offered to give away their new Lighting Guide to one Tiffinbox fan. Will that be you? Do you want to win it? Go here for the Lighting Guide giveaway.

If you don't want to wait that long, and want to buy it, do so before the price bumps back up to $179! Right now you can download it for $129. [Not an affiliate link]

We all want our photography businesses humming with happy clients, right? (let's nod in agreement) Often, though, we don't know how to get from where we are to where we want to be in our businesses. That's fine. It's a learning process and it takes time. Imagine, though, if in addition to your own effort (hey, elbow grease is always required in photography) you had someone guide you through five ways that will fast track your photography business to success? Won't that be fun? Won't that be a little bit easier? Won't that save you time? Won't that help you make more money and quickly? For me, it's a yes to all those questions.

I routinely look to my peers to see what they are doing, not so much so that I copy them, but to learn and adapt some of their steps to my own method of working and delivering photography to my clients. I just came to know about this wonderful series of workshops that my friend Jeffrey Shaw is hosting for photographers.

Jeffrey is a photographer with a 30-year track record of success, an author, a speaker, a teacher and a mentor to many in his mastermind courses.

Several months ago, I met Jeffrey and was blown away by his approach to business. I also knew instantly that he is a gifted teacher. His philosophy and methodology were in synch to how I wanted to pursue my photography business in Connecticut.

So, when Jeffrey has a course or even presenting a webinar, I tend to sit up and plug in to listen to what he has to say. The workshop series Jeffrey has just launched cover the following topics:

Remote Sales – February 12th, from 1 pm to 3 pm EST
Auction System – February 19th, from 1pm to 3 pm EST
Touch Points – February 26th, from 1 pm to 3 pm EST
Perfect Clients – March 12th, from 1 pm to 3 pm EST
Features vs. Benefits – March 19th, from 1 pm to 3 pm EST

The workshops are individually $75 each or you can buy and check them all out for $300.

I spoke with Jeffrey a few days ago and here is our chat about the workshops he is offering:

So, you are probably wondering whether you should jump in and register. I get that. I am exactly where you are. Lots of options out there, but for quality education one would have to travel, book a hotel, spend a few days away from the family and then come back home to deal with that imploding email inbox. I've been there and done that and I won't do that again. I prefer being able to learn on my time, from the comfort of my own home where I can quickly put into practice the kinds of things Jeffrey is set to teach me/us. More importantly, what makes Jeffrey's workshops so enticing to me is that I know they are filled to the brim with incredible value. Just knowing Jeffrey and how he has over-delivered in the past makes me very confident in recommending this series of workshops to you.

Here is your chance to have Jeffrey fast track your photography business to success in 2014. Do you want in?

The first one is set for today, at 1 pm. Join me.

If you have been an avid reader of Tiffinbox, you've read David Jackson‘s popular guest posts.

If you haven't, here is the first one and here is the second one.

Dave is an award-winning advertising, commercial and entertainment photographer based in Appleton, Wisconsin. He and his crew are known to make graphically intense portraits for bands and businesses. He has the ability to sculpt light and create images that pop. Take a look at some of these images!

I first learned about Dave through Zack Arias. It's true, long before I became a friend, I was a fan. I watched and read Dave's whimsical blog posts and loved how his personality came through in every single one of them. He is definitely not afraid to show his clients who he truly is. Lean and tall, with a glowing beard and tattoos, he has an august presence about him. When you get to talking to him, you immediately see how humble, generous and really gentle this guy is.

In the last two years, I have flown out to Appleton, Wisconsin twice, to learn from Dave. I discovered through the course of his workshops that just observing wouldn't cut it. He expected me to play and learn and make mistakes and ask why. We listened to Dave for a bit as he showed a few lighting scenarios and explained how he approached a specific project. Then it was up to us to roll up our sleeves and work.

Dave is clear that the intent of his workshops aren't to leave with a set of “portfolio” images but feel really comfortable taking those first steps towards creating your own back at home. Both the workshops ran long, only because Dave wanted to be sure that all of the attendee questions were answered and that he had truly helped everyone out.

I can tell you that my lighting has improved dramatically since signing up with Dave. Please be sure that he didn't pay me to say that. Take a look at my work and follow me on Facebook where you will see my personal experiments with lighting.

As a busy studio that's nabbing all kinds of awards for their work, it's awfully difficult to get Dave and company to teach a workshop outside of Wisconsin. As I said above, I had to fly to Appleton, Wisconsin! In rare form, Dave is coming to teach at Inspire Photo Seminars in February.

Since he is going to be in Sturbridge, Massachusetts already, he figured he would give those photographers in the New England area a chance to sign up for his workshops closer to their homes – Breaking the Rules Workshop and F/What? Workshop.

You'll notice there is an option to register for both days and save a bundle. If you are new to off-camera flash lighting, you may want to consider the one-two-punch. However, if you are comfortable with your f/stops, shutter speeds and ISO's, then skip the first one and sign up for just the second. Either way, I know you are going to come away learning something new that you will use on a daily basis in your photography business.

So, register here and now. [There is a good chance I will be assisting Dave during his workshops in Sturbridge, MA, so if you do register, please say hello!]