A month ago was my last photography class after 4 weeks of teaching and we went out big!

I’ve been absolutely terrified to teach every single week, I’m not exaggerating. My family got to witness the behind the scenes ball of stressssss I was before each class as they watched the anxiety tapping, deep breathing and jogging in place I did out in the foyer of the city hall building.

I knew I was going over the top for this last one, but I wanted to provide content I would have loved from the time I was a beginner, all the way up to now. With such a large class, we had a variety of skill sets and I wanted not only to inspire those just starting out, but also the seasoned professionals—myself included!

So we edited and then practiced skills with our gorgeous models and three different light set ups, then indoor window light. A huuuuge thank you to my friend Christine @forksflash for offering her extra lighting and backdrops for us to use when I didn’t have enough. You saved the day!!

In collaboration with AW Bridal, our model Mattie wore the Alison dress, which is a truly breathtaking work of art!

After it was over I was both exhausted and so extremely grateful. What a perfect group of people to be willing to show up and learn as I bumbled my way through. Everyone was kind and good to one another, working together and cheering each other on when they got a beautiful image. I’ve loved watching them create

My family has been beyond supportive. Ben made cookies every week for the class, helped me haul everything to and from the building each week, helped class members navigate their cameras as I helped others, and even made a new running buddy!@brakecurtis

Thank you to our beautiful models today @mattieekent @emilywcallister and my daughter Leah. You are SO stunning!

I’m planning to teach again this summer, and am strongly considering offering a Mt Baker retreat for photographers in August, but first I need a couple of months to get caught up on editing and for this introvert to recover.

Here are some photos from the class, featuring Mattie wearing the Alison dress. Some of these photos were captured and edited by me and some of them are by my amazing students. You can see that, depending on the photographer, the same scene can be captured and edited in a variety of ways!

Photo by Lynsey Strader

Photo by Brittany Peterson

Photo by Mandy Dustin

Photo by Arlene Antram

Photo by Kortnai Goodsell

Portrait Photography Class