FAQs
General
Q. Can I pay for an in-person workshop on a payment plan?
A. Yes! We do have a payment plan option for our in-person workshops. Basically, with our payment plan, you need to pay $250 initially in order for us to hold your seat in your chosen workshop. From there, we will work with you to come up with dates and payment amounts to complete the workshop total. We will schedule the payments for the dates you choose. If you are interested in enrolling in a workshop using our payment plan, please contact us.
Q. What if I want to attend both a Professional Workshop and a Lighting Workshop in-person during the same calendar year? Do you offer a discount?
A. Yes! If you would like to enroll in both a Professional and a Lighting in-person Workshop, we offer the great price of only $1599 for both workshops. This is a discount of $200 over the individual price. Please note that in order to get this special pricing, you need to enroll in both workshops at the same time, though the workshops do not need to be in the same city. Note that the discount cannot be applied retroactively or toward a future workshop attendance. Please contact us if you'd like to enroll in both workshops at the same time.
Q. What if I would like to purchase both the Professional and Lighting Workshops in a Box? Do you offer a discount?
A. Yes! We definitely offer a discount if you'd like to purchase both workshops at once. The price for both workshops together is only $599, a savings of $100. You can purchase both boxes together here.
Q. Do you ship internationally?
A. Yes! We will ship to any international address. Please note that there is an extra shipping charge for non-US addresses.
Q. I would love to see the {life as art} Workshops come to my town. Can I request that you come?
A. Yes! We base the cities we choose to travel to on feedback we receive. If you would like us to come to your city, please contact us. We keep a tally of how many people we have contacting us from a specific area and then choose the areas with the highest number of requests.
In-Person Professional Workshop
Q. Who should take the {life as art} professional workshop?
A. This workshop is for those who have a good basic understanding of manual metering and want to better their skills as a photographer.

Take our little quiz to see if this workshop is right for you. The workshop will assume that you already know the answers to these questions.

  1. You have to photograph a group of 10 people. What do you set your aperture to in order to get everyone in focus and what would be a good minimum shutter speed to maintain?
  2. You want to get a blurry background in your photo. What lens do you choose and what do you set your aperture to?

Still with me?! Now ask yourself these questions. These are just a few of the questions that the workshop will answer. So if you already know the answer to these questions, this workshop might not be for you.

  1. I feel like everything I photograph is just blah. How do get out of a creative slump and what are the secrets to creating photos with emotional and visual punch?
  2. I have to take a portrait of a picky client outside, in the middle of the day and it needs to look FABULOUS! What lens should I use, what aperture and how do I get that perfect light on their face just using natural light even on a bright day? How do I minimize wrinkles and double chins?
  3. I'm so tired of my photos not being properly exposed. How do I accurately read and understand my histogram and what it's telling me about my photos?
  4. How do I turn any blah location into something WOW?
Q. What should I bring to the workshop?
A. To get the most out of the workshop, you should bring a DSLR camera, your camera owner's manual and all the lenses you own, even lenses that you don't use that often. You never know what you might learn at the workshop. Also, though not necessary, a laptop with Adobe Photoshop CS2 or higher and a speedlight are helpful during the workshop.
Q. What if I want to attend your professional workshop but I don't know how to shoot manually?
A. Well, my {life as art} Professional Workshop does assume that you know how to shoot manually. I do offer the materials, including an instruction manual, from my beginner workshop as an add-on to your professional workshop registration a Beginner Manual as an add-on to your workshop registration. The Beginner Workshop information Manual is a .pdf book on CD that will provide you with all the information details that you need to start shooting manually and will prepare you for the information at the Professional Workshop. You can add-on the Beginner Manual at checkout to any workshop purchase for only $35.
Q. What is included in my workshop registration?
A. Your workshop registration includes:
  • 3 days of personal instruction
  • a $50 gift certificate to my Flourish website
  • all model shooting and transportation to and from shooting locations
  • access to the {life as art} Workshop Facebook discussion page
  • some amazingly fabulous food!
  • the {life as art} Workshop in a Box which includes the {life as art} professional manual, a DVD of me shooting sessions, digital templates, actions, professional forms, client contract forms, and vendor information! Basically, if I use and love it, I'm going to give it to you!
Q. What exact topics will the workshop cover?
A. The Professional Workshop will cover:
  1. classical composition and theories on creativity,
  2. getting perfect exposures with every shot,
  3. creating powerful compositions,
  4. getting perfect light in your photos,
  5. using your flash on-camera,
  6. advanced workflow and editing in both Photoshop CS5 and Lightroom 3,
  7. RAW workflow and competition editing, as well as
  8. ways to effectively target a market and structure your business.
Q. I thought that I read that the Professional Workshop covers off-camera lighting too, but I don't see that topic in the list of items that will be discussed in the workshop. Do you discuss off-camera lighting during the Professional Workshop?
A. In past years we have briefly covered the basics of off-camera lighting. However, off-camera lighting is a massive topic and is now thoroughly covered in our {life as art} Lighting Workshop. The Professional Workshop written and video materials do still contain a brief overview of the topic, but we will not be doing any off-camera flashwork during the in-person workshop. We will, however, thoroughly discuss and practice using your flash on-camera.
Q. I looked at the workshops a while ago and I swear there were some websites and a pricing guide included in the workshop materials. Are those still included?
A. Up until November 2011, our Professional Workshop did include templates for custom client mini-sites, as well as a cool sideways-sliding pricing guide. In order to create lower pricing for our attendees, we have removed these items from the professional in-person workshop and workshop in a box. Starting in December 2011, these items will be available for purchase separately.
Q. Does Nichole really do a headshot of each attendee during the workshop?
A. Yes! As part of the discussion on taking gorgeous headshots, Nichole proves her point by doing headshots of each attendee. It's so helpful to see exactly how you find beautiful light and use the right combination of techniques to create a beautiful headshot of anyone at any time of day. You can see samples of past attendee headshots in the image gallery on the individual Pro Workshop registration pages. Nichole will email the headshots to you several weeks after the workshop. From there, you can use them as you wish.
Q. Can I pass around materials from the workshop and share workshop information with others?
A. Please note that all workshop information and materials are thoroughly copyrighted. Your workshop fees pay for your access to workshop information, and it has been created for your use. However, sharing workshop information with others who have not paid to attend is strictly forbidden. Additionally, posting of workshop information in public forums or granting other public access will be prosecuted.
Q. Is the food at the workshop as good as everyone says it is?
A. Yes! Nichole is a bit of a foodie and so she strives to make sure that the food at the workshops is as amazing as possible. Come prepared to be well-fed both intellectually and physically!
Q. If I come to your workshop in person, do I still get the Workshop in a Box?
A. Yes! Absolutely! The Workshop in a Box is merely all of my professional workshop materials. If you attend the professional workshop in person, you will receive everything that is in the Workshop in a Box and then some.
Q. If I own the Workshop in a Box, do I get a discount if I come to the in-person workshop?
A. Yes! If you already own the Professional Workshop in a Box and would now like to attend the in-person workshop, we will apply $300 of your Workshop in a Box purchase toward the in-person workshop. Please contact us for this special pricing.
Q. How does payment work for the workshop?
A. When registering for the workshop, you have two options:
  1. You can pay for the workshop in full and receive a $50 discount or
  2. You can pay a deposit of $400 to reserve a seat and then pay the remaining balance of $499 no later than 4 weeks before the workshop.
If you would like to be placed on a payment schedule, we are more than happy to arrange one for you.
Q. What if I sign up, pay and then something comes up and I'm not able to attend?
A. All workshop fees are non-refundable. That being said, if a conflict does arise, you are more than welcome to sell your workshop spot to another person. There is a $125 administration and processing fee to transfer your workshop registration to another person, and any amount of the Gift Certificate that you may have used will also be deducted. Additionally, if you realize you can't attend, please contact us. We might have people on a waiting list who might be interested in purchasing your workshop seat.

Additionally, if we have space in another workshop, we are oftentimes able to transfer your enrollment to another workshop for a $75 administration fee. Please note that workshop transfers are an option ONLY up to 2 months before your scheduled workshop. If there is less than 2 months time before your scheduled workshop and you would like to move to a different workshop date, you will still be responsible to fill your original workshop seat.
Professional Workshop-in-a-Box
Q. Who should purchase the {life as art} Professional Workshop in a Box?
A. This Workshop in a Box is for those who own a DSLR camera and have a good basic understanding of manual metering and want to better their skills as a photographer.
Q. What if I want to purchase the Professional Workshop in a Box but I don't know how to shoot manually? Do you have any instructional materials for beginners?
A. Well, my {life as art} Professional Workshop does assume that you know how to shoot manually. I do offer a Beginner Manual as an add-on to your workshop registration. The Beginner Workshop Manual is a .pdf book on CD that will provide you with all the details that you need to start shooting manually and will prepare you for the information at the Professional Workshop. You can add-on the Beginner Manual at checkout to any workshop purchase for only $35.
Q. What information is in the Professional Workshop in a Box? What will I learn?
A. Well, the Workshop in a Box contains information that covers the following general topics:
  1. classical composition and theories on creativity,
  2. getting perfect exposures with every shot,
  3. creating powerful compositions,
  4. getting perfect light in your photos,
  5. the basics of on-camera and off-camera flash,
  6. advanced workflow and editing in both Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2,
  7. RAW workflow and competition editing, as well as
  8. ways to effectively target a market and structure your business.

This workshop focuses primarily on child and family portrait photography, though many aspects of what I discuss apply to wedding photography as well.

The Manual contains review questions that you can use to test your learning. Here are some sample review questions from the Manual:

  • When shooting at low apertures, like f1.2, where should you place your focal point?
  • What three things should you do to ensure sharp images?
  • What four kinds of lines can you have in a photo? What is the impact of each type of line on the viewer?
  • When doing a close-up portrait of an adult, where do I like to place my camera in relation to my subject?
  • What focal lengths do I rarely use when photographing someone? Why?
  • What tricks to I use with veils and gauze in wedding photos?
  • What should you do to reduce haze and color casts in backlit photos?
  • What is my formula for finding beautiful natural light for portraits at any time of day?
  • What do I do if I have to take portrait of someone with my flash on-camera?
Q. What is included in the Professional Workshop in a Box?
A. The {life as art} Professional Workshop in a Box includes the following items:
  • The {life as art} Professional Manual. This is a 230-page textbook of my personal insight into creativity, composition, in-camera technicalities, digital workflow and business strategies. The book is an actual textbook, not just a copy of powerpoint slides and includes hundreds of full color images and illustrations, as well as review questions, exercises and worksheets that you can do to practice principles in each chapter.
  • The Workshop in a Box DVD-rom. This is a 75-minute DVD-rom of me shooting an engagement session and a family session and showing how I implement the principles outlined in the book. This is not just a recording of me teaching the workshop, but real-world examples of how I deal with actual shooting situations.
  • The {life as art} Professional DVD-rom. This DVD-rom contains products that are completely unique to my workshop DVD. You can't get these items on my Flourish website. Specifically, the Professional DVD-rom includes:
  • A set of custom actions designed specifically for the {life as art} workshops. These include shortcut actions for tricks discussed in the manual, prepping actions for goodies on the CD, as well as a web prep action, texture action, BW action and gentle boost.
  • A folder of business forms and client contracts. Included in this are sample contracts for weddings and portrait clients, session preparation information for clients, sample list of session policies and FAQ's, copyright release form for clients, outline of client booking process, and questions for wedding and portrait client booking consultations. All contracts and forms are given in MS Word format, so you can tweak them to your liking. Also included within this folder is a sub-folder that has the client contract and session info sheet prepped for printing as a mailer to clients.
  • A folder of PS compositional guides. These are guides that are discussed in the Professional Manual. You can overlay these guides on your images to improve your cropping and compositional structure.
  • A folder of workshop goodies that includes 3 textures, a fine art texture, a transparent Baroque pattern, a grungy border, 3 storyboards, a folder of MOO card templates, and a folder of holiday card templates. You can see sample images of some of the templates in the Gallery section of this website.
  • A folder of Photoshop templates. This folder includes templates for creating a custom printed CD, custom postcards, thank you cards, copyright cards, client image printing cards and other goodies.
  • A $25 Flourish Emporium gift certificate.
  • Access to the {life as art} Workshop Facebook discussion page.
  • Vendor gift certificates, information and offers.
Q. Can I pass around materials from the Workshop in a Box and share workshop information with others?
A. Please note that all workshop information and materials are thoroughly copyrighted. Sharing workshop information with others who have not purchased the material is strictly forbidden. Additionally, posting of workshop information in public forums or granting other public access will be prosecuted.
Q. If I own the Workshop in a Box, do I get a discount if I come to the in-person workshop?
A. Yes! If you already own the Professional Workshop in a Box and would now like to attend the in-person workshop, we will apply $300 of your Workshop in a Box purchase toward the in-person workshop. Please contact us for this special pricing.
Q. I looked at the workshops a while ago and I swear there were some websites and a pricing guide included in the workshop materials. Are those still included?
A. Up until November 2011, our Professional Workshop did include templates for custom client mini-sites, as well as a cool sideways-sliding pricing guide. In order to create lower pricing for our attendees, we have removed these items from the professional in-person workshop and workshop in a box. Starting in December 2011, these items will be available for purchase separately.
Q. I really would like to purchase parts of the Workshop in a Box separately. Do you sell just one part of the box (like just the manual or just the DVD-rom)?
A. Currently, the Workshop in a Box is sold as one unit, as all its parts are interrelated. I do not have plans to piecemeal the individual parts of the box and sell them separately.
Q. What is your return policy?
A. The workshop in a box may be returned if it is in like-new, sellable condition. This does mean that the book and other materials must be in their original packaging and any shrink-wrapped items, such as the book, are still in the shrink wrap. A $75 restocking fee will apply for all returns. Additionally, any portion of the Gift Certificate that has been redeemed will not be refunded. If for any reason you have removed the packaging and are not satisfied, please contact us and let us know of your concerns. We understand that the workshop in a box is a significant investment and we want you to be happy with your purchase. We will do everything in our power to make sure you are satisfied.
In Person Lighting Workshop
Q. What topics will the {life as art} Lighting Workshop cover?
A. The Lighting Workshop discusses topics that pertain to off-camera lighting on-location. Specifically, the Lighting Workshop covers:
  1. Understanding the properties of light,
  2. Setting up and using off-camera lights,
  3. Getting amazing images even in the harshest, brightest light,
  4. Shooting outside on location,
  5. Shooting inside on location,
  6. Using lights on location with families,
  7. Using lights on location with weddings,
  8. Using light modifiers to modulate light,
  9. Creative lighting tricks, and
  10. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom techniques and tricks as pertains to off-camera lighting photos.

This workshop focuses on both wedding and family photography on-location, showing you ways to incorporate lighting into most shooting situations.

The Lighting Workshop DOES NOT discuss the following:

  1. shooting using natural light both outside and inside,
  2. composition and creativity,
  3. in-depth discussions of exposure and histograms,
  4. on-camera flash,
  5. in-depth posing,
  6. color theory and photography,
  7. adapting locations to your needs,
  8. basic Adobe Photoshop skills and tools,
  9. running your business, and
  10. ways to effectively target a market and structure your business.

However, all of those topics are covered in detail in my {life as art} Professional Workshop and Professional Workshop in a Box which I highly recommend.

Additionally, the Lighting Workshop does not cover studio photography in-depth. The workshop does cover some lighting set-ups that would be applicable to studio photography and most of the information in the course applies to studio photography as well. However, there is no specific section on the intricacies of studio photography specifically.
Q. Do I have to have any prior off-camera lighting experience to attend?
A. No! Most of our attendees know very little, if anything, about off-camera lighting when they attend our workshop. I will assume, however, that you have a good understanding of shooting manually (or on M). We want to spend time covering lighting topics, so we won't be spending time discussing proper exposure, shutter speed, aperture, etc., except how these items pertain to off-camera lighting. If you would like information on exposure, histograms and a better understanding of aperture and how it relates to all aspects of shooting, my {life as art} Professional Workshop or Professional Workshop in a Box cover these topics in detail and are highly recommended for people interested in attending the lighting workshop.
Q. What should I bring to the Lighting Workshop?
A. To get the most out of the workshop, you should bring a DSLR camera and all the lenses you own, particularly a wide angle lens. You will also need to bring your own lighting equipment. If you want to learn lighting, it's helpful to actually own the correct equipment. And I want you to learn on your own gear, not mine. That way you will be able to go home and immediately use what you learn. Generally, a basic lighting set-up will cost under $500. If you already own an external flash (like a speedlight), then the cost is closer to $150-$200. I would recommend you bring the following: an external flash, a light stand, a 60" umbrella, radio triggers and a flash head bracket. Once you register, you will be sent a list of gear requirements. The list will offer you a lot of options and price ranges for what you can purchase.
Q. What is included in my workshop registration?
A. Your workshop registration includes:
  • 2 days of personal instruction
  • a list of lighting equipment necessities for you to bring to the workhop
  • a $50 gift certificate to my Flourish website
  • all model shooting
  • access to the {life as art} Workshop Facebook discussion page
  • meals and snacks as listed with your workshop details
  • the {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box, which includes my 250-page lighting manual, DVD-rom with over 5 hours of shooting and editing tutorials and other goodies. You know how I love goodies!
Q. I looked at the workshops a while ago and I swear there was a mobile site template and some Lightroom presets included in the workshop materials. Are those still included?
A. Up until November 2011, our Lighting Workshop did include a template for creating a mobile version of your photography website, as well as a wonderful set of vintage Lightroom presets. In order to create lower pricing for our attendees, we have removed these items from the lighting in-person workshop and workshop in a box. Starting in December 2011, these items will be available for purchase separately.
Q. Can I pass around materials from the workshop and share workshop information with others?
A. Please note that all workshop information and materials are thoroughly copyrighted. Your workshop fees pay for your access to workshop information, and it has been created for your use. However, sharing workshop information with others who have not paid to attend is strictly forbidden. Additionally, posting of workshop information in public forums or granting other public access will be prosecuted.
Q. Is the food at the workshop as good as everyone says it is?
A. Yes! Nichole is a bit of a foodie and so she strives to make sure that the food at the workshops is as amazing as possible. Come prepared to be well-fed both intellectually and physically!
Q. How does payment work for the workshop?
A. When registering for the workshop, you have two options:
  1. You can pay for the workshop in full and receive a $50 discount, or
  2. You can pay a deposit of $400 to reserve a seat and then pay the remaining balance of $599 no later than 4 weeks before the workshop.

If you would like to be placed on a payment schedule, we are more than happy to arrange one for you.
Q. What if I sign up, pay and then something comes up and I'm not able to attend?
A. All workshop fees are non-refundable. That being said, if a conflict does arise, you are more than welcome to sell your workshop spot to another person. There is a $125 administration and processing fee to transfer your workshop registration to another person, and any amount of the Gift Certificate that you may have used will also be deducted. Additionally, if you realize you can't attend, please contact us. We might have people on a waiting list who might be interested in purchasing your workshop seat.

Additionally, if we have space in another workshop, we are oftentimes able to transfer your enrollment to another workshop for a $75 administration fee. Please note that workshop transfers are an option ONLY up to 2 months before your scheduled workshop. If there is less than 2 months time before your scheduled workshop and you would like to move to a different workshop date, you will still be responsible to fill your original workshop seat.
Lighting Workshop in a Box
Q. What topics does the {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box discuss?
A. The Lighting Workshop in a Box discusses topics that pertain to off-camera lighting on-location. Specifically, the Lighting Workshop in a Box covers:
  1. Understanding the properties of light,
  2. Setting up and using off-camera lights,
  3. Getting amazing images even in the harshest, brightest light,
  4. Shooting outside on location,
  5. Shooting inside on location,
  6. Using lights on location with families,
  7. Using lights on location with weddings,
  8. Using light modifiers to modulate light,
  9. Creative lighting tricks, and
  10. Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom techniques and tricks as pertains to off-camera lighting photos.

This workshop focuses on both wedding and family photography on-location, showing you ways to incorporate lighting into most shooting situations.

The Lighting Workshop in a Box DOES NOT discuss the following:

  1. shooting using natural light both outside and inside,
  2. composition and creativity,
  3. in-depth discussions of exposure and histograms,
  4. on-camera flash,
  5. in-depth posing,
  6. color theory and photography,
  7. adapting locations to your needs,
  8. basic Adobe Photoshop skills and tools,
  9. running your business, and
  10. ways to effectively target a market and structure your business,

However, all of those topics are covered in detail in my {life as art} Professional Workshop and Professional Workshop in a Box which I highly recommend.

Additionally, the Lighting Workshop does not cover studio photography in-depth. The workshop does cover some lighting set-ups that would be applicable to studio photography and most of the information in the course applies to studio photography as well. However, there is no specific section on the intricacies of studio photography specifically.
Q. Who should purchase the {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box?
A. This Lighting Workshop in a Box is for those who own a DSLR camera and have a good basic understanding of manual metering and want to learn off-camera lighting on-location.

The {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box assumes that you have a good understanding of shooting manually (or on M). The workshop materials do not spend time discussing proper exposure, shutter speed, aperture, etc., except how these items pertain to off-camera lighting. If you would like information on exposure, histograms and a better understanding of aperture and how it relates to all aspects of shooting, my {life as art} Professional Workshop or Professional Workshop in a Box cover these topics in detail.
Q. What if I want to purchase the Lighting Workshop in a Box but I don't know how to shoot manually? Do you have any instructional materials for beginners?
A. Well, my {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box does assume that you know how to shoot manually, as you shoot manually when doing off-camera lighting. That being said, I do offer the instruction manual from my beginner workshop as an add-on to Lighting Workshop in a Box for an additional $35. The Beginner Manual will walk you through understanding aperture and shutter speed, and get you started shooting on M. You can see the details about the Beginner Manual here. Please note that I am not selling the beginner workshop materials separately at this time.
Q. What can I expect to learn from the Lighting Workshop in a Box?
A. The {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box will teach you how to walk into any situation, set up a light off-camera and take a beautifully well-lit photo.

Additionally, the Lighting Manual contains review questions that you can use to test your learning. Here are some sample review questions from the Manual:

  1. What does inverse-square law mean for shooting groups of people?
  2. What are the basic properties of umbrellas? Their pros, cons, uses, diffusion qualities, spill and light kill?
  3. What's the most effective way to pose a client when you have to work with hard light?
  4. You are shooting full sun with metering of iso 200, 1/100, f16 and your flash at full power. Your background looks perfect but the light on your subject is too dark, what can you do?
  5. You are shooting a dark scene. Your flash is in a 60" umbrella, iso 200, 1/100 and f5. You have hard shadows in your image. What can you do?
  6. You are trying to massively underexpose your background. You have a hot shoe flash in a 60" umbrella at full power at iso 200, 1/200. You need f22 in order to underexpose like you'd like. You are only getting f5.6 from your flash. What can you do?
Q. What is included in the Lighting Workshop in a Box?
A. The {life as art} Lighting Workshop in a Box includes the following items:
  • The {life as art} Lighting Workshop manual: This is a 250-page 6"x9" manual that covers all topics pertaining to using flash off-camera, on-location. The book discusses ONLY off-camera, on-location lighting, discussing topics such as how and when to use off-camera flash, using different modifiers to modulate your light, harnessing flash power, creative uses of flash, etc. This book is an actual textbook (not just a copy of powerpoint slides) and includes hundreds of full color images and illustrations, as well as review questions and exercises that you can do to practice principles in each chapter. Also, there is very little overlap between the Lighting Workshop Manual and the Professional Workshop Manual (at most 8-10 pages of overlap). So if you already own the Professional Workshop Manual, you can be assured that the Lighting Manual is an entirely different book with brand-new content. You can see a Table of Contents and images from the book in the Gallery section of this website.
  • The {life as art} Lighting Workshop DVD-Rom: The Lighting Workshop DVD-rom contains video tutorials and all sorts of Photoshop goodies. Specifically, the DVD contains the following:
  • On-Location Video Tutorials and Demonstrations: The Lighting Workshop DVD-rom contains hours of on-location tutorials and demonstrations. This is NOT just a video of me lecturing a class, but instead is on-location instruction showing how I implement and use the principles I discuss in the Lighting Workshop Manual. Come along as I shoot a bride, two engaged couples and a young family, explaining all along my thought processes and how I set-up and work each shot. Also, watch my detailed explanations of how to set-up, meter and shoot using off-camera lighting. Please note that though the videos are extensive, they are not meant to replace the information contained in the manual. Instead, they supplement the manual material and will help solidify your lighting skills.
  • A custom set of Lighting Workshop in a Box actions for Adobe Photoshop CS2 and higher. These actions were created specifically for the Lighting Workshop and include a new lighting color pop action, lighting vintage action, lighting BW action, a new soft focus action and actions for merging RAW files, inserting textures, selectively adjusting exposure and a new vignette action.
  • Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom editing video tutorials. The workshop DVD-rom contains hours of digital editing tutorials, showing you how to quickly and effectively turn your off-camera flash photos into masterpieces. The videos cover topics such as quick and effective ways to manually merge different RAW exposures, incorporating Lightroom into your workflow, quick RAW proofing and correcting problems unique to off-camera flash photos. Additionally, the video tutorials address workflow issues and problems, such as seamless head swapping and using the liquify tool.
  • A folder of Adobe Photoshop Goodies: The folder of Adobe Photoshop goodies contains 4 fine art textures, 4 grungy textures, a distressed border, a 5x7 photo card template, 7 tapestry 5x7 card templates, a cartouche brush and 7 floral 5x7 card templates. You can see sample images of some of the templates in the Gallery section of this website.
  • Vendor Information: The Lighting DVD also contains a folder that lists all the vendors I used to create the contents of the Lighting Workshop in a Box. It also contains a list of recommended vendors and a list of all the vendors that I actually use in my own personal business. There is also a list of all the gear I recommend to get you started shooting off-camera.
  • A $25 Flourish Emporium gift certificate.
  • Access to the {life as art} Workshop Facebook discussion page.
  • Vendor gift certificates, information and offers.
Q. What gear do I need to own in order to set-up off-camera lighting? Do you provide a detailed equipment list for the workshop?
A. To get the most out of the Lighting Workshop, you should own a DSLR camera. Additionally, if you want to learn lighting, it's helpful to actually own the correct equipment. Generally, you need a flash of some sort (like a strobe or a speedlight like the Canon 580 or Nikon SB-900), a light stand, umbrella, umbrella bracket and radio trigger. The Lighting Workshop in a Box will include several different options and recommendations for what equipment I would recommend.
Q. I looked at the workshops a while ago and I swear there was a mobile site template and some Lightroom presets included in the workshop materials. Are those still included?
A. Up until November 2011, our Lighting Workshop did include a template for creating a mobile version of your photography website, as well as a wonderful set of vintage Lightroom presets. In order to create lower pricing for our attendees, we have removed these items from the lighting in-person workshop and workshop in a box. Starting in December 2011, these items will be available for purchase separately.
Q. Can I pass around materials from the Lighting Workshop in a Box and share workshop information with others?
A. Please note that all workshop information and materials are thoroughly copyrighted. Sharing workshop information with others who have not purchased the material is strictly forbidden. Additionally, posting of workshop information in public forums or granting other public access will be prosecuted.
Q. If I own the Lighting Workshop in a Box, do I get a discount if I come to the in-person workshop?
A. Yes! If you already own the Lighting Workshop in a Box and would now like to attend the in-person lighting workshop, we will apply $300 of your Workshop in a Box purchase toward the in-person workshop. Please contact us for this special pricing.
Q. Do you sell just one part of the box (like just the manual or just the DVD)?
A. Currently, the Lighting Workshop in a Box is sold as one unit, as all its parts are interrelated. I do not have plans to piecemeal the individual parts of the box and sell them separately.
Q. What is your return policy?
A. The workshop in a box may be returned if it is in like-new, sellable condition. This does mean that the book and other materials must be in their original packaging and any shrink-wrapped items, such as the book, are still in the shrink wrap. A $75 restocking fee will apply for all returns. Additionally, any portion of the Gift Certificate that has been redeemed will not be refunded. If for any reason you have removed the packaging and are not satisfied, please contact us and let us know of your concerns. We understand that the workshop in a box is a significant investment and we want you to be happy with your purchase. We will do everything in our power to make sure you are satisfied.