Dallas After Dark | Arlington Photographer | Dallas Photographer Training

I recently ( Feb 27-29) attended the remarkable Dallas After Dark workshop at the Hilton Bella Harbor overlooking Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall, Texas.  I made a few comments during the event and posted some images afterwards, but I wanted to give it a bit more attention.  
Firstly, if you are a photographer and you’ve ever dreamed of  an extraordinary hands-on learning experience, then you don’t ever want to miss the After Dark experience again.  Watch the Dallas After Dark video here and be completely sold.  Watch it again and see me at 1:38!


Dallas After Dark is a three day total immersion photography workshop/conference/boot camp…experience!  Every type of class imaginable is offered from basic photography to running a business to personal image critiques (not for the faint of heart).  Wedding, family, kids, babies, maternity, boudoir, fashion and senior photography….they’ve got you covered!        

AD allowed me to learn from some of the most respected pros in the industry …and when I say learn from, I mean hang out with and shoot alongside of.  I don’t mean sitting through “talks” in a room with 800 other people taking notes and listening to sales pitches. There were no pretentious parties or huge crowds, but a refreshingly intimate, down to earth community  of photographers from all levels.  My only complaint was too much info and too little time! 


Several times each day we chose from a menu of PODS, which might be topical gatherings in a classroom or a cluster of couches and bean bags in the showroom lobby. There might also be a number of On-Location shooting experiences happening which were typically outside or sometimes throughout the hotel.  Learn. Watch. Ask. Shoot.  

At the same time there were numerous BAYS, or makeshift studios, set up and equipped with lights, backdrops, triggers and all the equipment you would find in a studio…including models and assistants.  The models were a lot of fun and came from all around the country.  Men, women, teenagers, kids, babies and even an expectant mom for maternity shots!  So, step up to a BAY, shoot with a fashion or commercial photographer, ask questions and shoot some more.  Repeat.  One BAY was always open and designated for anybody who wanted to shoot anything they could possibly create and put together.     


AD encouraged us to float around from POD to POD.  Not really digging the POD on senior photography? Just leave and slip into the one on Social Marketing. I left several and moved around, sampling from different groups.  Even outside as I was roaming around with the Children’s Photography group I strolled off into the Senior Group and later joined the Off-Camera Flash group.  (Sounds more like ADHD).  Fantastic!  

AD allowed to me explore different areas of photography that I don’t normally shoot.  It also gave me incredible opportunities to spend time with some of the industry’s best in their respective areas.

The three days of Dallas After Dark challenged me to think and shoot differently and expanded my knowledge of posing, lighting and communicating with my subject.       


A FEW favorite things about the workshop:

• The day starts after lunch!
• The day ends at 2am or later!
• Chatting and shooting with some of the best.
• Challenged me to hone my craft, make some key business decisions and practice in areas out of my comfort zone.
• Perfect combination of business and hands on experience.