You can download art — you can’t download skill.

Skill is earned. It’s practiced. It lives in your hands, your eyes, and the way you see the world.

I’m bringing photography back to where it belongs: in person, in the field, with real light, real people, and a camera in your hands.

NOW BOOKING | Immersive Daydreamer Workshops in Amherst, VA.

Are you ready to find your voice?

Daydreamer Workshops

Who is this for?

Level 1 is for you if:

You own a film, DSLR, or mirrorless camera and feel like don't really know what you're doing, or why.
You technically know the exposure triangle, but it doesn’t feel instinctive yet.
You just read that and thought, "what triangle?"
You’re overwhelmed by settings and second-guess yourself every time the light shifts.
You’re craving a small, in-person environment where you can ask questions, practice, and get real feedback.

Level 2 is for you if:

You’re bored of trendy edits and poses and want your work to feel different.
You want to shoot families, couples, or portraits with more depth, connection, and atmosphere.
You want to shoot your own family or the world more creatively.
You’re craving a small, in-person environment where you can ask questions, practice, and get real feedback.

Not a fit if you only want quick social media tricks or to copy someone else’s style.

This is for photographers who want to build a craft.

Location: Amherst, Virginia
- Indoor and outdoor teaching
- Hands-on practice in beautiful, natural light spaces (in town, exact venue details sent upon registration).
Time: 2 PM – Dark
- We’ll begin in soft afternoon light and work all the way into that magic in-between time where everything I love lives.
Session Windows: January + February.
- Separate dates for each level, so you can choose one or both.
Group Size: Small, focused groups — 8 students max per level — so you get real attention and plenty of hands-on time.

Become one with your camera and shoot with intuition.

Level 1 is where we take manual mode out of the “panic zone” and turn it into muscle memory.

Drawing from a film-first, DSLR-trained approach, I’ll show you the exact decision tree I use on every session:

What equipment you actually need
ISO as a starting point – how much light you begin with
Shutter speed as your main dial – when to freeze motion, when to allow movement, and what is a red flag
Aperture for depth and story – what to choose, when to open up, and how to keep people sharp without sacrificing atmosphere
Safe ranges – the ISO, shutter, and f-stop zones where you can move freely without wrecking your image
Working without chimping – how to trust your settings and light so you’re not glued to the back of your camera
Field practice – we’ll put everything into action with real humans and real light, so manual finally makes sense in your hands, not just on paper.
Headshots and portfolio pieces – evidence of experience

You’ll leave Level 1 with a repeatable formula for exposure, plus hands-on practice so your camera feels like an extension of you.

2:00 PM until 5:00 PM

2:00 – 2:30 Instruction for manual settings

2:30 – 3:30 Pictures of each other (changing light conditions)

3:30 – 4:00 Download and further instruction

4:00 – 4:30 Model family

4:30 – 4:45 Closing and farewell

4:45 – 5:00 Late-light settings, hang out and practice as long as you'd like

Learn how to create timeless images with soul.

Level 2 is for when you’re done chasing trends and ready to make work that actually lasts.

We’ll dig into:

Composition like an artist – borrowing from the elements and principles of design (line, shape, balance, rhythm, negative space) and translating them into your frames
Subject vs. story – how to choose your point of focus with intention instead of letting autofocus decide for you
Depth of field beyond f-stop – using focal length and distance to sculpt space, not just cranking your lens wide open
Light as character – backlight, edge light, low light, light leaks, sun flares; why I often shoot “too dark” on purpose and pull the story out later
Honest frames vs. perfect faces – choosing connection, gesture, and truth over stiff perfection
Cohesive portfolio building – creating a body of work that looks like it came from one artist, not a scrolling list of Pinterest boards
Directing and posing – how to direct people without interfering and how to catch more than a "hero" image.