Western Content Retreat

In the past, I’ve attended workshops and styled shoots hosted by other photographers, and I’ve created my own.

[I detail some pro’s and con’s of each in this blog post here]

In August 2023, I had the opportunity to attend a Western Content Retreat in Moses Lake, Washington Hosted by Lauren Ann Photography + Jeni Jo Photography. It was a great experience! I signed up for this retreat to be able to meet new photographers and take some stress-free images with no agenda or planning required. It was the perfect place to try a few different settings, stretch myself in lighting scenarios, and just relax after a busy spring of portrait sessions.

If you are interested in attending something like this, they are hosting another one in Arizona this October!

Below I will post some of my settings, before/afters, and things I learned:

All of the images below were taken with my D850 and Sigma Art 135m lens. See what else is in my bag here.

ISO 125, f/1.8, 1/2500s

ISO 200, f/1.8, 1/2500s

ISO 200, f/1.8, 1/2500s

ISO 320, f/1.8, 1/4000s

ISO 640, f/1.8, 1/1250s

ISO 320, f/1.8, 1/1600s

ISO 400, f/1.8, 1/2000s

I typically shoot my portrait sessions at f/2.2 but I only used f/1.8 at these shoots because I wanted to test myself and my camera. I thought that focus stayed just as sharp at 1.8 as it does 2.2 for me, so I was happy with that!

Another way I tested myself was the use of light. I tend to shoot my subjects in a very particular way in relation to the light source based on my past preferences. I rarely stray away from that — it has become both a safety net and muscle memory. Sometimes the models were placed in relation to the light that I don’t normally shoot, and I was forced to experiment. Other times, I walked a full 360 degrees around the subject to test the light changing the warmth, shadows, mood, and overall aesthetic of the images.

The series below was taken all in a similar location within about 15 minutes, so the sun hadn’t moved much. It is dramatic to see how changes in the placement of the light can drastically change the images:

Left: the sun is facing her directly for a front-lit image. Right: the sun is to her right, for a side-lit image.

Both images here are technically backlit, but I let more sun flare into my lens on the right for the washed-out effect. The left image has more contrast because the sun isn’t directly hitting my lens.

Left: side-lit. Right: backlit.

This trio is side-lit but I tried to keep her face evenly shaded by her hair.

This trio is side-lit but I played with exposing for shadows vs highlights.

These two images were taken on the same path just seconds apart. The image on the left was backlit, with the sun hitting my lens for the sunflare. The image on the right was directly lit by the sun.

Lauren and Jeni did a great job on this styled shoot retreat setting up the models and locations and giving each participant the opportunity to expand their skills and portfolio. I was thankful to be a part of such a fun group of photographers!