Earlier this month I was blessed with the opportunity to participate in a workshop on posing and lighting with the legendary  Lou Freeman.

Lou's story is one that you can't help being inspired. The second female photographer hired by playboy, she created beautiful images for their clients for 12 years. She's worked with models, top names,  stars and magazines all over the world.  With a celebrity client list that includes the names of Jamie Fox, Niki Taylor, Jack Nicholas, Tiger Woods,  Lisa ‘Left Eye’ Lopes, just to name a few. Images featured in 100's of magazines with the likes of Vogue, Glamour, Vanity Fair, Elle, people, Modern Bride and corporate clients like, Saks, Macy's, Ralph Lauren, Target... The list goes on and on.

A lot of photographers with these credentials would have spent the entire day telling us how wonderful they were, Lou very humbled and down to earth spoke from the heart sharing her passion for creating images with impact.   What I learned during this workshop is that Lou may be beautiful inside and out but what she is a able to create far out weights any client list or job. She has an eye for painting with light to create a mood or emotion that doesn't just lay on the page it jumps off and into your heart.

First let me clarify a little when I say painting with light. I do not mean the type of photography that you hear about where someone goes out at night with a flashlight, leaves their shutter open and lights up areas in a scene. What I mean is that she selectively uses photography lights (scrims, snoots, umbrellas, gels, beauty dish, barn doors...) to highlight areas in an image that she wants to draw attention to, a background, facial features, legs, props creating mood, drama, emotion.

If you guessed I loved the class you would be right on target. I would recommend that anyone who has an opportunity to work or learn from Lou grab that chance. Here are a few of the images I took during her class.  Models: Siobhan Murtiff, Shauna Rae Riordan and Arianna Cian-Prichard. Hair: Alisha Salisbury Makeup: Rosangela McCann. Stylist, set director, and amazing teacher- Lou Freeman.