Our first Rev Workshop was held February 8th & 9th, 2020 in Seattle WA.
(yes, we snuck it in RIGHT before the pandemic would have prevented us from gathering together!) It was an exciting, upbeat and community-oriented weekend. Check out the info & photos below to recap our previous workshop.
2020 Speakers
Carina Skrobecki (co-creator)
cassphoto.net
Carina is a Seattle native who moved from the wedding photography world to commercial work and now actively works in both fields (and believes you CAN do both). Whether in studio or on a mountain, she loves “unity & variety”, which has led her to work with brands from REI to Nordstrom, and from Condé Nast to photographing a cookbook. She loves instructing and the creation of this workshop is an education vision coming to life (aka: she’s THRILLED you’re here).
“So You Got an Inquiry…A Step-by-Step Guide of What Comes Next”
Kara Mercer (co-creator)
karamercer.com
Kara specializes in developing content for fashion, travel, and lifestyle brands. Her work is influenced as much by minimalism and thought-provoking conversations as it is by contemporary studies in human psychology and the emotive feel of romanticism. She loves a good story & it’s with these influences, she has created work for various commercial campaigns (print and digital) and editorial work. She’s gotten the opportunity to work for brands like J. Crew, Filson, United Airlines, Everlane & Tesla. Lastly, Kara is a worldwide speaker and we’re thrilled she’s helping lead this team.
“Grace & Gumption: Stepping into the Commercial World 101”
Esther Lee
eslee.com
The queen of minimalism, Esther is a fashion and art photographer whose work has taken her all over the world. Her aesthetic is classic and timeless and has worked with innovative brands such as Dior, Club Monaco, Michael Kors, & Muji. She's no stranger to understanding the entire the process of bringing a shoot to life from ideation to production to art directing to executing and is excited to share her experiences.
“The Art of Hat Wearing: Conquering the Many Roles as a Commercial Photographer”
Kip Beelman
kipmancreative.com
Kip is like the little bird that sits on your shoulder and gives you the best advice you never knew you needed to hear — and does it in a way that is easy to digest & understand. Coming from decades of experience in music licensing, he now runs a full service photography & video collective that works with brands like Microsoft, Adobe, & Nike. He also happens to be a husband, dad (+ dog dad), and tech guru. There really aren't enough positive words to describe Kip because…well, he’s all of them.
“Estimating Success: Licenses, Usage & Bids Oh My!”
Emily Nathan
emilynathan.com
Emily loves perfecting the details of pre-production almost as much as the energy and excitement of shoot days, and that’s why we’ve invited her. She enjoys working with intimate, local production crews and expansive international ones alike to create consistent pictures that resonate with humanity, warmth and optimism. Even while shooting at lifestyle speed, Emily is a careful editor on set as well as in the post process. She seeks out new experiences, tastes, and locations, but also delights in returning to favorites and sharing them with her friends and colleagues. She’s eager to teach and we hope you’re eager to learn.
“The Marriage of Production & Photography”
Wyn Wiley (aka Pattie Gonia)
wynwiley.com
Wyn is a photographer and part time backpacking drag queen Pattiegonia. He’s a big fan of not taking life too seriously and a big believer that life is better with people in your corner. As your teacher, he cares about your success as a business owner but, more importantly, cares about your business and your art feeling right to your gut. His aim is to have you feel as at home in the commercial world as you do in your portrait and wedding careers. There is SO much creativity to explore in the commercial space and he can't wait for you to start booking and doing more of it. Aside from all that, he’s “here to have. a. damn. good. time. with. you. Ok that is all, ttyl.”
“Staying True to Your Style and Yourself: Attracting (the Right) Clients”
We also had hands-on demos that took us to the technical side of shooting.
Ryan Warner
ryanwarnerphotography.com
Ryan began his career in the world of advertising: developing digital, print and television campaigns for a multitude of clients including T-Mobile, Nike, and Weight Watchers. He has since found a home behind the lens and moved to the creative side of those campaigns. He specializes in portraiture, fashion photography and developing commercial content. Ryan is a champion of dynamic light both in the studio and in the natural world which makes him such a proficient in understanding light and how to control it effectively. He couldn't be more excited to walk you through the fundamentals of lighting and how to bend it to your creative will.
“Lighting Fundamentals: Your Greatest Ally”
Sahara Coleman
saharacoleman.com
After graduating from the Seattle Creative Academy in 2011 and gaining experience on commercial photography sets over the past 8 years, Sahara discovered her true calling as a digital tech and began focusing on her skill. She has since expanded her knowledge to not only DSLR tethering but has gone into the digital medium format realm, working closely with the Phase One digital medium format cameras. Her client roster include companies such as Nordstrom, Amazon, and Microsoft. When she’s not on set Sahara can also be found shooting weddings, portraits, and hunting around for the best burger in Seattle.
“How to Not Want To Gauge Your Eyes Out Shooting Tethered: Say Hello to Digi Techs!”
2020 Industry Experts Panel
We tried something new and we’re SUPER glad we did…our INDUSTRY PANEL!
Students learned from the people doing the hiring & collaborating (aka: the head honchos & fellow creatives who would hire them or work alongside them one day). Through a curated panel, we were able to give an exclusive advantage to hearing from experienced folks in the creative industry and not just photographers. The panel was one of our most well-reviewed portions of the weekend. Those who joined us were:
Quinn Ianniciello — Creative Director at Amazon
Amanda Carter Gomes — Creative Director at The Fold Magazine
Karen Okonkwo — Social Entrepreneur and Founder of TONL
Jess Chamberlain — Writer, Editor & Content Strategist (Sunset Magazine, Amazon Home)
Malina Lopez — Prop & Product Stylist
Steve Kennevan — Creative Producer & Director
IMAGES FROM THE WEEKEND!
Thank you to Gavin Demorus for capturing our event!
Testimonials:
During our last workshop, we had students from 18 different states join us in Seattle (woah!) and we were thrilled to get the feedback we did. If it proved one thing it was that a learning environment like Rev was so incredibly needed in this industry. Here are a few of the things our past attendees had to say about their experience:
“This was the first photography workshop I attended and the reason I chose THIS one to spend money on, to fly out to, etc? Because it put aside ego or establishment and was honest, open, and authentic.
It was clearly a space to learn and ask questions without judgement. It didn't seem intimidating but also clearly didn't seem like a waste of an investment. The panel and attendees backed up what was promised. The education was concrete and everyone left feeling confident to take immediate next steps in their own career paths - no matter what level you were at.”
“Loved every minute of it…
Before I even arrived, I felt confident that it would be a good investment. Y’all did not disappoint! I’ve been to multiple workshops and this one was by far one of the best!”
“Information overload in a good way…
I think the most invaluable part was bridging what felt like a barrier into commercial work. It no longer feels like an out of reach foreign area.”
“WOW! Hands down best workshop I have been to...
Beyond pleased that I got actual resources and tools to start diving into my business.”
“Although it felt like we barely scratched the surface in the two days at The Rev, it was honestly the most incredible experience…
It made me think of items I wasn’t thinking before, gave me more clarity in areas where I didn’t know what I was doing, and reinforced that there are some things I’m doing right! It was so valuable!”
“I had a blast learning and listening to people who have been in the commercial world for a long time…
It gave me a lot of comfort seeing so many other faces in the room knowing we are all going through this learning process together. I also realized I know a lot more than I thought, which was so reassuring.”
“I was very much using The Rev as a platform for 'continuing education' as I've been working in the commercial world already for 10+ years…
I've been feeling in a rut or that branching into a new career was unattainable. The Rev gave me that confidence and sense of validation that I'm on the right track and I have all the tools in front of me to make it happen. The workshop was simply that key I needed to twist and open the damn door!”
“The speakers were fantastic, the classes were super informative, and the industry panelists were amazing…
I think the best part was simply the attendees being able to ask so many questions and the information provided was impactful. I also was able to make friends and connect with people I've known via internet but to put a face to names was so much fun. From start to finish, the workshop was a blast and I really do feel equipped to begin pursuing commercial photography!”
“Such a wonderful experience…
I was impressed not only by the workshop content itself, but also by the genuine warmth & generosity of all of the hosts/speakers + entire community.”