Workshop: Creative Portrait Lighting
Students explore light as a design element in portrait photography, using direction, contrast, and shadow to shape mood, meaning, and visual impact. The workshop emphasizes critical thinking, visual problem-solving, and intentional decision-making, aligned with CTE and California Arts Standards.
*Students are encouraged to bring DSLR cameras. If they do not have cameras, please let us know on the booking form and we can provide a few cameras for students to share. The workshop can also be augmented to teach with phone cameras but that is not the preferred method.
Level: Beginner to Advanced
Duration: 1.5 hours
Offered: October to May
Meet The Team
Workshops are taught by photographic artists Steffanie A. Padilla or Miguel Esparza.
Steffanie A. Padilla is a Mexican-American artist, photographer, and filmmaker. At UCR ARTS, she serves as the Museum Education Program Coordinator, creating programs that connect people of all ages to the power of photography. She received a BFA from California State University, Long Beach, and an MFA in Photography from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Miguel Esparza is a practicing photographer specializing in portrait and documentary photography. He has a BA in Photography from California Baptist University and has worked as a photography assistant, learning from some of the greatest in the industry. Miguel is currently a freelance photographer and educator with a goal of helping to shape the next generation of image makers.