Mark emailed back in forth with Kassandra and mostly about Southern food. Really! Not about hosting a workshop but about all the great Southern food he would be introducing us too. Totally funny! Kassandra has not been going to every SWB workshop but she was not about to miss this one and off we flew to Alabama.

Fried green tomatoes, grits, turnip greens, barbeque, biscuits and gravy: Kassandra was in hog heaven! Asia traveled perfectly and loved everyone there. Southern hospitality is no joke…it is downright real! Mark and his family treated us so nicely and really knew how to host and make us feel welcome. Randi, Keith and Carla...Thank you! The wedding cake girl (Jonica) made Kassandra an amazing cake...just for the fun of it and made her day! I will miss Maggie the Dog the most! That dog was crazy and funny!

The workshop was amazing and we photographed in some really different locations. Rain forced us into an old steel mill and refurbished and non-refurbished old cinemas. Actually after Mark said it was going to rain and we needed to shoot indoors at these places I was totally pumped to do this. I had a blast teaching how to use video lights and work great composition in such dark places. So much fun!! Man I want to shoot in a steel mill again. Wow, what lines!

Mark I appreciate your generous hosting and your great family!

Looks like we are going to set up one for next year. Fun!

These are some of my favorite shots from a few of the photographers attending.

When Jaco asked me to come to South Africa to head a 2-day convention/workshop I was like…why not!! We love to travel and Africa was one of the only continents we had not traveled to yet. So I suggested we arrange it more like my SWB workshops here in the states. That was not an easy task. We had about 80 photographers and I still wanted everyone to get a chance to shoot some models. We had 2 models dressed in amazing bride dresses! We split the class up in half and I talked while I shot. Then I turned them lose! But we had big areas to shoot from and everyone moved around and found their own area to make something special out of it. We shot at a large Las Vegas style casino. You could not believe the different angles everyone got. I taught a ton of compositional training for half a day before we went out to shoot. The shooting and critiquing was one full days worth of material and style, branding and marketing took up one full day.

Totally successful class and I had a blast! South Africans are so dang friendly and we loved hanging out with everyone!

Kassandra and little Asia came along and we traveled to some wild game parks to see real (in your face) lions, elephants, hippos and just about any other animal you thought Africa would have. Amazing!!

Thanks everyone!! Jaco you are a great host and you put together a fantastic workshop!

These are some of my favorite shots from a few of the photographers attending.

Sean and Melanie were amazing hosts…in their home and setting up the workshop! You guys rock! Everyone was great and totally enjoyable to hang out with and shoot with! We shot one past bride, a Country/Western singer and a girl that wants to do more modeling. Totally fun day shooting in a barn, around a farm and urban style. We shot into the night in back ally ways using building floodlights and video lights. We had more fun shooting in a cement parking garage! The Light was there and that is all we needed!

What a blast!!

These are some of my favorite shots from a few of the photographers attending.

Thanks Travis for hosting a great workshop! We shot in a covered old wood bridge, out in the forest, in very old historical homes and around some urban downtown structures. One pro model with long black boots and eyelashes and a past bride who modeled for fun. It was a great overall day and we shot a little into the night with video lights. Maryland is very green and has a Waffle House on every corner!! ;-) Another waffle with maple syrup please!

You all were fun to shoot with!!

These are some of my favorite shots from a few of the photographers attending.

Man I had a blast shooting with you all in the red sandstone mountains of Sedona! I love that area! The models were fun and also pro photographers working with Matt. Matt hosted the workshop and made it work great on short notice. Thanks Matt!! This was all about the amazing natural environment of Arizona. Very fun!

These are some of my favorite shots from a few of the photographers attending.

Everyone clicking it!