Back in February, I shared a post about my new found love for teaching photography. I had conducted a small, unofficial photography class for my MOPS group and really enjoyed sharing my passion for photography with those who were yearning  to know more. The moms were so excited about what they had learned and wanted to learn even more, so they asked if we could get together outside of MOPS to practice shooting. I was flattered and excited, and knew that I needed to make it happen for the moms.

So last weekend, we met up for the first ever (unofficial) JFP photography shootout! It was a beautiful day in Morgantown…lots of sunshine, springtime blooms and a young couple willing to be patient and pose for us photographers. I met five moms at the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park where we spent more time together than expected, which was totally fine by me…and bound to happen when you’ve got the surroundings, models and company that we had. 🙂 I immediately felt comfortable in the role of photographer-teacher and taught the moms everything I could. It was so rewarding to see them having fun, learning from each other and excited to share their captures with me. This little get-together was affirmation that I really REALLY enjoy teaching and sharing photography with others. I cannot wait to have another shootout this summer!

Thanks for a wonderful time of shooting, teaching and hanging out, moms. And a special thanks to Lauren and Austin for graciously volunteering to be our models. Your patience and friendliness was greatly appreciated! You guys did so great!

We first made the parking garage look pretty. 🙂 Diffused and directional light and contrast of industrial backdrop with pretty subjects was the topic of discussion here…

Here, I talked about using surroundings to create an interesting composition and how to deal with distractions in the background. The park was FILLED with blossoms, so we used them every chance we got!

My new mom friend Sara in action!

Shooting through the tree and dealing with harsh-ish sunlight…

When there are distractions in the background that just can’t be helped, I like to include them in the composition to create a natural scene…and it always looks good in black and white…

The moms in action!

And then we entered the “forest” of blooms…and that’s what caused us to spend way more time shooting than expected. How could we not just soak these trees in!?!

One of my favorites from the shootout. My 135mm lens sure does great job with portraits!

Of course we talked about how to use manual settings while shooting, but a main part of this stop was sharing how to use one location for many different portraits. We moved very little while in the “forest” of blooms, but got a wide variety of pictures…

Awe, I love this one! Lauren and Austin, you guys are cute. 🙂

Finished the shootout with some soft images…

If you’re interested in attending the next shootout in Morgantown this summer, send me an email at jessica@jessicafikephotography.com. If you’re interested in some one-on-one time, consider a mentor meeting! You can find out more here.

P.S. Yes, I did forget to take a group picture…again! The next time I get a group of people together for a photography event, I NEED TO GET A GROUP PICTURE! Someone please remind me. 🙂