Lindsay Davenport Photography Workshop | Las Cruces, NM

February 26, 2015

“I really want to put myself out there and begin shooting more. I feel like this workshop has given me the confidence to do that!” – Alexandra

Lindsay and Jordan really personalized the workshop.  The intimidation factor was not there at all.  I felt completely at ease asking questions.” -Leila

“It was so comforting to finish this workshop with the satisfaction of having all my questions answered during the workshop. Lindsay and Jordan are the perfect duo and compliment each other so well as partners in their business. And on top of all of that, Lindsay has already shown so much support of my growth and goals. She has followed up with each of us and is still answering our endless questions and curiosities.” -Leah 

“The value I received from the workshop was way more than the payment of your workshop. I learned so much!”- Margaret

Last weekend Jordan and I held our first ever photography workshop geared toward photographers who have just started or who are planning on starting their own photography business. Ummm…PINCH ME! I’m dreaming! These four beautiful ladies blessed us in more ways than they’ll ever know! When I started my photography business over a year and a half ago, I would’ve loved to have a mentor who walked me through those 382057 questions that arise when you’re first diving in. I felt alone for so long until I finally reached out and realized there were so many other friendly photographers around me, as well as free and encouraging resources online. I quickly became drawn to the photographers who were an open book, compassionate and genuine. I think this combined with my evident passion for photography made for the perfect combination for teaching a workshop. 

When going on a walk with my dear creative friend Jess (yes, same creative friend I always mention!), she encouraged this workshop idea of mine that I had last semester. Basically because of her encouragement, it came to fruition, and I am so thankful for her that!! Quite simply, this last weekend was more than a blast for me. I got to tag-team lead a photography workshop with my husband in our home.; I got to plan and cook food for more than just my hubby and me; And I got to basically pour out my passion, heart and knowledge to four talented ladies who are eager to dive into a possible photography business. When the doors closed, I had given all that I had. Jordan and I looked at each other, wiped out, and knew we weren’t finished there. We’ve continued to connect with these ladies via our LDP Workshop FB group answering questions and keeping this journey an open book for us all. And we’re hoping this isn’t our last workshop in Las Cruces either…!

Our day started with introductions and Starbucks’ drinks…duh! And maybe they got a little goodie bag with surprises too! It was fun hearing the background and passion of all of these ladies and being able to share ours and how we were recently just in their shoes. Our first “classroom” (not classroom, but more like living room!) session began with covering specific blogs and resources, shooting in manual (ISO, shutter speed, aperture), using memory cards, and other concepts like metering, histograms, bokeh, white balance, crop sensor VS full frame, and RAW VS JPEG. We talked about the differences in lenses and the various purposes ours serve. And on that note, we shared how we steadily saved and purchased our gear. Then we dove into the best….lighting. This was the area I needed a genie on my shoulder helping me along the way! We dove into how to shoot in the shade, on a cloudy day, and backlight your subjects. At this point, we were long-winded and decided to finish up the remainder of the presentation during dinner! We headed on out to begin head shots and the application portion of the workshop! Unfortunately, it was cloudy, so we couldn’t implement backlighting. But hey, we’re just thankful it wasn’t windy for us!! 

The application portion of the session consisted of head shots and a lot of question-and-answer time! We had a couple model for us who was just absolutely PERFECT! Leah even commented that somehow I scored the most comfortable models! Both Kristen, Jason AND Jessica were just beautiful in front of our cameras–and so patient when there were teachable moments! I was proud of how the ladies just stepped right in and started posing them! Jordan and I both helped my answering questions throughout this portion, whether it was lighting, shooting in manual, composition, or whatever questions arose! 

See?! Are they not ADORABLE!? And is Jess not BEAUTIFUL?! I have to give Leah credit to Jess’ picture. I love the candid shot she got from Jess here! 

And aren’t these ladies beautiful, as well!? They were so much fun! 

After we practiced on our lovely models, we walked back into our home that smelled of yummy taco soup! We ate and finished the first part of the presentation, briefly touching on marketing, branding, pricing yourself, composition, client interaction, and vendors I use! 

AND THEN! And then the Lightroom portion began! Have I mentioned I just love Lightroom? Oh, okay, I have! 😉 We displayed Lightroom on our big screen and walked through every step of my editing workflow. All of it from import to export! I even handed the girls flash drives with screenshots of all of my settings, so they didn’t feel rushed to copy everything as we went along! We imported our photos from the application time and touched on every tool and section of Lightroom. And yes, this is where extra time was necessary!!! Everyone seemed to be okay about it though! 😉

Power points were extremely detailed and helpful.  The flash drive that was provided is a great asset for reflecting and looking back on all of the topics.” -Leila

“Seriously you guys flowed so well with each other! It was like a waltz! Both of you were so helpful and patient and I never felt like I was asking a “dumb” question.”- Alexandra

I’m not going to lie…I NEEDED my partner! He impresses me everyday with how photography-savvy and servant-hearted he is. 

All in all, I couldn’t have been more excited after we completed the workshop. The girls were so teachable, previously-knowledgeable and just downright sweet. I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect group to kick off with. We got to open up our home and share our photography knowledge and passion with some awesome ladies. Success!! On that note, here are some more reviews and images of our beautiful models!!

“Fun. Energetic. Informative. Comfortable. Interactive. Attentive. WORTH EVERY PENNY!”- Alexandra

 Alexandra

Alexandra

 “I loved getting to be in your home. It was relaxing and didn’t feel like a classroom!” -Leah

 Leah

Leah

I had a great experience.  The explanations and patience with everyone was way beyond my expectations. ” -Leila

 Leila

Leila

“I feel that you both covered the start to end of the photography business. It makes me feel more confident as a photographer knowing all the steps.  Great introduction to Lightroom!”- Margaret

 Margaret

Margaret

Jessica, Kristen and Jason, THANK YOU!!!

To get more information about a future workshop in Las Cruces, send an email to lindsaydavenportphotos@gmail.com to be put on the waiting list! 

A special thank you goes to our models who were so comfortable and patient with us, the Woods’ family for letting us use their land, Jess for the little nudge to follow through with the workshop and of course, Jordan for being awesome in all the areas I’m lacking, being a sounding board, encourager and lover, and being my partner in all my dreams. 

  1. Gina says:

    This looks like so much fun!

  2. Donald says:

    Wonderful!!! 100%

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Lindsay Davenport is a newborn and motherhood photographer + educator based in Dallas and available for travel worldwide.

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