Build a Portfolio:

Studio Photography Foundations

A two-day creative deep dive into lighting, portraiture, and product photography, designed to help you build confidence, content, and a professional portfolio that opens doors.

You’re a photographer who’s been experimenting, learning, and growing, and now you’re ready to take the next step. You want to feel confident in the studio, understand lighting properly, and build a portfolio that reflects the kind of work you want to be hired for. This workshop is designed to give you exactly that: practical skills, real experience, and a supportive environment where you can learn by doing.

Whether you dream of shooting fashion, products, or portraits, this workshop will help you build a portfolio that reflects your style and supports your next creative step.

You’ll learn in a small group (minimum 4, maximum 8 students), hands-on and side-by-side with us, Kate van der Drift and Cassey Locke, working photographers and artists with years of experience across commercial and fine-art photography.

You’ll be welcomed into a comfortable, supportive environment where you can experiment, ask questions, and finally feel confident stepping into commercial photography.

Capture, Create, and Build Your Portfolio

This workshop is specifically designed to help you:

Build a portfolio that opens new opportunities
Refine your technical skillset
Understand lighting in small to medium-sized spaces
Work with both strobe and natural light (and learn how to modify each)
Shoot real products and real models using real client moodboards
Experience the workflow of an actual commercial shoot day

You’ll learn using affordable, accessible equipment. Godox strobes, speedlights, DIY modifiers, reflectors, fabrics, and cutters, so that you can continue shooting on a realistic budget after the workshop ends.

You’ll also experience the difference between working in our:

Natural light studio (4.1m × 3.5m)
Main studio with strobes (6.5m × 3.5m)

This allows you to compare lighting approaches, limitations, and creative advantages in both environments.

It could translate to working in your personal garage or living room.

By the end, you’ll leave with a selection of portfolio-ready images to share on your website, Instagram, and in client pitches, plus new contacts, from potential clients to peer collaborators.

What You’ll Learn

Across the weekend, we’ll cover every stage of a professional studio shoot, from concept to capture to final delivery.

You’ll learn how to::

Master one- and two-light studio setups using budget-friendly gear
Compare natural, strobe, and mixed light
Direct models and shoot collaboratively on set
Work with real client moodboards (fashion + product)
Photograph clothing, jewellery, bottles, ceramics, and styled still life
Set up a tethered shoot using Capture One or Lightroom
Understand the differences between e-commerce, brand, and editorial photography
Edit, sequence, and build your portfolio
Present your work online with clarity and consistency

We’ll also go over client communication, collaborative workflows, and how to structure a shoot day, while breaking into small groups for hands-on learning tailored to your level.

Once you know the rules and foundations, you’ll learn how to break them. The key to experimentation and making truly interesting images.

How the Weekend Works

We’re setting this workshop up as close as possible to a real client shoot.

You will:

Work in small groups
Receive real client moodboards
Be given props and briefs directly from local brands
Shoot both product and fashion
Learn to style, light, and photograph in tight spaces
Rotate through different lighting conditions
Experience working with models and product on separate days
See how much can be achieved with simple, affordable tools

Day One:

Models, portraiture, lighting foundations, directing, natural vs strobe lighting, hands-on shoot + tethering + editing.

Day Two:

Product photography, still life, reflective surfaces, workflow, editing, sequencing, and portfolio development.

We will record as much of the workshop as possible. Edited recordings will be shared afterward so you can stay present during the weekend and revisit the lessons later.

What’s Included

Two full workshop days at Halide Studios, Whāingaroa / Raglan
All studio equipment (strobes, speedlights, modifiers, natural light setups)
Model hire + product samples from local brands
Hands-on mentorship from two professional photographers
Access to recorded sessions after the workshop
A professional headshot for your website or social media
Delicious lunch and refreshments both days
Small group size (4–8 students) for personalised support

Bring your own camera and laptop if you have them, or use our studio equipment to experiment and learn.

Who It’s For

This workshop is perfect for photographers who are:

Ready to transition from natural light to studio lighting
Building or refreshing their portfolio
Looking to understand commercial lighting in realistic spaces
Interested in fashion, product, e-commerce, or brand photography
Wanting to connect with other creatives in a supportive environment
Keen to learn how to collaborate with clients and work from briefs

Basic camera knowledge is helpful but not essential, we’ll guide you through everything.

Your Facilitators

Kate van der Drift

Artist and educator working across analogue and experimental photography, with 15 years of collaborative experience in portraiture, fashion, and advertising. Drawing from her background as both a practicing artist and educator at Elam School of Fine Arts, University of Auckland, as well as through platforms such as Art Photo School (online art education), Kate brings a grounded, hands-on approach to learning. Her workshops at Halide Studios bridge technical skill with creative experimentation, encouraging curiosity and a deeper connection to photographic practice.

Cassey Locke

Photographic artist and wedding photographer based in Whāingaroa. Her work explores the poetic and philosophical nature of image-making, and she brings a thoughtful, grounded approach to teaching.

Between us, we’ve worked across commercial and fine art photography, exhibitions, and creative business, and we know the ups and downs of making a creative life that works.

Workshop Schedule

Day One - Portraiture, Presence & Studio Confidence

10:00am - Welcome & Workshop Overview

We’ll begin with introductions and a walk-through of the weekend structure. We’ll talk about your goals, the kinds of work you want to make, and how to tailor the sessions to where you’re at.

You’ll get your first look at the client moodboards we’ll be using throughout the weekend.

10:45am - Understanding Client Briefs

We’ll introduce the workflow you’ll be simulating across the weekend: working from real client moodboards, selecting props, and planning a simple lighting approach that fits the creative direction.

11:15am - Directing Models & Portrait Foundations

Step into a live fashion and portrait session with a model. You’ll learn how to pose, direct, and collaborate confidently.

You’ll shoot in small groups so everyone gets hands-on time.

12:30pm - Lighting in Small Spaces: Natural Light vs Strobes

A comparative session exploring how to work effectively in compact studios. We’ll demonstrate:

• one and two-light setups

• using Godox strobes, speedlights, and budget-friendly modifiers

• DIY tools, fabrics, cutters, and reflectors

• shaping natural light in the 4m x 6m studio

You’ll rotate through small stations to see the differences firsthand.

1:00pm - Lunch Break

A relaxed, nourishing lunch and a chance to connect with other photographers.

1:45pm - Hands-On Shooting: Fashion & Portrait Mini-Shoots

Working from client moodboards, you’ll begin your first mini-shoot. Each group will photograph a model and create a series of images tailored to the brief.

You’ll practice lighting, directing, and adapting to real-world constraints.

3:30pm - Tethering & Workflow Demonstration

We’ll show you how to tether in Capture One and Lightroom, and how to build a simple, reliable on-set workflow.

4:00pm - Professional Headshots

We’ll photograph each participant in the studio so you leave with a fresh headshot for your website or social media.

4:30pm - Editing & Review Session

A guided editing session where we’ll compare Lightroom and Capture One, discuss colour, sequencing, and professional polishing.

5:30pm - Q&A + Wrap-Up

An open conversation about creative practice, pricing, portfolios, and the realities of working with clients.

Day Two - Product, Branding & Portfolio Building

10:00am - Product Photography Foundations

We’ll begin with an overview of shooting jewellery, bottles, ceramics, and small objects.

You’ll learn:

• how to handle reflections

• how to light shiny surfaces on a budget

• how to build small sets from affordable materials

• the key differences between ecommerce, brand, and editorial imagery

10:45am - Group Assignment: Client Brief Still Life Shoot

Working in small groups, you’ll choose from real client moodboards and build a simple still life setup.

You’ll rotate between stations to shoot bottles, jewellery, and styled arrangements, each with different lighting conditions.

12:30pm - Lunch & Discussion

Time to rest, connect, and ask questions.

1:30pm - Editing, Workflow & Sequencing

Work through your images from both days. We’ll guide you through:

• cleaning up files

• building consistent colour

• editing for different end uses

• sequencing your images into a cohesive portfolio

3:30pm - Portfolio Review & Feedback

You’ll sit with both Kate and Cassey for supportive, constructive feedback on your images. We’ll help you identify strengths, refine direction, and plan next steps.

5:00pm - Closing Circle

We’ll wrap with reflections, questions, and a few practical insights into maintaining creative flow and finding clients.

You’ll leave with new contacts, a deeper technical foundation, hands-on experience with real client workflows, and polished images for your portfolio.

Investment

Dates: 11-12 July 2025

Time: 10:00am both days

Location: Halide Studios, Whāingaroa / Raglan

Early Bird: 1,150 (until January 15, 2026)

Full Price: 1,300

Limited to 8 participants

Flexible payment plans available, just email us or book a quick call to discuss options.

Choose your Payment Option

Early Bird Full Price

1150.00

We’re offering an Early Bird Discount until January 15, 2026. This offer is available for one-time payment only.

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2 Months Installment

700/mo

We offer a 2-month installment plan at $700 per month.

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4 Weeks Installment

325/week

A 4-week installment plan is also offered at NZ$325 per week.

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What Past Students Say

“Learning with a group of people from different backgrounds was so lovely. To know that I’m not alone in this journey and there are people out struggling with the same things. Kate is such a patient teacher and has a really diverse knowledge skillset when it comes to photography” Sarah W.

“So hands on! So fun!”

Alicia T.

“Very excited to get home and try out some of these techniques and show some of my new images to potential clients locally. Thanks very much for such an inspiring and confidence building experience” Hannah H.