Will King Photography teaching Hildebrandt Photography

If you follow me often you will know I have dedicated 2013 to improving my business and skill, by upgrading my equipment, growing my lens family, & educating myself on lighting to step outside the large overwhelming group of home based photographers that you see popping up all over the place.

I have been waiting for months to see Will King (website) announce his lighting workshops for 2013, cause you better believe it I was going to be the crazy lady counting down the seconds until launch just to make sure I got me a seat. Then come to find out he is now offering one on one mentoring sessions!

 SCORE! (Insert super crazy happy dance here!)

I couldn't believe it, I could have a one on one 6+ hours with the lighting master of Virginia? (Yes I just said that!) I was totally geeing out every step of the way! From the first email my heart was racing, my palms were sweeting, & I was so so scared I would not be able to study with him for some ridiculous reason.  I couldn't believe it, I had just contacted Will King, the Will King Photography! I had told him I wanted to learn, I needed to learn, and I wanted to learn from him!

Now I am going to break this down to a hard truth, I have never liked male photographers I just had had bad expire cues with them up until last August when I drove all day north to meet and listen to Sal Cincata teach... So I had this mental image of Will as this old white guy with super light hair, glasses, and the this is a man's world. That scared me! Would I just shut down when I met him in person? I sure thought I might... But wouldn't you know it when I got an email back from Will saying.. "Give me a call, 757-555-Will" I was shocked! What man wants to teach and talk to a younger photographer (not my physical age but my expirence in the industry.) it was on like Donkey Kong!

The date was set, location was Newport News, & the excitement and fear were growing crazy! I was so excited to meet and get the chance to learn all there was about kiting some amazing shots from Will, but there was still that 20% of me that feared the rejection because of my photoAge or something else ridiculous... Ok so June 21st is finally here I get up at 5am, shower, dress, gear check, & hit the road for Newport News, But wait there was as all complication, I was getting sick. Sore everything, it couldn't be really happening right? The day is finally here for me to learn from a great and I can ever form a full thought on what I wanted to learn.

"Pull it together Erica! Really snap out of it grab a Sweet Tea for the road and sing your way down to Newport News."

I can't say I was any better when I got to Newport News but I was a little less nervous and a lot more felling like poop. Not even the topper I'm 45 minutes early! That's right how did I manage to leave at the exact moment my GPS told me too and still make it down 95 to 295 to 64 and be 45 minutes early. Ok no problem lets roll with it, I mean its possibles Icould one day have clients here in Newport and need to know a little of what's around let's explore. (That's the confident photographer in me! Wahoo)

At about 8:51am my phone rings.:.:. Will King Photohraphy calling, geeking out moment 2! The conversation went on short about location change, how to find it, & "I'll be the tall Asian guy." Click!
I remember thinking hey I just drove past that cool lets make a U-tur... WAIT he's Asian? Awesome! So I'm  not sure I could explain why that made me feel a little more at easy but it so did. Weird right?

Then it was the moment of truth time to meet the Will King! Yep tall Asian he was, and totally not the old mean white guy. But the down to earth awesome Will King! There were questions, and questions, & lots of really? I can't believe I just said that out load moments. Then out of no where my hand hurts from writing so much & it 2 hours of talking later. Time to shoot!

Yorktown Beach with the beautiful Susi (former Miss Teen Virginia) as our model for the day! Wow seriously Susi if you come across this blog thanks a ton for coming out and working with me in the heat, wind, and super chill of our day together!

Ok ok enough talking here's the images I was able to pull out of all the crazy learning and full brain of a Friday with Will King Photography ...

Will being Will & awesome at it!

My favorite Will quotes: "I want my images to kick them in the mouth." "Oh, I just started shooting. I have a great camera." "Don't use the light to make it brighter, use it to be dramatic.", "write this down, Good lighting is about what you light and about what you don't light." & "No me Will, you Erica"

THEN THERE WERE THESE FACE PUNCHING SHOTS...

Super big and crazy thank you to Will for letting me shadow him and ask him tons of silly questions all day!

So I am working hard to play and learn with all me new knowledge & gear. Then I am looking forward to tagging along with and still learning even more from Will King Photography as he shoots the new cover for Hampton Roads Priemier Bridal Magazine.!.! (Ekk!)