Art directors are saying it flat out: no motion, no consideration. This workshop changes that.
"If there's no motion on your site, I may not even look at the rest of your book."Art Directors. More than one. More than once.
You've spent years building a still photography practice. The lighting is solid. The composition is yours. The clients are there.
But the brief has changed. Brands need content that moves. Social feeds scroll past static images without a second look. And the photographers getting hired for the bigger jobs are the ones who can hand a client a finished motion piece along with the stills.
This workshop is for photographers who are ready to add motion without abandoning what they already know how to do. We're not making films. We're making short, silent, professional motion pieces — stop motion, video clips under 10 seconds, and cinemagraphs — the kind that live on a portfolio page and make an art director stop scrolling.
Eight weeks. Six finished pieces. One workshop that treats you like the professional you already are.
A single product. Continuous light. Deliberate camera movement. Under 10 seconds and ready to drop on a portfolio page.
Moving light across a product to build mood. The kind of shot that shows a client you understand how light behaves over time, not just in a single frame.
A multi-angle or multi-shot tabletop build that demonstrates planning, execution, and editorial thinking in motion.
A complete stop motion clip. Frame-by-frame, fully post-processed, with the timing and rhythm that makes the technique work.
One element moves. Everything else stays still. When it works, people can't stop watching it. You'll know how to make it work.
Your choice of technique. Fully post-processed. This is the one you put at the top of the page.
90 minutes each, every Saturday at 7 AM Pacific starting June 20. Present, ask questions, get your work critiqued in real time.
Every live session is recorded. A separate recorded class accompanies each week for deeper reference when you're on set.
Shot list templates, lighting diagrams, gear checklists, post-processing reference guides. Practical material you'll actually use.
Post your work between sessions. Get feedback from your cohort and from Don. The critique between classes is where a lot of the learning happens.
A set of purpose-built resources developed specifically for this workshop. Details inside.
Six structured shoots that build on each other. Each assignment has a specific constraint that teaches more than an open brief ever would.
Early Bird pricing is open now through June 1. The workshop begins June 20. Both options include everything — eight sessions, recordings, PDFs, the private group, and all six portfolio shoots.
Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 7 AM Pacific
Live on Zoom, 90 minutes per session, every Saturday for 8 weeks
Established photographers ready to add motion to their commercial or editorial practice
A camera that shoots video, a product or two, and the willingness to do the work between sessions
I've been shooting commercial and editorial work for over 55 years. Food, tabletop, product, editorial — the kind of work that lives in ad campaigns and brand libraries, not contest galleries. I spent years as a partner and creative director at an ad agency, which means I've sat on both sides of the brief.
I've been teaching for more than 20 years, and I've written eight books on photography and the business of building a practice. What I don't do is dress up basic information in motivational language and sell it at a premium. I teach what actually works on set, with real clients, under real deadlines.
The photographers I work with are serious about their craft and their business. They don't need cheerleading. They need straight information, honest critique, and a clear path from where they are to where they want to be.
That's what this workshop is. Eight weeks of work. Six finished pieces. And a clear understanding of how motion fits into the commercial photography business you're building.
Early Bird registration is open now. $299 through June 1, then $349. The workshop begins June 20 on Zoom, Saturdays at 7 AM Pacific.
Register at Early Bird Price — $299