The Portrait Masters Conference, Review and First-timer Tips
In September, I attended the 2022 Portrait Masters Conference in Phoenix Arizona. It was my first time and when considering whether to go or not, I had trouble finding a lot of information online, especially first person accounts as well as tips for what to bring or what to expect. For people like me, who love to have all the information ahead of time, I thought it was important to put together an article that really goes over all the details as well as an honest review of the conference.
Please keep in mind that this is my own personal experience and opinion. Every single person will walk away from an event having undergone a completely unique medley of thoughts, feelings, and occurrences. These are mine..
A shooting bay at The 2022 Portrait Masters conference with one of the more popular Sue Bryce Education models, Aphrodite.
About The Portrait Masters Conference
The Portrait Masters Conference is really an in-person extension of Sue Bryce Education. It revolves around Sue’s mentoring platform, shooting style, and people who are members of that website. This is also a much smaller conference than others, about 500 people in attendance.
The price
The Portrait Masters conference is definitely more expensive than other conferences. Instead of a few hundred dollars, it costs over a thousand dollars to attend. I paid $2,500 for VIP admission and an early bird ticket goes for $1,500. In order to get a VIP ticket, you also had to be able to purchase within about an hour of the tickets going on sale, which is only accessible to those who pay for the top tier Sue Bryce Education membership, which is $699. Plus flights, UBERs, hotel room, and meal costs (lunch is provided at the conference, but you’ll still need breakfast, dinner, and drinks). In total, I spent a bit over $4,500 for this business trip (keep in mind, this is tax deductible).. so this is definitely something to keep in mind when considering whether this is right for you as a photographer. The price also means that most of the people attending are in a certain place within their business, usually making actual money and serious about their craft. And as a result, the conversations with people you meet are going to be at a certain level, too, which could be very helpful.
VIP vs General Admission
I decided to opt for the VIP ticket for the conference. The big difference between VIP and general admission is reserved seating in the first 5 rows (not reserved for individuals, but for all VIPs) and a “Meet the Speakers” experience during registration day (more on that below). There are also a few other extras: a VIP lounge room during the afternoon “Shoot & Shop” experience (a room upstairs with water, lemonade, and some chocolates), VIP swag (a Portrait Masters t-shirt), and some drink tickets for each nightly event (plus a small bottle of sparkling wine that was delivered to each attendee’s room). So really, Sunday’s event is the biggest difference, in my opinion. Was it worth it? For me, yes it was. Simply because I wanted the best possible experience for my first time attending (knowing that I also might choose to not go again in later years).
When to arrive
When booking your flights or hotel room, it’s important to note that the conference really starts on Sunday morning. I got an afternoon flight from JFK into Phoenix on Saturday and arrived right around 4pm, perfect for check in (some other people got in early and had to wait for their rooms for hours). I was also able to meet other attendees in the lobby and go to a nice dinner out, which allowed me to have a lovely group of people that I already met going into registration day, since I really didn’t know many other attendees going into this.
My flight out was the day after the conference ended (so Thursday morning). Wednesday night goes late with the wrap party and if you want to enjoy the entire day, it might be a good idea to stick around. That being said, many people do end up leaving Wednesday afternoon and things do quiet down after the last presentation and lunch.
Overview of the schedule
SUNDAY - Registration
Sunday is registration day and the first day you’ll want to be on-site. VIP registration is early in the morning, starting at 9am, and allowed VIP members to do their 1-on-1 “mentor speed dating” earlier than everyone else. Starting at noon, registration opened up for everyone else and there were presentations on the main stage from 12:30pm until 3:00pm. There was no reserved VIP seating for these and not enough seating in general so many people were sitting on the floor to listen to the talks.
Around 3:30pm, the buses started to fill up to leave for the VIP experience. There were 3 buses total and by the time I arrived right around 3:30pm, the first bus was already full. The drive to The Duce was about 10 minutes and most people spent that time chatting to their seat mate and meeting new people. The buses went back and forth the whole night, and I headed back to the hotel around 8:30pm (being on East coast time and all). More on that VIP experience below.
Monday - Day 1
The Vlada Backdrops booth was my favorite - they had the best lighting setup using Profoto strobes (a rarity at the conference!).. but were only there the first 2 days.
This was the first real day of the conference, with scheduled talks in the morning, provided lunch, and shooting bays and vendors in the afternoon. The first day was definitely a bit hectic because it was my first time at the conference and I had no idea what the logistics were for everything (or where anything was, really). In terms of the presentations, Tabatha Coffey kicked off the conference with a great talk about personal change and embodying the person you want to become. Sue Bryce’s presentation was a photoshoot with Teri Hofford and was a free-form, no-posing narrative, which is very different than what Sue Bryce typically does when she photographs women. Chris Orwig wrapped up the presentations with inspiring imagery and once again a non-posing approach. Many people afterwards felt like the first day’s presentations were incredibly emotional and intense, and I agree. It was a bit of a strange start because the presentations were nothing like Sue’s mainstay education (which focuses on posing) and almost anti-posing. There’s nothing bad about that approach, but it was very different than what I was expecting (Day 2 and 3 were definitely more of what I thought it would be like).
Lunch was included and was quite good. It was served in a separate building, The Canyon Ballroom, buffet style with 3 separate tables worth of food set up for lines. The first day was Mediterranean food and I found that the lunches were really the best food around with a good amount of vegetarian options. There was also a table with water, iced tea, hot tea, coffee, and dessert. The one thing I found is that there were AC fans blasting the middle of the huge room and if you sat in that middle section (or the start of the tables), you basically froze the entire time. I learned to sit towards the back of the table setup where the fans weren’t nearly as strong to avoid it after that first lunch and the temperature was definitely more moderate.
Lunch was scheduled for 30 minutes and there were two demo presentations on the main stage right at 1pm (really lunch was served 12-2pm, but nobody told us that in terms of the schedule). Many people didn’t make those because they took longer for lunch or they went straight to the Shoot & Shop area, which also started at 1pm. I made sure to make it to Michele Celentano’s demo at 1:30pm as I know how amazing she is. So it was at 2pm that I finally made it out to the shooting bays and the vendor area. I’ve heard in the past years that lines were long for practicing with models, but I personally found it quite manageable. Waiting in line you can also chat with the person next to you, which is really why you’re there, isn’t it?
Dinner was a variety of food trucks next to the building set up with tables for lunch/dinner (so you eat dinner where you ate lunch), followed by a pool party at 7pm.
There was a lot going on and definitely no time to be bored. I was glad to find out that there were 15-20min breaks between each presentation in the morning, which allowed me to stop back into my room for a bathroom break and a snack. Some people used that time to grab a coffee and often ended up coming back late as a result (the lines are no joke). The first day was also the day I needed to get used to everything and see how the conference schedule was structured. It was important to figure out what breaks I needed and how to optimize time and travel between things.
Tuesday - Day 2
The second day was a lot less hectic because I felt like I had a good handle on what to expect. The presentations were more hands on demonstrations showing lighting and posing, starting with Kara Marie’s boudoir photoshoot (amazing), Dan O’Day’s couples posing using creative lighting techniques (very cool), and a shootout between Matthew Jordan Smith, Jason Vinson, and Pratik Naik where nobody could actually determine a winner (rightfully so). The main stage had two huge screens on each side which showed camera images as each person was photographing, accompanied by audience gasps almost every time.
Day 2 lunch was good and I made sure to eat quickly so that I could make it to Peter Hurley’s demo presentation at 1pm (and yes, I was late). It’s a bit strange why so many things overlapped on the schedule at that specific time, so that was definitely a challenge as you really had to decide between eating, watching a demo presentation, or going to the shooting bays with smaller lines. The demo presentations were actually recorded and uploaded to the Portrait Masters Conference website within a few days, but none of us knew that when we were making our scheduling decisions.
Shooting bays on Day 2 had the same models, but different outfits, so you could photograph totally different people or go back to your favorites. Dinner was once again at 6pm with food truck options and a silent disco party at 8pm which I decided to skip as I was tired and am not a huge dancer anyway (I assume all the extroverts had a blast).
Wednesday - Day 3
The last day was just as jam-packed with activities but you could definitely sense that some people were getting ready to head out (luggage accompanying them to the presentations) and less concern was given to being on time or even watching all the main stage speakers (some people skipped or came back 20mins late with coffee).
Lunch was good once again and I decided to go straight to the Shoot & Shop area at 1pm this time, skipping the demo stage presentation entirely. It was nice to visit the space without many people, but it also seems that Day 3 is less crowded overall anyway. A bunch of vendors also weren’t there on the last day and that was definitely noticeable (including Oliphant backdrops and Vlada Backdrops, which had the best shooting bay and the longest line usually).
Dinner was once again food trucks starting at 6pm and an 8pm Wrap Party and Karaoke Contest. Many people were confused as to where the Wrap Party actually was and you only knew if you’ve attended the conference before. None of the schedules listed a location and it was quite confusing in many ways. Apparently the party was at “Las Palmas”, which used to be a restaurant but now acts as a party venue for the hotel. To be fair, hotel personnel knew the location and were able to guide/drive attendees to the right spot.. but I’m the type of person who likes to wander around on my own and find things without having to ask others.
The Rain Bay
Seeing as I’m not in the market to build one of these or offer this to my clients, I visited the rain bay twice during the entire Sunday-Wednesday timeline. The models were constantly rotating in and out and if you stopped by frequently, you would have had the opportunity to photograph some pretty great dancers. It was definitely fun to click away for a bit and it’s worth experiencing during the conference, even if I would never offer this to my own clients.
The VIP Experience
As I mentioned above, the main differentiator for the VIP ticket was the meet & greet event on Sunday evening. Initially this was listed as an off-site shoot out, which was a bit confusing as nobody really knew what that meant. Some people thought we would be photographing models in the desert. Really it was a separate party/get-together in a local restaurant (The Duce) for all the VIP attendees and the speakers and mentors. This gave everyone untethered access to all the celebrities of Sue Bryce Education (including Sue Bryce herself) and the conference speakers (downside was that some of us didn’t know what these speakers looked like since they haven’t spoken yet).
For the first hour, we got snacks and drinks, followed by a buffet dinner. During this time, Sue Bryce was sitting with Tabatha Coffey on the main stage and answering everyone’s questions while two other spaces were set up for presenters to demonstrate photography. This was slightly confusing as once again, most of us didn’t know who these people are and for the first part of the evening it didn’t seem like their microphones or the screen tether was working so we couldn’t hear them talking to the model or see what their shots looked like. This also meant that there were 3 things going on at once. So while definitely exciting, it also felt like you were always missing something.
I think for people who really relish being able to meet the big name photographers they admire and have been watching on Sue Bryce Education for many years, this was a dream come true. Personally, I thought that it was a nice event, but the main benefit wasn’t a huge interest for me. The food was quite good though, although definitely heavy on the BBQ (which is a bigger theme in Phoenix in general, btw).
The other VIP part of the conference (aside from being able to sit in the first 5 rows at the main stage) is a separate lounge during the afternoon. This is basically a room upstairs, above the Shoot & Share space, where you have refreshments and some chocolates available, as well as some quiet. This was a great space to chat with other photographers as the main lounge downstairs was right next to the shooting bays and lot louder of an environment. But overall, it wasn’t some amazing perk that one couldn’t do without.
As I mentioned above, the VIP ticket was worth it for me as I wanted to experience everything fully in order to get the most value from the conference. The biggest perk is definitely the access you get to all the mentors and speakers and if that’s something that excites you, I highly recommend upgrading your ticket.
Vendors and Shooting Bays
Having never been on huge vendor floors during larger conferences, I have nothing to compare the “Shoot & Shop” area to. However, I thought it was quite manageable while having enough variety to accommodate everyone’s shooting styles. There were 3 rows of booths that included vendor displays (lighting, printing companies, Canon of course, Sigma and Tamron lenses, Spider Holster, and backdrops) and shooting bays (some of which were part of the vendor booths demonstrating their backdrops or lighting equipment).
The models were the same all 3 days, but outfits were changed to provide variety. The other change from pervious years (so I heard) was the prevalence of constant lights instead of strobes. Constant lights were definitely easier for attendees to deal with as triggers and lights had various issues and usually longer lines as technical problems had to be worked out (lights weren’t firing, etc). However, seeing as I don’t use constant lights in my business and rely heavily on strobes, I found the setups to not be as useful overall in terms of learning. Furthermore, I also don’t photograph styled portraits but focus primarily on headshots and found very little that could translate to work I typically photograph. It was fun to see all the different setups, but it’s not something I would ever use in my portfolio.
The vendor booths seems fairly limited. As a Nikon shooter, the Canon booth didn’t do much for me, and there were only a handful of print companies showing their products. Apparently they also had samples that were gone by the time I made my way over to them on Day 3. Nobody aside from Spider Holster had products you could buy right then and there either, so you couldn’t get a new lens or camera and then use it during the conference. Lighting and camera equipment was shipped to your home, so you got it when you returned from Phoenix.
The food
While lunch was quite good every day, breakfast and dinner proved to be a bit more challenging. I typically eat vegetarian when I travel or am out at restaurants, so having vegetable-only options was important to me. The on-site restaurant and quick service Starbucks-like marketplace were both overpriced and shockingly bad. The line in the morning at the marketplace was about 20mins long and the food was certainly not worth paying for (I did get tea there every morning). I opted to go to a nearby supermarket that first day (thanks to an amazing fellow photographer who took pity on me and had a rental car) to pick up yogurt, water, fruit, and snacks once I realized how severely limited food options were. Other attendees did walk to a nearby Starbucks for coffee/breakfast, however, so that’s probably a decent option as well. I did find that I needed a snack between the presentations as emotional talks apparently make you really hungry.
Oh, and the coffee machine in the room was pretty awful as well. I only drink tea and trying to get hot water that wasn’t coffee-flavored proved to be impossible. The water from the faucet was also not great, which is why I had to carry water jugs back from the supermarket. Once set up with water and snacks, I was able to eat breakfast in my room in the mornings (first presentation was at 8:30am) and have enough snacks and drinks to carry me through the entire conference.
In terms of dinner, while there are definitely restaurants both within walking distance (the Mexican restaurant was unfortunately closed Monday and Tuesday), the food trucks were the most convenient. They offered a variety to choose from, but most of the trucks only had meat options for dinner. Apparently they were required to submit their menu ahead of time (a believe a month or two) for approval from the conference organizers and didn’t have all the items they usually do on hand (and the organizers maybe felt like vegetarian options weren’t a priority?). It was a challenge to find vegetarian food and typically only one truck had someone that was meat-free. I know I wasn’t the only one looking for this either and it felt like a bit of an oversight.
My biggest recommendation here is to really take some time that first day to get snacks and drinks to have on hand (the rooms all have mini fridges, but no microwaves) in case you need it and optimize your time as there’s a lot going on every day!
Tips for first timers
The biggest takeaway for me was that the conference is full of really friendly fellow photographers who are always happy to chat and help. Because it’s a smaller conference (about 500 people), you see the same people over and over and it’s very easy to make friends and not feel like you’re there by yourself, even if you go into it not knowing anyone. It’s such a great community that you’ll feel instantly part of it because everyone is so welcoming (and in the same field).
Plan your food, especially if you have dietary restrictions. Take some time to go to a supermarket or a store to stock up on things so you don’t have to worry about it during the packed schedule. The hotel will drive you to a nearby store and will wait for you to do your shopping (for a fee), so definitely take them up on it.. or find a friend with a car like I did!
There was a lot of concerns before the conference for first-timers regarding what to wear. Yes, outside is typically very hot (90 degrees or so) but dry (so it feels less hot?) and inside is closer to 70. Plenty of people were fine with t-shirt and jeans. I found that if I dressed in pants and a short sleeved or sleeveless shirt, I was fine in most situations. I did use a long-sleeved light shawl in the mornings but then left it in my room for the afternoon (temperature was less cold in the shooting bay area). I think they key is to know your comfort preferences and dress accordingly!
The outlets in the hotel room worked very poorly or not at all in some cases. This was a huge problem as I thought I charged my phone and apple watch and ended up having to borrow a charging block so it wouldn’t die during lunchtime. Thankfully my camera battery was already charged from home, otherwise that would have been a useless brick as well. I went around the room and was able to find the couple of outlets that actually worked (a lot of them worked for about 30 seconds and then would stop working, hence my confusion). So make sure the things you plug in are actually charging, especially if you’re leaving them overnight.
You’re fully allowed to take breaks, skip parties, and steal time to yourself if you feel like you need it. Even with such a packed schedule, I was able to decide the things I was going to participate in (specifically the evening events) without feeling like I was missing a huge part of the experience. But once again, everyone is so nice and welcoming that even if you’re not a party person, you can definitely still enjoy all the things going on.
What to pack/bring
Aside from the standard stuff like daytime and nighttime clothing, which lens you bring with you (or several!) is probably the biggest question. I brought my 50mm because that’s what I use most often in the Studio and we were told to stay within that range as there isn’t a ton of space in the shooting bays to back up. This was 100% accurate and using 70mm+ was fairly difficult with the spacing. If you use and have a mid-range zoom, that would probably give you the best range of options.
Bathing suit for the pool party.. because people were definitely going into the water. As someone who found the whole concept a bit strange, I did not wear a bathing suit, but if you want to fully participate in the fun, you certainly should have on on hand.
A Spider Holster for your camera. I ended up buying one because carrying my gigantic Nikon D850 around got to be too much. I usually just have a hand strap attached to my camera for Studio work, but I removed it so I could carry it using the shoulder strap for the conference (you can only have one or the other because they both use the same attachment rings). In the long run, it didn’t really work - I definitely missed having the hand strap, and my shoulder was getting sore. So I asked a few people around about their Spider Holsters and everyone seemed to love theirs, so I went over and bought one at the end of Day 1. The Spider Holster booth was the only one I think that had actual products on hand, thankfully.. and I was definitely glad to have it for the afternoons for the rest of the conference (and they assembled the entire thing for me too).
I hope you found this overview helpful, especially if you’re trying to decide whether attending The Portrait Masters Conference is something you would like to do in the future. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask below as it’s impossible to cover everything in this post. And if you have attended in the past and had a completely different experience than I did, post that too. I would love to hear what other photographers thought as well!
