Shannon Squires & Jeff Jackson
Track: Digital Post-production

At a Glance

  • A Creative Mindset Reboot: Learn how to reconnect with the uninhibited creativity of childhood and develop daily habits that strengthen your ability to think outside the box, on command.
  • The Science Behind the Magic: Understand how to merge imaginative concepts with the technical foundations of light, perspective, and color theory to create believable, impactful composite images.
  • Advanced Compositing & Photoshop Skills: Master the tools and techniques needed to create seamless composites: from selection and blending to painting light, building shadows, and polishing details.
  • Intentional Storytelling: Discover how to shape ideas into powerful visual narratives with clarity, emotion, and purpose—so your art doesn’t just look good, it tells a story.

Class Description

Creativity isn’t just a spark—it’s a muscle, and just like leg day at the gym, it can be tough but transformative.

In this immersive class, five-time World Photographic Cup imagemaker and 2020 overall PPA Grand Imaging Award winner Shannon Squires will guide you through reconnecting with the fearless, imaginative creativity we all had as children, and learning to practice it with purpose as an adult.

With Jeff’s assistance in connecting scientific fundamentals to artistic application, we’ll explore actionable strategies to ignite your creative thinking, break through blocks, and approach image-making with playfulness and intention. Then, we’ll apply that creativity through powerful compositing and Photoshop techniques, covering all the tools and skills Shannon is known for: lighting, blending, painting, composition, and more.

This class is part creative workout, part technical deep dive, and 100% designed to push you toward your next breakthrough as an artist.

You’ll learn how to combine the whimsy of art with the precision of science by using our structured techniques.

  • CLASS INTENSITY: Green
  • CLASS BREAKDOWN
    Classroom instruction & demos: 20%
    Hands-on: 5%
    Post-production: 75%
  • PREREQUISITES:
    Post-Production 3: Can work with layers, layer masks & understand blend modes

What do these mean? Learn More

Meet Your Instructors

Shannon Squires
Colorado Springs, CO
Instagram:  shannonsquiresphotography
Website: shannonsquiresphotography.com

Shannon Squires, M.Photog.M.Artist.Cr., CPP is an award-winning portrait artist, educator, and the owner of Shannon Squires Photography in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A member of the prestigious Camera Craftsmen of America, Shannon has earned numerous accolades, including five World Photographic Cup images, multiple GIA nominations, and the 2020 overall Grand Imaging Award from Professional Photographers of America. Her whimsical, technically masterful work has been featured in Professional Photographer Magazine and The Photographer Magazine. As a sought-after speaker and the founder of Shannon Squires Creative Academy, she is passionate about helping photographers elevate their storytelling through light, artistry, and imagination.

Jeff Jackson
Colorado Springs, CO
Instagram: shotgroupphoto
Website: shotgroupphoto.com

Jeff Jackson, M.Photog.Cr., CPP is an award-winning portrait artist, educator, and retired military veteran. As Associate Photographer to Shannon Squires, he co-teaches nationally on the intersection of art, science, and meaning. As owner of Shot Group Photo, he uses photography to help clients reconnect with their identity and agency, especially during times of transition.