Title: Creating Resonant Portraits using Lighting & Direction
Session Type: Keynote
Description:
Most photographers focus on posing as placement but powerful portraits come from alignment. In this live demonstration class, Sophia Barrett teaches how to direct both body and light to create images that feel as strong as they look. Learn how to guide clients from discomfort to confidence, use light to enhance emotion, and recognize when a pose truly resonates.
About Sophia Barrett:
Sophia Barrett – Owner & Creative Director, Sophia Barrett Studios Sophia Barrett is the owner and creative director of Sophia Barrett Studios, a Black-owned boutique portrait studio based in Atlanta, Georgia. With over 13 years in business, Sophia has built a brand known for its fine art approach, emotional depth, and commitment to empowering women—particularly women of color—through intentional visual storytelling. A graduate of Suffolk University’s New England School of Design with a degree in Interior Design, Sophia brings a designer’s eye to every set she creates. Her work blends structure, texture, light, and storytelling to produce timeless portraiture that celebrates strength, vulnerability, beauty, and legacy. Her Caribbean heritage, love of fantasy literature, and devotion to meaningful client connections deeply influence her artistic style.
Sophia began her photography journey after being gifted her first DSLR camera—what started as a creative outlet quickly evolved into a thriving business. After transitioning from weddings to portraiture in 2015, she refined her signature fine art aesthetic and positioned her studio as a luxury experience rooted in intention and transformation.
Sophia continues to expand her impact through workshops, luxury photography events, digital education, and curated styling experiences. She is passionate about not only creating powerful imagery for her clients but also mentoring photographers to refine their craft and build sustainable creative businesses. At the heart of Sophia’s work is legacy—creating artwork that will speak for generations while honoring the stories of the women she photographs.
