Five days in the beautiful Serenbe community learning & shooting alongside top architectural photographer, Barry Grossman with the best equipment in the industry.

It doesn’t get better than this.

Visiting Dave’s farm to meet their newest addition, a trio of sweet baby goats!

Passing by our showhome from 2021.

Day One | Explore & Connect

One of my favorite things about this workshops is the opportunity to explore the beautiful community of Serenbe. Every other day, our schedule is packed with learning and shooting. But the very beginning is all about connecting with likeminded photographers and discovering what Serenbe has to offer.

Many attendees, took the time before our first scheduled event to visit the farm, walk through neighborhoods of gorgeous homes, and discover the many hidden gems of Serenbe. Dave Gallagher, and I had a lot of work ahead of us, so naturally, we started the day with a “leisurely” 17 mile bike ride in the rain!

Checking in on our 2024 showhome.

Attendees Matt & Tracy find a hidden swing in the forest.

The horses that greet you at the gates of Serenbe!

After meeting all the talented photographers we’d spend the coming week with at our welcome gathering, we returned to our cottage to share an amazing dinner prepared by our private chef, Chef JRob.

Many of our workshop days are spent shooting up until the last moments of daylight. To then scramble to make it to a dinner reservation with such a large group is near impossible. For this, and many other reasons, Chef JRob is invaluable to us. We have the ability to enjoy our time shooting, knowing a great meal is ready and waiting for us at home.

A great presentation from Chef JRob on our first meal.

All the workshop ladies, Karen, Maren, Heidi and Tracy, take a selfie.

Day Two | Instruction

With lots of ground to cover, its important to hit the road running on day two. We prime ourselves for soaking in Barry’s instruction by taking a pitstop at the Serenbe Labyrinth for a guided meditative walk. Carry in your stress and worries, and leave them at the center of the Labyrinth. It may seem silly to some, but you’ll thank yourself later for clearing your mental state and preparing yourself to absorb information.

The rest of the day we spend walking through Barry’s photographic approach, learning about Profoto lighting options from expert Chris Fain, and, the best part, handing out toys! (aka gear)

Barry demonstrating how to create beautiful images from a mundane space in our accommodation.

John’s 2nd year joining us at the Serenbe workshop.

Profoto rep & expert, Chris Fain showing the differences when using Profoto.

One of the unique benefits of a Capture Integration workshop is the ability to try any of the top medium format systems at no additional cost. We have the full breadth of medium format Hasselblad, Phase One, Fujifilm, and Leica systems in our demo inventory available for attendees to shoot with throughout the workshop. In addition, our tech & equipment expert Brad Kaye is on site to help you navigate the technical ins and outs of all our systems. I discovered that, this year, we brought close to 500k worth of camera gear to the workshop for attendees to use.

For thirteen years, Serenbe and Atlanta Homes & Lifestyle has put together an annual designer showhouse. Acclaimed interior designers curate each space in the home with unique and carefully crafted decor. While it is typically open for paid tours, our workshop reserves it for two full days. I have yet to see a showhouse that didn’t blow me away. Every detail is coordinated from light fixtures, wallpaper, and furniture, down to a small jewelry dish, or book on a side table. Its the perfect place to capture portfolio worthy images.

On the days we spend in the showhouse, Barry demonstrates his shooting process in the mornings, and then becomes an assistant to the attendees who shoot in pairs in the afternoons. We run a strict schedule to ensure every pair gets an equal amount of time in each room and an equal amount of time assisting their partner vs. shooting. In addition to Barry, we have CI tech expert, Brad Kaye and pro photographer Karen Culp on site to provide extra assistance for attendees. Karen attended our workshop for three consecutive years before she joined us as part of the staff this year.

Barry assisting “The Johns” ( John A. & John M. )

Shane being a top tier assistant for his partner!

Day Four | Shoot the Showhouse Pt. 2

On day two of shooting the showhouse, people are in the groove and ready to go. Per requests from our attendees, Barry spends the morning demonstrating shooting in one of the smaller, more challenging spaces. Everyone watches either from the doorway or on their IOS devices which receive a feed of Barry’s images through Capture One.

Despite having watched Barry demonstrate his shooting process at this workshop for the past four years, I always learn something new. I love to see the way his brain works, especially when it comes to lighting. Barry’s images have this magical glow of what looks like such natural and balanced light. In reality the lighting is a composite of several shots, each focusing on lighting a different component of the room.

Barry demonstrating shooting a challengingly small room

Brad mirror selfie showing just how tight this space is!

You may have noticed that everyone appears to be in their socks. Out of respect for the designers, we always remove our shoes and leave all unnecessary gear outside. Water bottles, camera bags, lighting stands, unused modifiers, and anything you aren’t actively using is stored safely outside the main house in the garage. We want to avoid the temptation to place our personal items on a designers chair or table and leave every room exactly as it was when we entered. As creatives, it’s important we respect our fellow creatives.

In addition to the showhouse, we also got the chance to shoot a second home within the community referred to as “the modern cabin.” Personally, I have passed this house for many years and have always been drawn to its incredible exterior. Its reminiscent of a Dojo with the curved roof and center cluster of windows. It’s owned by an artist who creates large wall hanging prints. The interior is decorated more minimally in comparison to the showhouse, but with lots of character which compliments his art that hangs on the walls. Having both options gave us a wider variety of spaces to capture.

Day Five | Post Production

On the final day of the workshop, everyone gathers in the Hawthorne conference room at the Serenbe Inn to start the post production process on the images they’ve captured throughout the week. Barry dives deep into his post production process in softwares like Capture One, and Photoshop.

I could tell you more about this day, but by late morning Brad and I are packing up our cars with thousands of dollars worth of gear and heading back to home base (aka the CI office). However I did receive an outpouring of positive messages from all of our attendees and some great shots from their final dinner together at the Farmhouse Inn.

Somehow, in just a weeks time, we are already like family. Its one of the many reason so many attendees come back year after year. Not only is there so much more to learn from Barry, but theres endless opportunities to create lifelong connections and learn from fellow attendees. I myself have found friendships that extend beyond the event. I get many midday office calls from Barry that start out on the topic of work, and end up with us comparing our workout routines. Karen Culp and I have shared an accommodation at the workshop for two years and have spent many late nights chatting about life.

I know I’m not alone when I say I’m incredibly grateful to be a part of these events. Seeing the outpouring of positivity and praise everyone had for their experience makes all of the work worth it.

If your interested in joining us next year, sign up now to get first dibs on registration!