CREATE BEYOND: Annie Marie
Elevate The Ordinary (Styling, Lighting & Editing for Impactful Portraits)
In a world where everyone has access to a camera, what truly sets your work apart is not the gear you use, but how you see, shape, and finish an image. In this immersive 3.5-hour experience, Annie Marie takes you behind the scenes of creating elevated, artful portraits through intentional styling, purposeful lighting, and refined editing. Designed specifically for pet and animal photographers but will help you with any genre, this class will show you how to move beyond basic captures and start creating images with depth, emotion, and visual impact.
The program begins with a keynote session focused on creative vision, storytelling, and how small styling choices can completely transform a portrait. From there, Annie will guide you through a live shooting experience using constant light, working with real models and pets. You’ll see exactly how she approaches posing, light direction, and building a scene, and participants may have the opportunity to photograph alongside her depending on class size and time restraints. The final portion of the class dives into editing, where Annie demonstrates how she brings her images to life with clean, intentional enhancements that elevate without overpowering.
This is more than a class on technique. It’s about learning to see differently, create with purpose, and deliver portraits that feel like art.
About Annie Marie
Annie Marie is a photographer with over 30 years in the industry. Creating authentic and beautiful portraits of her clients while empowering them to feel the same is her passion. She holds the Minnesota Photographer of the Year title 4 years in a row as well awarded a SYNC Photographer of the Year. Some of her images have won international awards & recognition. She also has attained her Masters and Fellow accreditation through The Portrait Masters and holds a Master accreditation with the Icon International and WPE International.
Annie has been a presenter at national conferences. local chapters, and online summits on creating artful images. She has appeared on several podcasts talking about her photography journey. She also hosts a Luxe Workshop at her studio in Minneapolis teaching everything from the inspiration to creation of fine art images. As a graphic artist, Annie has a design site dedicated to photographers offering marketing templates, digital backgrounds & products, actions and eBooks as well as logo and branding design. She also mentors other photographers and helps them elevate their craft.