Neon Portrait Workshop Class at SIGN BAR
with Josh Baker
Turn Austin after dark into your portrait studio. Join photographer Josh Baker for a hands-on night photography experience at Sign Bar, where vintage neon, colorful signage, moody lighting, and the energy of Austin become the backdrop for creative portraits.
Learn how to take control of challenging nighttime light and turn it into an intentional part of your images. You’ll combine ambient light with flash, colored gels, light wands, and creative shutter techniques to create bold, cinematic portraits with a distinctly Austin feel.
This is a shooting-focused, on-location workshop—you’ll spend the evening photographing, experimenting, and finding creative ways to use the unique environment around you. Come ready to shoot, experiment, and embrace a little Austin weirdness.
What You'll Learn
- Mastering Ambient Light — Learn how to read and use neon, signage, and available light to shape your portraits.
- Balancing Flash & Ambient Light — Create portraits where flash and the environment work together.
- Creative Slow-Shutter Portraits — Use longer exposures to introduce motion, energy, and atmosphere.
- Speedlights & Modifiers — Learn practical ways to position and modify flash for polished nighttime portraits.
- Gelled Flash Techniques — Add vibrant color to your subjects and complement the surrounding neon.
- Second-Curtain Sync — Create dynamic movement and light trails for more creative images.
- Location & Background Selection — Learn how to identify interesting colors, reflections, textures, and light sources that elevate your portraits.
- Working with Available Light — Discover how to make the most of the light that's already around you before adding flash.
Workshop Format
This is an on-location, hands-on workshop with plenty of time behind the camera. We’ll meet at Sign Bar and explore the location, searching for unique signage, neon, reflections, and ambient light to combine with creative flash techniques.
MEETING LOCATION: SIGN BAR 9909 FM 969 Bldg 3, Austin, TX 78724
What to Bring
- Camera with a hot shoe for flash triggering
- A fast zoom lens, ideally around f/2.8, or a fast prime lens
- Extra batteries
- Plenty of memory card space
- Comfortable shoes
- Tripod optional, but not required
The instructor will provide the flashes and additional lighting tools used during the workshop.
About Josh Baker
To Josh, life is one big adventure. He founded AzulOx Visuals in 2009 and has spent years exploring the world, developing new photographic techniques, and finding creative ways to tell stories through images.
Josh specializes in creative, concept-driven photography and enjoys building shoots that combine technical skill with visual storytelling. His teaching style is hands-on and approachable, with an emphasis on helping photographers understand why a technique works—not simply which settings to use.
Whether you're looking to improve your nighttime portraits, get more confident with flash, or create something completely different, Josh will help you experiment, problem-solve, and develop your own creative vision.
Questions about the class? Email inquiry@azulox.com.