How to Create Cinematic Portraits Anywhere with Brett Garamella

What does it take to create a cinematic portrait in a Cuban tobacco drying house, on a steep Colombian mountainside, or inside a smoke-filled bamboo house in India?

Photographer and documentary filmmaker Brett Garamella has spent over a decade building environmental portraits in remote and unpredictable locations around the world. In this presentation, he takes you inside the real stories behind the images: the trust that had to be earned, and the lighting setups that turned real places into cinematic sets.

Through photographs, behind-the-scenes footage, and field stories from Cuba, Colombia, Dagestan, and India, Brett shares how he approaches portraiture as a collaboration between photographer and subject. The session includes a live tethered portrait demonstration with an audience volunteer, showing the full progression from ambient light to a finished cinematic image in real time.

Please Note: This is a don't miss in-person event that is also livestreamed on the Adorama Events YouTube channel.

Brett Garamella is a portrait photographer and documentary filmmaker whose work blends cinematic style with deep immersion in the people and places he photographs.

He has worked with a wide range of global brands, such as National Geographic, ESPN, and DJI. As a director, his short film The Champion qualified for Academy Award consideration. His personal projects have taken him to Cuba’s tobacco farms, Colombia’s coffee fields, wrestling gyms of Dagestan, and remote tribal communities across India.

He came up in New York’s film production world, working on commercial sets, and he brings that same lighting approach to every portrait series and documentary he creates. He has photographed Michael Jordan, Manny Pacquiao, LaMelo Ball, and Olympic champion Abdulrashid Sadulaev, among others.

With over 18 million views across platforms, Brett teaches photographers how to turn any location into a cinematic set through his workshops and international photo expeditions.

All photos are property of Brett Garamella

YouTube: www.youtube.com/brettgaramella

Instagram: @brett.garamella

Photo Workshops: www.brettgaramella.com/photo-expeditions

Adorama Events are back! We offer weekly events and live podcasts in our Adorama Store. Can't get there? No worries! Most of our events are livestreamed, too.

Subscribe to our Adorama Events channel on Youtube ——and never miss out on what's happening.

Dedicated to inspiring, educating, and gearing up the creator community, Adorama is here to help you #CreateNoMatterWhat.