Kansas Professional Photographers School May 31st - June 3rd, 2026

Name: Kansas Professional Photographers School May 31st - June 3rd, 2026
Start: 2026-05-31T08:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-06-03T15:00:00-05:00
Location: Wichita Marriott

Schedule

Sun, 31 May, 2026 at 08:00 am to Wed, 03 Jun, 2026 at 03:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Wichita Marriott | Wichita, KS

Kansas Professional Photographers School
May 31st - June 3rd, 2026
Wichita Marriott
9100 E Corporate Hills Dr.
Wichita, KS 67207
Register Today! https://kppa.org/kpps
Schedule
Sunday, May 31st, 2026
10am-1pm Registration Setup Computers
1- 5pm Class
Monday, June 1, 2026
8am-12noon Class
12noon-1pm Lunch Included
1-5pm Class
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
8am-12noon Class
12noon-1pm Lunch Included
1-5pm Class
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
8am-12noon Class
12noon-1pm Lunch Included
1-3pm Class
Dinner On Your Own Each Night
Schedules Subject To Change
ABOUT US
At the Kansas Professional Photographers School, education extends beyond the classroom. We foster a vibrant community where learning, collaboration, and mentorship thrive through our state organization, the Kansas Professional Photographers Association.
Our mission is simple yet profound: to empower photographers, whether novice or seasoned, with the skills, vision, and confidence they need to thrive in an ever-evolving industry. Join us on this exciting journey!
What level is your class listed as technically?
All Levels - Beginning - Intermediate -Advanced
What level is your class listed as physically?
Green – Easy pace: Very little physical activity. You’ll mostly be sitting, with minimal gear to move and little to no walking or field trips.
Blue – Active pace: Some physical activity, including moving gear, field trips, and time spent standing or walking. Instruction moves at a steady, comfortable pace.
Black – Fast pace: More physical activity and possibly homework assignments. Instruction moves quickly and may feel more intense.
KPPS Hotel Accommodations
Discounted Rates KPPA Room Block
Wichita Marriott
9100 E Corporate Hills Dr.
Wichita, KS 67207
KPPS Special Rate of $139 USD per night
Last Day to Book: Saturday, May 16, 2026
Photoshop Painting
With Sandra Pearce
All Levels - Green
Limited Class Size
www.sandrapearcephotography.com
Join Sandra for an inspiring and hands-on week of learning Photoshop Painting. You will dive into the world of digital painting using Adobe Photoshop. With years of experience in digital illustration and concept art Sandra will guide you through the essential tools, brushes, and techniques that bring stunning digital paintings to life.
This workshop is designed for artists of all levels who want to master Photoshop as a painting tool. Whether you are a beginner looking to get started or an experienced creator aiming to sharpen your skills, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to use layers, blend modes, custom brushes, color dynamics and tons more.
Through live demonstrations and practical tips, Sandra will share the knowledge and workflows developed over the years of professional work, giving you the confidence to create beautiful, expressive artwork entirely in Photoshop. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your digital painting skills and unlock the full creative power of Photoshop.
Sandra Pearce is a nationally recognized digital artist and instructor passionate about transforming photographs into expressive, painterly works of art. With over 25 years of experience using Photoshop and 18 years of teaching, Sandra has taught countless workshops across the country, helping photographers and artists alike unlock their creative potential through digital painting.
Beyond the Template:
Concept to Creation for Modern Seniors
Angela Hughes
M.Photog.Cr.
All Levels - Blue
www.417artisticphotography.com
Into The Unknown
We don’t get to choose whether the industry evolves.
It already has. The only choice left is whether we walk through the door as followers or as artists.
Beyond the Template is where you stop borrowing and start building: discover who your client is, uncover who you are, and create sessions that feel honest in a world that’s getting louder and more artificial.
Do you feel the pressure to keep up and refuse to become generic or fake in the process.
This intensive teaches you how to design senior sessions ( or any session) with meaning, edge, and artistic direction without relying on trends to do the heavy lifting.
We start where most senior photography skips: identity.
You’ll learn how to uncover who the senior really is and translate that into visual language, mood, palette, wardrobe, environment, and series building , then bring it to life with intentional lighting and purposeful posing that shapes emotion, confidence, and story.
But the second half of that equation is you: your taste, your voice, your risk tolerance, and your signature preferences. Because when you don’t know what you stand for, your work defaults to whatever is popular.
And here’s the truth about the moment we’re in: we’re surrounded by AI generated perfection and curated personas.
This generation can spot “fake” a mile away and they’re craving real.
The photographers who will win are the ones who lead with authenticity: images that feel honest, human, and emotionally specific.
When you learn to create from your real, authentic self, you give seniors permission to do the same.
Expect a creation first structure: guided concept development, live demonstration, hands-on shooting, editing for cohesion, and direct critique.
You will leave with a repeatable concept-to-creation system , you’ll leave not following a template, but creating from the deepest, real part of you and shaping it into images with intention and impact.
Angela Hughes is an award-winning Master Photographer and Photographic Craftsman who creates bold, story-driven portraiture with cinematic impact. As a PPA-approved juror and national speaker, she challenges photographers to stop chasing trends and start building work with intention, emotion, and artistic authority.
The Art of Composites & Stories
Corey McDonald
M.Photog., M.Artist, Cr., CPP, APAI
Intermediate to Advanced - Blue
www.coreymcdonaldphotography.com
www.macwildlifeart.com
Two powerful days of action. Two days of unlimited possibilities. One unforgettable journey.
This advanced Photoshop class is designed to open new creative doors and show photographers what is possible when photography meets imagination.
In The Art of Composites, Corey will photograph a live athlete on green screen while attendees observe the photographic process from start to finish. Participants will see how he interacts with the subject, directs movement, and creates an energetic atmosphere that helps athletes feel confident and powerful.
Once the camera work is complete, the class becomes fully hands-on.
Over the course of two days, attendees will work directly with the images Corey creates, learning how to transform a simple photograph into dramatic, high-impact artwork. Participants will build images step by step, discovering how lighting, retouching, compositing, color, and creative vision come together to enhance an athlete and showcase their sport in a bold new way.
The focus is not on complicated tools or overwhelming techniques. It is on learning to think creatively, to see beyond the original photograph, and to produce final results that clients and athletes will proudly display.
By the end of the sports portion, attendees will have practical skills they can immediately bring back to their own studios.
And then the class takes a turn.
After two days of building art from photographs, the journey shifts from sports to imagination.
Picture this.
A blank canvas sits in front of every attendee. No rules. No limits. Just an idea waiting to be discovered.
Inside each person is a character. A hero, a traveler, a dreamer, a warrior, or someone entirely different. That character has a face, a history, a personality, and a world that exists only in the mind.
The challenge is simple. Bring that character to life.
Artificial intelligence becomes the catalyst that makes it possible. Just as Corey has done for months in his own creative work, AI will be used to turn the character living in each attendee’s imagination into a visual reality. It helps give shape and form to ideas that were once only thoughts.
But AI does not create the art.
Attendees will take that initial spark and build everything by hand. Using Photoshop and digital painting techniques, each person will design costumes, craft environments, and transform their character into a fully realized scene. Every decision, every detail, and every creative choice will belong to the artist.
As the day unfolds, stories begin to emerge. Personal ideas become visual worlds. Simple concepts grow into finished images that exist nowhere else.
No two creations will be alike.
At the end of Stories, each attendee walks away with more than a finished piece. They leave with new confidence and an entirely new way of thinking.
Some will use what they learn to offer fresh ideas to clients, such as genre-themed fine art portraits and imaginative custom artwork. Others may discover a new personal focus and a creative outlet they never knew they had.
For many, the process itself becomes therapeutic. A chance to step outside everyday routines and create something meaningful and unique.
Every story will be different. Every character will be one of a kind. And the possibilities are truly limitless.
Join Corey McDonald, M.Photog., M.Artist, Cr., CPP, APAI, 2026 World Photographic Cup Team USA Best of Nation, for a creative journey that begins with the power of sports photography and ends in a world limited only by imagination.