The Academy with John Gress
Academy Access
Your Ultimate Resource for Mastering Portrait Lighting
We’re thrilled to have you as a member of the Academy—a community dedicated to helping photographers of all levels refine their craft and elevate their work. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to push your creative boundaries, you’re in the right place to gain the skills and confidence you need to create stunning, professional images. s
To guide you on this journey, we’ve designed the Mastering Flash Photography Curriculum, an exclusive 8-chapter series that takes you from foundational lighting concepts to advanced creative techniques. This comprehensive learning path blends written instruction, as-free YouTube videos, and member-exclusive tutorials to provide a complete education in flash photography.
Beyond this guided learning path, you’re encouraged to explore the full range of content. Dive into essential concepts in the Prerequisites section, progress through curated topics organized by skill level in the 100, 200, 300, and 400 Level sections, or search for videos by the type that interest you.
This curriculum is designed to give you both structure and freedom—helping you build a solid foundation while exploring creative techniques at your own pace. Let’s get started!
MASTERING FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY: A COMPLETE LEARNING PATH
Explore by Skill Level
Expand Your Skills Beyond the Mastering Flash Photography Series
This section offers the freedom to explore a wide range of content curated by skill level, blending lessons from the Mastering Flash Photography Series with additional tutorials designed to deepen your expertise. Whether you’re looking to reinforce foundational skills or tackle advanced techniques, you’ll find resources tailored to your creative and professional goals.
Start with the Prerequisites to build a solid foundation, or dive into the 100, 200, 300, and 400 Level sections for more targeted learning. These levels offer a mix of content that expands on concepts from the Mastering Series and introduces new techniques in lighting, posing, business strategies, and creative workflows.
The Skill Level sections feature a combination of exclusive member content and public videos. As a member, you benefit from exclusive tutorials, ad-free viewing, and early access to new public videos before they are released on YouTube.
This flexible structure allows you to follow a structured path or explore topics that align with your interests—empowering you to grow your skills and creative vision at your own pace.
prerequisites
This section covers fundementals.
100 Level
Below you will find one light set-ups and videos covering general topics, including retouching.
200 Level
This section has 2-3 light setups and more advanced general topics.
300 Level
Here you will find 3-4 light-setups and business related videos.
400 Level
This section has advanced tutorials using 4 or more lights.
TOPICS
Focused Learning for Your Specific Interests
All the content from the Skill Level sections is also available here, organized by topic for greater flexibility. This gives you two ways to access the same resources: follow the structured learning path or dive into specific areas of interest that inspire you.
The Topics section features a blend of exclusive member content and public videos, covering everything from lighting techniques and posing guidance to business strategies and post-production workflows. As a member, you enjoy exclusive content, ad-free viewing, and early access to new public videos before they are released on YouTube.
Additionally, this section includes Exclusive Training Videos and Live Q&A Session Recordings that are only available to members, providing in-depth insights and practical tips you won’t find anywhere else.
Use this section to customize your learning experience—explore at your own pace, revisit key topics, and apply new techniques to elevate your work.
