Dynamic Sports and Lighting

Master the art of lighting in a hands-on, immersive workshop with expert Matt Hernandez. Experiment with professional setups, work with athletes and models, and leave with the skills to create bold, dramatic, and portfolio-ready images.

Where Sports Action Meets Creative Lighting

September 4-6, 2026 | Paducah, KY

Tuition: $1,995 | Deposit: $600

Deposit due upon registration, full tuition due 120 days before the workshop. Workshop limited to 8 participants.

Take your photography to the next level by combining two of Summit’s most powerful skill sets, mastering light and capturing peak action. The Dynamic Sports & Lighting Workshop is an immersive 3-day experience created for photographers who want to elevate both their portrait lighting and their on-field sports storytelling.

Led by lighting expert Matt Hernandez and top sports photography instructors, this workshop balances hands-on lighting instruction with the adrenaline of photographing a live high school football game under Friday night lights. You’ll sharpen your technical skills, grow your creative vision, and walk away with dynamic images for your portfolio.

Master Lighting with Confidence

Spend days learning the techniques needed to create powerful, intentional lighting, whether you’re photographing seniors, athletes, or editorial-style portraits. Through studio sessions, outdoor setups, and practical demonstrations, you’ll get one-on-one coaching to help you light any subject, in any environment.

Get hands on learning

Alongside the lighting portion, you’ll get exclusive field access to photograph a high school football game—an opportunity rarely available to emerging photographers. Learn how to freeze decisive moments, anticipate action, and work with challenging, low-light sports environments.

In the Studio and the classroom

Fundamentals of natural, continuous, and strobe lighting

Lighting athletes and models for dramatic, stylized portraits

How to build repeatable lighting setups for real clients

Techniques for photographing sports in low light

Anticipation, positioning, and timing for football coverage

Efficient workflow, editing, and portfolio curation

Workshop Itinerary

Day 1

9:00am: Check in / Introductions
9:30am - 11:30: Using Light to Your Advantage - Matt will go through a series of photos and in a hands on demonstration, show how and what he uses to get the desired look.
Noon: Lunch
1:30pm - 5:00pm: On location shooting

Day 2

9:00-10:30am: Retouching and Editing
10:30am - 11:30: The Business of Photography and pitching clients - Matt will go through his process for marketing and pitching clients
Noon: Lunch
1:30pm - 5:00pm: On location shooting

Day 3

10:00am: Understanding Lighting Angles
11:30am - 1:30pm: Lunch
1:30pm - 5:00pm: The Gear. An in-depth dive into all the gear used and how to achieve desired looks
5:30pm: Closing Reception

The final workshop schedule will be provided one month prior to the event. Please keep in mind that the schedule is tentative and may be adjusted as needed during the workshop.

Meet Your Instructor

Matt Hernandez

Lead Instructor

Matt is a portrait photographer based out of Kentucky who specializes in on location creative lighting focusing on seniors and athletes. He began his career as an award-winning graphic artist, and has since used those skills to help launch a very successful photography career. He has won multiple awards including the “People’s Choice Award” at the 2012 Google+ Photographer’s Conference, and The “Most Creative Award” at the 2013 Las Vegas Photoshop World Westcott Shootout. In 2013 he was chosen to represent F.J. Westcott as one of their “Top Endorsed Pros.”

Thanks to our partners at Westcott Lighting, all lighting gear will be provided for this workshop.

Past Student Work

Student Testimonials

Summit Workshops always runs a well-organized and fun workshop. The instructors, like JC Carey and Matt Hernandez, are not just top pros, but also excellent instructors and great people. Chris and Meg put in tremendous effort to make sure that all the participants get as much as they can out of the workshops. Summit Workshops gets my highest recommendation.

Stephen O'Keefe

Attending the workshop was an incredibly rewarding experience, thanks in large part to the instructors' patience, generosity, and hands-on support. Their willingness to answer every question—no matter how small—made a real difference in my learning. From breaking down complex concepts to offering tailored guidance on gear and technique, they helped me gain confidence both technically and creatively. I walked away not only with stronger images but also with a deeper understanding of lighting, problem-solving on set, and how to keep improving through practice.

Halie Cook

The whole experience was great. Great instructors and staff.

Carlos Rivera

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to use a specific camera brand?

No! Summit Workshops is available to any photographer, regardless of what brand of camera you use. We often have camera gear available to borrow, free of charge, but you are not required to use that gear or any specific brand.

Do I need to bring my own lighting gear?

No, you do not need to bring your own lighting gear. Our partner, Westcott Lighting and Matt Hernandez, will provide all the gear needed for the workshop.

What does my tuition cover?

Tuition includes activity fees, location fees, all instruction, planning and logistics. It does not cover hotels, travel, and most meals.

How much experience should I have?

Our workshop is for shooters of all ages and skill levels, from beginners to seasoned veterans. We all learn from and help one another, that is what makes the Summit Community so special.

What are image critiques?

Our image critiques are constantly mentioned as being the most important/valuable component of our workshops. It's not only a chance to get your work reviewed, but also to see your peers' images. It is not structured as a competition, but a growth experience. So do not feel it has the be your best of the best or how it might stack up to others. You get to hear the opinions of the faculty and everything you will hear from them is 100% meant to help you. They are also anonymous and meant to be constructive and useful to your professional growth.

We ask each student to submit 3-5 images taken while at the workshop. We typically send the link out the afternoon before the image critique, which gives you the evening to get your images in.

Do I need a car for this workshop?

A car is not required for this workshop. We will be staying at the Marriott and our photo shoots will take place in or around the hotel. There are plenty of dining options within walking distance of the hotel as well.

What do I need to bring?

Main photo gear:

Highly recommended:

Adobe Lightroom or PhotoMechanic installed on laptop
15 - 20 of your best images downloaded on your laptop for portfolio reviews
A water bottle

Lodging & Classroom

We have secured rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn Denver/Cherry Creek for the workshop. This is where the workshop classroom is located and where the faculty and staff will be staying!

After signing up, please contact Chris at chris@summitworkshops.com to get your booking secured.