2026 starts off with a bang!

The new year is off to a strong start, and we’re kicking it off by heading to Nashville to teach two classes at Imaging USA. This conference has always been special to us, not just because of the education, but because of the conversations, the community, and the shared goal of becoming better photographers and better business owners.


If you’re attending Imaging USA this year, here’s what we’ll be teaching and what you can expect from each class.

Quinceañera Fotografía con Propósito


Monday, January 12 at 10:00 AM

90-minute platform lecture

Why This Class Matters (and Why You Should Be in the Room)


The question we’re answering in our platform class is simple, but uncomfortable:


How do we take photographs with purpose?


Not sharper photos.

Not trendier edits.

Not louder lighting.


Purpose.


Most quinceañera photographers don’t struggle because they lack talent. They struggle because, from the client’s point of view, everything looks the same.


Same locations.

Same poses.

Same timelines.

Same images at different price points.


If we’re being honest, quinceañera photography as an industry has been stuck in the same place for over a decade. And at some point, Juan and I had to face a hard truth ourselves: to clients, our photos didn’t feel different either.


That realization forced us to ask a deeper question:


Why are we shooting quinceañeras at all?


That’s the question we want every photographer to leave this class thinking about. Not just for XVs, but for weddings and any emotionally heavy event.

Who This Class Is For



This class is for photographers who:

  • Feel like their work has plateaued
  • Want to stand out without chasing trends
  • Shoot emotionally heavy events and want their images to feel different
  • Know there’s more depth possible, but aren’t sure how to access it


You don’t need to change your style.

You don’t need to shoot like us.


You just need to be willing to question how you’re currently seeing.

No Formulas. No Copy-Paste.


This class is structured like a recipe.


We’re giving you the ingredients, not a rigid formula. The goal isn’t for everyone to shoot like us. The goal is for you to understand why decisions are made, so you can add your own seasoning and make the work truly yours.


If everyone copies the same poses and locations, then yes, clients are right. We become interchangeable.


Purpose is how you stop being interchangeable..

If You Leave With One Thing



If you leave this class asking better questions about your work than when you walked in, we’ve done our job.


If you leave seeing differently  (even slightly) the images will follow.


We’d love to see you there.

Class 2

17hats Booth Talk: The Perfect XV Workflow


In addition to our platform class, we’ll also be teaching a 30-minute talk at the 17hats booth focused on something just as important as the images themselves: how your workflow shapes your client experience.


The exact time is still being finalized, but we’ll be announcing it on our Stories, so keep an eye out if you’ll be on the expo floor that day.

This talk is built around the idea that a workflow isn’t just about efficiency or automation. It’s about removing stress before it shows up, for you and for your clients.


A lot of photographers associate CRMs with being robotic or impersonal. Our experience has been the opposite. The right workflow actually allows you to be more present, more intentional, and more human where it matters most.

In this short session, we’ll talk about:


  • Why organization directly impacts how clients feel
  • How systems can support emotion and storytelling instead of replacing them
  • What a thoughtful workflow communicates to families before you ever walk into an event



This isn’t a software tutorial or a feature rundown. It’s a perspective shift on how structure, communication, and preparation quietly elevate the entire photography experience.


If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, scattered, or like you’re juggling too many things on event day, this talk will resonate.


We’ll share the time and location on our Stories as soon as it’s confirmed, and we’d love to see you there.

If you’re attending Imaging USA, we hope you’ll join us for one (or both) of these sessions.


We’ll be sharing class times and updates on our Stories, so keep an eye out if you’re in Nashville.


Thanks for being part of a community that cares about growth, intention, and doing this work with purpose.