Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
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.
➡️ Note: If you're in NYC and want to attend the demo in person, click here to RSVP for free! eventbrite.com/e/how-to-create-cinematic-portraits-anywhere-with-brett-garamella-tickets-1991070055133?aff=yt
More about the presenter ⤵️
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.
Brett Garamella's Website: brettgaramella.com
Brett Garamella's YouTube: youtube.com/brettgaramella
Brett Garamella's Instagram: instagram.com/brett.garamella
Brett Garamella's Photo Workshops: brettgaramella.com/photo-expeditions
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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.
➡️ Note: If you're in NYC and want to attend the demo in person, click here to RSVP for free! eventbrite.com/e/how-to-create-cinematic-portraits-anywhere-with-brett-garamella-tickets-1991070055133?aff=yt
More about the presenter ⤵️
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.
Brett Garamella's Website: brettgaramella.com
Brett Garamella's YouTube: youtube.com/brettgaramella
Brett Garamella's Instagram: instagram.com/brett.garamella
Brett Garamella's Photo Workshops: brettgaramella.com/photo-expeditions
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
SUBSCRIBE TO ADORAMA EVENTS FOR MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS
➡ youtube.com/@AdoramaEvents
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
Be the first to shop our great deals and sales by signing up for emails from Adorama!
adorama.com/MyAccount/Login
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
#portraitphotography #photographytips #adoramaevents
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
ADORAMA ACCOUNTS:
🔹 AdoramaTV youtube.com/@UC8Pksdbj37CdE00kmE7Z1dw
🔹 Adorama Cinema: youtube.com/@UC8G0imy9Ak4f4KVjJle9V-A
🔹 Shop adorama.com
🔹 TikTok tiktok.com/@adoramanyc
🔹 Facebook facebook.com/Adorama
🔹 Instagram instagram.com/adorama
🔹 Twitter https://x.com/adorama
🔹 Threads threads.net/@adorama
🔹 Blog adorama.com/alc
•••••••••••••••••••••••••
UNTIL NEXT TIME!
