NYC: Early Morning Outdoor Ballet Photo Workshop at Prospect Park with Dancer Ghislaine

Hello NYC Photographers!

My next photo workshop, on May 31st is going to be an early morning event to avoid the crowds at Prospect Park. We will be working with the dancer Ghislaine van den Heuvel who is a talented contemporary and ballet dancer from the Netherlands who works with the Martha Graham Dance Company.

To see more of Ghislaine’s dance-themed modeling, check out her Instagram:

For this event we will meet at the Lincoln Road Entrance to Prospect Park in Brooklyn at 7 am and will shoot along specific spots that are particularly photogenic. Bring good walking shoes because we will not be in the same spot for too long- expect to walk to several different areas of Prospect Park before heading back to the original meeting point.

We will get many great shots and experience a different type of New York City with a more natural and wooded environment.

To see an idea of the areas we will be shooting at, check out this link on instagram here:

How it works: We meet with a small group of photographers and with the dancer at the meeting point. We all walk together to the first spot at the park we will be shooting at. We will operate on a lead timer where each photographer will get a chance to interact directly with the model and get the shots we want at that spot before walking to the next spot. This will teach you how to hone your improvisational skill and experiment with the light in each spot we shoot at.

Only 5 photographers will be able to attend the event.

When: May 31st, 2025 from 7-9 am

Where: Prospect Park, Brooklyn. We will meet at the Lincoln Rd Entrance right off of the Prospect Park Station.

Cost: $175.00 for the two hours which includes all model and instruction fees. You can either pay by one of the payment platforms such as Venmo but please reach out to me at msdakotalee@gmail.com to get the correct information. You can also pay via my website HERE (CLICK LINK) but there is a $12 service fee to do so. The balance is not refundable however, the balance is transferrable to one EventswithDakota event in NYC or the DMV/Washington DC area as long as you cancel within 12 hours from the start of this event. Transferred balance expires in 6 months from May 31st, 2025.

Parking: Parking will be on street but it is in a fairly busy area of Brooklyn so I would recommend either taking the train or consider parking at a garage nearby.

Equipment: Camera and Lens(es). Do not bring lights that you need to place on the ground. Bringing a reflector would be fine. I would recommend a good Zoom lens or a portrait and wider angle lens to experiment with different focal lengths while shooting.

For any further questions, please reach out to me at msdakotalee@gmail.com

DMV: Creative Editorial Portrait Workshop with Hot Wax with Model and Creative Director Dakota Lee

Photo credits of Dakota from left: Travis Houze, Lionel Madiou, Photo Cognoscente. Wax example taken off of Pinterest

Hello DMV area photographers! I am so excited to announce my next event: we will be working with me (Dakota) as the model for very unique concepts and with my gorgeous new canvas backdrops! This will be one of the last indoor events before I start running outdoor events during the warmer months.

We will be working on two concepts:

The first concept will be in the creative, editorial portraiture which will provide something more unique than standard fashion.

The second concept will be piggybacking off of the first concept and will be with the use of hot wax and candle flame, but with the concept still in that creative portraiture realm. Example above will be the vibe we are going for.

I (Dakota) decided to model for this event myself due to the risk of open flame and the potential to hurt a less experienced model. Since I have experience in this already, this is the safest way to organize an event like this.

Event will be held on April 26th, 2025 from 2-4 pm at Studio MAB Frederick. Address: 104 W Main Street, Middletown, Maryland.

This is a two hour event with only 5 photographers able to attend, When you pay the ticket cost to the photo event, please make sure you click on the correct timeframe you wish to attend.

Cost: $175.00 for the two hour event which includes all modeling, studio, styling, hair, makeup, instruction, creative direction and lighting fees. To pay for the event, please go HERE (CLICK LINK) to pay on my website. There is a $10.00 processing fee to pay on my website, but to avoid any processing fees, you can reach out to me at msdakotalee@gmail.com to pay via a payment platform (such as Venmo or another comparable payment platform).

Equipment needed: Your camera and lenses. Please bring a wider angle lens to get full body images (You will need a 50mm or 35 mm lens to get the model fully in frame at my studio) but a good portrait lens is recommended as well. You can bring prime lenses or a lens capable of multiple focal lengths.

Parking: On street or you can park on the side of the building in the gravel lot on Jefferson street.

For any further questions, please reach out to me at msdakotalee@gmail.com.