Tanya Parada grew up in Washington State with her grandfather's Leica film camera in her hands. She now shoots in California, where the light is extraordinary and yet she reaches for flash constantly. Not to fight the sun, but to add something to the story that natural light alone cannot provide.

In this stream Tanya shares eight images with full behind-the-scenes breakdowns from single light setups that create dramatic, beautifully lit portraits, to multi-light configurations that layer colour and depth into already beautiful scenes. She also shares her posing philosophy, her love of using flash to slow down shutter speed for creative motion shots, and why she believes that making couples feel genuinely comfortable is the foundation of every great photograph.

Chuck McFluff is in the comments within seconds. That tells you everything you need to know about how loved Tanya is in this community. 🎉

The top 5 things you will learn by watching this stream:

1. How Tanya uses flash as a creative accent rather than a main light source. Tanya explains her approach to flash in sun-drenched outdoor conditions - using it to add a creative punch or layer depth rather than simply replacing or competing with natural light.
2. How to use flash to slow your shutter speed and create dynamic motion shots. Tanya shares how slowing the shutter with flash allows her to freeze the couple while capturing beautiful movement in the scene around them: a technique that adds energy and artistry to images that would otherwise be static.
3. Why posing by embodying the pose yourself first leads to better, more natural results. Tanya shares advice from educator Daniel Aguilar on how putting yourself in the position you are asking your couple to take and feeling how it feels first, creates a more natural, empathetic direction and produces images with genuine ease and connection.
4. How to create a wide variety of looks using primarily one light. Across eight images Tanya demonstrates how most of her work relies on a single light and how changing its position, power, and modifier transforms the mood and quality of the image dramatically.
5. Why the diversity of light across different locations makes every wedding a new creative opportunity. Tanya reflects on how different the light is in Washington, California, Mexico, Hawaii, and New York and why approaching each location with curiosity rather than formula is what keeps her work fresh and inspiring.

You can follow Tanya on Instagram here