Foundation
Intro to Photography
$105Three hours of camera basics, exposure fundamentals and practical shooting control. Learn to pick settings based on what you want to capture.
Method focus · D Decide · O Observe
Daring Leaderman · Portrait, fashion & editorial photographer · Based in Washington, DC · Studio in Richmond, VA
Dope is
intentional.
Every dope pic is a decision. I make those decisions for you when you're in front of my camera, and I teach you to make them yourself when you're behind yours.
4.9 / 5 from 12 student reviews
Intent: GlowLight: Dappled sunLoc: Outdoor
In front of the camera
Get photographed
For models, talent and creatives who want portraits, a portfolio, or fashion and editorial images made on purpose.
Book a shoot → Behind the cameraLearn to shoot
For photographers at any level: classes, private tutoring, Cineduction workshops and mentorship, all built on one method.
Learn the method →
Credentials
- GVM LED Brand ambassador
- Federal-level Photography & video production
- Instructor Richmond Photography Group & Newport News Photography Group
- Owner 360ism Studios, Richmond
- 25+ years Visual storytelling, TV & video roots
The work
Every frame is a decision.
Each image comes with the thinking behind it: what I wanted, and what the light was doing. Getting photographed? This is the standard you can expect. Learning to shoot? Each photo links to the class that teaches it.
Studio · Glamour●
- D
- Old-Hollywood shine, with sequins that sparkle but don't blow out.
- O
- Light skimming across the dress, set against a dark, textured door.
Location · Editorial●
- D
- Regal and relaxed, like the fountain belongs to her.
- O
- Bright sun and blue sky, with the gown's color echoing the water.
Studio · Beauty●
- D
- Soft power, framed in bloom.
- O
- Controlled studio light, with the flower wall used as a natural frame.
Studio · Fashion●
- D
- Cool, sharp, a little dangerous.
- O
- Clean, even light against a warm backdrop, so the black holds its detail.
Location · Fashion●
- D
- Poolside couture, all motion.
- O
- Open shade in the doorway with a bright background behind her.
Studio · Fashion●
- D
- Quiet, statuesque confidence.
- O
- A single soft source carving her out of a dark background.
Studio · Fashion●
- D
- Liquid satin, still pose.
- O
- Warm light that makes the fabric shine without losing shadow.
Location · Fashion●
- D
- Soft style against heavy machinery.
- O
- Open daylight, with the yellow steel doing the framing.
Location · Fashion●
- D
- Caught mid-leap at golden hour.
- O
- Sunset sky behind her, timed for the jump.
Night · Location●
- D
- Winter glamour against the city.
- O
- City lights turned into soft background bokeh.
Boudoir · Indoor●
- D
- Relaxed, confident, at home.
- O
- Soft window light wrapping her, with the room left in shadow.
Location · Automotive●
- D
- Playful poise inside the machine.
- O
- Open shade through the door, keeping the red dress bright against the dark cabin.
Location · Fashion●
- D
- Sharp lines, city poise.
- O
- Daylight on her, with the glass building cooling the background.
Location · Swim●
- D
- Grounded strength at the water's edge.
- O
- Dusk sky behind her, with added light lifting her out of the shadows.
Location · Swim●
- D
- Summer heat you can feel.
- O
- Hard sun, with the shadows used as graphic lines instead of fought.
For talent & creatives
Be in the frame.
Portraits, model portfolios, fashion and editorial work in my style. You bring the vision; I make the decisions (intent, light, direction), and you leave with images that look like they were made on purpose. I'm based in Washington, DC, my studio is in Richmond, and I travel for the work.
1 · Request
Tell me your intent
What the images are for and how they should feel. The booking form takes two minutes.
2 · Plan
We build the shoot
Looks, location, light and styling, planned around your intent. You get a custom quote for your booking.
3 · Shoot
Show up. I direct.
In the studio in Richmond or on location. I handle the light and the direction so you can focus on the moment.
Request a shoot →
Custom quote · priced per booking
Need corporate headshots, team photos or business video? That's Virginia Business Visuals: same photographer, with booking built for business.
For photographers · The method
What the DOPE is.
It's how I shoot and how I teach. Know what you want before you touch a dial, learn the rules cold, then make the picture yours. No presets, no LUTs, no copy-my-look shortcuts. You learn to make the decisions yourself.
Step one
Decide the intent
Know what you're capturing before anything else. Moving water, kids running around, high-speed live sports, a still life on a table: each one needs different settings. Once you name the intent, you know which settings to dial in.
Freeze the action? Fast shutter.
Silky water? Slow it down.
Subject pops from the background? Open up the aperture.
The intent decides the settings.
Silky water? Slow it down.
Subject pops from the background? Open up the aperture.
The intent decides the settings.
Step two
Observe the light
No clear intent yet? Read the light first. Where is it coming from? Is it hard or soft, warm or cool? Where does it fall off? The environment shows you what's possible, and the intent often comes from what the light is already doing.
Direction · front, side, back
Quality · hard or soft
Color · warm, cool, mixed
Falloff · where it drops to shadow
Quality · hard or soft
Color · warm, cool, mixed
Falloff · where it drops to shadow
Step three
Practice the rules
The basic and advanced skills: exposure, shutter, aperture, ISO, focus, composition, and how to place and shape light. You drill them until they're automatic, so the camera does what you want when the moment comes.
Basic · exposure triangle, focus, composition
Advanced · studio strobes, multi-light setups, modifiers, directing people
Advanced · studio strobes, multi-light setups, modifiers, directing people
Step four
Express it your way
Then make it your own. Bend the rules, and break them when the picture calls for it. Once you know the rules, breaking one is a style choice, not a mistake.
Learn the rule
Apply the rule
Own the rule
Break the rule, on purpose
Apply the rule
Own the rule
Break the rule, on purpose
Break a rule on purpose and it's style. Break it by accident and it's a mistake.
Learn the method →
IN THE STUDIO
For photographers · Inside a class
You shoot. Every class.
No sitting through slides. Every class and workshop at 360ism Studios puts a camera in your hands, a model on a lit set, and Daring beside you walking through the method.
- Real sets, real modelsStyled sets, working lights and a model to direct.
- Hands-on from the startYou practice each step on your own camera, not on a handout.
- Feedback while you shootAsk as you go and get notes on your frames in the moment.
For photographers · Classes
Real lessons. Real cameras.
Classes build on each other the same way the method does. Start with intent and exposure, move into studio light, then control multiple lights. All classes run at 360ism Studios in downtown Richmond.
Foundation
Mastering Manual Mode
$105Take full command of aperture, shutter speed and ISO so the camera does what you intend, every time.
Method focus · D Decide · P Practice
Foundation
Mastering On-Camera Flash
$105Make on-camera flash look intentional instead of harsh: bounce, balance and control it anywhere.
Method focus · O Observe · P Practice
Program
Beginner Photography Bootcamp
$299Camera control, exposure, focus and composition in one structured program across multiple sessions.
Method focus · D · O · P
Studio
Studio Light Mastery
$149Shape, place, control and understand studio light in a real studio.
Method focus · O Observe · P Practice
Advanced
Multi-Light Studio Setups
$199Advanced lighting patterns, separation lights and layered setups, and when to break the pattern.
Method focus · P Practice · E Express
For photographers · One-on-one & workshops
Go deeper.
When you're ready for more than a class: private tutoring built around your gaps, my signature Cineduction workshop, or mentorship for building a practice.
01 / TUTOR
Make it personal
For photographers who want feedbackThursday night private tutoring built around your camera, your gear and your gaps, with live demos and honest critique.$199 / 2 hrs · Duo $249 · Group $349 · 4-week Accelerator $699
Book tutoring → 02 / WORKSHOPCineduction
Signature boudoir & glamour lighting workshopA cinematic boudoir and glamour lighting intensive. Shape light on the body, direct with confidence, and make portraits that feel like movie stills.Richmond from $299 · US workshops $800
Reserve a seat → 03 / MENTORGo further
For photographers building a practiceCreative mentorship that covers the craft and the business: your style, your offers, your pricing, and how you find clients.Custom quote
Apply →
For photographers · Student reviews
What students say after class.
4.9 / 5
Seven decades behind the camera. Still learned something new.
“Although I have been photographing for almost 7 decades, I learned 2 new tips. Daring is extremely knowledgeable and shares his knowledge with a relaxed, personal approach.”
I’m not sure what I expected from this class. I’ve watched many U-Tube videos on the subject and I guess expected the same thing, white marker board and a lecture on the triangle. I was surprised with the hands on exercises and feel it’s what you can’t get from a video.
The class is very informative and has live interaction and feedback on how to use each of our cameras as it applies to class. The instructor is very experienced and the information is informative. It is well worth the investment!
The instructor has excellent command of the subject, was very patient, and answered all the questions raised during the class. Very calm, encouraged participants to exchange ideas and ask questions, valuing every question, even the most basic ones. I recommend the class.
The hands on demo using the reflectors to place and shape light was helpful! It was good to have specific exercises around achieving a particular shot with the light.
For photographers · Workshops & open shoots
Put it to work.
Workshops and open shoots are where you practice the method with real models, real sets and real pressure.
Signature workshop · monthly · 8 photographers max
Cineduction
Boudoir & glamour lighting. Create cinematic, sensual portraits that feel expensive, using controlled light, projection, mood and confident direction.
- Cinematic lighting for curves and expression, including the projection-based Cineduction Wall
- Direction and posing coaching, with guided shooting in rotating pods
- Leave with portfolio images, a lighting cheat sheet (PDF) and usage rights with credit
For developing photographers, content creators and videographers moving into stills. You'll need to be comfortable in manual mode. Bring a mirrorless or DSLR, portrait glass (35/50/85mm), charged batteries and empty cards. All lighting is provided.
Richmond · 4 hours · 360ism Studios
$299General admission
$499Priority shooter · 2 spots
Priority includes first position, 1-on-1 coaching and a private sequence.
US workshops · traveling dates
Reserve a seat →
$800Total
$150Deposit holds your seat
The remaining $650 is due 30 days before the workshop date.
Between classes
Keep learning on the 360ism Network.
Creative work, explained from the inside. Lessons, production breakdowns and real opportunities for photographers, models and filmmakers.
About Daring
“Shoot with intention. If you don't have one yet, read the light first.”
I'm Daring Leaderman. I've spent more than 25 years in visual storytelling. I started in television and video, and I've produced photography and video at the federal level. Today I live in Washington, DC, own 360ism Studios in Richmond, and teach for Richmond Photography Group and Newport News Photography Group. I'm also a GVM LED brand ambassador. At the studio I shoot portraits, fashion and editorial work, and teach the people who want to learn how. I travel for the right project.
Whether you're booking a shoot or taking a class, you get the same thing: someone who knows what he wants before he picks up the camera, and who'll show you how to do the same.
25+years in visual storytelling
Federallevel photography & video production
GVM LEDbrand ambassador
Your move
What's your
What's your
intent?
Book with me
Getting photographed, or booking tutoring, a workshop or mentorship: pick what you're booking and the form asks only what I need. I reply within one business day. Private shoots are priced per booking, so you'll get a custom quote.
I want to shoot
Classes, private tutoring and mentorship. Start with the basics or pick up where you are, and learn the rules well enough to break them.
See class dates →Not ready yet? Get The 360 View newsletter →
Email info@360ism.com
Call or text 804.404.5670
Studio 360ism Studios · Richmond, VA