Join legendary photographers and Nikon Ambassadors Joe McNally and Jerry Ghionis at Unique Photo Philly as they teach together for the very first time!

One of the best storytellers of our time, Joe McNally will teach you how to build a lighting solution, step by step, with each of those steps explained. Joe will fully examine the role of each light as he shows the building blocks of a beautifully lit portrait, as well as the thought process, so you can build upon your own “toolkit” when faced with a portrait scenario. Learn the why and the how-to of placing lights and building a lighting scenario as Joe shares his mindset from simple approaches to more sophisticated results.

As one of the few modern masters of posing, Jerry Ghionis will deconstruct posing and how it relates to the direction, size and quality of light. Learn to construct a pose from scratch and then learn how to "break" or deconstruct it to add more meaning, purpose and emotion. You will learn how posing is not a lifeless orchestrated element to portrait photography that should be feared but embraced as a powerful use of storytelling.

They will then share the stage for an inspirational and interactive segment with each other and the audience.

is an acclaimed, award-winning photographer, known worldwide as the quintessential "pro's pro;" an extremely versatile, deeply experienced assignment photographer whose jobs have brought him to over 70 countries and counting.

McNally is often described as: Authentic, empathetic and articulate, an exceptionally skilled technical photographer who pairs extraordinary camera know-how with a vivid imagination and an ongoing, vibrant creativity. Always curious, always adapting to the conditions at hand and the relentless advances in camera technology, he has photographed FIVE cover stories for the National Geographic (amongst an overall FIFTEEN coverages), and SEVEN covers of LIFE Magazine. He photographed the very first all-digital coverage for National Geographic, which was considered such a significant, watershed moment in the history of that venerable publication that the entire coverage has been incorporated into the archives of the U.S Library of Congress. In addition to inspiring editorial work, McNally has covered FOUR Olympics (with number FIVE looming in Paris in 2024) for such diverse clients as ABC Television, Sports Illustrated and TIME magazine. McNally is known for his penchant to get his camera in “a different place” and has twice climbed the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, in addition to climbing the Empire State Building four times.

He is that rare photographer who has successfully made the bridge between the commercial world and the editorial world, and is highly regarded by clients for his versatility, and willingness to be a team player. Joe McNally, a proud Nikon Ambassador, has an extraordinary ability to photograph simple assignments with intimacy and grace, as well as master movie-scale productions with large crews, tremendous pressure and countless moving parts.

is widely regarded as one of the best portrait and wedding photographers in the world. He is the most awarded photographer of WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) and became their first Grand Master. He was also included in their list of top five wedding photographers in the world. Jerry was also named by American Photo Magazine in their first list of top ten best wedding photographers in the world and was also given a United Nations Leadership Award by the International Photographic Council. A Nikon Ambassador, Jerry was named the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) Fashion Photographer of the Year and represented the wedding and fashion industries in the landmark Nikon D850, Z6, Z8 and Z9 camera campaigns.

Renowned for his creativity, he not only has the ability to capture natural magic when photographing his subjects, but he creates magic of his own. His love and empathy for people creates powerful visual storytelling.

Named by PDN magazine as one of the top photography workshop instructors in the world, Jerry is also the inventor of the revolutionary Ice Light (a portable hand held LED light) and the world's first 15-in-1 reflector, the Omega Reflector. The Jerry Ghionis brand has become synonymous with excellence, mastery and innovation in the photography industry.

Unique University® is the highly acclaimed education component of Unique Photo®, NJ’s only camera and video superstore. There is over 2000 sq. ft. of learning space, including our state-of-the art, 1000 sq. ft. main presentation hall. Unique University’s mission is to help our visitors “Create Better Pictures” by providing photography education for beginners to pros. With events daily, it is the place where photography groups such as local camera clubs, ASMP, PPA and others meet. We have a full curriculum of classes and seminars from world famous speakers such as Art Wolfe, Rick Sammon, Michael Yamashita, Tyler Stableford, Lindsay Adler, and Will Crockett. We offer photography experiences to such places as the Lakota Wolf Preserve, Wolf Conservation Center, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Rutgers Football, Longwood Gardens, Festival of Ballooning, and much more. Our technical classes include such topics as basic digital photography, lighting techniques, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, macro photography, composition, editing and printing, wedding photography, HDR photography, working with speedlights, how to use social media, digital organization, one-on-one instruction, and much, much more.

Where are classes held? 
Unless stated otherwise, most classes are held in the Unique University classroom within the Unique Photo Superstore (123 US Highway 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004). We also hold classes at our Philadelphia, PA location (28 South 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106). 

What should I bring to class? 
You're encouraged to bring your camera and a notebook and pen to most classes. Some classes will require additional equipment, so please check the class descriptions. 

Will lunch or refreshments be included? 
Lunch and refreshments are not provided for any classes under 6 hours unless noted. 

How do I register for a class? 
You can register online, in-store at the concierge, or by phone at either 973-377-6454 or 973-377-2007. Please note that you will need to provide payment information. 

Can I register at the door? 
For most classes, you're free to register at the concierge desk prior to the start of the class. Please note that there are some classes that offer "Early Bird Special" rates and others that have limited seating, so it would be in your best interest to register early for such classes. 

I wanted to register for ______ class, but it is now sold out. Is there a waiting list? 
Please contact us at 973-377-6454 or [email protected] with the following information: your name, phone number, email address, and the class name and date. 

My question has not been addressed here. Is there someone I can contact? 
Please contact us at 973-377-6454 or [email protected] with any additional inquiries.

Unique University Class Cancellation Policy
- Classes costing less than $99 may be canceled up to 48 hours in advance for a full refund. For classes costing $100 or more, advanced notice of seven days before the class is necessary for a full refund.
- Requests for cancellation made after these deadlines will be awarded store credit in the amount paid for registration towards a future Unique University seminar or workshop.
- Cancellations made within 24 hours of the beginning of a class will not be honored and no refund or credit will be given.
- Cancellations of any class utilizing models will be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the purchased price (up to $100).
- Cancellations of any class that includes an admission ticket (including, but not limited to: museums, gardens, shows, exhibits, and special events or locations) may be subject to forfeiture of the admission ticket fee.
** Attention American Express cardholders: If you cancel a registration for a class costing $100 or more, there will be a 3% cancellation fee deducted from your refund or store credit.