Expo Master Class Photographers 2025

What is Expo Master Class Photographers?

Expo Master Class Photographers is a leading conference for photography, videography, and content creation. This year’s edition was held on October 5–9 at the Bel Air Unique WTC Hotel in Mexico City.

Activities at Expo Master Class Photographers

EMCP offered a little bit of everything, with three main areas such as the Expo Zone, the Conference Zone and Workshop Zone.

The Expo wasn’t just about brand booths—companies like Vyorsa, Sony, and TecnoPlanet hosted 45-minute talks and live sessions with speakers engaging directly with the audience. Others, like Canon, Geekoto, and Asus, provided models for hands-on portrait and product photography practice.

My Experience: 1st Day

I came in with an open mind, but I never expected to leave with a quote from a social event photographer that would resonate so deeply—professionally and personally.

While I didn’t attend the conference zone, the talks happening at the booths were surprisingly insightful and worth every minute.

Being the first day, I took some time to explore the venue while a colleague wrapped up a talk at the Vyorsa booth. Not long after, I joined the TecnoPlanet session with Vero Esqueda (IG veritoesqueda) on Gastronomic Portraiture—and we closed the day with what I’d consider one of the standout talks of the entire event.

Luis Gallardo (IG: luisgallardofotografo) brought incredible energy to the room. Even though the day’s fatigue was starting to show, his session flew by—and I genuinely enjoyed every minute of his talk on social event photography, especially Quinceañeras.

One quote from him stuck with me:

“Forget about the competition—focus on yourself.”

He was speaking professionally, urging us not to compare ourselves to more experienced creators. But without diving too deep, I took it as a powerful life lesson.

That talk marked the end of day one.

My Experience: 3rd Day

I couldn’t make it to day two, so let’s skip ahead to day three.

I’d already checked out the booth schedules, and TecnoPlanet had the sessions that caught my eye:

• Color Grading by Mario Olvera

• Bridal Portraits with Flash by Michel Bohorquez

• From Click to Client by Manny Lin

Plus one last talk at the Zona Naranja booth—home to brands like Godox, Hohem, Havit, K&F Concept, and Tether Tools:

• Creative Lighting by Danny Cuevas

TecnoPlanet's Talks

Mario Olvera’s session was a great boost to my ongoing journey with color grading. (IG: mariolvera3)

What I appreciated most was that he worked directly in DaVinci Resolve—even though I still struggle with it a bit, having spent most of my editing life inside Adobe’s ecosystem.

Michel Bohorquez

(IG: michelbohorquezfoto) helped me understand that great photography depends far more on creativity than on gear—and even more on the people you have around you.

He shared an incredible setup: a red gel on a flash aimed at a piece of aluminum with a small hole framing the bride, a blue-gelled flash behind her lighting the background, and a third flash with a diffuser and grid lighting her face.

Honestly, it’s one of the most inventive setups I’ve seen. I’d never have thought to build it that way—I’d probably try to recreate it in post.

At the TecnoPlanet booth, I had the chance to meet Manny Lin during his talk, From Click to Client.

(IG: linphotographysd)

I’ve always admired speakers who are direct yet genuinely constructive—people who speak with clarity and assertiveness. Manny is exactly that, and I think personalities like his make for great mentors.

He used videos and images to support his points, but the session never felt slow or heavy. In fact, he tackled topics that many young creators tend to dismiss—simply because “my favorite content creator doesn’t do it.”

One key takeaway was the importance of specializing early on, but once you’ve mastered your niche, it’s time to diversify and build a team for each area you want to cover.

Manny, for instance, focuses on Indian and Jewish weddings, but that doesn’t mean he won’t shoot Mexican or American ones. And when he can’t attend personally, he has a team ready to deliver with the same quality.

He also stressed the value of our work and encouraged us not to shy away from charging what it’s worth—especially in a market where, as he said, “you’re never really losing money.”

Finally, he reminded us how important language is when speaking to clients: offering a discount isn’t the same as offering an incentive.

Manny wrapped up with a powerful insight: 60% of people will hire you for who you are, 30% for what you do, and just 10% based on price.

If your rates are low, they might assume you’re inexperienced or not very good. But if you charge more, they’re likely to see you as an expert.

Ultimately, it’s not about technical language—it’s about empathy. Understanding your client’s needs and showing them how you’ll solve their problems is what truly builds trust.

Zona Naranja Talk

I wrapped up the event with Danny Cuevas’s session on Creative Lighting at the Zona Naranja booth.

I missed some of the technical intro, but caught the hands-on part, where he worked with a model using a flash.

He then added an orange acrylic box to blend natural tones with the colored light, seated the model, and used one of the brand signs as a bonus light source—while the flash lit her face.

Once again, he showed how creativity and resourcefulness (just like Manny Lin and Michel Bohorquez) can elevate photography.

Key figures

Before closing, I have to share a few honorable mentions.

This event wasn’t just about brand-led talks—it was also a chance to reconnect with colleagues, friends, and mentors who’ve shaped my journey.

I’ll explore their work more deeply in future “Inspiration” pieces, but for now, here are a few names that truly stood out:

Naomi Benitez

Ritchie Rodas

Fernando Cortés

Photographer and Filmmaker

Filmmaker and Director of ACM Cine

Portrait Photographer

Conclusion

What this experience taught me, as a new content creator diving into food photography, this experience has truly been a turning point for me—not just creatively, but in how I see myself as a future mentor.

Because, who doesn’t want to share what they’ve learned and see others thrive with it?

If even one person out of a hundred reads this and turns it into something meaningful, then you’re already part of the change.