When Trevor Sherwin took an aptitude test in high school, the results indicated he should become a photographer. “Photographer? That’s a stupid job,” he responded to his guidance counselor. Although he came from a long line of shutterbugs, he had no interest in the profession except to take an occasional photo.

Sherwin fell into photography accidentally. When he was at university handing out resumes everywhere looking for a part time job, Japan Camera, one of the first retailers doing one-hour photo finishing, hired him. “I think that they hired me because I was a warm body. Eighteen years later, here I am doing exactly what the aptitude test revealed. And I love it,” he admitted.

Later working at Henry’s on the sales floor and then working his way up to running Henry’s School of Imaging, Sherwin was able to hone his self-taught photographic skills. However, he was not without a mentor, David Hou, a top commercial photographer known for shooting dance and theater.

“David opened my eyes to the world of ambient and studio lighting. Especially low-key work, since I like working with dramatic light. Some of my shots use high-key setups, but I really like to play with light and shadow, ” Sherwin revealed. “Only in the last couple of years, I’ve been able to do what I should be doing. Currently, I specialize in boudoir photography. I see myself being able to change someone’s life. In the past, I specialized in portraits. But with boudoir photography, I can have impact on someone’s life and the photography becomes more meaningful to them. It’s as if I am – part therapist, part personal coach, part photographer,” Sherwin concluded.

“I’ve been teaching photography for over ten years in some shape or form and have overseen over twenty thousand people through the courses. Teaching photography is one of the most fun jobs I have ever had. I find the Photoflex Power of Light workshop curriculum to be excellently designed, since it allows a student with little or no experience to clearly understand the six qualities of light, work with professional models, and experiment with light, “ he explained. “I want students to ask questions, to dig deeper, and I want them to understand light and lighting modifiers. I want them to think, to look at a picture and ask how it was shot. How did the photographer use the light?

Sherwin will be demonstrating his luminous lighting techniques for low key, high key and outdoor natural light setups. The Power of Light workshop will consist of an instructional presentation, demonstration of the techniques, and a hands-on lab with the attendees using their camera equipment and lighting by Photoflex. The workshop will take place Saturday, September 21 from 12 to 5 PM at LuxSpace Studios at 9 Davies Ave., Studio 401, Toronto, ON. To sign up or find out more information, go to http://phototraining.ca

When asked where does he see himself in five years, Sherwin concluded, “I am exactly where I want to be. I love what I am doing. I want to be in amongst the best boudoir photographers in Toronto, shooting high-end boudoir pictures, running workshops and changing people’s lives for the better. I want to be synonymous with boudoir photography.”