The promise: "By the end of this course, you'll be able to execute Philip Winham's full heirloom workflow — from the moment a client books to the moment a finished oval-matted print ships out the door — with the same gear, the same settings, and the same look."
Two tiers, mirroring your existing thinking
Basic Tier — $300–500 · The PWP Heirloom Edit
Just the editing core. Strips out marketing, client communication, and business-side material. For photographers who already have a clientele and just want to learn the look.
Includes: Modules 1 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 below · all PDFs · lifetime access. Excludes: email templates, marketing playbook, 1-on-1 call.
Premium Tier — $850–925 · The Heirloom Intensive
The complete experience.
Includes: all 6 modules · all PDFs + email + selection templates · marketing playbook · one scheduled 60-min 1-on-1 Zoom with you · lifetime access + updates.
The 6 modules
Module 1 — Gear & Foundation
From PDF 1, pp. 2–4. ~3 lessons, ~30 min total video.
Lesson 1.1 · Welcome + What You're About to Learn
- Your intro, your approach, what makes a heirloom portrait
- Course roadmap + how to use it
- The promise: repeatable, consistent, branded look
Lesson 1.2 · The Gear List
- Camera (Nikon Z7ii), lens, SD card, on-camera flash + air remote
- Softbox, flash battery, stands, reflector, backdrop, ottoman
- Budget alternatives table (explicit cheaper substitutes per category)
- Downloadable: Gear list PDF with Amazon/B&H links
Lesson 1.3 · The Software Stack
- Photo Mechanic, Lightroom, Photoshop, Pic-Time, Red Tree Albums
- Downloadable: Software list PDF with subscription costs + sign-up links
Module 2 — Working With Your Client (Premium only)
Not in the PDFs. From the discovery call: there are 2–5 extra topics that came up in zoom Q&A around client communication, marketing, and tips for kids/seniors. This module captures that.
Lesson 2.1 · Setting Expectations Before the Shoot
- What to tell clients to wear
- How to frame the heirloom session vs. a regular portrait session
- Pre-shoot email template
Lesson 2.2 · In the Room With a Subject
- Tips for shooting babies (warm-up time, when to stop, 15–45 min sessions)
- Tips for shooting older subjects (the senior-portrait pivot Troveman is heading toward)
- Showing parents images during the shoot — why this matters
- When to call it: knowing you have the shot
Lesson 2.3 · Marketing the Heirloom
- How you use Instagram (your "different than other photographers" approach)
- The pop-up / tour model (the Troveman Texas Tour concept)
- Pricing heirlooms for your market
- Downloadable: Marketing playbook PDF
Module 3 — The Shoot
From PDF 1, pp. 5–7. ~3 lessons, ~25 min.
Lesson 3.1 · The Set Up
- Backdrop placement (white front, black back — why it matters)
- Ottoman/apple box positioning
- Reflector right, softbox left, walkthrough video of building the pop-up set
- Downloadable: Lighting setup diagram
Lesson 3.2 · Camera Settings + Flash Settings
- Shutter 1/125–160 · Aperture f/8 · ISO 100–125 · Profoto flash 8.0
- Why these specific settings
- Downloadable: Settings cheat sheet
Lesson 3.3 · Shooting the Session
- Testing exposure
- Continuous model light for focus pulling
- 15–45 min session length, reviewing as you go
- When you have the shot
Module 4 — Selection + Proof Sheet
From PDF 1, pp. 7–8.
Lesson 4.1 · Culling in Photo Mechanic
- Download workflow (folder structure: Client Heirloom → RAW PICS → RAW PROOFS)
- Color selecting your top images (10–28 per kiddo)
- Why Photo Mechanic over Lightroom for this step
Lesson 4.2 · Building the Proof Sheet in Lightroom
- Catalog naming convention
- Print module → 3×3 layout with file numbering
- Resolution at 240 ppi (so clients can't print high-res)
- Downloadable: Proof sheet template
Lesson 4.3 · Delivering the Proof Sheet (Premium only)
- Your exact email template ("I'm excited to share that your heirloom proof sheet is now ready…")
- How to handle slow clients
- Downloadable: Proof sheet email template
Module 5 — The PWP Heirloom Edit (Lightroom + Photoshop)
From PDF 2 — this is the heart of the course. ~8 lessons, ~60 min.
Lesson 5.1 · Lightroom Base Edit
- Loading PWP heirloom preset
- Adjusting temp, tint, contrast, clarity, highlights, vibrance per-kiddo
- The remove tool + heal brush for blemishes
- Downloadable: PWP Lightroom preset (.xmp)
Lesson 5.2 · The Masking Step (THE essential step — DO NOT SKIP)
- Select subject → invert to select background
- Exposure +1.0 to +2.0 · Contrast −55 to −60 · Whites 0 to +20
- Before/after demo
Lesson 5.3 · Opening in Photoshop
- Right-click → Edit in Photoshop 2025
- Unlock layer, duplicate for the heirloom edit layer
Lesson 5.4 · The Blur + Sharpen Layers
- Blur layer: cheeks, forehead, bridge of nose, brush ~30%
- Sharpen layer: eyes, eyelashes, lips, nose tip, hair highlights, eyebrows
Lesson 5.5 · Crop + Generative Expand
- Crop tool to center subject in middle quadrant
- Generative expand for the backdrop fill (no prompt needed)
- The "BOOM" moment
Lesson 5.6 · The Heirloom Oval Shape
- Solid Color fill → white
- Layer mask thumbnail, brush sizing with bracket keys
- Black foreground to erase, white to add back
- Brush settings walkthrough
- Final shape: the iconic Troveman/PWP oval
Lesson 5.7 · Saving + Returning to Lightroom
- File → Save → autopopulates back in Lightroom
- Right-click → Create Virtual Copy for B&W
- B&W edit button in develop module
- Contrast, highlights, shadows, blacks adjustments
Lesson 5.8 · Final Images Review
- What "done" looks like
- Common mistakes + fixes
- Side-by-side: color vs B&W virtual copy
Module 6 — Delivery + Print Production
From PDF 2, pp. 17–28.
Lesson 6.1 · Exporting from Lightroom
- File → Export · custom naming · Quality 100 · 300 ppi
- Folder structure: Client Name → Final Edits
Lesson 6.2 · Uploading to Pic-Time
- Why Pic-Time, gallery setup
- Final gallery email template ("Howdy CLIENT NAME…")
- Add-on prints for grandparents ($75 each for 8×10 oval matted)
- Downloadable: Final gallery email template (Premium only)
Lesson 6.3 · Print Prep in Photoshop (Oval Mockup)
- Open Oval_Heirloom_MockUp.psd
- Drag image above oval, below "Rectangle 1"
- Center in oval, transform/scale
- Downloadable: Oval_Heirloom_MockUp.psd
Lesson 6.4 · Cropping to 5×7 for Red Tree
- Why 5×7 (matches Red Tree template — WYSIWYG)
- Snap-to-guides crop workflow
Lesson 6.5 · Exporting Print-Ready File
- File → Export → Export As · JPEG, highest quality
Lesson 6.6 · Ordering from Red Tree Albums
- Account setup at redtreealbums.com
- Matted Prints · HAHNEMUHLE BRIGHT WHITE · 8×10 mat
- Upload, add to cart, ship
Lesson 6.7 · Receiving + Shipping
- Inspecting the print on arrival
- Reusing Red Tree packaging + bubble wrap + bubble mailer
- Shipping cost typically $12–18
- Final hand-off email to client
Bonus · The 1-on-1 Call (Premium only)
After completing the course, premium-tier students schedule a 60-min Zoom with you. Held async via Calendly link inside the member dashboard.
Suggested structure (give this a sanity check):
- 5 min: intro + what they want to focus on
- 15 min: review of their first heirloom attempt (sent before the call)
- 30 min: their questions, your edits
- 10 min: feedback on their marketing/pricing/business setup
What we'd film fresh vs. reuse
Reuse from existing cohort recordings (the 8 zoom videos)
- All live-demo screen shares — lighting setup, Lightroom walkthroughs, Photoshop oval work, Red Tree ordering. Your existing demos are gold. Pull the best 5–10 min clip per topic.
- The "before/after" reveals
- Your verbal explanations during the demos
Film fresh (you-to-camera, white backdrop, 5–10 min chunks)
- Welcome + module intros
- Gear walkthroughs (you can be holding the gear)
- Module 2 content — net new, no prior recordings
- Closing / "what's next" segments
You mentioned preferring teaching with 2–3 friends in the room as a "live" audience — keeps your cadence natural. Plan the recording days around bringing friends in.
Assets you need to produce or share
| Asset | Status | Notes |
|---|
| PWP Lightroom preset (.xmp) | TODO | Critical — core deliverable |
| Oval_Heirloom_MockUp.psd | TODO | Critical — core deliverable |
| The setup video referenced in PDF 1 | Confirm | You mentioned showing it in class — confirm if it exists or needs reshoot |
| Example proof sheet | Done | Already in PDF 1 |
| Email templates (proof, gallery) | Done | Already in PDFs |
| Logo + brand finals | In progress | Week of May 25 with your designer |
| 8 cohort recordings | Partial | Ezra has 3, will get the other 5 |
| Friends to be your "audience" during fresh recording | TODO | 2–3 people, summer scheduling |
Open product decisions
- Drip release vs. all-at-once? Recommend all-at-once for v1 (matches the "intensive" feel + your existing cohort model). Drip can be a v2 lever.
- Community component? Discord/Circle/Slack channel for students? Adds value to premium but is ongoing maintenance for you. Recommend NOT in v1 — revisit at 50+ students.
- Certificate of completion? Easy win for the premium tier. Branded PDF, generated on completion. Recommend YES — minimal effort, real perceived value.
- Refund policy? 14-day money-back, full refund as long as <30% of lessons watched. Soft framing on the sales page so it reads as confidence-signal not fine-print. Enforceable via Cloudflare Stream watch tracking.
- Cohort vs. evergreen? June is the last live cohort, then evergreen. Recommend keeping ONE annual live cohort at premium-plus pricing ($1,500–2,000) for the people who specifically want live access — keeps the live model alive without it being your weekly job.
