What I Learned at a Photography Retreat in 30A Florida (2025)

I’ve always believed that things show up in our lives for a reason, even if we don’t understand it straight away.

Brand photography has been a quiet thread running through my years of wedding photography, something I loved but never fully stepped into. With 2025 being my final year of weddings, it felt like the right time to lean into brand photography in a bigger, more intentional way for my family and my future.

Attending a photography retreat wasn’t something I had planned years in advance. Instead, it arrived at exactly the right moment.

Erica and Jon, two brand photographers I’d never even heard of before 2024, kept showing up on my radar like a whisper I couldn’t ignore. At first I wasn’t ready. But early in 2025, that whisper turned into a knowing. I joined two of their courses, Brand Photography Business Accelerator (BPBA) and Brand Photography Bootcamp (BPB), and I was blown away by the depth, clarity and immediate wins their teaching gave me.

Then, while flying down to one of my last weddings of the year, I saw they were offering their Fall photography retreat 2025 in Florida. It made zero logical sense, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was meant to go, even if it meant travelling across the world on my own.

I hoped the retreat would give me the chance to grow, to surround myself with other photographers aiming in the same direction, and to photograph brands I’d never normally have access to. And because Erica and Jon also transitioned from weddings into branding, their story felt like mine in a future chapter.

About the Photography Retreat

Who Hosted It

Before 2024, I didn’t know anything about Erica and Jon. Within months, they became two of the most impactful educators I’ve ever learned from. Through Erica and Jon photography, they combine deep industry experience with an ability to clearly articulate business, mindset, and creative growth.

They are experienced, successful, generous with their knowledge, and the kind of mentors who don’t hold anything back. After the wins I had from their courses, I knew that being in the same room as them would stretch me in the best ways.

The Location, 30A Florida

30A and the Emerald Coast truly look like something from a postcard, glowing turquoise water, white sand, and the softest, most inspiring morning and afternoon light.

The retreat house itself was four stories high, a mansion-style beach home just metres from the sand. It felt like living inside a dream. One morning was completely foggy and the beach looked otherworldly, a gift I didn’t know I needed.

Meals were organised and prepared by the incredible Kristi from the EJ team. At one point, when I went to rinse my dish, she smiled and said, “It’s okay, leave it, you’re on holidays.”
It hit me how tightly I’d been holding onto mum-mode. Letting that go, even just for a few days, opened up parts of my mind that had been quiet for a long time. Time spent with everyone together outside of the schedule was just as valuable as the education itself.

The Structure

Because I’m based in Australia, the 60 days of pre-coaching were honestly the reason I even considered going to this photography retreat. We covered goals, dreams, CEO mindset, and had a powerful session with Brad Bizjack.

By the time we arrived at the beach house, we already felt like friends.

The hot seats were a standout. Each one ran for around 45 minutes. We shared where we were in business, where we wanted to go, and then Erica and Jon spoke directly into mindset, business models, and blind spots we didn’t know we had. Watching each person go through their hot seat was just as powerful as having my own.

Inside the Retreat Days

Day One

We started with a light workout and breathwork on Inlet Beach with Heidi Powell, an absolute powerhouse. She spoke about life, business, motherhood, and presence.

Then we moved into her photoshoot, capturing all the layers of who she is: recipe creator, podcast host, fitness leader, businesswoman, and warm-hearted human. The day ended with dinner on the beach under a full moon. Magical is the only word.

Day Two

An early morning (freezing) ocean swim followed by a full day of hot seats. We heard from photographers just starting out, photographers pivoting, and photographers expanding into new directions. Erica and Jon have a way of making impossible growth feel possible.

Day Three

We woke to thick fog. I almost didn’t head down to the beach, but I was encouraged to go, and I’m so glad I did. I photographed two empowerment sessions as personal projects with fellow attendees, not part of the official schedule. The fog added a softness that made the images feel incredibly special.

After breakfast, we finished the final hot seats and moved into hands-on brand product photography.

We rotated through stations featuring Real & Raw, Skout Organics, Active Blends, and other styled food setups. We had 30 minutes at each station to style, shoot, experiment, and push ourselves creatively.

This is where I hit my biggest block, and my biggest breakthrough.

The Photography Sessions

Heidi Powell

Photographing Heidi was inspiring. Watching Erica photograph her and then seeing the results reinforced how powerful clear direction and storytelling can be in brand photography.

Skout Organics

These setups were colourful, technical, and challenging, which is exactly where my imposter syndrome appeared. I didn’t see myself as a food photographer. I worried nothing I created would be good enough.

At one point, I slipped into content-creator mode, photographing behind-the-scenes moments because it felt safer.

Then, with two minutes left, I remembered everything I’d learnt in BPB. Leading lines. Layers. Threes. Falling out of frame. I smeared peanut butter across the surface and built the shot.

It worked.

That flat lay became a turning point for me during the photography retreat.

Beach Better Co

Beach Better Co, now part of Coastal, is a service-based brand specialising in beach chair hire and bonfires. Photographing them on the sand felt natural, movement-driven, and story-focused. It was the perfect way to close the retreat.

What Made the Shoots Special

• Shooting across multiple industries

• Learning how Erica and Jon style and light

• Seeing how other photographers think

• Access to real brands, not mock-ups

• Collaboration instead of competition

 

The Hard Moments

Imposter Syndrome

It hit hardest during the Skout Organics rotation. After being rattled by the strobes and dark backdrop in the previous set, food products sent me straight into doubt. Watching others create while I froze was uncomfortable, but necessary.

The Breakthrough

Two minutes. Peanut butter. Trusting what I knew.
The photo wasn’t just good. It represented a shift. Inspiration is healthy. Comparison isn’t.

The Emotional Side

Travelling from Australia alone was huge. Leaving my family was hard, but having space to think, explore, and be present was deeply freeing.

What to Look for in a Photography Retreat

If you’re considering a photography retreat, here’s what mattered most to me:

• Pre-coaching that builds connection early

• Real brands, not styled simulations

• A safe space for mindset and business growth

• A location that inspires creativity

• A balanced schedule

• A supportive, aligned group

There are very few brand photography educators in Australia, which made this photography retreat 2025 especially valuable.

Would I Recommend It?

If I lived in the US, I would attend again in a heartbeat.

Every big investment I’ve made in myself has come back to me tenfold. Erica and Jon are deeply committed to helping photographers succeed.

My last retreat was in 2012 for newborn photography. This was entirely different, deeper and more intentional.

My Biggest Takeaways

• Be yourself in how you create

• Breakthroughs live inside discomfort

• Let experienced voices guide you

• You’ll learn far more than photography

• Fear often hides your biggest growth

• Sometimes the answer really is peanut butter

• Pre-coaching makes all the difference

How do you explain all of that happening in three and a half days?
You don’t. You experience it.

Final Thoughts

In less than 12 months, I went from discovering Erica and Jon, to becoming their student, to standing in a beach house in Florida learning from them in person.

This photography retreat reshaped my confidence, my direction, and my belief in what’s possible for me as a brand photographer.

If you’re considering a retreat, or stepping into brand photography yourself, I’m always happy to share my experience.