Click Away 2020 – Atlanta, Georgia

I mentioned a couple of posts before that I attended the Click Away photography conference in Atlanta before shit hit the fan.  I want to take a minute to tell you all about the conference!  I came home with so many great ideas and inspiration… and new contacts in the industry!  It was definitely just the thing that I needed before coming home to quarantine.

I started my trip a week early with a half marathon on the beach on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.  From there, I traveled around for several days to also check North Carolina and Tennessee off my “list” of states (I have a goal to see all 50 states in my lifetime… I’m about halfway there!).  Of course, I had my camera with me (I was ultimately headed to a photography conference after all!) and got some great shots of Charleston, Charlotte, Knoxville, Ruby Falls, and Rock City Gardens as I was exploring. (I haven’t gotten around to editing those yet… maybe I’ll share some of my road trip photos in my next post!)

I finally got down to Atlanta on Thursday, March 5th, settled into my hotel room, grabbed some dinner with some other photographers, met my roommate (another photographer at the conference from Maryland) and then headed to bed.  I was exhausted from days of travel and adventure, and needed energy for the next 48 hours!

Friday started out with an inspiring keynote by Ami Vitale, a documentary photographer who spoke about covering stories ranging from people in war torn countries to animals in the African savannah.  Her presentation was beautiful.  My dream job is to be a travel photographer.  I know it’s not something that will align with my life and other priorities, but I dream… and it was great to live vicariously through her for a little while!

From there, I headed to a “shoot out” class with boudoir photographer Jasmin Jade.  A conference room in the hotel was transformed into a living room set and Jasmin spent the class showing us how to use light and posing to accent her model’s features.  We each took turns photographing the model from various angles in several different poses.  I was so impressed with her being able to hold herself together in her underwear with roughly 30 photographers’ cameras pointed at her!  I would not have been that cool, that’s for sure!  =)

Last on my Friday agenda was a newborn lifestyle photography class with Lindsay Martin.  Another “shoot out” style class, but this time with a whole family; Mom, Dad, and three little ones.  Due to conference regulations, we weren’t able to have an actual “newborn” model, but the little 8 month old that we did have was absolutely adorable!  We talked about how to photograph with a “lifestyle” style, use natural light in our favor, and how to prompt kids and family members for some beautiful images!

After classes were over on Friday I grabbed some dinner with a few other conference attendees, and then headed over to the opening night party… which had a circus theme!  I didn’t want to lug my camera to the part after carrying it around all day at the conference, but I did get these shots of the performers on my phone! 

Saturday was my second, and final, day of the conference.  I had elected to squeeze all of my classes into two days, rather than spreading them out among the three-day period, so that I could head home a little early (I had been gone for over a week!) and save money on airfare and an additional night in a hotel.  So, my two days were packed!

Saturday started with sunrise yoga (sponsored by the conference) and a run through Piedmont Park. 

(Again, didn’t haul my nice camera around for these two things, but here are some phone photos for you!)

After getting showered and changed, I headed back to the conference for day number two, and my first class with Bre Thurston!

My last “shoot out” class, “Couples Posing Made Fun and Easy”, we headed over to the High Museum with our models (another conference attendee and her husband).  Bre walked us through different poses and prompts, and encouraged us to experience with different types of natural lighting and camera angles.  She was so fun and engaging, a learned a lot from this session and am looking forward to using some of her ideas and techniques for my wedding portraits this year!

Saturday I also attended a marketing class with Ben Hartley, and a “Birth 101” photography class with Neely Ker-Fox.  Both instructors were so inspirational and had some great things to share!  This was the second year that I’d taken a class by Neely, and will hopefully do it again, too!  Her birth photos are stunning and her personality and business philosophies align so well with my own that I learn so much from her and always leave with new ideas, things to consider, and questions to ponder!

I’m not sure that I’ll make it to Click Away 2021 in Chicago (it’s the same weekend as my daughter’s birthday), but I’m hoping to get back there soon!  Any time I’m able to gather and connect with other photographers, I leave with so much creative energy and motivation!  Bring on the weddings, boudoir, and births!  This photographer is ready to go!  =D