Our unicorn has been racking up the air miles these past few weeks! We’ve just gotten back from two fantastic photography conferences at WPPI and Shutterfest, and we’re gearing up for a few more we want you to know about.
Conferences Can Be Very Beneficial to Your Photography Business
If you’ve never been to a conference but are considering going, there are a few things you should take into consideration.
- How much time away (including travel) will you have to take away from your business?
- What will you need to budget for travel, lodging, and food?
- Would you like to be able to attend workshops/shootouts?
- Will there be a trade show?
We think conferences are an awesome way to connect with other photographers and learn in a focused environment. Many photographers say that they learn as much chatting in the halls with other photographers as they do listening to the speakers!
Photography is often an isolating career when it comes to having people to talk shop with, so these conferences can not only be really informative, they can be inspirational as well.
How to Decide Which Conference is Right for You
What are your top priorities?
When looking at what the conference offers, make a list of all the things you would like to do and see. Most conferences are jam-packed with speakers, breakout sessions, workshops, and trade show offerings. If you go without a plan, it can be overwhelming. Making a list with 3-5 priorities is a great place to start. And trust us, you want to leave a little wiggle room for resting and socializing. These conferences are high-energy!
What do you want to come home with?
From inspiration on how to run your business to trying culling software that makes your life easier at the trade show (hey, that’s us!), when you come home, you want to be able to take what you have learned and purchased and put it into place in your business. What are the top three things you want to have accomplished/learned about when you come back?
How do you learn?
Some people are visual learners, some learn from being hands-on. Look through the lineup and see what speaks to you. Some conferences will have small group sessions where you will be able to photograph models with the educator to learn different techniques. Some may be speaking more to the business side of photography and offer downloads and other materials to take back with you.
Will there be a trade show?
There’s really something to be said for actually being able to see demonstrations and to put your hands on items that you are considering purchasing for your business. Add to that, you’ll find that the vendors at the tradeshow are super helpful, and may even take your photo with a giant unicorn!
We love being able to demonstrate our culling software to photographers to show them how in a few clicks it will flag blanks, blurs, and duplicates, drastically reducing their culling time and helping them get their life back!
Upcoming Photography Conferences in 2021- Will We See You There?
The Reset Conference
Where: Waco, Texas
When: September 20 & 20, 2021
What’s Cool: A boutique experience that caters to photographers at any stage of their career. Includes a robust Facebook community where you can keep in touch with other attendees!
The Photo Cookout
Where: Orlando, Florida
When: Oct 3-5, 2021
What’s Cool: Part photography conference and part family cookout, this conference has dynamic speakers focused on the black community (though people of every color are welcomed). If you can’t make it in person you can register for the free virtual event.
ShowIt United
Where: Phoenix, Arizona
When: November 7-10, 2021
What’s Cool: this 4-day conference is bursting with information, speakers, breakouts, and parties! Showit will have website designers on hand to show you everything from SEO to branding.
Way Up North
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
When: November 23 & 24, 2021
What’s Cool: This conference has been running for 10 years and is one of the most popular in Europe for photographers. They have a varied lineup of speakers that cover every gamut you can think of from social media inspiration to business and techniques.
Come Visit AfterShoot at the Trade Show!
If you’re going to be at any of these conferences we would love to meet you! Stop by the trade show and introduce yourself. We’re a friendly bunch, and we love to connect with the photography community.
If you’ve not tried AfterShoot for yourself, what are you waiting for? Reduce your culling time while still having complete control over your images and make time for the things in life you enjoy.
Photos by Sarah Boles of Five Sparrows Photography.
