HOW TO GET THE MAXIMUM BENEFIT FROM PHOTO CONFERENCE
One of the best ways to quickly improve your photography skills and expand your circle of acquaintances is to attend a photography conference. If you’ve never been to events like this before, the idea of a trip can be a little scary, but you have to put up with it. There is nothing better than meeting many active photographers in the same room to discuss the latest and best equipment and various shooting techniques with them. The energy and flow of knowledge at such events is simply unbelievable. Most conferences and other educational photo events bring together the best speakers and teachers, so this is a great way to improve your skills and meet with mentors.
Tip # 1: Think About Your Goals
Rate your goals for attending a photography conference. First think about what you want to draw from it. Obviously, if you are a wildlife photographer, and the conference is devoted exclusively to street photography, it does not suit you. But, if the conference offers many different training options, it will be necessary to conduct some research before deciding whether or not to participate. Look on Twitter and other social networks for information about the conference by its hashtag. Participate in a discussion of a future conference in advance.
Instructors
Start by exploring biographies and instructor websites. Do their work inspire you? Do they look like the ones you strive to do yourself? Watch a video about them and their blogs to see if your teaching style matches your learning style. If several instructors will be pleasant to you, take an interest specifically in their courses at this conference.
How to get the most out of your photoconference
Learning new things
Learning new things is also important, so pay attention to courses that are completely non-standard for you. If you are a wildlife photographer and invest your time in a 90-minute course in street photography, you may be very surprised at how it will affect your work the next time you go on an African safari. It will definitely help you break free from your creative routine. And after the lesson, you can continue to study street photos.
Tip # 2: Networking
The main reason for going to the photoconference is to expand your own photo community. This is a unique feeling when you have the opportunity to communicate with people you met only on the Internet. A live meeting is an opportunity not only to make new friends or just meet experienced instructors in person, as well as meet people whose work you have been following.
It’s nice to have business cards with you. Take other people’s business cards as well. And also remember that you should not have lunch alone, otherwise miss a good chance to expand the circle of friends. The level of awkwardness is minimal.
How to get the most out of your photoconference
Big conferences or small ones?
At a conference with 1000 people, it’s not so easy to enter the company and make new friends. But at a small conference this is not difficult at all. You will take the same courses with the same people again and again, and in addition, you will probably be able to make friends and even plan to take photos together until the end of the weekend.
Instructor Availability
At a huge conference, instructors can be available for communication only at certain hours. And at this special time, since 1000 people are waiting to talk to them, the whole process will be more like a scene from a gangster movie with chases than a cozy tête-à-tête meeting.
At a small conference, your instructors are likely to have lunch near you. Although it is worth adding that large conferences, in turn, attract famous names, therefore, although you will not be able to get so many personal contacts, this can still be justified if you intend to learn from someone you deeply respect.
Tip # 3: Take advantage of every opportunity
In addition to seminars and practical courses, most photography conferences offer opening and closing presentations. Typically, such speeches are read by well-known photographers or industry experts. You can think of it as completely ordinary things in the program of the event, and it is in vain!
Often such presentations are the best parts of a conference. The opening leitmotif establishes the basis for the entire event, it sets out all the possibilities for learning. The final presentation concludes the week with a review of what you have learned and a reminder of what requires practice.
Photowalks
Photowalks help combine learning and communication into one exciting activity. As you can imagine, they are more common in small conferences. A crowd of thousands of visitors with cameras in one neighborhood (or even street)…
