
How does one get up close and interact with world-class photographers when social distancing is enforced? In the past seven years, the creative collective Out of Chicago has produced immersive, hands-on photography conferences in epic outdoor destinations such as Moab, Yosemite, and Acadia National Park, bringing together more than a dozen world-class photographers to teach and shoot side-by-side with attendees. When COVID-19 began to cancel everyone's photography workshops and events, Out of Chicago’s founder Chris Smith saw the opportunity to do something different that would support the organization’s photo instructor community, and B&H jumped in as a sponsor.
For several years, Smith and his team had been researching and considering an online event, but since the collective’s niche was always teaching destination-oriented, hands-on events, the time was never right. Yet, after listening to the escalating news about the novel coronavirus this past March, Smith and his team decided to launch Out of Chicago LIVE!, An Online Global Photography Conference.
Within five days they had a website, and 70+ leading instructors from their photography community had signed up to teach. The team had already been working with the technology, but just needed to flesh it out. As registration began, it quickly became clear that people were excited about the new event.
There have been several live photo challenges leading up to the conference to provide weekly inspiration for people stuck at home. Participants post their results in the designated Community forum to get a critique and engage with others.
"Right now, we can't be out photographing in places like Longwood Garden, Yosemite, or Moab,” says Smith, “but attendees are getting out of their comfort zone and learning in a new way from lessons such as ‘The Royal Photo Challenge,’ with macro photographer Monica Royal. They've created some amazing works of art with only paper as the subject."
Challenge 1: The Royal Photo Challenge, with Monica Royal
Monica Royal is a fine art macro photographer. Her obsession with macro started, like many others, with water on flowers and quickly grew to advanced abstract image design. She especially enjoys photographing ordinary objects and making them unrecognizable. “It makes for some really fun conversations,” she says. Her macro imagery is widely recognized as unique and innovative. In this photo challenge she shows us how to create works of art by photographing paper.
Challenge 2: Finding Spring in Your Neighborhood, with Lensbaby and Anne Belmont
As a nature photographer specializing in flower photography, Belmont’s passion lies in capturing the beauty of flowers and other botanical subjects up-close. It is her belief that if we slow down and look at nature in a more contemplative way, we will find subjects that convey impact and emotion, causing the eye to linger a little longer. Belmont’s view of the creative process has been shaped by a life-long involvement in the arts and a first career as an art therapist. In this photo challenge, she discusses four of her favorite Lensbaby lenses—the Velvet 56mm, Velvet 85mm, Sol 45mm, and Sol 22mm—giving you some tips on how to use these lenses, and why she loves them for flower photography.
"In contrast to a pre-recorded experience, there is something unique taking place," Smith explains. "The photo challenges are a good example of what one might experience during the three-day live event and why we're really excited for this weekend."
Over the years, Out of Chicago has built an inspired and engaged photography community of instructors and attendees, which is one reason the Out of Chicago LIVE! event has been able to come together so quickly. Even the instructors are as excited to teach as they are to learn from each other.
"This event may never happen again like it is right now,” notes Smith. “The Coronavirus makes it an unprecedented time for Out of Chicago's community of world-class photographers to be stuck at home and available to come together for this event. Most of our instructors are typically on the road most of the year, which makes this a unique situation for everyone to teach together at the same time."
Challenge 3: Black-and-White Post-Processing Challenge, with Jack Curran
Jack Curran is a fine art black-and-white landscape photographer. His lifelong love of nature and photography came together at age 18, almost 40 years ago, when he picked up his first camera, developed his first B&W print in the darkroom, and quickly put his two passions together. Curran’s photography has been exhibited in Paris, Athens, Berlin, Moscow, Malaga, Spain, and in the United States. With a long list of international black-and-white photography awards, Curran continues to look through the lens with an eye toward discovery and sharing and teaching what he enjoys. In this photo challenge, he shows us how to follow the light with his post-processing techniques.
As these ongoing photo challenges make clear, the fun of this online conference is that it’s live, and you can interact directly with a long list of leading professional photographers in their field. It’s more than just watching a collection of videos. Everyone can ask questions during the event, post their photos, and be part of an interactive community.
On April 24-26, 2020, Out of Chicago LIVE! will prove to be the epic photography event not to miss, featuring 70+ world-class instructors from a wide range of photography genres, including landscape, nature, travel, street, architecture, post-processing and more. Over three days, photography enthusiasts and professionals can immerse themselves in live presentations and 100+ interactive sessions, including panel discussions, tutorials, individual photo challenges and group image reviews, without leaving home.
Hands-on or online, Out of Chicago will continue to connect people who love photography and want to live their best creative lives—coronavirus or not.
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