Happy 2025 to you all! I wish you all a wonderful year ahead filled with awe, wonder, and beautiful memories with family and friends, as well as lots of time in nature with your camera. The collage above holds a few of my favorite images of the year. As I looked through my body of work for the year, it was hard to choose only eight images, but my heart led me to the images that represent times of joy and awe in nature. Those experiences are what make my photography meaningful.
The year ahead holds some exciting learning opportunities. One that is coming very soon is the Out of Chicago LIVE! Online Photography Conference. It's hard to believe that this is our 6th year of doing LIVE! It keeps getting better and better each year!
Out of Chicago LIVE! 2025 is being held February 7th - 9th. This 3-day, interactive conference is where you learn, share, and get feedback from some of the most creative photographers in their field. With 100+ sessions to choose from covering a wide range of genres, from nature and landscape to travel, street, architecture, wildlife, and post-processing, there are many ways to immerse yourself and improve your photography. All sessions are live, and you will have access to the recordings for one year after the event. This week, a session guide will be posted on the Out of Chicago website, allowing attendees to explore the diverse range of conference sessions, meet our outstanding lineup of instructors, and discover the 100+ sessions offered.
Join us for our free Photo Challenges on Tuesdays at noon CT leading up to the conference. Flower photographer Sue Bishop gave a wonderful Photo Challenge on the Orton Effect on January 7th. The recording is posted on the Out of Chicago blog. We have Kai Hornung, Huibo Hui, Karen Waller, and Alan Shapiro coming up! Sign up for emails on the website or check our Instagram page @outofchicago to receive notices to register for the Photo Challenges.
I will present "Photographing the Beauty of Dahlias" as my main presentation. Dahlias, with their vibrant colors, intricate shapes, and diverse varieties, are a beloved subject for flower photographers. In this presentation, we’ll dive into the art of capturing the unique beauty and personality of these stunning flowers. From choosing the right lenses and experimenting with apertures to composing impactful images, you’ll discover creative techniques to showcase dahlias in all their beauty. We’ll also explore post-processing tips to enhance your images and evoke emotion, ensuring your photos truly come to life. This session will inspire you to see and capture dahlias in new, breathtaking ways and give you ideas you can apply to photographing any flower.
I will hold an "Ask Me Anything About Lensbaby" session where you can bring all your Lensbaby questions and learn a little about my favorite Lensbabies. I will also participate in an Image Celebration with my dear friend Charles Needle. We'll celebrate images submitted by attendees during a fun Zoom Party on Saturday night.
I'm looking forward to seeing presentations from instructors like Donna Eaton, Caroline Jensen, Charles Needle, Stephanie Johnson, Karen Waller, Alan Shapiro, Beth Young, and so many more.
Join us for this inspiring weekend full of learning and fun. Learn more and register here.
As always, reach out to me at [email protected] with questions. Enjoy the quiet beauty of winter. Before we know it, it will be time for orchid shows and spring flowers!