Click Away is an annual conference weekend hosted by the female-led Click Community – a collaborative learning space dedicated to helping photographers and content creators achieve their goals. The next Click Away event will take place at the Fairmont Chicago, USA, from 8-10 July 2022.
The conference is a must-see experience, offering practical workshops and speaker events, instructor-led classes, the opportunity to network and sponsor pop-ups and gear perks. The idea is to build up your portfolio, your business, and your photography skills in just three days.
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The industry has historically been male dominated… we were particularly struck by how underrepresented women and non-binary photographers were. While our event is not female-only, it is a space where the voices of female and non-binary photographers are amplified and where they know they will be recognized, respected, and supported.
Deven Travelstead
Three ticket types are available for the Click Away Conference, 'Snap', 'Luster' or 'Gloss'. With each ticket you can expect to attend an educational keynote program, breakfast panels, the opening night party and at least one class with additional add-on classes available as 'Pixel' tickets.
The Luster ticket will grant you five additional classes of your choice, and the Gloss ticket provides a full schedule of classes plus perks such as VIP seating, registration lines and club room access. Classes range from hands-on shooting programs, post-processing workshops, seminars, critiques and much more.
The conference will offer a variety of classes based on both genre and proficiency-and you can build a custom schedule that is perfect for you. You can expect to find classes on branding, marketing, SEO, social media, and live shooting sessions on lighting/flash, wedding, boudoir, family lifestyle, to name a few.
We spoke to Deven Travelstead, Click & Company's Director of Events, who gave us an insight into what you can expect to take away from an important female-led conference such as Click Away.
"Click Away is designed to help you realize your creative potential and start creating the images you need to leverage your business or passion," she told us. "Outside of gaining a network of photographers from all over the world and instructors that will help you overcome artistic, technical, conceptual and business challenges ... you will leave with practical and applicable skills that you can immediately implement."
Since the inception of the Click Community (formerly Clickin Moms in 2008), the mission for the brand has been to create a warm and inviting place where female photographers could cultivate and share their love for photography. That mission has guided the launch of an online educational platform in 2010 to the first Click Away conference and event in 2014.
"Click Away provides the network and community of photographers that will help grow and perhaps even launch your photography business. There are countless examples of attendees gaining that final push they needed once they were in front of motivated and caring peers who have faced similar challenges... along with learning from world class speakers, you’ll become better through the support of your peers, and most importantly, have fun while making new friends".
When asked if this event will be welcoming and inclusive to members of the trans or non-binary communities who wish to attend, Deven reassured us that the answer is 100% yes.
"Click Away is open to all those who want to grow and develop as a photographer, regardless of gender or gender identification. We have curated a rich social and educational schedule specifically for today’s modern photographer and we are committed to inclusivity and diversity across every aspect of Click Away, including our instructor lineup, breadth of programming, and the attendees."
Click Away is open to all those who want to grow and develop as a photographer, regardless of gender or gender identification… we are committed to inclusivity and diversity across every aspect of Click Away, including our instructor lineup, breadth of programming, and the attendees.
Deven Travelstead
Click Away is different from other photography conferences in that its success is due in large part to the dedication of an incredibly talented group of photographers willing to share their experience, knowledge, and hearts with attendees.
"We utilize both an application process as well as outbound discovery for our instructor selection process and attendees can expect to learn from a broad range of educators in terms of genre, background and style… our instructors may well become a network you rely on for business for years to come."
The Click Away Conference boasts an extraordinary lineup of instructors and speakers to help you with your photography business through workshops and activities. Here are a few of the fantastic ladies running part of the conference:
Lyndah Wells – Internationally published wedding photographer
Audrey Woulard – Nikon Ambassador and portrait photographer
Emma Natter – Business coach and founder
Kristen Ryan – Landscape and Nature photographer
Natasha Lee – Travel, food and hospitality photographer
Jackie Haxthausen – Child and family lifestyle photographer
Sarah Krieg – Commercial photographer and filmmaker
This conference should be an exceptional opportunity for photographers who want expertise and guidance to develop their imaging skills.
Both registration and the conference schedule are now live, so get in early and book your ticket, choose your classes and build your custom event schedule!
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