I have mentioned before that I am part of a terrific online community called Clickin Moms. There was a time (and may still be a time, though I tend to ignore it now) where moms who purchased their first DSLR cameras were subjected to a huge stigma within the photography community. I’m not going to talk about that, specifically – but I found and joined Clickin Moms because it is a community of incredibly talented (mostly) female photographers ready to teach, build community, give constructive feedback, and share experiences. I never felt inferior or shamed. In fact, I got sucked in quickly while my husband was deployed, taking multiple classes, figuring out my camera, figuring out my own voice (sort of — that is still a work in progress), figuring out what I love to shoot, and the direction in which I want my business to grow.
I have made so many close friends, you guys. They are unique, funny, wonderful women. They are women I share small and big things with every day. When Clickin Moms announced they were holding another conference in Florida, I knew I had to go. Florida is so close, and I could save money on a plane ticket! This girl was not being left behind!
Not only was it held in Amelia Island – which is beautiful, by the way – I had an entire weekend with my friends, doing and learning about what we love – photography. So many talented professionals were there, leading classes, giving talks, sharing perspectives. I felt inspired, I was enlightened, and I connected with friends and speakers and classmates. It felt so good knowing that we are not alone in our self doubts and struggles. Trust, I have many. I left on Sunday feeling so happy – my husband even recognized how happy I was, as I’d dragged him along. There is something to be said about being able to create, and doing so in a community that fosters your art and loves on you, too.
…I also got to try out a few things on my gear wishlist — for free! This is an expensive profession and I probably didn’t need my list to expand. Oh well.
Anyway, I wanted to share some images that I took during Click Away here, in a collective space. I was encouraged to attend sunrise shoots, I took classes on photojournalism in weddings, on children’s fine art photography, on street photography and developing personal projects… I have a journal full of ideas, and maybe someday I’ll get to them. For now, I’ll keep on clickin’. 🙂
(Yes, my husband came, too, and spent a lot of time fishing.)
(While I was away shooting…)
In short, it was amazing, and I need to start setting aside money to attend next year!
If you are a photographer reading this, and you are interested in learning more about Clickin Moms (and they just re-did the forums so they are easier to navigate) – you can always check them out! I have an affiliate link here.