Click Away Conference, 2018

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.