Plan to be at the hotel for check-in by 4 p.m. on Sunday, August 27. The conference will end at 1 p.m. on Thursday, August 31.

We will have a bus to pick up attendees at the airport several times throughout the day on Sunday, August 27. The bus will also be available to take you back to the airport after the conference finishes on the Thursday, August 31st. Details on times will be available soon. You are also welcome to rent a car at the airport and drive yourself.

After you register for the conference, you will receive information about how to book your hotel room using Out of Chicago’s room rate for the Renaissance Chicago North Shore Hotel.

After registering, you will get an email with details about the conference including key dates, hotel information, and more. Be sure to stay connected via email to receive crucial event communication, including surveys about your preferences and updates as needed.

We recommend getting a CBG membership and are working to confirm those with reciprocal memberships will have the same privileges as CBG Members, such as early entry times.  We will update all attendees as soon as we have further clarification.  If you do not have a Chicago Botanic Garden membership and you live 75 or more miles from the Garden, we recommend getting the National Membership for $72 in advance of the conference. Membership information can be found here.

As with visiting any garden, this conference will include walking to access photography locations, carrying your gear, and being on your feet for extended periods of time. Most photography locations are accessible on paved paths.

Temperatures can range from the 70’s to the mid 90’s in August. The biggest challenge in the heat is staying hydrated, so we encourage frequent water breaks, wearing a hat, and making sure you are protecting yourself from the sun (light-colored, lightweight clothing, sunscreen, etc). Chances of rain are usually small in August, but be prepared to go out in light rain and photograph.

All levels of passionate photographers are welcome, from photography enthusiasts to working professionals. Just be ready to completely immerse yourself in flower, plant, and garden photography for five days.

You’ll want a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a tripod (optional), and lenses for flower and plant photography. While no specific lenses are required to participate, we encourage a mid-range zoom, a macro lens, a telephoto lens, and specialist lenses like Lensbabies if you use them. We’ll share detailed equipment recommendations before the event. We also suggest bringing a laptop so you can work on your images during the post-processing and critique sessions.

Yes! Throughout the week, you will be working together in the garden for extended photography sessions. During the day, there will be opportunities for one-on-one sessions with instructors, along with time to enjoy meals together. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and get to know your favorite photographers. While our instructors sometimes take out their cameras to help with teaching, their main goal is to help you create photos you love, improve your technical skills, work on composition, and help answer any questions you have.

No, the most important part of this conference is the ample time you will have working with instructors in the field twice a day. Time for presentations, one-on-one sessions, and other activities will be at the hotel around lunchtime, with photography time in the morning and afternoon.

Your schedule will be available in the weeks leading up to the conference. You will be assigned to a group with interests similar to your own that you will stay with all week for the field excursions, and your group will rotate through each team of instructors, working with each instructor team for a full day. This schedule is one of the main benefits of this conference format, since you will have extended time to work with each instructor in the field, with a lot of time for hands-on, personalized attention.

Both the pre-conference and post-conference online sessions will be recorded. Everyone registered for the conference will receive the recording a few days after each session.

Of course! They are welcome to join us for the group presentations at no charge. The in-the-field teaching excursions are reserved for conference attendees only. A meal pass will be offered at an additional charge so that they can join us for group meals.

You can read the refund policy here.

With the evolving COVID pandemic, we continue to observe recommendations by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and local guidelines for events. This includes physical distancing, masking, health screening, and sanitation protocols. We may require proof of vaccination to attend the event, as we have for our previous events, along with required masking during indoor conference sessions. This will be determined once we get closer to the event and you will receive any information about COVID requirements in advance of the conference.

You can view all of the events you’re registered for by logging into your Out of Chicago account. In the upper right corner of the website, go to My Account and My Conferences. You should see your conference(s) listed there. If your conference is not listed, please email us at support@outofchicago.com.

If you have any other questions, you can email info@outofchicago.com for more information.