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.

Participants will be split into small groups and will work with each group of instructors at least once during the conference. The instructors will be developing the field sessions in advance of the conference based on their knowledge of the area and what locations will provide the best shooting experience. The full detailed schedule will be released a month before the event.

Each day we will be traveling up and down the west coast and into the rainforest to photograph everything from rugged coastlines with sea stacks, crashing waves and tide pools, old growth rainforests and much more. The specific locations will be identified closer to the event to account for weather and other conditions, but the primary areas will include locations such as the forested trails and beaches of the west coast and the Hoh Rainforest.

Some of the excursions will have almost no walk where you can get out of the car and start shooting. Other excursions require a hike with variable terrain including sand dunes and potentially rocky, uneven terrain.

We will split the group to accommodate all hiking abilities when necessary. Comfortable hiking shoes/boots are recommended.

May is spring in Washington and can be mild and wet. Daytime temperatures average around 62° and nighttime can be around 43°F. It is a diverse ecosystem, so be prepared for cold and wet or warm and sunny.

Be sure to bring appropriate weather gear. Remember that bad weather often makes the best images. Schedules will be re-arranged as needed to accommodate weather conditions.

Photography enthusiasts and pros. All levels of passionate photographers are welcome. Just be ready to eat, sleep and drink landscape photography for five days.

You’ll want a DSLR or mirrorless camera and a tripod. We’ll share detailed equipment recommendations before the event. A laptop is suggested so you can work on your images during the post-processing and critique sessions.

You bet! Throughout the week you’ll be busy shooting out in-the-field together, but throughout the day there will be opportunities to talk or enjoy meals together. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and get to know your favorite photographers.

This is a hands-on, immersive photography experience. We’re not going to bring you all the way to the Olympic National Park to sit in a classroom watching something you could watch in bed on Youtube. Over 5 days, you’ll learn new techniques in the field while shooting with some of the world’s best photographers. There is classroom time available to practice post-processing and to get feedback on images, but you’ll be in the field most of the time.

Many field sessions will occur inside the Olympic National Park so each vehicle entering will need a National Park pass. If you are carpooling with a friend then only one person needs to have a pass. Passes can be purchased online here. You can also pay to enter each location separately during the event at the entrance stations.

Of course! The group presentations and in-the-field teaching excursions are limited due to space constraints and 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 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 listed there. If it is not, please email us at support@outofchicago.com.

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.

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 read the refund policy here.

If you have any other questions, please email info@outofchicago.com