Plan to arrive for hotel check-in at 4 PM PT on Sunday, March 24. The conference will conclude at 1:30 PM on Thursday, March 28.

Attendees will be responsible for getting themselves to the Asilomar Hotel and Conference Grounds. The Monterey Regional Airport is the closest airport to Asilomar Hotel & Conference Grounds, though we anticipate that many attendees will fly to San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and enjoy the coastal drive to the Asilomar in a rental car. Attendees can coordinate carpooling with other attendees before the conference begins through our private online community.

Your single-accommodation rooming is included in your conference registration. This will be handled for you.

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.

Attendees will be responsible for getting to and from the field sessions. Carpooling will be highly encouraged. Minimizing the number of cars makes it more feasible to reach certain locations that only have limited parking available.

Potentially, depending on the final field sessions chosen by instructors, there may be car entrance fees for certain state parks within the Big Sur coastline.

This conference will include walking to access photography locations, carrying your gear, and being on your feet for extended periods. Most photography locations are accessible on paved paths with a short walk on the beach. There are some hiking-style trails for those who choose to visit them.

In March, the weather in Big Sur can be quite pleasant and moderate, but it can also vary. Generally, you can expect daytime temperatures to range from the mid-50s to the low 60s Fahrenheit (13-17 degrees Celsius). However, do keep in mind that Big Sur’s weather can be unpredictable, and there can be occasional rainfall during March. It’s always a good idea to pack some layers and rain gear, just in case. The lush landscapes and vibrant scenery make it a beautiful time to visit, with fewer crowds than during peak tourist seasons. Many field sessions will still go out to photograph in the rain, and proper rain gear will be discussed during the pre-conference online orientation.

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

You’ll want a DSLR or mirrorless camera and a tripod. We’ll share a detailed recommended gear list 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 photographing out in the field together, but during the day there’ll be opportunities to talk with instructors and enjoy meals together. There will be plenty of time to ask questions and get to know your favorite landscape photographers.

No, the most important part of this conference is the ample time you will have working with instructors in the field twice a day.

Your schedule will be available in the weeks leading up to the conference. You will be assigned to a group that you will stay with all week for the field excursions, and your group will rotate through each team of instructors. Additionally, all of our midday sessions give you the opportunity to pick and choose exactly the topics you want to learn about.

Of course! A guest ticket is available for an additional charge. The cost covers upgrading your lodging to double occupancy as well as all the group conference meals including the welcome reception and bonfire (1 dinner, 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches). A non-attendee guest is welcome to join us for the group presentations. However, the field session excursions are reserved for conference attendees only. Purchase your guest ticket here. The cost is $550 per guest.

You can read the refund policy here.

With the evolving recovery of the 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 as appropriate.

We may require proof of vaccination or a negative test result the day the conference begins to attend the event, as we have for our previous events. This will be determined once we get closer to the event. (Do we still need to add this?)

Please stay home if:

You have tested positive for COVID-19 or are showing COVID-19 symptoms.

You have had close contact with a person who has symptoms of COVID-19 within the past 14 days.

Please see our updated refund policy in case you choose not to attend or the state regulations do not allow our event to run with this format.

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.

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