Out of Longwood 2026
Flower & Garden Photography Conference
August 25th-29th, 2026
Image by Anne Belmont
Spark your creativity in a botanical paradise with five days of flower and garden photography, and hands-on learning alongside a team of supportive instructors
Immerse yourself in Longwood Garden's 1100 acres with a wide range of flower gardens, woodlands, meadows, conservatories, and fountains, including the all-new West Conservatory and Waterlily Court, part of Longwood Reimagined.
Late August is the ideal time to visit Longwood Gardens when the gardens are at their lushest, and the summer crowds begin to diminish. You will have extensive time to wander the garden paths practicing mindfulness, seeing more deeply, and exploring your subjects more fully, including time to work with each of our talented instructors in the field.
INSTRUCTORS
PHOTOGRAPH ALONGSIDE SOME OF THE WORLD'S BEST FLOWER AND GARDEN PHOTOGRAPHERS
John Barclay
Anne Belmont
Sue Bishop
David Cobb
Rad Drew
Donna Eaton
Mary Jo Hoffman
Caroline Jensen
Stephanie Johnson
Alan Shapiro
Tony Sweet
Emilie Talpin
Beth Young
I was impressed by the generous sharing of time, techniques, and tips from the instructors. What stood out most was that they weren’t there to shoot for themselves; they were fully present to teach, support, and give to the attendees. In my experience, this level of selflessness and dedication is rare. I'm grateful that Out of Chicago has chosen this business model. I look forward to another OOC event!
– Cynthia, Out of Chicago Botanic
Highlights
Longwood Gardens is one of the premier gardens in North America, including an extensive range of cultivated gardens, conservatories, fountains, meadows, woodlands, and grand landscapes. During the conference, you will have time to explore and photograph the garden’s collections, including visits to the Flower Garden Walk, Rose Garden, Fountain Garden, East and West Conservatories, Idea Garden, Hillside Garden, Waterlily Court, and more.
You will work with each of the instructors in the field. You will have ample time to receive personalized instruction and photograph on your own, with coaching always available when you need it. In addition to our time at Longwood, we will have group classroom sessions, help sessions, and image reviews at the conference center, along with an in-depth orientation session in advance and an online image celebration after the conference wraps up.
WHAT MAKES THIS CONFERENCE DIFFERENT?
- Learning through extensive hands-on field instruction time with each instructor
- Developing a more creative workflow, including mindfulness, slowing down, deeply observing, fully exploring your subject, and conveying emotion
- Time for experimentation and trying new ideas to expand your creativity and explore subjects in different ways
- Finding compelling subjects and learning to see more abstractly, exploring varied compositional techniques, and improving your compositions
- Finding inspiration in the Garden, along with refining your vision and style
- Learning to compose garden landscapes and small scenes
- Working with shallow depth of field as a creative choice, and learning to create beautiful and harmonious backgrounds
- Close-up and macro photography approaches
- Photographing flowers and plants in black and white
- Applying techniques for plant and flower photography, including aperture choice, depth of field, focus stacking, intentional camera movement, infrared, iPhone photography, and working with all different kinds of natural light
- Working in the Garden with a range of lenses, including wide angle, telephoto, macro lenses, and specialty lenses like Lensbaby and Helios lenses
- Using filters for plant and flower photography, including polarizers and neutral density filters
- Photo processing, including fundamental techniques, workflow, and developing a personalized approach
- Developing a body of work that reflects your learning at the conference
- Arranging and photographing botanical flat lays
- And much more…
It was A+++. The top of the line instructors and their obvious respect and caring for each other as well as for the other attendees made it one of the best workshops I've ever attended. It would be hard to explain to a non-photographer, or someone who wasn't there, but to have a group of photographers that large and have them all interact so well together was amazing.
– Donna, Out of Chicago Botanic
Itinerary
Meet online at 12:00 p.m. CST
Hotel check-in begins at 4:00 PM at The Inn at Mendenhall
Conference Registration starts at 5:00 PM with a meet-and-greet reception
Welcome by Chris Smith, founder of Out of Chicago
Group dinner at the Inn at Mendenhall
Field Session Days August 26th, 27th, and 28th
Image reviews and help sessions
Check out of the hotel by 11 AM
Location and Accommodation
Longwood Gardens | The Inn at Mendenhall
Field sessions take place at Longwood Gardens, located in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania outside Philadelphia. Classes and group meals take place at our conference center at the Inn at Mendenhall, five minutes from Longwood Gardens.
An exceptional conference with impressive instructors in a beautiful setting. The organization and content could not have been better. If you want to be immersed in a community of friendly, enthusiastic people who share a common interest then an OOC event should be your choice.
– Eileen, Out of Chicago Botanic
Conference Price
$3200
Reserve with a deposit of $1300. Final payment is due 90 days before the conference. The conference is limited to 90 attendees.
What’s Included?
Welcome dinner and reception, dinner on Wednesday and Thursday, and three lunches. Breakfast is included in the hotel price at Mendenhall Inn.
Daily hands-on instruction during immersive, extended field sessions from all instructors.
Recorded presentations by each instructor before the conference, opening and closing keynote presentations, classroom sessions, image reviews, and help sessions at the conference.
A comprehensive online orientation and class session to help you prepare for your time at the conference, and an online image celebration with instructors after the conference concludes
What’s Not Included?
Airfare, airport transportation, hotel room, and transportation to Longwood are not included.
Our group room rates at The Mendenhall Inn during the conference are $164/nt plus tax except Friday evening is $189/nt plus tax and include breakfast.
Membership or a daily ticket is required to enter Longwood Gardens. Longwood does not offer reciprocal privileges with other gardens. Membership information can be found here.
Out of Chicago is the most professionally run conference I have ever attended, whether it is an in-person conference or their online conference and webinars. They produce a quality product and work with outstanding photographers to provide instructions on a variety of photographic topics. I highly recommend OOC - you won't be disappointed!
– Susan, Out of Chicago Botanic
Frequently Asked Questions
Conference check-in is at 5pm on Tuesday, August 25th, 2026. The conference ends at after the photo crawl at Longwood at 1pm on Saturday, August 29th, 2026.
What airport should I fly into?
The closest airport is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) which is a 45-minute drive to Longwood or Mendenhall Inn.
How do I get to the hotel from the airport?
We recommend that you rent a car. We will help facilitate carpools to and from the airport with other attendees. You could also take a ride share to and from the airport.
How do I book my accommodations?
After you register, you will receive a welcome email with information to book your hotel under our group.
What should I expect after I register?
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.
Where is Longwood Gardens located?
Longwood Gardens is located at 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA.
How will we get into the gardens? Do I need a membership? Will my reciprocal membership work?
You are responsible for your own transportation to and from Longwood, but we will help organize carpools to share rides so not everyone will need to drive. You will need a Longwood membership or purchase a ticket for each day, but a membership will be less expensive for the week. Longwood does not offer reciprocal membership with other gardens. You can purchase a membership 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.
What will the weather be like at Longwood in August? What if the weather is challenging (raining, really hot, etc)?
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 beginners and photography enthusiasts to working professionals. If you’re interested in learning new photography techniques and ways to be creative, this conference is for you. Our landscape photographers love this conference too because it’s a chance to slow down, take more time to try new ideas, look for smaller scenes and to photograph nature in a new way. Eliminating long drive times gives us more time in the field, plus, you don’t need to wake up before sunrise to get great photographs!
What photography equipment do I need to participate?
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. If you are an iPhone photographer, you will not be out of place. 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.
Can I bring a roller bag or cart for my equipment?
We encourage you to travel light while at the Garden so that we are not in the way of other guests, but roller bags are allowed.
Will there be time to hang out with instructors?
Yes! Throughout the week, you will be working together in the garden for extended photography sessions. During the day, there will be opportunities for table talks, classroom sessions, and image reviews 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. Our instructors goal is to help you create photos you love, improve your technical skills, work on composition, and help answer any questions you have.
Will I be sitting in classes all day?
No, the most important part of this conference is the ample time you will have working with instructors in the field. Time for presentations, table talks, image reviews and other activities will be at the hotel in the morning, with two field sessions in the afternoon.
We strive to accommodate common dietary restrictions such as vegetarian diets and common allergies. Our meals are prepared with these considerations in mind. However, for more complex dietary needs, we cannot guarantee that all meals will fully satisfy your requirements.
We will send a survey a few weeks before the conference asking for dietary restrictions so we can best prepare to accommodate your needs.
Yes, rooms at the Mendenhall Inn have a refrigerator and a microwave.
How will I get my individual conference schedule?
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 in the field. This schedule is one of the main benefits of this conference format, since you will have time to work with each instructor in the field, with time for hands-on, personalized attention.
May I request to be in a group with a friend at the conference?
Yes. You will complete a survey before the conference where you can let us know if there are other attendees that you would like in your group.
What if I cannot attend the online orientation or image celebration?
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.
Can I bring a non-photographer friend or family member with me?
Of course! A meal pass will be offered at an additional charge so that they can join us for group meals. The field and classroom sessions are reserved for conference attendees only.
We strongly recommend that you purchase travel insurance in case that you need to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.
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.
Other questions?
If you have any other questions, you can email longwood@outofchicago.com for more information.
