Plan to arrive for hotel check-in at 3 PM EST on Sunday, April 27th. The conference will conclude at 10:00 AM EST on Thursday, May 1st.

Attendees will be responsible for getting themselves to the Little Arrow Outdoor Resort in Townsend, TN. The closest major airport to Great Smoky Mountains National Park is McGee-Tyson Airport (TYS) in Alcoa, Tenn., just south of Knoxville. Attendees can coordinate carpooling with other attendees before the conference begins through our private online community.

If staying at Little Arrow, you will receive a link in your welcome email to reserve your preferred accommodation at the resort on a first come, first serve basis. If you choose to stay in a hotel room at the Tremont Lodge & Resort, your accommodation 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

Each car entering and parking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park will need a parking tag. A weekly parking tag costs $15 or you can purchase an annual pass for $40.

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 along the trail.

In late April, the weather in the Great Smoky Mountains 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 70s Fahrenheit (13-22 degrees Celsius). However, the Smoky Mountains’ weather can be unpredictable, and there can be occasional rainfall during this time. At some of the higher elevations, the temperature can drop quite drastically, so it’s always a good idea to pack some layers and rain gear, just in case. The spring season brings lush landscapes, vibrant wildflowers, and 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.

Our conferences have photographers of all skill levels from photography enthusiasts to working professionals. All levels of passionate photographers are welcome. Just be ready to eat, sleep, and drink nature & 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, this conference will have the opportunity for you to tailor your own experience with optional midday sessions and table talk sessions.

Of course! Guests permitted by the maximum occupancy of your chosen accommodation can stay with you. Unfortunately, we do not have the extra capacity at this venue to have guests join us for meals, group presentations, or field excursions. But they can enjoy the beauty of the Great Smoky Mountains and all the resort amenities while you are photographing.

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.

You can read the refund policy here.

We continue to observe recommendations by the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and local guidelines for events for each conference’s specific location. This includes physical distancing, masking, health screening, and sanitation protocols as appropriate.

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 smokies@outofchicago.com for more information.