Lensbaby to host free "Shoot Extraordinary" Virtual Photography Conference December 8-10, 2020

    PORTLAND, OR, November 23, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Lensbaby – makers of award-winning DSLR & mirrorless lenses, optics and accessories announces a three-day free, virtual photography conference featuring educational presentations by Lensbaby staff professionals, professional Lensbaby photographers from around the world and a live photo/critiques panel on the final day.

The three-day "Shoot Extraordinary" virtual conference will be held online December 8, 9 and 10.

"This conference is our way of giving back to the global Lensbaby community and offer a space for creators to come together to learn, grow, create, and be extraordinary," says Michael Anthony, Lensbaby's Vice-President of Sales & Marketing, conference host and MC.

See conference details and register for FREE here: https://lensbaby.com/pages/conference

Lensbaby Shoot Extraordinary Conference Schedule:

Day 1: Tuesday, December 8th 10:00am EST

• The Story Behind the Lensbaby Story: Craig Strong

Lensbaby Inventor and Co-Founder, Craig Strong, will share behind-the-scenes stories and lessons from nearly 20 years working on what started as a fun, unlikely side-project making unusual camera lenses.

Craig Strong is a photojournalist turned product designer who co-founded Lensbaby, Inc. in 2003. Craig switched from film to digital in 2000 and found the freedom his first DSLR gave him to create unlimited photographs exhilarating. A natural tinkerer who had always explored what's possible, he started putting odd glass in front of his camera and found these lenses often conveyed what he saw better than big manufacturers' lenses could.

• Emotive Portraiture: Dana Leigh

Join Dana Leigh as she demonstrates her process of infusing emotion and depth into her portrait photography with Lensbaby optics. In this session, she will use natural light, shadows and mood to create fine art portraits. Dana will show how she engages with her subjects in a way that tells a story while sharing techniques that help incorporate more emotion into her imagery.

Dana Leigh is an artist from Portland, Oregon that is inspired by emotion and beautiful light. She is a Click Pro Master, writer, photography educator, Lensbaby Ambassador and co-creator of Light Chasers Retreat. A wife and mother of 5 children, she specializes in portrait and fine art photography.

• Commercial Photography with Lensbaby OMNI Creative Filter System: Anabel Dflux

Join professional photographer Anabel DFlux as she divulges all of her secrets for capturing iconic musician portraits with the OMNI filter system, from how to determine which wand to use all the way to teaching you how to pitch out-of-the-box photographs to musicians, record labels, and fans alike."

Anabel DFlux is a published photographer in the sunny states of California & Nevada, known for a vast array of photographic work. Art is her passion in life- in 2009 she made her dream a reality by opening up Deliquesce Flux Photography, a service that caters to both local and international clients to fulfill their photography needs.

• My Velvet Journey: Kathleen Clemons

Join Kathleen Clemons as she shares her journey with the Lensbaby Velvets. You will see why she adores these lenses and the part they play in her photography. Kathleen will also share tips and advice on using all three Velvet Effect lenses.

Kathleen Clemons is an award-winning photographer, teacher, speaker, author and workshop leader from the coast of Maine. Primarily a nature photographer who specializes in photographing flowers, Kathleen is known for her creative use of natural light and unique, artistic photographs.

• Let's Get OMNI Creative: Robert Pugh

As a wedding and portrait photographer, I'm always looking for the next creative tools. For me, the OMNI set is a tool in my camera bag to help bring my photography imagination to life. Join me as I talk about the OMNI and how I use this small kit of magical effects at weddings and ill be showcasing the OMNI I in the studio, creating some live portraits with different creativity.

Robert Pugh is an award-winning international wedding and portrait photographer. Located in Reading Berkshire but covering weddings from the UK to the golden sands of the Caribbean. With over ten years of experience being a full-time photographer running a successful business and covering over 480 weddings to date.

Day 2: Wednesday, December 9th 10:00am EST

• The Magic of Toy Photography: Shelly Corbett

Toys can be so much more than a child's diversion. They are multi-faceted muses; they're a link to our childhood, an opportunity to recreate a favorite movie and they can star in stories or our own making. Put a toy in front of a Lensbaby lens and it can transport you to a magical world of your own creation.

Shelly is a 30+ year working artist, photographer and creativity evangelist. Shelly has shown work in galleries, coffee shops, community centers and outdoor arts and craft festivals. Shelly is currently a LensBaby Ambassador and a LEGO Ambassador for four years. She also writes about creativity and shares her creative journey on a volunteer-run blog she founded: Toy Photographers.

• Embracing love and light in our everyday lives: Jyotsna Bhamidipati

Join Jyo as she teaches you how to make beauty happen in the most ordinary spaces using simple observational techniques and how to photograph your subjects creatively. Join her as she takes you behind the scenes to show you how she photographs her authentic self-portraits as well as how she makes magic in different types of light photographing portraits that evoke an emotion.

Jyotsna Bhamidipati (Jyo) is an electrical engineer as well as an award-winning published fine art lifestyle photographer plus a mentor/educator based in Sacramento, California. She is a lover of light and shadows and seeks to capture the everyday perfectly imperfect beauty around her. She strives to be experimental in her vision and constantly works on pushing the boundaries in her photography. Jyo has taught at numerous conferences and has been featured in numerous magazines including Click Magazine.

• Lensbaby - Layers of Love: Jackie Kramer

Join Jackie as she brings out the character in floral subjects by layering images made with various Lensbaby optics. She will be showing how she shoots her subjects, as well as textures, using the Sweet 50, the Twist 60, and the Sol 45. Follow along in post-processing to make them shine by editing and combining them as layers in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Jackie has been photographing the natural world, with an emphasis on flowers since high school. Jackie is a Lensbaby Ambassador and KelbyOne instructor who has received international acclaim for her images, quite a few of which were made with Lensbaby. Her work has been published in magazines, such as Photoshop User, Portfolio, LensWork, The Photographer Magazine, and on the cover of NANPA Expressions 2019.

• Finding Your Heart: Emotion, Impact and Joy: Anne Belmont

Join Anne Belmont as she shares her passion for using Lensbaby lenses. She will share with you her journey in photography to create images that speak to the heart. As an art therapist, Anne believes in the healing power of both art and nature and she will share how her photography and daily walks in nature have helped her stay centered and joyful even in the most adverse of times.

Anne Belmont is a nature photographer specializing in flower photography. Anne's passion lies in capturing the beauty of flowers and other botanical subjects up-close. A life-long involvement in the arts and a career as an art therapist have shaped the way that she views art and the creative process, and have reinforced her belief in the healing power of both art and nature in our lives.

• Light Inspired - A Deep Dive Into My Creative Process: Ute Reckhorn

Ute Reckhorn gives us insight on how light determines the quality of your photos and how to best take advantage of it by walking us through her own creative process. Find the answer on how to make your photos successful and unique in this inspiring seminar!

Ute Reckhorn, a Los Angeles based photographer, started her photography journey in 2012. After picking up her first Lensbaby lens in 2015, she immediately fell in love with its playfulness and the the ever-growing community of Lensbaby artists.

Originally documenting her own family of five, Ute blended her photographic skills with inspiration that comes from 20 years of moving around the globe. With roots all around the world and a deep love for the Californian lifestyle as her inspiration, she creates portraits and landscapes that evoke emotion and a sense of movement.

Day 3: Thursday, December 10th 10:00am EST

Live Photo Critiques!

Register for the conference to get access to the conference photo critique submission guidelines.

Live Panel Discussion: Learn how to improve your photography from Lensbaby educators!

About Lensbaby:

Lensbaby creates tools that enable photographers and videographers to find their unique visual voice. For over 15 years, they have been manufacturing high-quality creative effects lenses, optics, and accessories out of their Portland, Oregon headquarters.

Lensbaby sells its products on its website as well as through a worldwide network of retailers and distributors. For more information, visit www.lensbaby.com

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