Attending the annual NECCC Photo Conference 2013

Well as promised I put together a post on this year’s New England Camera Club Conference. This is an event that I look forward to each summer. The conference is an annual three-day photography event held each July at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA. NECCC is one of the largest in the United States and has over 1000 photographers from the U.S. and other countries that attend the conference every year. Attendees range from beginner to professional photographers. The conference was established many years ago and remains one of the largest events of its kind in the country.



 
This year was a little different than most years because they usually have special photographic events each year such as skydivers, antique cars, hot air balloons or similar photo events.  For 2013 they didn’t really have anything special set up due to some major construction on campus, but they still had the usual photo opportunities like live models and costumed actors, studio setups of still life objects and small animals to take photos of also.  

But as always, the best part of the conference is the classes and lectures. Every year you can attend classes or attend special lectures by some of the industry’s top-guns, big name photographers and teachers like Joe McNally and Rick Sammon, covering just about every topic you could be interested in. The NECCC also offers pre-conference workshops on subjects like improving your workflow with Lightroom, using Photoshop Elements, Macro Photography and even how to set up a Low Cost Home Studio.

These workshops are an additional cost over and above the price of the conference admission but usually there is something there for everyone.  The conference also has a special vendor section where all the major companies like Canon and Nikon have display booths where they offer loaner equipment to test out lenses and bodies before you make a purchase. They also have other manufacturers set-up and you can purchase just about anything you need (or want) right there. 

I belong to a pretty good sized Photo Club in my area and we usually have at least 25 or 30 members in attendance. Most of us rent dorm rooms on campus and camp out for the weekend. Like I mentioned, I personally look forward to the conference every year. It’s a great time to hang out with other photographers and talk shop all weekend. It’s like a mini Photoshop World and if your into photography, you owe it to yourself to check it out. You’ll be amazed at what you can learn in a weekend.  I’m already planning next year’s conference and I hope to see you there!   

Remember as always, keep shooting and have some fun!