The Elevate '24 Photography Conference by the Professional Photographers of Colorado brought three inspiring days of workshops, demonstrations, and networking for photographers of all levels. Here’s a recap of the highlights:
Friday Pre-Conference Workshops
Amber Damour's "Painterly Storytelling Imagery" taught participants how to craft emotional portraits using lighting, composition, and props. She also demonstrated advanced Photoshop techniques like skin retouching and color grading, empowering attendees to elevate their storytelling.
Kenneth Wajda led a hands-on exploration of street photography, beginning with a discussion of its history and techniques. Participants practiced capturing candid moments and street portraits in downtown Denver, returning for a critique session that refined their storytelling skills.
Saturday’s Colorado Day
Russell Klimas introduced the power of AI in portrait editing, showcasing tools like Stable Diffusion and Runway. His session highlighted creative applications for animating and enhancing portraits while streamlining workflows.
Cheryl Opperman captivated audiences with stories and tips from her global wildlife and landscape photography experiences. She provided actionable advice on gear, techniques, and capturing the perfect moment, inspiring attendees to explore the natural world.
Jonathan Betz’s lighting workshop covered studio and outdoor techniques, including modifiers and lighting patterns. Live demonstrations helped participants develop confidence and precision in portrait lighting.
Juliana Broste offered a crash course in videography, guiding photographers through pre-production, camera settings, audio, and storytelling techniques. Attendees left with a comprehensive understanding of video creation from planning to post-production.
The "Denim & Diamonds" dinner provided a festive evening of networking and celebration, blending Colorado flair with an extra touch of fun! We had Samantha Hardcastle MC-ing our event with so many fun trivia questions, door prizes, chance drawings, and the grand finale was the end when our instructors came together as one united voice to crown the Best Dressed Award which went to our VP and Conference Chairperson, Jessica Vallia! She took home a stuffed mountain goat wearing a "diamond" studded necklace.
Sunday’s Creative Finale
Kimberly Smith brought the conference to a heartfelt close with her workshop on fine art photography. She encouraged attendees to balance technical expertise with artistic vision, blending Photoshop techniques with inspiration drawn from beyond the lens. Her session emphasized the importance of mindset in creating meaningful, timeless art.
In a last minute and welcomed addition, Juliana Broste stepped in to deliver the closing keynote. Her presentation focused on branding and sharing one’s creative voice with the world. Juliana inspired photographers to build a personal brand that authentically reflects their artistic identity and professional goals.
The combination of Kimberly’s artistic guidance and Juliana’s branding wisdom left attendees motivated and equipped to showcase their work with confidence and clarity.
Thank you to all who joined us, our generous sponsors to include Mike's Camera who brought Canon, Nikon & Sony to our event, Tamron, Boulder Flower Farm, and Millers!
Also thank you to the entire board of PPC but especially the Conference Committee who rocked this event! We have made this conference series better every year and this year we had an especially amazing line up, social events, and all who were in attendance had a wonderful time.
Don't forget that our Holiday & Award Party are right around the corner, tickets are on sale now
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