Come See SIGMA at Click Away 2022 in Chicago!

Come see SIGMA Ambassador Meg Loeks and professional photographer Kristen Ryan at Click Away 2022 at The Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park!

Click Away is an empowering and innovative three-day shooting, learning, social conference and retreat for women in photography. The event’s high engagement programming nurtures learning, fosters growth, and cultivates personal connections.

July 8th & 9th, 2022

Scenes of the City: Chicago Cityscapes
Presented by Pro Photographer Kristen Ryan

The city moves pretty quickly. Take some time to slow things down and connect with your surroundings in this Chicago Cityscape class. Kristen will discuss the elements and subjects that grab your eye and the process of deciding how to capture and tell the story of those elements. As a seasoned landscape photographer, Kristen knows the importance of shooting everything from the sweeping wide views, down to the intimate close ups, and she’ll share with you how to approach cityscapes the same way. Come prepared with your favorite wide angle lens (and a longer lens if desired), and polarizer or ND filters if you have them. Tripods are optional.

• Learn to take your time to explore an environment and identify the ‘why’ behind clicking the shutter
• Learn how to analyze the landscape to create a balanced composition
• Learn how to use a Neutral Density filter to slow the shutter speed for showing movement in water or clouds

About Professional Photographer Kristen Ryan

Kristen Ryan is a professional landscape photographer & educator specializing in capturing the grand and intimate beauty of our natural world. She is passionate about encouraging women to find creativity and connection at her ladies’ landscape photography retreats in the US and Canada and in her online community, Women Capture Magic.

See more of her work at kristenryanphotography.com and @kristenryanphotography on Instagram.

Friday, July 8, 2022

Developing an Impactful Social Media Presence
Presented by SIGMA Ambassador Meg Loeks

Learn how to market yourself and your business on Instagram in a unique and successful way. SIGMA Ambassador Meg Loeks will discuss the importance of understanding your personal Instagram goals, engagement, and much more. You will learn the dos and don’ts of the social media platform. You will also have the opportunity to submit your IG profiles to Meg before the seminar, and she will pick a small number of accounts to help guide and discuss ways to improve and strengthen their account. You will receive a handout that will include tips on Instagram engagement, covering everything from the best times to post, hashtags, information on reels, and utilizing all that Instagram has to offer.

• Learn the importance of understanding your Instagram audience
• Learn tips and tricks on how to increase your Instagram engagement
• Learn how to create a powerful Instagram profile that suits your own unique gifts and needs

Saturday, July 9, 2022

True Colors: Incorporating Color Theory for Impactful Images
Presented by SIGMA Ambassador Meg Loeks

Color is one of the most important elements in all art forms, yet its impact is often underappreciated in photography. Join Meg Loeks to explore how she uses color theory and symbolism in her imagery to create a timeless feel. From establishing a mood to creating depth within your frame, understanding color theory can help to take your images to the next level. During this golden hour shootout, Meg will discuss styling her child model(s) to fit and compliment the surrounding environment as well as how to apply color theory and symbolism to your frame. You will join her in using the golden light to its fullest potential to create a feeling of nostalgia with the models through natural, fun prompts that will coax them into beautiful compositions.

• Learn what a color wheel is and how to find analogous, complimentary, and tertiary colors
• Learn how to use these color palettes to plan ahead for your environment
• Learn how to effectively and naturally style your subject to enhance the environment and add depth to your frame
• Learn how to expose for your subject in golden hour light
• Learn how to gently pose your subject to evoke a sense of childhood nostalgia

July 9th & 10th, 2022

Inspired by the Classics: From Concept to Powerful Frame
Presented by SIGMA Ambassador Meg Loeks

In this program, Meg will demonstrate various ways to draw inspiration from classic art. She will cover everything from how to formulate and conceptualize personal vision to technical aspects like light, creating a color palette, stylizing, and more. During the shoot out, you will be encouraged to recreate two classic paintings. The paintings, props, and models will all be provided. You will first be required to replicate the painting, then alter it to suit your personal vision and style. You will receive a color and style guide that will include tips on fabric that photographs well, favorite shops for children’s clothing, information on color theory, and more. A downloadable editing video will also be provided after the workshop. As space may be limited, longer lenses will be inconvenient.

• Learn how to process conceptual ideas from start to finish through the use of color, texture, light, posing, and more
• Learn practical tips for location scouting
• Learn the importance of details through stylizing and layering to enhance storytelling and depth
• Learn how to gently guide and pose models to create an authentic and powerful frame

About SIGMA Ambassador Meg Loeks

Meg lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with her husband and five children. She is a children’s fine art and portrait photographer whose nostalgic work centers around the home. In-between photographing her family, she teaches several online and in-person domestic and international workshops. Meg is a mentor through Click Community, instructor through Click Photo School, a SIGMA Ambassador, Lightroom Ambassador and Profoto Legend of Light. She is also a volunteer photographer for The Gold Hope Project, a nonprofit organization which gifts families battling pediatric cancer a free photo session.