Stars will come out at 2015 New England Camera Club Council Conference, July 17-19, 2015

(Springfield, Massachusetts) – It is the biggest and best-attended photography conference in the country and it’s coming to Amherst, Massachusetts, on July 17-19, 2015.

The 2015 New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) Photography Conference at UMass Amherst will bring a star-studded list of speakers to the region to talk about their passions and share their secrets for success. “It’s a 2½ - 3 day immersion into photography,” describes longtime attendee and award-winning photographer Dick Hudnall, who belongs to both the Manchester (NH) and Merrimack Valley Camera Clubs. “From morning to night, you are learning from some of the best photography teachers in the country.” Adds his wife and imaging partner, Karen Hudnall, “They bring in these professionals who share their skills, locations and techniques. These are not things you get exposed to in a camera club setting. It’s the single biggest re-charge point in the year for us because there’s so much you can learn and so many things you can do.”

Sponsored by NECCC, the umbrella organization for more than 80 camera clubs in the six New England states, the upcoming 70th Annual New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) Photography Conference promises a bigger and better experience than ever, with a roster of speakers that reads like a Who’s Who of photography and an unparalleled series of hands-on events and workshops. Among the star-studded list of presenters are photographers from all corners of the country and some of the most respected experts in their fields, including: the Nikon-sponsored keynote speaker and Zoo Miami “Goodwill Ambassador” Ron Magill; fashion photographer Lindsay Adler, sponsored by Sigma; Boston Globe photojournalist Joanne Rathe Strohmeyer; award-winning photojournalist Damien Strohmeyer, sponsored by Canon; Nikon “Legend Behind the Lens” Lou Jones; fine art nature and flower photographer Tony Sweet, sponsored by Nikon; portrait artist Michele Celentano, sponsored by Canon; and world-renowned digital photography educator and Photoshop specialist Tim Grey, sponsored by Adobe.

“These are some of the top photography speakers in the U.S. and you might pay $500 to see them on your own,” explains Susan Mosser of No. Reading, Massachusetts, who co-chairs the 2015 Conference with Antoinette Gombeda of Stratford, CT. “When you come to NECCC, you learn from dozens of high caliber speakers for the cost of your registration fee. That’s not available anywhere else.”

The quality of the speakers and the affordable price are only two of the conference’s noticeable differences. In addition, the NECCC Conference offers more than 25 educational workshops on some of today’s hottest imaging trends, such as Smartphone Photography and Mirrorless Photography, as well as portrait, landscape, travel, and sports photography, photojournalism, lighting, metering, and other technical and creative subjects. To ensure attendees have easy access to every program, each workshop runs three times during the weekend to minimize conflict with other events.

Supplementing the educational presentations will be hands-on activities for photographers at all levels, such as indoor and outdoor photography setups with glassware and black light, fire-bellied frogs, character models, live animals, and more. Free digital Speakers’ Notes will be available for all presentations, along with portfolio reviews, digital and print competitions, loaner equipment tryouts, free camera equipment testing, networking and interaction with photographers at all levels; and a record $14,000 worth of door prizes.

Adding to the excitement around the 70th Anniversary program will be a Revolutionary War Re-enactment on Sunday morning. The re-enactment will provide diverse shooting opportunities for 21st century photographers. “There will be no distracting crowds or backgrounds. The re-enactors will march up the field and fire their weapons in one direction, then they’ll turn around and repeat it in the other direction so people at both ends will be able to get the images,” Mosser explains. “They’ll stay around after for indoor and outdoor portraits. You wouldn’t have this opportunity unless you personally hired them to do this on your own front lawn.”

In honor of the 70th Anniversary Conference and the final year of the Annual Greater Lynn International Exhibition, NECCC will host a spectacular multi-media show of 1,400 juried photos on Friday, July 17th. Culled from a pool of more than 4,000 entries and set to music by renowned audio-visual producer Barbara Rozavsky, the 90-minute program will include images of diverse subject matter created by photographers from 35 states and 65 countries and is a highlight of the 2015 NECCC Conference.

In an effort to attract students who are new to NECCC, the 2015 Conference is offering a first-ever $50 registration discount to undergraduate and graduate students at all UMass campuses. “Any UMass students who wants to come will qualify for the discount,” explains Mosser. “If they’re interested in photography, we’re happy to have them.”

The most important reason to attend the NECCC Conference is the value you get from being there. Veteran attendee Dick Hudnall comments, “If you’re new to photography, you can gain a lot of information. If you’re an experienced photographer, you can rub shoulders with some of the best.” Adds Scott Farber, president of Hunt’s Photo & Video, a leading NECCC Conference sponsor, “In my opinion, if you have a passionate interest in photography, there is nothing like it in America.”

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ABOUT THE NEW ENGLAND CAMERA CLUB COUNCIL

Founded in 1937, The New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) is a nonprofit umbrella group for more than 80 camera clubs in the six New England states. A member of the Photographic Society of America, NECCC sponsors events and services for photographers at all levels throughout the year, including the country’s largest and best-attended conference, the three-day NECCC Photography Conference, held this year on July 17-19, 2015 at UMass Amherst. For program and registration information, visit http://www.neccc.org.

Photo caption: Fire-bellied frogs and a Revolutionary War Re-Enactment will be among the hands-on opportunities for photographers at the 2015 New England Camera Club Council Conference in Amherst. Register by June 26 at http://www.neccc.org/p/2015-conf.html to take advantage of Early Bird Savings on this one-of-a-kind learning experience.