Announcing 5th Annual Luminance Talks at Photoville: Sept 15th, St. Ann’s Warehouse in NYC

For the fifth year in a row, PhotoShelter’s Luminance returns to Photoville for a full day of inspiring conversations about the business and creative side of photography. 

Join us at the studio in St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn all day Friday, September 15th for discussions with industry professionals and photographers. We’ll cover topics like mistakes photographers make, getting more money from your work, developing a signature brand, women in photography, how to bring a commercial campaign to life, plus a special conversation with celebrated photographer and professor Deborah Willis.

A full day pass (only $25) includes admission to all six panels, plus breakfast, lunch and access to the Peer Review Happy Hour. Register here to guarantee your spot before we fill up.

If you can’t make it for the full day, single session attendance is welcome on a first come, first serve basis.

Each panel is 45 minutes. Here’s the schedule:

10:00 am: Registration and Breakfast at the Photoville Pavilion (St. Ann’s Warehouse) 

10:30 am – 11:15 am: The Big Mistakes Photographers Make

We all know freelancing can be great — you’re your own boss, you choose your own projects — but going it alone can mean learning things the hard way. So why not take advantage of what a few photographers have picked up? Sacha Lecca, Deputy Photo Editor at Rolling Stone magazine, will talk with photographers Joe McNally, Amy Lombard and Mathieu Young to hear how they’ve conquered business obstacles, plus their best advice for those just starting out. They’ll share what they wish they knew before jumping in — from marketing, to investing in gear, to why it’s so important to always get things down in writing. Bring your questions!

Panelists

Moderator: Sacha Lecca, Deputy Photo Editor, Rolling Stone magazine

Joe McNally, Photographer

Amy Lombard, Photographer

Mathieu Young, Photographer

Jennifer Santana, Director of Photography, Men’s Journal Magazine

11:30 am – 12:15 pm: Women at the Forefront: A Push for an Even Playing Field

The photo industry has been dominated by men for years, but never before have women’s voices been stronger. In this panel, we’ll be joined by creatives who are pushing to help female photographers share their work and their stories. Led by Elizabeth Griffin, we’ll sit down with Amanda Gorence, Photo Editor at Refinery29, Daniella Zalcman, Founder of Women Photograph, and Sherry Wang of Lensational, a nonprofit giving cameras to women in underserved areas. We’ll discuss how these leaders are forging the way for women in photography, and hear their hopes for female creatives in the future.     

Panelists:

Moderator: Elizabeth Griffin, Photo Director

Amanda Gorence, Photo Editor, Refinery29

Daniella Zalcman, Photographer & Founder of Women Photograph

Sherry Wang, Partnerships Manager, Lensational

12:30 pm – 1:15 pm: Getting More Money From Existing Work

You work hard to take beautiful photos and a provide an awesome experience for your clients. But wouldn’t it be great if you could squeeze more juice from the work you produce? (Read: Make more money.) In this panel, we’ll be joined by photographers who think outside the box when it comes to making extra cash from their photography. Ideas like limited edition prints, online shops, image resale, magazines, and more. We’ll dig in and learn how they’re boosting sales and reaching a greater audience of potential clients and buyers. The goal is for you to walk away with tons of inspiration on how to do the same.

Panelists:

Moderator: Andrew Fingerman, CEO, PhotoShelter

Nichole Washington, Photographer

Ryan Pfluger, Photographer

Marcel Saba, Owner & Director, Redux Pictures

1:30 pm – 2:45 pm: Lunch (on us if you register!) at the Photoville Beer Garden

3 pm – 3:45 pm: Developing a Signature Photography Brand

Photo editors and creative directors are constantly looking for photographers with a signature style and brand. But how do you develop what that is? In this panel, Marvin Orellana of New York Magazine will talk with photographers Kareem Black, Sam Cannon and Emiliano Granado who’ve created a distinct brand for themselves, and are getting gigs because of it. We’ll also talk with brand consultant Jesse Reed who helps others establish their own unique look and feel. We’ll cover what branding means when it comes to your photographic style, your voice, your aesthetic, and the feeling you leave clients. Most importantly, you’ll learn how an effective brand can help you get more work, especially the kind you want.

Panelists:

Moderator: Marvin Orellana, Photo Editor, New York Magazine

Kareem Black, Photographer

Sam Cannon, Photographer

Emiliano Granado, Photographer

Jesse Reed, Graphic Designer

4 pm – 4:45 pm: Creativity & Collaboration: How a Campaign Comes to Life

We’re peeling back the curtain to give you a real look at how commercial campaigns come to life. To do it well, it takes a lot of talent, collaboration, organization and of course, great ideas. Join us as we welcome Aidan Sullivan, CEO of Verbatim and James Price Photographer’s Representative, filmmaker and photographer Shaul Schwarz, and Keri McDonough from the PR Agency InVentiv Health. They’ll walk us through how they produced an important photo library and documentary about mental health, sharing lessons they learned along the way. They’ll discuss how they pair a photographer and filmmaker with the right project, create great content with integrity, plus how the creative process evolves from start to finish. The goal of course: To stay true to a brand and tell a powerful story.

5 pm – 5:45 pm: A Conversation with Deborah Willis and Brendan Wattenberg

Deborah Willis is a celebrated photographer, acclaimed historian of photography, MacArthur and Guggenheim Fellow, and University Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography & Imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University. As an author and curator, her pioneering research has focused on cultural histories envisioning the black body, women, and gender. In this conversation, Willis speaks with Brendan Wattenberg, managing editor of Aperture Magazine, about the iconic images central to Willis’s career, tracing themes of representation and beauty in historic archives, photojournalism, fashion, and fine art photography from the nineteenth century to the present.

6 pm – 7 pm: Peer Review Happy Hour

Bring your portfolio, book or iPad, grab a beer, and get ready to get and give some unbiased feedback on your and your peers’ portfolios in this informal peer portfolio review event hosted by us. Think of it as a portfolio review without the pressure of being in front of a potential buyer – or like speed dating for photographers! You’ll give your feedback on a few portfolios, you’ll get some on yours, and we guarantee you’ll walk away with some new ideas – and feel good about helping out fellow photographers. What’s better than that? The event takes place in the Photoville Beer Garden and the first drink is on us.

Register for the full day pass below and we’ll see you there!