Breakout Sessions

Detailed Information About the 2024 Conference is Coming Soon.

Check out Past Events

Lightchasers is proud to work with some of the top brands in photography and will be featuring multiple Breakout Sessions with our partners.

BRAND EXPO

One of our core tenets for Lightchasers is to break down barriers to access and that includes interactions with your favourite brands. We are very fortunate to be supported by all of our incredible brand partners and our Brand Expo allows you to interact directly with representatives from Fujifilm, McBain, Kase Filters, Sony, Nikon, The Camera Store, Tamron and f-stop. From free sensor cleanings to new product demos, touch and try experiences, to opportunities to try out new gear in the field, and just asking questions and chatting with reps, our Brand Expo allows you opportunities to interact with our partners in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

Brand Expo Hours
Friday: 9-1030am, 1-3pm
Saturday: 9-11am, 1-3pm
Sunday: 9-11am, 1-2pm

Tech Talks

Tech Talks

Join McBain Camera General Manager Rene Rodrigue for a series of 20 minute Tech Talks where he breaks down the fundamentals of certain photographic tools and techniques ranging from how to use aperture priority, to what tripod and head are best for you, what’s wrong with my camera and more!

Friday
1:20 PM - The Power of the Crop
2:00 PM - How Heavy is Your Kit? Finding the Right Tripod and Head For YOU
2:40 PM - Why is My Camera Misbehaving

Saturday
10:00 AM - Aperture Priority: Your Gateway to Getting Off Auto
10:40 AM - The Power of the Crop
1:20 PM - How Heavy is Your Kit? Finding the Right Tripod and Head For YOU
2:00 PM - Aperture Priority: Your Gateway to Getting Off Auto
2:40 PM - Why is My Camera Misbehaving

Sunday
9:20 AM - Why is My Camera Misbehaving
10:00 AM - How Heavy is Your Kit? Finding the Right Tripod and Head For YOU

Field Sessions

Our field sessions are designed around the fact that everyone experiences a location differently. Instead of putting you in a prescribed spot with a subject, theme or model where you mimic what an instructor tells you to do, our sessions are designed to let you explore an area and to engage with your own creativity and ability to see and respond to the landscape emotionally; to look deeper and to come away with images that are more personally satisfying than technically perfect or commercially appealing.

Presenters in attendance are there to help answer questions or provide insight to their methods but not to tell you what to shoot or how to see. In order to ensure ample opportunities for attendees to attend at least one, and possibly two field sessions, and in order to minimize impact on the areas where our sessions take place, we do have attendance caps in place. We also highly encourage people to carpool to our shooting locations to minimize parking impacts.

We also know that many attendees may be more inclined to explore the area on their own during these times and we welcome and encourage you to do so if group shooting scenarios aren’t your cup of tea! Waterton National Park, Castle Provincial Park, the Pass and the surrounding prairies provide many great photography opportunities for the solo explorer.

Whether you’re joining us for group sessions or exploring on your own, please practice leave no trace principles and pack out whatever you pack in.

All Field Session require you to sign up in advance to ensure we don't go over the allotted number of spaces for each.

SIGN UP FOR A FIELD SESSION (OR TWO!)
Field Session

Good Morning at Butcher Lake

Saturday May 25th from 7-9am

Butcher Lake is a beautiful location, especially when the winds are calm and the water flat. Loons call out in the morning air and wildflowers line the shore. And across the road from Butcher Lake lies a larger field of wildflowers equally impressive in its splendour. This location is easily accessible to all though exploring close to the lake shore may be steep and does require caution.

Field Session

Good Morning at Lundbreck Falls

Saturday May 25th from 7-9am

Lundbreck Falls is a stunning double waterfall located a mere 20 minute drive from Pincher Creek. The waterfalls can be photographed from a variety of angles and offer a chance for both grand scenic and more intimate shots. This beautiful spot also features a great old trestle bridge that makes for wonderful compositions as well. A variety of birds also frequent this location. This location is easily accessible by all but does feature some stairs down to the lower level that may not be suitable for those with mobility issues. The falls are bathed in soft morning light around 7am but early birds may want to catch a reverse sunrise over the falls at 530am.

Field Session

Playing in the Pass

Saturday May 25th from 6-10pm

We’ve partnered with our good friends at Uplift Adventures to bring you this brand new field session located in the Crowsnest Pass. This session features three beautiful places to explore: lower Star Creek Canyon, upper Star Creek Falls and the Bridge to Nowhere. Session attendees will be bussed from Pincher Creek to the Pass and split into two groups of twenty to explore the canyon and the upper falls for an hour each before regrouping to shoot sunset from the Bridge to Nowhere. The trail to the canyon is rated easy but does have some typical trail elements like logs and a creek crossing. The trail to the upper falls is easy but steep and the terrain around the Bridge to Nowhere is easy.

Field Session

Sunset on Limber Pine Ridge

Saturday May 25th from 8-10pm

Not for the faint of heart, Sunset on Limber Pine Ridge is an exclusive opportunity to explore the majesty of a group of ancient limber pines located on private property that overlooks a scenic valley covered in wildflowers with the mountains in the background. This session involves a 2km hike through uneven fields and up a very steep embankment and is not recommended for those who aren’t experienced hikers or those with limited mobility. As this is located on private property, may involve potentially dangerous encounters with wildlife and a more difficult experience overall, participation in this session is limited and will be monitored with check ins and check outs. 

Field Session

Sunset at Heritage Acres

Saturday May 25th from 8-10pm

Located a mere ten minutes north of Pincher Creek, the Heritage Acres Farm Museum is a veritable time capsule of prairie life. Dozens of old buildings and hundreds of pieces of antique farm equipment have been rescued from across the prairies and brought here to live out the remainder of their days, enjoyed by visitors from around the world. Sessions attendees are welcome to explore the grounds at their leisure, taking photos of everything the museum has to offer with the golden hour prairie light to act as backdrop to this picture perfect location.

Field Session

Astro at Heritage Acres

Saturday May 25th from 11pm-1am

Located a mere ten minutes north of Pincher Creek, the Heritage Acres Farm Museum is a veritable time capsule of prairie life and features wonderfully dark skies. An old grain elevator and beautiful barn will allow attendees to face the northern sky to capture their favourite constellations or attempt some startrails. And if conditions are favourable, some late blue hour milky way core photography *might* be possible just before moonrise as well. 

Field Session

Good Morning at Castle Falls

Sunday May 26th from 7-9am 

While the falls at Castle may not be as spectacular as their Lundbreck counterparts, this beautiful location features a great opportunity for not just capturing the larger scene but is also a small-scene photographer’s playground. Details in the smooth rock surfaces make for great intimate and abstract shots where photographers can lose themselves exploring it all. This location is also wonderful for early morning sightings of a variety of songbirds and even birds of prey.

Portfolio Reviews

Feedback. It’s something we’re all hungry for when it comes to our photography. But finding opportunities for meaningful and constructive feedback is increasingly hard in a world of social media platitudes or positive comments from non-photographer friends and family members. To help you improve your images and your eye, some of our presenters have generously offered to review a selection of photos from our attendees each morning. Participants are to have their photos ready to show on a tablet, laptop or in print and each review is limited to a maximum of 10 minutes to help ensure everyone has an opportunity for feedback.

Saturday 9:00-10:30am
Alex Buisse , Anna Morgan, Viktoria Haack

Sunday 9:00-10:30am
Alister Benn, Alex Buisse

LOCATION:
The Lounge at the Heritage Inn
(Sessions are first come, first served)

find out times and more details on our schedule page

view schedule
I found the conference to be unique in that there were diverse landscape genre presenters supported by a number of appropriate companies with their products. Less a workshop and more facilitation.
Jan Lyall
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Stay tuned for more information on more conference events such as portfolio reviews, the photography competition and more!