The last homeschool convention we traveled to this year was in Atlanta. I’ve been going to the Southeast Homeschool Expo for about 4 years now, and have spoken on the topic of photography there every time. However, this year was a little different. I was asked to professionally photograph the entire event as well!

I photograph homeschool conventions quite a bit. But very seldom am I photographing it by myself. Usually, I am leading a team of photographers on a Photography Team, or critiquing the work of other team members who are designated to cover the event while I speak or man the Lenspiration booth. So, I was looking forward to reacquainting myself with the same responsibilities and anxieties that I would normally delegate to my photography students!

First, I made sure to thoroughly familiarize myself with exactly what the convention organizers wanted. This would help me know how to prioritize, what to keep an eye out for, or how to artificially arrange things if necessary. The first aspect I was supposed to shoot for was “the common them of connection/interaction between company/vendor/speaker and the attendee.” Secondly, they wanted photos that illustrated the idea of fellowship, like “moms coming together and chatting/smiling/laughing.” The assignment was summed with the articulation that “interactions need to have smiling/laughing/connections”, or, in other words, the photos needed to be “engaging.”

So, I stepped away from the booth with my 70-200mm that first afternoon and started looking around for what I could find!

I liked some of my photos, but I really didn’t feel like I was getting much. (Later, I found out that I actually only kept 13 photos from that entire first day!) I’m sure there were external factors, such as time of day contributing to low attendance at sessions, and the fact that fewer attendees would be there on a Friday instead of Saturday. But I also felt so rusty! I wasn’t feeling like interacting with people, no creative ideas were coming to mind, and I felt limited by only walking around with a telephoto focal length.

So, the next day, I made some changes! I made sure to step away from the booth multiple times throughout the day. I brought my telephoto lens as well as a 17-55mm f/2.8. And I warmed up by going and talking to other vendors first. With more people around, plus the motivation of urgency (“this is the last day, I really need to get some good photos!”) I feel like I was finally able to break through the ice!

The face of homeschool is changing rapidly. Instead of being bound by laws that compel all children to attend public school (or a private alternative) in the late 1900’s, we now enjoy freedom to homeschool in all 50 states. And thanks in part to Covid-19, homeschooling is quickly becoming part of the mainstream. This means that the Christian conservative ideals of limited government, parental rights, and religious freedom are not necessarily the main driving force for new homeschooling families. The shift toward online education, and reasons ranging from food allergies, special needs, and interests of the child, are now common motivations for the decision to homeschool. While change always introduces new difficulties and problems, it also brings with it new opportunity. The homeschool community is a growing mission field! And with conservative Christian values at its root, may the idea of homeschooling be our platform to shine the light of God’s love and healing power to those who are searching for something better than traditional public education.

I’d love to hear your critique of the photos in this post, and learn from your experience of photographing events! What photo do you like best, and which one do you like least? Why? Do you have any event photography tips? What motivates you to get compelling photos at an event? I would love to hear your advice in the comments below!