Meet Your Speakers

Sal Cincotta | Photographer & Serial Entrepreneur 

Presentation: TBD

Sal Cincotta is a world-renowned photographer and educator known for his bold, dramatic style and relentless approach to business. Based in the St. Louis area, Sal built one of the most successful portrait and wedding studios in the country after leaving a corporate career to pursue photography full-time. His work has earned global recognition, and he’s become a trusted voice for photographers looking to grow both creatively and financially. Sal is also the founder of ShutterFest, one of the industry’s most hands-on photography conferences. As a Canon Explorer of Light, he speaks on stages around the world, sharing real, no-fluff strategies for success. Sal is passionate about helping photographers create work that stands out—and businesses that thrive.

Sal's Website

Sabrina Gebhardt | Educator, Podcast Host & Family Photographer

Presentation:Evergreen Energy: How to Repurpose Your Best Content to Market with Less Effort

Sabrina Gebhardt is a lifestyle newborn and family photographer of over 15 years based in Fort Worth, Texas, and a trusted business coach for female photographers and creative entrepreneurs. Through her signature mastermind, coaching programs, and top-ranked podcast Shoot It Straight, Sabrina has helped hundreds of women build sustainable, profitable businesses with more ease, strategy, and joy.

A passionate advocate for aligned growth, she believes that a thriving business doesn’t require burnout—and she’s living proof that success gets to feel good.

Sabrina is married to her college sweetheart and is a mom to three kids (and two dogs). A strong Enneagram 3, she’s driven by excellence but now fiercely protects her peace. When she’s not coaching or photographing, you’ll find her with a good book in hand, sipping oat milk lattes, or sneaking in a solo walk to soak up the sunshine.

Sabrina's Website

Nikki Closser | Photographer, Podcast Host, & Educator

Presentation: 6 Steps to a Successful Portrait Photography Business

Nikki is a Personal Branding photographer and host of The Portrait System podcast. She quit her job as a social worker and quadrupled her income as a photographer. Nikki built her dream life with her photography business and she has taught thousands of people how she did it through speaking and with her course The Personal Branding System. Nikki is mom to two boys and she loves hobby farming, roller skating, and traveling. Her family splits their time between their house in the country and cottage on a lake in Michigan.

Nikki's Website

Jonny Edward | Job title

 Presentation: TBD 

Speaker bio

Jonny's Website

Lori Unruh Poole  | Photographer & Business Coach

Presentation: How Photographers Are Using ChatGPT to Grow Their Businesses

Lori Unruh Poole is the co-owner of Indigosilver Studio in Wilmington, North Carolina, where she and her husband Jeff specialize in boutique boudoir and wedding photography. With over a decade in business and a background in psychology, Lori brings a unique, brain-based approach to sales and client experience. Through their education brand, Photo Insight, the Pooles mentor photographers on building profitable, sustainable businesses through smart strategy, streamlined systems, and powerful marketing. Known for her no-fluff teaching style and ability to make complex topics feel clear and actionable, Lori is passionate about helping photographers reclaim both their creativity and their bottom line.

Lori's Website

Nidhi (Nids) Dahiya | Portrait Photographer and 7-Figure Business Coach

Presentation:Magnetic Marketing for 5-figure sales

Nidhi Dahiya is a powerhouse entrepreneur, having generated over $5 million in sales through her luxury portrait photography business. Running a $1 million/year studio without a team, she’s mastered the art of high-impact solo success. In addition to her photography empire, Nidhi serves full-time as the Managing Director in Behavioral Business Research at the University of Arkansas, bringing a rare mix of academic depth and business brilliance. She's fiercely passionate about helping photographers break income ceilings and build wildly profitable businesses—with ease, clarity, and confidence. 💰

Nidhi's Website

Kim & Gary Evans | Wedding Photographers, Educators, Mentors and Retreat Hosts

Presentation: Enhancing your Client Experience

We’re Gary and Kim Evans—a husband-and-wife photography team based just outside Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario. With nearly 40 years of combined experience, we’ve photographed hundreds of weddings and are known for stunning, emotional imagery and an unforgettable client experience. We’ve been ranked Top 10 in the World and #1 in Canada by One Eyeland.

We also founded Pop Up Weddings by Lovely Weddings—a concept that turns styled shoots into real weddings, offering couples a beautiful, stress-free alternative to traditional celebrations.

Beyond shooting, we love sharing our knowledge—teaching at conferences like ShutterFest and Canadian Imaging, and hosting international photography retreats in places like France, Italy, and Mexico.

At heart, we’re creatives, entrepreneurs, and educators who keep it real. If you love great photos, real talk, and working with a team that’s always in your corner—we’re your people.

Kim & Gary's Website

Elena S Blair | Family Photographer & Educator 

Presentation: Pricing Made Easy For Photographers

Elena S Blair is an award-winning, internationally recognized Lifestyle Family & Newborn photographer based in Seattle, WA. Her work and insights have been featured in prestigious publications such as Click Magazine and Rangefinder Magazine, with her image gracing the cover of Rangefinder's January 2019 issue. As an educator, Elena teaches through renowned online platforms including CreativeLive, KelbyOne, B&H, Adorama, and Click & Company, in addition to independently reaching thousands of photographers each year.
Elena runs the unique and highly successful group coaching program, The Elena S Blair Mastermind, where she guides photographers worldwide to create meaningful art and build profitable businesses. As an established public speaker, Elena shares her expertise at the photography industry's leading events, inspiring and educating photographers globally.

Elena's Website

Ric Lewis | Portrait Photographer & Educator

Presentation:Conceptualizing Creative Portraits From Start To Finish

Ric is an internationally published photographer specializing in fine art portraiture, underwater, fashion, maternity, and boudoir. Of all the genres of photography his two main passions are maternity and underwater portraiture. Ric travels the US with his wife Kayla and teaches workshops as well as speaks or runs photo booths at photography conventions throughout the US. When he’s not taking pictures or teaching workshops, Ric helps his wife with her company Kayla Douglas Artistry. Ric is an ambassador for Baby Dream Backdrops, Aftershoot, Embrace Presets, Spider Camera Holster, Cheetah Stand, and Aftershoot. The most important thing for Ric as a photographer is that every client, every photographer, and every creative walks away from every interaction with him feeling loved, inspired, and valued.

Ric's Website

Heike Delmore | Personal Branding Photographer & Growth Coach

Presentation: TBD

Heike is a Personal Branding Photographer, educator, & coach for photographers who are hungry to turn their passion into a profitable business. After transitioning from weddings and headshots, Heike built a thriving branding photography studio and scaled her income into the multiple 6-figures—all while regaining her evenings and weekends.
She’s taught thousands of photographers how to create high-converting branding shoots, attract premium clients, and build sustainable businesses through her online courses and signature 1:1 Coaching Mastermind.
Heike is mom to two kids and loves her quiet morning coffees, a well-curated capsule wardrobe, and designing calm, inspiring spaces that feel like a breath of fresh air. Her home base is in Canada, where she balances business with family life, travel, and unhurried days filled with beauty and intention.

Hieke's Website

Amber Henry-Spencer | Wedding & Portrait Photographer & Educator

Presentation: TBD 

Amber is an international award winning wedding and portrait photographer base in Michigan, USA. She has collected a variety of awards from international organizations including WPPI, WPE, PPA, Portrait Masters, and Fearless Photographers as well as published worldwide.

She is a proud ambassador for multiple high-end brands as well as an educator, traveling across the country to bring the knowledge and love of our industry to as many people as possible. Her desire to pass on what she has learned includes one-on-one mentorship programs, and an online community exclusive to women photographers called “Females Who Flash”. She is proficient in both natural light and strobe, which allows her to make any location at any time of day look extraordinary. Currently Amber is ranked one of the “Top 100 Photographers in the World”, WPE.

Her moto "All body types and all walks of life should be photographed and captured in the most beautiful way, because each human being is a unique soul deserving of love with a story to tell. Above all else, no matter where you come from, absolutely anyone can change their stars."

Amber's Website

Ánne Kátjá Gaup | The Arctic Photographer

Presentation: Learning to love harsh light, snowstorms & bad weather

Indigenous artist Ánne Kátjá captures natural, empowering portraits shaped by Arctic light, deep roots, and wild northern landscapes. Teaching aspiring photographers to master outdoor portraits in any light — even in snowstorms and harsh midday sun

Ánne's Website

Emily Kim | Brand Photographer & Educator 

Presentation:The Simple System I Used to Go From $300 to $3K Sessions

Emily Kim is a former software engineer turned brand photographer and creative business educator based in Boston, MA. She's has built a multi-six figure brand photography business & sold a profitable photography rental studio.

Now, Emily is combining her business expertise from her MBA, corporate experience at Apple, and her years of experience in photography to coach other photographers on how to build sustainable, profitable businesses.

Emily's Website

Ambreia Turner | Maternity Photographer & Educator

Presentation: Your Path to In Person Sales

Ambreia is a DMV based Maternity and Motherhood photographer & educator. Her passion for tangible photography products as legacy pieces has fueled her business and secured the legacy of hundreds of clients! Ambreia seeks to engage and inspire others around their own journey to profitability through the purpose of photography.

Ambreia's Website

Kierra Josette | Boudoir Photographer + Marketing Mentor

Presentation: Social Media with Soul: marketing on socials with a healthy soul

Kierra is a boudoir photographer, marketing mentor + success facilitator. She helps boudoir photographers build businesses in their OWN WAY+ guides them to cultivate a thriving relationship with abundance.
She’s a magic manifestor that helps other professionals create miracle results. Kierra helps you gain the confidence to present yourself fully while owning your personal power and creating a sustainable business.

Kierra's Website

Noella Andres | Launch & Marketing Strategist 

Presentation: Launch, Grow & Scale Your Email Marketing Strategy

Noella Andres began her photography journey nearly 20 years ago, falling hard and fast for the art of storytelling through weddings. But over time, her passion evolved, from working with couples to helping other photographers thrive in their marketing and launch strategies.
She’s part strategy nerd, part hype girl, and fully invested in helping creatives find freedom in their business. She is here to make growth feel doable, and a little bit magical.

Noella's Website

Dina Mande | Campaign and Facebook Ads Coach

Presentation: Add $100k to Your Photography Business with a Campaign and Facebook Ads

After two decades in Hollywood as an advertising creative director, Dina Mande turned her creative and strategic expertise toward helping portrait and boudoir photographers learn campaigns to reach multiple six figures. Seeing a gap in the market for photographers who needed an all-in-one marketing platform and CRM, she founded Magic Funnels—a proven system that drives a steady stream of qualified leads, turns inquiries into bookings, and keeps calendars full year-round. She also created the Secret Sauce Campaign Method, which has taught over 1,000 portrait and boudoir photographers how to fill their calendars using strategic campaigns and Facebook ads. Dina blends storytelling, psychology, and data-driven strategy to help photographers stop chasing leads and start attracting high-paying clients consistently. A multiple seven-figure business owner, Dina still loves photographing women in her tiny studio in Paso Robles, CA, specializing in portraits of women over 50—making every client feel beautiful and celebrated.

Dina's Website

Tiffany Crenshaw | Photography Mentor and Educator

Presentation: The Human Algorithm: Connection based marketing that gains clients (not followers)

Tiffany is the artist and boss babe behind Animal House Photography and Tiffany Crenshaw Education. She's a lifestyle newborn and family photographer based out of Huntsville AL. She has taken her knowledge as an artist and solopreneur and turned into education for other photographers. Running a profitable and joy-filled business that serves her clients, and more importantly, her family, is the heart behind her education.

Learning to relocate and restart a business at the start of COVID taught her to become excellent at finding creative ways to build connections in order to find new and lifelong clients. When she's not behind the camera she's a mom living her best life with family. They are the heartbeat of her business. Homeschooling alongside running this business has uniquely positioned her to help other women learn to find balance and sustainability in their businesses, despite hectic schedules.

Tiffany's Website

Amanda Rae | 17Hats CEO

Presentation: The CEO Mindset Shift - Take Back Control of Your Business for Better Growth

Amanda Rae, CEO of 17hats, is a passionate entrepreneur and business strategist dedicated to helping small business owners streamline their operations and achieve lasting success. As the host of the HatsOff Podcast, leader of 17hats and PPA Board Member, she empowers service-driven professionals to run their businesses like pros; through organization, process, and automation. With an unwavering commitment to supporting and inspiring entrepreneurs, Amanda continues to create tools, resources, and conversations that make business ownership simpler, smarter, and more rewarding.

Amanda's Website

Fiona Margo | Family Photographer + Marketing Educator 

Presentation: Marketing in a Tougher Economy: How to Create Demand Instead of Chasing It

I’m Fiona, a family photographer of 14 years, marketing mentor since 2019, podcast host, mama to two girls + one pup, wife to my high school sweetheart. There is pretty much nothing I love more than helping family photographers streamline their visibility so they can focus on creating more art they love. Running a creative business is amazing and fun, but also lonely and hard- I know first hand having photographer over 1,000 families. As a fellow photographer, so many of your business goals are just on the other side of systems, testing and support through marketing. It is not about chasing ideal clients and all about cerating more opportunies for potetnial clients to build trust with your brand through streamlined visibility. Cannot wait to help you find some clarity!

Fiona's Website

Kristin Jones |  Photographer & Educator

Presentation: Use Strategic Communication Between the Photoshoot and the Sale to Enhance the Experience and Increase Revenue

Kristin Jones is a full-time portrait photographer, educator, and posing expert with over 12 years of experience creating dynamic, story-driven images. Based in Utah and Minnesota, she specializes in capturing people with personality — from seniors and families to headshots and beyond. Known for her creative use of lighting, expert posing direction, and ability to bring out authentic connection, Kristin blends technical skill with an intuitive client experience.

As a speaker and mentor, she teaches photographers how to elevate their work through better posing, lighting, communication, and intentional sales strategy. Whether she’s behind the lens or on stage, Kristin is passionate about helping others grow their skills, increase their income, and fall in love with their craft all over again.

Kristin's Website

Sondra LaRay | Portrait Photographer & Educator

Presentation: Frame the Unexpected: Creative Photography Anywhere, Anytime

Sondra Laray stands out as an acclaimed portrait photographer and educator from Michigan, renowned for her multiple awards. Sondra's approach blends emotional storytelling with a flair for fine art, utilizing innovative lighting techniques to add an artistic and dramatic dimension to her portraits. Beyond photography, Sondra has established a learning platform for fellow photographers, "Shooting Your Shot | Photography Education". This initiative encompasses educational classes and a digital community, underscoring her commitment to fostering growth and camaraderie in the photography world.

Sondra's Website

Becca Jean Lueck | Adventure Family Photographer

Presentation: The Key to Relaxed & Happy Family Sessions

Family photographer + educator helping photographers create relaxed, playful sessions filled with real connection and joy.

Becca's Website

Mel Cieslik | Newborn Photographer & Educator

Presentation: The Ultimate Client Experience - Newborn Sessions

Mel Cieslik is an award-winning maternity, newborn, and family photographer based in Perth, Australia. With over 14 years of experience behind the lens—and a heart deeply rooted in motherhood—Mel captures life’s most precious moments with authenticity, softness, and soul. Named AIPP’s Newborn Photographer of the Year in 2019, her natural style and calming presence have made her a go-to for families wanting timeless images they’ll treasure forever.

Beyond the studio, Mel is a passionate photography educator and the founder of multiple successful online courses, helping photographers worldwide grow thriving businesses with confidence. Through step-by-step coaching, marketing mastery, and a no-fluff approach to success, she empowers fellow “mum-tographers” to chase their dreams without burning out.

When she’s not mentoring or shooting golden-hour magic, you’ll find Mel being a present mum, spending time at the beach, and dreaming up her next big idea.

Mel's Website

Christa Dickson | Fashion Photographer & Educator

Presentation: From Burnt Down to Booked Out: A Healing Photographer’s Road to Purpose, Peace & Profit

Hi, I’m Christa! I’m a transformation coach and speaker who helps female photographers navigate grief and major life transitions while building thriving businesses and fulfilling lives. After losing my mom to cancer and BURNING DOWN from my previous career, I rebuilt my life from the ground up! Now, I share my story and strategies to help others overcome personal challenges, rebuild confidence, and create a business that aligns with their dreams. I’m here to help you step into your next chapter with strength and clarity!

Christa's Website

Zoe Hiljemark | Photography PR & Marketing Consultant

Presentation: Practical PR Strategies to Help You Get Featured, Get Visible & Get Booked.  

Zoe Hiljemark is a PR and content consultant, educator, and mentor based in the U.K., with over two decades of experience in marketing communications.

For ten years, she has worked exclusively with professional photographers, helping them to get visible and attract dream clients by leveraging the power of media publicity, compelling blog content and search-optimised website copy.

She offers ‘done for you’ PR and marketing services as well as a transformational marketing mentoring programme called The Photographer’s Visibility Blueprint™. She’s also the host of the ‘PR-Savvy Photographers’ Facebook group – a photography community of more than 1200 UK and international professional photographers.

Zoe's Website

Marcus Ahmad | Branding Photographer & Educator

Presentation: The Power of Creative Concepts: Attracting Consistent and High-Paying Clients

With over 30 years in the industry, Marcus Ahmad is a seasoned branding photographer and educator with a passion for helping others elevate their craft.

With extensive experience running a successful brand photography business, he specializes in creating compelling visual stories that connect brands with their audiences. His work captures the essence of commercial clients, blending creativity with strategic insight.

In addition to his photography career, Marcus has spent significant time as a Senior Lecturer in fashion photography, where he mentored aspiring photographers to develop both technical skill and artistic vision. His teaching experience has honed his ability to break down complex concepts into practical advice, making him an engaging and insightful educator.

Currently, Marcus is expanding his impact through the Shoot to the Top podcast, dedicated to commercial photographers, which aims to share knowledge and inspire growth within the photography community.

Marcus's Website

Jessica Hill | Wedding and Boudoir Educator

Presentation: Sell the Story, Not the Session: In-Person Sales That Feel Like Art

Jessica Hill is an award-winning photographer, educator, and creative entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience behind the lens. She’s the founder of Jessica Hill Photography and Peekaboo Boudoir—two thriving brands rooted in connection, artistry, and empowerment. Her work has been featured in O Magazine, Grace Ormonde, and Rangefinder, and she’s known for teaching photographers how to pose with purpose, sell with soul, and create meaningful art that actually sells. Jessica lives in Hood River, Oregon, with her husband, son, and one very judgmental cat.

Jessica's Website