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CURRENT EVENTS
Virtual and In-Person Meetings
Virtual meetings are being held, unless specified as in-person or outings on our calendar.
Our weekly activities include tutorials, photo presentations, discussion forums, competitions and photo outings.
Although our regular meetings are reserved for member participation, they are open to the public. If you are interested in atttending a meeting, let us know via email at fortdinfo@gmail.com.
We continue to post industry news, free tutorials and articles about photography on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/chicagophotoforum
Friday, October 24, 2025
7:30 PM CDT
SIGN UP FOR THIS FREE ZOOM PRESENTATION.
Fort Dearborn - Chicago Photo Forum Special Presentation
"Seating" is Limited
You need to register to get the link to the program.
About Lisa Langell
A nature photographer and birder from the age of eight, Lisa is the founder of Langell Photography, LLC. (http://www.langellphotography.com).
She started her business in 2010 after long vibrant careers as a floral designer, educational psychologist, consultant and in helping launch and manage two startups that grew into leading companies in the Ed-Tech space. Since then, she has earned numerous awards and has been published in Outdoor Photographer, Arizona Highways, Ranger Rick, Images Arizona, and more. She is an Image Master for Tamron Americas, an Ambassador for Fotopro Tripods, and is a judge for ViewBug.
Lisa Langell
We’ve all heard the “rules” of photography: don’t center your subject, never shoot in harsh midday light, always keep your ISO low. But what if breaking those rules could actually lead to some of your most compelling and creative images?
In this refreshing and eye-opening presentation, Lisa Langell challenges conventional thinking and invites you to reimagine what makes a great photograph. She’ll walk you through five widely accepted “photography no-no’s” that, when used with purpose, can result in dynamic, emotionally powerful, and visually exciting work.
Through real-world examples, Lisa shows how ignoring traditional advice can open the door to fresh and artistic results. You'll see how bending or breaking the rules with intention can enhance storytelling, strengthen composition, and elevate the mood of your images.
This session is designed to inspire you to experiment more freely, step outside your comfort zone, and enjoy a more creative approach to photography.
Lisa loves creating nature photography and art that is inspired by her background in psychology and design. When Lisa isn’t having fun making photographs, she’s thriving on teaching photography—both via engaging online/webinar-based classes and in her in-the-field sessions. She specializes in Alaska, Florida, Arizona and beyond. Her humility and passion for teaching and photography shines through! Lisa provides photographers with memorable, fun, and caring experiences that enrich, invigorate and expand photographers’ skills and portfolios in wonderful ways.
Donations to not-for-profit Fort Dearborn-Chicago Photo Forum, providing these programs, are always welcome and are tax deductible:
© Lisa Langell
Break the Rules:
Five Photography 'No-No’s' You Should Be Doing
by Lisa Langell
© Lisa Langell