2026 Maternity and Newborn Photographers Summit Schedule

Photography Education You Can’t Get Anywhere Else

The 2026 Maternity and Newborn Photographers Summit is a four-day event designed for photographers of every level — from beginners to seasoned professionals. Below you’ll find the daily schedule overview, where you’ll find more than just inspiration - you’ll discover real-world education designed to elevate your photography and your business.

This year’s lineup of classes brings together the industry’s top educators, each ready to share their expertise in newborn safety, maternity posing, creative lighting, business strategy, editing techniques, and more.

Whether you’re coming for education, networking, or creative growth, this schedule will help you plan your personalized Summit experience.

(Schedule is better viewed on desktop. Scroll down for downloadable schedule.)

DAY 1 - 23rd July
3:00 PM - 7:00 PM Registration
7:30 PM - 8:30 PM CLAUDIA AGUILAR
Golden Hour Glow: Outdoor Maternity Shootout at Sunset - All Access Bundle		 DOUG WEITTENHILLER
Maternity and Family Shootout: Curated Compositions for Your Portfolio - All Access Bundle		 ERIN ELIZABETH
Real Moments, Real Bonds: Photographing Extended Families Authentically - All Access Bundle
8:30 PM Welcome Drink and BBQ - Introduction to Teachers, Sponsors and Vendors

(Hover over the graphics for class descriptions of the above classes.)

Event invitation for a photography workshop with Claudia Aguilar, offering all access to sunset maternity portraits, including outdoor posing and lighting techniques, scheduled for MNPS 2026.
Poster promoting a photography shootout with Doug Weittenhiller, offering access to curated compositions focused on motherhood and family connections. It mentions a one-hour shoot with 7 to 10 intentional compositions and guidance on each setup, enco
Event poster for an outdoor family photoshoot with Erin Elizabeth. The poster features a semi-transparent background with a partial image of a woman with curly blonde hair and light eyes. Text encourages participants to learn group photography tips a
DAY 2 - 24th July, 2026 - Morning Class Block
7:00 AM Registration
8:00 AM ERIN ELIZABETH
Opening Keynote - Connection, Creativity, Craft: The Three Pillars of Meaningful Photography
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM RUSS JACKSON
Calm Sessions and Timeless Portraits: A Less is More Approach		 AMY SCOTT
Mastering the Props		 NEWBORN NERDS
Mugshots and Macro
CLAUDIA AGUILAR
Bold & Bright: Edgy Colorful Maternity Photography		 STEPHANY FICUT
The Art of Newborn Composites: From Concept to Creation		 CYDNEE JEX
Modern Marketing Using Influencers
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM LINDSAY WALDEN
The Money Shot with Lindsay Walden: Capturing the Images That Matter		 KRISTINA MACK
Perfect Simplicity		 NEWBORN NERDS
Monochromatic Milestones
LILIYA LUBENKOVA
Elegant Implied Nude Maternity Portraits: Shooting and Posing		 VANESSA CANALS
Fashion-Inspired Black & White Portraits for Expectant Moms		 DAWN POTTER
Maximizing Sales: Optimizing Your Photography Business with In-Person Sales (IPS)
Text promoting a class with Russ Jackson about gentle newborn photography, emphasizing a 'less is more' approach, natural portraits, soft lighting, and subtle styling, with a blurred background of a person's face.
Course description for 'Learn with Amy Scott,' titled 'Mastering the Props,' focusing on photographing newborns with props like buckets, baskets, and bowls, including safety techniques, posing tips, styling ideas, and tips for choosing props and ensu
Class poster titled 'Learn with Newborn Nerds: Mugshots and Macro' describing a class on taking detailed photos of newborns, focusing on safe, comfortable poses and macro shots of tiny features.
Poster advertising maternity photography classes with Claudia Aguilar, featuring a woman with long, wavy hair against a light beige background, emphasizing boldness, color, and storytelling in maternity portraits.
A promotional poster for a class by Stephany Ficut on the art of newborn composites, featuring a faint image of a woman in the background with text describing the class details.
Promotional flyer for a photography marketing class featuring Cydnee Jex, focusing on influencer collaboration strategies, with a background image of a woman in a professional outfit.
Text promoting a class by Lindsay Walden about creating powerful 'money shots' to increase sales, featuring a faint background image of a woman holding a baby.
Text promoting a class with Kristina Mack on newborn photography, emphasizing simplicity, natural tones, and minimal setups, titled 'Learn with Kristina Mack' and 'MNPS 2026'.
Poster promoting a class called 'Learn with Newborn Nerds' focusing on monochromatic milestone photography for newborns, featuring a faint grayscale image of parents with babies in the background.
Text on a promotional flyer with a faded background image of a woman with shoulder-length hair, promoting a class about creating implicit nude maternity portraits by Lilya Lubenkova.
Text overlay on black and white photo of a mother holding her baby, promoting a class on black and white maternity portraits by Vanessa Canals.
Flyer for a photography business course titled "Learn with Dawn Potter" focusing on maximizing sales through in-person sales strategies.
DAY 2 - 24th July, 2026 - Afternoon Block
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM LUNCH - Windfall Dining
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM CYDNEE JEX
The Business of Birth Photography (Keynote+Expo Pass)
2:30 PM - 5:00 PM VENDOR SHOPPING
Demos: Lighting Demos + Wrapping Demos (Keynote+Expo Pass)
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM RACHEL VANOVEN
Digital Location Scouting: Find the Light Before You Arrive		 DOUG WEITTENHILLER
Maternity and Family Photography: From Prep to Post		 KRYSTAL SANDEFUR
Creating Feature Films for Your Clients
ERIN ELIZABETH
The Light Seeker: Mastering Natural Light for Outdoor Maternity
Flyer for a workshop titled 'Learn with Krystal Sande fur' on creating feature films, describing the class content and schedule.
Event poster for a workshop titled 'Learn with Rachel Vanoven' on digital location scouting, including a smiling woman and event details.
Event flyer for a workshop titled 'Learn with Erin Elizabeth: The Light Seeker,' explaining the class focuses on natural light maternity portraiture and includes a live shoot demonstrating lighting techniques, with a background of a model with blonde
A promotional flyer for a photography workshop by Doug Weittenhiller, titled 'Learn with Doug Weittenhiller: Workshop - From Prep to Post.' The flyer has a background image of a man's face, partially visible, with text detailing the workshop content
DAY 3 - 25th July
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM ANJA MCDONALD
Sunrise Pool Maternity Shootout - All Access Bundle
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM LINDSAY WALDEN
Keynote
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM DAWN POTTER
Embracing Shadows: Short Lit Angles in Newborn Photography		 LILIIYA LUBENKOVA
Editorial Maternity Portraits: Lighting, Styling & Posing		 CLAUDIA AGUILAR
Embracing Colour in Your Newborn Work
AMY SCOTT
Newborn Posing on Table		 ERIN ELIZABETH
The Art of Detail: Enhancing Newborn Galleries with Macro		 KRISTINA MACK
Marketing from a Different Angle: The Hourglass System
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM KRYSTAL SANDEFUR
Milestone Magic: How to Photograph a Sitter Session		 RACHEL VANOVEN
From Table to Props with Purpose		 STEPHANY FICUT
Elevating Cake Smash Photography: Designing a Luxury Experience
VANESSA CANALS
High-End Imagery with Constant Lights: Shadows, Mylar & Fresnel Techniques		 LINDSAY WALDEN
Marketing Motherhood: The Luxury Experience that Creates Clients for Life		 RUSS JACKSON
Streamlined Newborn Editing: Saving Time & Optimizing Workflow with Evoto
Poster titled 'Learn with Dawn Potter: Embracing Shadows' promoting a photography class on shadow technique, with a subtle background image of a woman wearing a white top and a skull accessory.
Promotional flyer for a maternity photography class led by Lilya Lubenkova, highlighting editorial and studio techniques.
Poster promoting a class titled 'Learn with Claudia Aguilar' focused on embracing color in photography, highlighting learning about bold and soft color palettes, styling techniques, and layering textures.
Poster promoting a class on newborn posing on a table, taught by Amy Scott, emphasizing safety, styling tips, and calming techniques, with the course code MNPS 2026.
Class poster titled 'Learn with Erin Elizabeth: The Art of Detail' about photography class focusing on macro photography, gear, settings, lighting, angles, and storytelling, with a faint background image of a woman with blonde curly hair and blue eye
Text promoting a class by Kristina Mack titled 'The Hourglass System' about strategic marketing for client loyalty, featuring a faded portrait of Kristina Mack in the background.
A promotional flyer for a photography class with Krystal Sandefur, titled 'Milestone Magic,' explaining how to photograph babies during their sitter stage, with tips on using light, props, and editing for natural skin tones. The background features a
Book cover titled "Learn with Rachel Vanoven: From Table to Props" with a woman smiling in the background.
Flyer promoting a cake smashing class with Stephany Ficut, featuring a partially visible woman in a white dress and elegant hairstyle, with text about the class details and a soft background.
Text overlaying a black and white photo of a woman with reflective sunglasses, promoting a photography class by Vanessa Canals, focusing on lighting tools like shadows, reflectors, and Fresnel lenses.
Class promotional poster for Lindsay Walden about creating loyal clients, with a faint background of a woman holding a camera.
Class poster titled 'Learn with Russ Jackson' about streamlined newborn editing with a still image of a newborn baby in the background.
DAY 3 - 25th July, 2026 - Afternoon Block
1:00 PM - 2:00 PM LUNCH - Windfall Dining
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM DAWN POTTER
Keynote - Fresh 48 Sessions (Keynote+Expo Pass)
3:00 PM - 3:45 PM Demo - Newborn Nerds Nest at NN Booth (Keynote+Expo Pass)
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM VENDOR SHOPPING (Keynote+Expo Pass)
7:30 PM - Late Cocktail Party with DJ!!
DAY 4 - 26th July, 2026 Morning Class Block
8:30 AM - 9:30 AM ANJA MCDONALD
Showing Up for Your Business
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM RUSS JACKSON
Capturing Connection: Timeless Parent Posing		 KRISTINA MACK
Transitional Beanbag Posing		 KRYSTAL SANDEFUR
Moody Lighting: Creating Powerful Imagery with Softness & Depth
VANESSA CANALS
Creative Shadow Work: Mastering Constant Light with Natural Elements		 ANJA MCDONALD AND ERIN ELIZABETH
SIMPLY ART - Live Image Critique		 LILIIYA LUBENKOVA
Client Experience & Luxury Workflow: From Consultation to Final Art
Promotional flyer for a class on posing parents with their babies, taught by Russ Jackson, with soft lighting and a blurred image of a person's face in the background.
A promotional flyer featuring Kristina Mack, advertising a class on transitional beanbag posing for newborn photography, with a faint background image of a woman with long hair.
A promotional poster for a class titled 'Moody Lighting' by Krystal SandeFur, with a faint background image of a woman with wavy hair.
Text promoting a shadow work class with Vanessa Canals, featuring a faded black and white photo of a smiling woman sitting with one leg crossed over the other, wearing a black dress, with her hair styled in a bob.
Gray overlay poster with the title "Learn with Simply Art" and details about a live image critique workshop, featuring photographers Anja and Erin, mentioning submission of three images, and encouraging learning and critique at MNPS.2026.
Promotional flyer for a photography experience class with Lilya Lubenkova, describing the course content and goals.
DAY 4 - 26th July, 2026 Afternoon Block
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM LUNCH - Windfall Dining
1:30 PM - 2:30 PM CYDNEE JEX
Closing Keynote
3:00 PM - 6:00 PM STEPHANY FICUT
From Shoot and Burn to $10,000 Sale: How IPS Can Change Your Life - All Access Bundle		 AMY SCOTT
Newborn Posing Workflow: A 3-Hour Mini Workshop - All Access Bundle		 DOUG WEITTENHILLER
AI for Photographers: A Hands-On Business Lab - All Access Bundle
RACHEL VANOVEN
Business Audit Intensive: Diagnose & Fix What’s Blocking Your Bookings - All Access Bundle
Promotional flyer for a class with Stephany Fict, offering insights on transforming a photography business through in-person sales, with details about the success story and benefits.
Text overlaid on a grayscale image of a woman with long hair, advertising a workshop with Amy Scott focused on newborn photography, offering all access to a 3-hour mini workshop in MNPS 2026.
A poster advertising a three-hour interactive AI business lab titled 'Learn with Doug Weittenhiller,' offering insights on integrating AI into business activities such as editing, SEO, and marketing campaigns. The poster emphasizes a hands-on, lab-st
Promotional flyer for a three-hour intensive business audit workshop with Rachel Vanoven, includes a photo of a woman smiling and handwritten style title.
Download the Full Summit Schedule *currently subject to minor changes*

FAQs about the Daily Schedule

  • I paid my deposit - when do I get to register? Once full registration opens, attendees who have paid their deposit will be the first to receive access. You’ll get an email with step-by-step instructions and a private registration link before tickets go on sale to the public. This ensures you’ll have the earliest chance to choose your preferred classes before sessions begin to fill.

  • How many classes does my ticket include? Your ticket includes one class per block = 6 total classes.

    • The All Access Bundle includes one additional shootout and one intensive 3 hour class. Only 80 All Access Tickets available. The All Access Bundle can be purchased for an additional $400 and is an add-on to the General Ticket purchase.

  • Will the classes be recorded? Classes are designed to be in-person experiences only. Recordings will not be provided, as many instructors share exclusive, hands-on techniques and interactive content reserved just for attendees. However, we will offer select add-on video classes or bundles for purchase separately after the Summit.

  • Learn directly from world-renowned maternity and newborn photography instructors

  • Choose classes that fit your goals—posing, business, editing, lighting, and more

  • Experience hands-on, in-person education you can’t replicate online

  • Network with other professional photographers and grow your community

  • Take away actionable skills to immediately improve your sessions and client experience

Why attend the Summit?

How to Register for Classes

Ready to reserve your spot? Register for the 2026 Summit here.

FAQs About the Summit