There’s something special about stepping away from the everyday routine to immerse yourself in creativity and community. This past week, I had the incredible opportunity to attend a photographer retreat in Palm Springs hosted by Elena S Blair for her Mastermind community. Held over two days at the stylish Ace Hotel, the retreat was a perfect blend of education, hands-on photography experiences, and the chance to connect with like-minded creatives. From insightful speakers to live photo sessions and a fun headshot swap, every moment was inspiring and enriching.
The Mastermind Experience
I joined Elena’s Mastermind in the beginning of 2024. It’s a five-month course where you learn about different business strategies alongside a cohort of other photographers. You meet online every week to learn about a different topic from Elena or guest speakers. Each week is an opportunity to bounce ideas of one another, ask questions, and implement something new into your business.
On top of the weekly meetings, you have one-on-one’s with Elena to get a personalized business audit and suggestions on what will help your business grow. She recognizes that there is no one way or right way of running a photography business. Everyone’s personal life, their style, their passion, their niche is different and that means the behind the scenes will be different, too.
At the end of the Mastermind experience there is a retreat experience. After my cohort, we had a retreat in Brooklyn, NY. The latest cohort’s retreat was this january (2025) in Palm Springs. Moving forward, there will be one retreat a year. This experience is an opportunity for everyone in your cohort who you’ve been learning alongisde for months to meet in person. It’s an opportunity to meet others who have been through the mastermind, implemented what they learned, and have thriving experiences because of it (And their hard work). It’s also a chance to get motivated and excited about your business after busy-season and during slow season.
Education & Photo Sessions at the Retreat
One of the highlights of the retreat was the opportunity to learn from seasoned professionals in the photography industry, including alumni from past Masterminds. These women shared their expertise on topics ranging from business strategies to niching down your offerings to creative approaches during photography sessions.
After months of working with the current Mastermind Cohort, Elena led an photo session with a family of three in lieu of speaking. It’s an oportunity for members to watch her in action and see how she would lead a session, prompt her families, find good lighting, and enage with her clients.
Each speaker’s unique perspective provided valuable takeaways, whether it was about refining a personal artistic style or improving client experience.
Another valuable aspect of these retreats is the opportunity to photograph live photo sessions alongside industry leaders. Elena and Casey (a mastermind alumni and rising star in the industry) directed these sessions this year, offering attendees a chance to observe, learn, and capture images in real time. The hotel’s vibrant surroundings provided a stunning setting for these shoots, and it was incredibly insightful to watch these women in action—how they interacted with the families, directed poses, and used available light creatively. It was a hands-on learning experience that left everyone feeling motivated and excited to apply new techniques to their own work.
The Photo Swap
A particularly fun part of these retreats is the Headshot Swap. Set against the beautiful and eclectic backdrop of the Ace Hotel, this time encouraged everyone to step in front of the camera for a change. Attendees take turns photographing each other. It’s a great way to not only refresh personal branding photos but also to build confidence and camaraderie within the group. You get to experiment with settings, ighting, posing in a safe space where the results don’t need to matter. It’s a chance to make mistakes or learn something new. Seeing each photographer’s unique interpretation of headshots is always my favorite part of this activity. After the retreat, we share links to our galleries so you can download photos of yourself and see how everyone sees and edits the same thing differently.
I forogt my camera for Casey’s portion so I made do with my phone and Camp Snap to capture some behind the scenes photos to use as inspiration for my own family sessions. A family photo session at a backyard pool has been on my bucket list and her session provided imagery to share with my clients so they could imagine their own family doing something similar.
Canon is one of Elena’s sponsors for the retreat so they have a booth set up with gear that attendees can rent and try out. I used the beloved 28-70mm (a pricey, heavy, beautiful lens) during the first day of headshots and it’s definitely on my wish list.
The Ace Hotel
I’m already planning on attending next year’s retreat which will once again take place at the Ace Hotel. If you’re ever in the Palm Springs area and need a place to stay, I recommend checking out the Ace.
Since my Blog kept putting my photos out of order in this post…here they all are grouped together.
The Palm Springs Mastermind retreat was more than just a workshop—it was a space for growth, connection, and inspiration. Leaving the retreat, I felt reenergized, full of ideas, and grateful for the friendships and experiences gained. It was a reminder of the power of community and the endless possibilities that come with continuously pushing creative boundaries.
If you’re a family photographer and have questions about mentorships, Elena’s Mastermind, or the retreat experience send me an email at ohtannenbaumphotos@gmail.com and I’ll be happy to answer!
