MWTN Cell Phone Photography & Video Workshop – Ottumwa, IA

📅 May 26-28, 2026
📍 Hosted in partnership with Meet Ottumwa
💵 Cost: $349 – Includes meals, hands-on sessions, and area experiences
👥 Limited to 6 attendees

🏨 Lodging is included

Join the Midwest Travel Network for an immersive Photo & Video Workshop designed specifically for content creators, bloggers, and destination marketers who want to level up their visual storytelling—using just their phone!

Set in Ottumwa, IA

📸 Workshop Sessions Include:

1. Cell Phone Photography Basics
Learn your phone’s camera settings, framing, and composition techniques
→ Practice: Capture 5 photos with different styles during FAM time

2. Lighting & Focus Techniques
Master natural light, depth, and exposure for impactful shots
→ Practice: Photograph in various lighting conditions

3. Editing on Your Phone
Enhance your photos with mobile editing tools and apps
→ Practice: Edit your earlier shots during this hands-on session

4. Creating Eye-Catching Social Media Posts
Craft compelling captions, leverage hashtags, and engage with AI tools
→ Practice: Build a post-ready piece using your photos

5. Introduction to Mobile Videography
Capture movement with video stabilization, slow-mo, and time-lapse tips
→ Practice: Film 2–6 second videos across different scenes

6. Creating Reels & Stories
Edit and publish your Reels with music, transitions, and audience hooks
→ Practice: Post your first Reel using your own workshop footage

7. Visual Strategy for Social Media
Plan, batch, and schedule your content for engagement
→ Practice: Build a 1-week visual content calendar with posts, Reels & Stories

👩‍🏫 Your Instructor: Veronica Bareman – The Hip Grandma

A professional photographer turned travel writer and content creator, Veronica teaches with heart, humor, and hands-on support. She specializes in making mobile photography fun, approachable, and empowering. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to elevate your skills, Veronica’s guidance will leave you more confident behind the camera—and in front of your audience.

Why Ottumwa, IA?

Ottumwa offers a compact, highly walkable downtown with a variety of backdrops, historic architecture, riverfront, local eateries, and revitalized gathering spaces. It makes for an ideal hands-on playground for video and photography.

Participants won’t just learn theory; they’ll step outside and immediately apply techniques in real-time, capturing a mix of textures, lighting environments, and story opportunities, all within a short distance. It’s the perfect classroom.

Meet Ottumwa …..

🛎️ Learn more about this gem at: Meet Ottumwa

Spots are extremely limited—just 6 participants!
✔️ Registration fee of $349 includes meals, hands-on learning, exclusive activities, lodging and plenty of creative inspiration.