Manatee Technical College to host photography conference

Katherine De Young’s career began with eyeglasses, but her retirement has prompted her to see the world through a different lens. 

In retirement, the Bridgewater resident has become an accomplished photographer.

De Young was forced to leave college in New York when the foreman of her father's optical manufacturing company, Zan Optic Products, died. She ended up being with that company until she retired and moved to Florida 13 years ago.

She has flourished since becoming a photographer, winning several contests before becoming a judge and chairing the Florida Camera Club Council's annual Photography Conference. The 2026 conference is March 27-29 at Manatee Technical College.

Selling the optical business and going into retirement left her bored.

“I didn’t know what to do with myself,” she said, “So every day, I was crying: What do I do? Where do I go? What’s my purpose? Am I just going to die here?”

Then, unbeknownst to her, De Young was volunteered to be the photographer at the Sarasota Newcomers Club. She had never even held a 35mm camera, but she bought one and gave it a try.

Photo by Lesley Dwyer

It wasn’t hard to point and shoot, but when she looked at the photos, she started noticing “raccoon eyes” and lighting problems. 

“I realized this was bringing out my latent talents, which is to see things and be observant and particular,” De Young said.

The volunteer gig led De Young to Pinellas Technical College. She completed the Commercial Photography program, which was great for the basics. But she wanted to inject more creativity into her work, so she enrolled in MTC’s Digital Photography Technology program in 2019. 

Now, she’ll stop a young man in the street and say, “You would make a great Sir Lancelot. Would you pose for me?”

She has a studio full of props and costumes in her home, but De Young also takes photos of backgrounds and objects wherever she goes. Then, she can layer and stitch the photos together and use filters for effect. 

De Young is hoping the conference will encourage others to explore photography or hone their skills. All the major camera brands will be on site with the latest equipment. 

The conference will feature 78 different workshops and presentations from 30 award-winning photographers. The topics range from beginner-friendly subjects, such as how to get the most out of your smartphone, to advanced techniques and different types of editing software. 

“We want all students, regardless of age,” said Tim Bekkering, director of marketing, events and public relations. “