Depth Of Field Summit - Queenstown
18th -20th September 2026
Depth of Field is a weekend gathering bringing together women from across the action sports and outdoor industries.
Whether you work in media, marketing, photography, filmmaking, design, or somewhere in between, you’ll find space to learn, connect over coffee, and spend time alongside others working across the outdoor world.
Why should you come to Depth Of Field?
This isn’t just another industry event. It’s a chance to genuinely connect, learn, and grow alongside women who are building careers and creating their own paths in the outdoor and action sports industries.
Whether you’re a seasoned creative, an athlete, work behind the scenes, or are just genuinely interested, you’ll walk away inspired, informed, and connected to a community of women who are doing things their own way.
You’ll hear real stories from people doing the work, not just the highlight reels. Learn how they got started, what challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve carved out their own paths. You’ll also get an inside look at the industry from the people working with, hiring, and supporting creatives and athletes right now.
The weekend is designed to be relaxed, collaborative, and fun. Think good food, interesting conversations, hands-on workshops, chill hangs, and plenty of space to meet people, swap ideas, and make genuine connections.
I’m not a photographer. Can I still attend?
Absolutely. One of the things we learnt from our 2025 event was that our speakers have such interesting stories, insights and experiences that they resonate far beyond photography and filmmaking.
That’s why this year we’ve opened up our Saturday speaker series to anyone who is interested in the conversations happening across the outdoor and action sports industries.
What’s in it for you?
A chance to be part of a creative community that gets it. Expect low-pressure conversations, shared experiences, and time to connect with people who are on a similar path.
What will you walk away with?
A sharper creative edge, new inspiration, real-world insight from some of the best in the business, and the feeling of being part of a community that genuinely wants to see you thrive.
What makes this worth your weekend?
You’ll leave feeling supported, a little more sure of yourself, and with new contacts in your corner.
Don’t just take our word for it - here’s what past attendees say:
"I went into DOF feeling very nervous and a bit of imposter syndrome about attending and if I should or shouldn't be there. All of this left pretty much straight away as the space was so welcoming and inclusive. There were people of all abilities, and everyone was there for the same reason: to connect and learn. I learnt so much and found the varied speaker panel so insightful. I left DOF feeling empowered, excited and energised in my photography journey. There have been opportunities that have popped up since DOF that I am looking forward to and grateful of the new connections made."
"I’ve never been in a room full of women and felt so comfortable - like I could talk to any of them at any time.” “I loved hearing the experiences of others - turns out we are not too different! Great connection and conversations, loved the whole experience.”
Depth of Field was a melting pots of creativity, inspiration and energy.
Rachel Hadfield and Hales Ashby beautifully crafted this inaugural event with great thought and passion for their vision and the community. Thank you for creating something very special which I am sure will grow into a driving force in our industry.
"I can’t recommend Depth of Field highly enough. The speakers, the topics, the other attendees were all amazing. I was nervous to rock up to a space with a bunch of people at the top of their game do but everyone was so when I am still working out what I want to lovely, and felt the same as me! The conversations over lunch etc were just as valuable as the session themselves and I came away fired up, encouraged, inspired and challenged. Thank you so much Rach and Haley for creating such an incredible space for us to be open, honest and most of all, ourselves."
"I think just connecting with so many talented women in the industry - it was truly inspiring. I loved all the conversations, and I think it's so cool that there's been opportunities come out of this weekend for us. I loved hearing everyone's stories, from where they started and how it's all going. It was such a special weekend."
"I left feeling so inspired and made some really cool connections. It was really empowering and felt like a strong sense of community."
What the weekend looks like:
Friday evening - Meet & Greet
We will have casual meet and greet at a Queenstown location.
From 6.30pm - 8pm this is a low-key hang out, so come along to meet some likeminded people. You dont have to have a ticket to attend.
Saturday - 9 - 5.30pm - Lunch Included - Speaker Summit
The morning will include 2 speakers, this year we want to broaden our conversations so that any women involved in these outdoor industries will attend. So our speakers will reflect this.
LUNCH - Think extremely yummy lunch created by the talented Sherwood chefs.
Our afternoon will be filled with one more speaker and then a panel discussion from a handful of talented and experienced people who will bring varying perspectives to the table.
We know this will be the most collaborative of our events with an open floor for question and answers and an organic flow.
Scattered throughout the event will be gear and product highlights oh and did we mention GOODIE BAGS?!
Sunday - Photo & Video Masterclass
Sunday is a technically focused day, designed around workshops and masterclasses. Drawing on feedback from our 2025 event, we’ve shaped the programme to meet the needs our community has been asking for.
There will be a stills-focused workshop, as well as an introduction to shooting video. We’ll also head out on location for a practical shoot, working through a creative brief from our valued sponsor, Mons Royale, and exploring how to approach the brief and bring your own creative ideas to life while meeting the clients needs.
For 2026, we’re introducing a slightly different ticket system, with Saturday and Sunday available as either a full weekend package or as individual day tickets. This gives us more flexibility to welcome a broader audience on our Speaker Summit day.
Camilla Rutherford
We are looking forward to chatting to Camilla about her journey from Ski photographer in the 2000's to the talented commercial photographer she is now. While juggling motherhood, Camilla also has some really interesting perspectives on creating a body of work, approaching photography as an art form and really focusing on the message that you are trying to communicate.
Amber Jones
Ambers journey into underwater /surf photography, then moving into commercial work as a DOP is going to be a really interesting story. We cant wait to discuss her journey, always being very open with her subject matter and sharing very personal journeys while integrating her values of conscious consumerism and sustainability into her work.
Katy Winton
Katy has that kind of infectious energy that you cant wait to be around with a fabulous sense of humour to boot. Her career is rooted as a world renown mountain bike athlete who has recently transitioned into broadcasting. We are really excited to talk to Katy about her ability to create a following from her adventures and what it feels like to move from one side of the sport to the other.
What will you gain from this experience?
You come away with real-world inspiration, industry insight, and creative momentum. Across the weekend, you’ll connect with like-minded people, hear firsthand stories from professionals working at the top of their game, and gain a deeper understanding of both the creative and operational sides of sports and lifestyle media.
You’ll also leave with practical experience - having taken part in a hands-on shoot, tried new gear, and contributed to open conversations with photographers, filmers, and event managers. Most importantly, you’ll walk away with fresh ideas, new contacts, and a clearer sense of how you might carve out your own path in this space.
Depth of Field is a gathering for women in the action sports, Sports and outdoor media industry.
It’s all about learning, connecting, and creating with inspiring talks, workshop tips and tricks and plenty of time for real conversations.
This event is for women at any stage of their journey. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, if you work in photography, film, content, marketing, sales, or brand storytelling within the action sports or outdoor space, you’ll feel right at home.
Our Summit Speaker day is speaker and insight focused, making it valuable whether you’re behind the camera or working across marketing, sales, brand, or other roles within the industry.
The event will take place in 18th 19th 20th September in Queenstown 2026.
Not at all. We want to both support and grow this community so to do that, we need all of you.
Whether you’ve been in the industry for years or you’re just getting started, there’s something here for you. Come with curiosity and a willingness to learn and connect.
You dont have to be a photographer or filmer to come to our speaker summit day.
This event is for women at any stage of their journey. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out, if you work in photography, film, content, marketing, sales, or brand storytelling within the action sports or outdoor space, you’ll feel right at home.
Our Summit Speaker day is speaker and insight focused, making it valuable whether you’re behind the camera or working across marketing, sales, brand, or other roles within the industry.
Bring your camera gear, comfortable clothes for outdoor shooting, a laptop if you’d like to edit or take notes, and a good attitude. We’ll send out a full packing list closer to the event.
Details will depend on the type of ticket you choose. We’ll offer full-package options that include meals and accommodation, as well as day passes. Everything will be clearly explained when ticket sales open.
You’ll be part of a community day, keynote speakers, speaker panels, workflow sessions , and relaxed conversations with experienced people in the industry. There will also be time for connection, reflection, and fun.
Absolutely. Many people will attend solo and we’ll make it easy to meet others from the very beginning. Depth of Field is built to be welcoming and community focused.
Sign up for our mailing list or follow us on social media to get updates, early ticket access, and a behind-the-scenes look at what we’re planning.
We’re a team of women working in action sports and outdoor media who saw the need for a space like this. We’re passionate about sharing knowledge, making connections, and helping others grow in the industry.
You can see more about us here.
Of course not, while we are very proud to partner with SONY , it doesnt mean we are only speaking to SONY users. Shoot with whatever you have .
The goal of this event is to first and foremost grow community and that means we are open to people from all backgrounds.
The focus of the Saturday Speaker Summit is to hear from people working in the industry and the paths they took to get there. We see this benefitting a wide array of people - not just those who work behind a camera but in the industries adjacent to this.
Think marketing, content creation, journalism , sales, brand management, design and more.
Stay up to date with our plans
Stay tuned for events and fun happening near you. Sign up to the mailing list to know what our plans are.