Many great artists get their inspiration from nature — including photographers.

The Georgia Nature Photographers’ Association Annual Expo: Inspiring by Nature is Jan. 28 through 30 at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain. The three-day event open to the public features instruction, image making — and inspiration.

The nature photography club, which includes members from Cherokee County, meets at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at The Mansour Center at 995 Roswell St. in Marietta.

“The GNPA is dedicated to helping nature photographers of all skill levels improve their photography, learn and grow, meet other outdoor photographers, participate in great trips and events, help others understand the value of the natural world and give focus to a special area of interest in photography,” GNPA Treasurer Starr Camp of Marietta said.

The upcoming Expo is one way that GNPA, a member of Photographic Society of America, helps photographers improve their skills through nature.

“Most photography clubs in the Atlanta area are pretty general,” Ms. Camp said. “We really concentrate our photography on nature like landscapes, wildlife, flowers, insects, things like that. We’re specialized with just nature photographers.”

She said the closest nature photography club in the Southeast is the Carolinas Nature Photographers Association.

“(GNPA) was started to meet the needs of this area,” she said.

Among the planned events at the Expo, two internationally known professional photographers, David Middleton and Jim Clark, will speak. Middleton, who regularly leads tours and workshops, is the author of numerous books including “The Nature of America” and “The Nature of Vermont.” For 35 years, Clark has inspired others through his photography, speaking and writings including publications in Outdoor Photographer and books such as “West Virginia: The Allegheny Highlands” and “Between Ocean and Bay: A Celebration of the Eastern Shore.”

In addition, Expo participants will have exclusive access to Callaway Gardens’ Butterfly House; birds of prey will be made available by Callaway Gardens’ staff for a raptor photo shoot; a photo contest with prizes values at $1,000 will be held; and opportunities to meet the guest speakers will be available. The cost to attend the event is $160 for members and $195 for non-members.

“Nature photography gets you outside and back into nature. You relax. You can get away from the real world and the stress and the pressures,” said Ms. Camp, who is an accountant for a medical research company in Atlanta.

“(Nature photography) is therapy for me. It gets me away from the telephone, the computer, my job. It clears my head,” she added.

To register for the Expo and to learn more about GNPA, see the website at www.GNPA.org.