Doesn’t stay in Vegas (at least this time)! Over the past two weeks we were sleep deprived, redbull drinking, fast food eating sponges soaking up every nuance that was wedding photography related. From March 3rd to March 11th we were in the city of sin AKA Las Vegas attending the WPPI Wedding Photography Convention. To put the conference in retrospect, it was sleep deprived mass chaos with classes that started way too early in the morning and a trade show that placed my wallet on a defibrillator on more than one occasion. There were over 15,000 wedding photographers in attendance including the most influential and notable wedding photographers in the industry. Heck, if these guys were in a room with Bon Jovi, I am not sure who would have gotten more attention! The convention speakers rooms were packed with over 1,800 people hours before they even grabbed their morning coffee, there were rumors that one of the trade show companies were selling tents to attendants so they could camp out the night before. It was humbling to see the plethora of talent and experience in the industry, there were people who have been shooting for the past thirty years as well as people who have been in the business for a mere four months all coming together to share their personal experiences and photographic knowledge.
To put the conference in perspective it was utter chaos with a purpose. We were able to learn and share information with the greatest photographers in the wedding photography industry about everything from lighting, to posing, to post production and all that is in between. Our minds were sponges soaking up information; our mouths wouldn’t stop moving as we pondered theory to practice and tried to immerse ourselves in all that is relevant. Our eyes wouldn’t shut at night as we talked up a storm into the wee hours of the night, learning, teaching and pondering how to elevate our work to the next level. It was beautiful.
From packed classes with over 1,800 photographers we learned everything relevant about photography, we networked with the industry notables at the trade show as well as the “evening get-togethers” that seemed more like a 12 hour non-stop networking binges than a friendly get-togethers (I think I got about 12,000 business cards, going to shoot for 14,000 next year). But my favorite part of the convention, the part that gave me goose bumps and kept me dreaming was the print competition. It was essentially the best of the best competing against each other to see who has the best wedding image of the year, it’s like the superbowl for wedding photographers. There were over 10,000 prints entered for 15 coveted spots, it was memorable to see and the single greatest learning experience that a photographer
can ever have.
And because what happens in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas, over the next three months you will see some amazing photography, some spectacular new products and a whirlwind of great new ideas. Stay tuned as our work and our brand gets elevated to the next level, the future never looked so bright!
B) <- (he is wearing sunglasses because it is bright)
And because no post is complete without an image…
