WPPI Thoughts and Ghost Town Fashion Shoot | Santa Barbara Wedding Photographer

Insanity, that’s about how I would describe my 5 days in Las Vegas for WPPI 2011.  I knew going into it, I was jam packing the 5 days and that sleep would be a commodity I would just briefly touch upon.
This was my 4th year, I knew what to expect, I knew the do’s and dont’s.  But, this year was Josh’s 1st year, so I knew it would be a completely different experience.
First of all, I have finally come to the decision that 8am classes just dont work for me.  I personally would like to petition WPPI to move the first class to at least 9am but I doubt they would listen to me.   I managed to make my 8am master class but not any platform classes.
I really feel for me personally I get way more from a master class or workshop then I do a platform class.  The platform classes are not as personal and I tend to lose interest in a room of 1000 other people.  So my goal for next year is to sign up for a plus class and master classes and if there happens to be a platform class that interests me, I will try it but I am not scheduling it anymore.

A few things I am really happy about this year was being involved in the Showit groups.  I am a a huge supporter of Showit and was very happy to be part of their smaller meet-ups where I could meet more people.  I was lucky enough to take part in a small Jasmine Star get together where I learned so much more about her.   I used to not be able to relate to her at all, but being in this environment with her and really hearing her open up, gave me a new found appreciation for her. I wish I could have attended more of the smaller get togethers.  Josh was able to meet with Promise Tangeman (designer of my dreams) and Zach and Jody Gray (amazing husband wife team).  I was at my photoshoot and felt since I was helping coordinate it, leaving wouldn’t have been appropriate but Josh was ok to take off at the end.

I think what I learned the most from the classes I did take (Bob and Dawn Davis, Brook and Alisha Todd, and  Joe and Mirta Barnet) was that being yourself was important, branding YOU and not following a cookie cutter image of what you think you should be.  Also, that my clients are not my fellow photographers and trying to impress someone other then my target client might be a monumental waste of my time and resources.  Not that I don’t want my fellow peers to be impressed with me, but at the end of the day they don’t write me a check. Does that make sense?

I also HIGHLY recommend the Cosmopolitan Hotel Buffet, The Wicked Spoon.  I worked my ass off for the months leading up to WPPI, going to the gym and eating right, and I really tried not to just gorge while in Vegas, but this one buffet we went to on our last night, was well worth loosening the belt for.

A few things I am disappointed in was that I didn’t meet more people.  Josh and I forged many new relationships with people while we were there and I wish we had more time to hang out with them.  We didn’t get to go zip lining, which we both REALLY wanted to do.  I also feel like we should have taken photos other then at the photoshoots.  Sure we took some at the Airplanes and Blazers photobooth, but not any of us wandering around… then again, it could be that we had so little time for that.  It might have helped to remember to bring our point and shoot with us when we went out… I’m so used to the big camera, I forget we can just take a nice little one to capture some memories.

Of course the big highlights of my WPPI trips are the photoshoots I have come to organize every year.  This year was bigger and better then my previous ones.
Monday we took a bus to Nelson Nevada Ghost Town and it was AMAZING.  We had 25 photographers, 5 models,  and 2 makeup/hair stylists with us.  Not only were the models amazing to work with, but we had an awesome group of photographers there.

EVENT DETAILS:

Sponsored by Pixel2Canvas and Adorama, they were kind enough to provide some giveaways.
Keith Winsor won a 20×24 Canvas from Pixel2Canvas and Amy Dokken won a $50 gift card to Adorama!

Here are some of the shots from the Ghost Town shoot!

Thanks for looking…. Leave me some love…

~Emma