Sorry to any potential brides reading this, as you’re probably like.. WPPI what?!? but this blog post is targeted more towards my fellow photographers in the hope of detailing my experiences at my very first WPPI event.
It all started about a month or so ago, back at one of our VanPhotog Java time coffee meet ups. News spread about a roadshow that was travelling around the USA by the WPPI organizers. One of the group members David Lai had some hookups at WPPI and mentioned he may be able to get a group deal going. One of the key selling points for the roadshow was that it included a free registration to the main WPPI convention in Vegas! Thinking to myself “Cool! lets make it happen!” I put the word out amongst the group and a few weeks later we had about 30+ members paid up and registered for the event! How awesome was that!
So fast forward to the day and we’re sitting in the grand ballroom at the Marriott Waterfront along with about 400 other photographers. The headline speakers for the event were Dawn Shields, Rick Miller, Kirk Voclain, and Jasmine Star with Jim Garner (creator of the Boda bag) as the main host for the day.
Having only to have ever been to the Becker workshop when he came up to Vancouver, I didn’t really know what to expect from it all. Needless to say, I was blown away.
Here’s a very quick recap on what I took away from each speaker:
Jim Garner
- Stop taking pictures and start telling stories!
- Stop selling pictures and start selling art!
- The focus of a client experience is more important than even the act of capturing the images!
Dawn Shields
- Spend Smart!
- Leverage off free marketing such as social media and building relationships!
- Help to unite the industry!
Rick Miller
- The three things that impact a RAW file are ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed, everything else are essentially just metatag values.
Unfortunately we only caught the tail end of Kirk Voclain’s class (as a bunch of us headed out to Glazer’s for some shopping! Sorry Kirk!! ) but from the part that I did catch he is one extremely entertaining and outstandingly funny speaker! I absolutely loved his re-enactment of a “chimper!”
Finally it came down to Jasmine Star’s presentation. I don’t think I’m far off in saying that she’d be one of the most popular and followed wedding photographer’s on the planet. If you are a bride and don’t know who she is then you are definitely living under a rock. I missed her when she came up to Vancouver earlier on in the year for ImageQuest. A lot of my friends did attend her talk then and raved about her, thus I wanted to see what all the hype was about myself!
Some key points I took away from Jasmine’s presentation:
- Differentiate yourself from the crowd but at the same time find a similarity such that you are giving enough of a reason for people to like you!
- Clients buy out of impulse and affinity. Do something to educate the client about who you really are.
- My fave quote of the day from Jasmine and one is constantly part of my work ethic was to “Out hustle, Out Shoot, Out Do!”
- Finally, “Don’t believe in luck, it’s when preparation meets opportunity!”.
So all in all, it was a fantastic time had by all and definitely a day full of inspiration. My “To Do” list for changes to implement for our business has grown immensely now as a result! I loved that I had to chance to grab the following shots with Jasmine and JD, and also to be able to round up our Vancouver gang for a group shot with them and Jim Garner!
Looks like you guys had a blast! Wish I could’ve gone. Next year!
See You! in Vegas 2011 for WPPI!!!!!
Looks like a blast! Looks like it was well worth it, and I think I’ll have to try and put WPPI 2011 into the budget.
Great recap! Wish I could’ve gone too!
Yay… what a fun day, thanks for helping organize it!
I love WPPI!! I didn’t make the road trip. I’ll probably spring for 2011 in Vegas, Baby!! I like to hear the children’s photographers and I’m hoping to catch Audrey Woulard and Brianna Graham speaking. Thanks for the pictures and the info. Perhaps, they’ll bring the road trip through Delaware one year?
Too bad these kind of meetings don’t happen in Europe (or at least not that I’m aware of). You guys from the US rock!