Vegas / WPPI...2008
I feel a little like that guy on the motel commercial."I've been to Nashville, Dallas, Cancun, and Vegas..." in the last 6 weeks. Fortunately Cancun was vacation. Oh and on that note, everyone was asking about the destination wedding in Cancun. Sorry, this trip was just me, Anna and Elaina, chillin' on the beach. The bride and groom from the the wedding I shot just couple days before we left just happened to be staying close by. I will definitely have a post soon about Mexico. But I digress....
This was my first trip to WPPI (for non-photographer blog fans, that is the premier wedding photographers conference and trade show of the year) and it was my first trip to Vegas too. I am not into gambling, insane crowds or showgirls so Vegas isn't really my thing but world class restaurants and golf are my thing so maybe I will come back for that someday. I will pretty much always be back for WPPI. As great as the whole trip was, this was the best part...
This is what I get to come home to now days!
The best part when I was actually there was the networking and making friends in the business. This industry is sooo cool in that respect. There is a major trend to a new school of thinking where "competing" photographers can be friends, share with each other and really want to raise the bar across the board. That makes this business so much fun for me.
The King of this way of thinking is [b]ecker out of Orange County. He has helped me so much in the last few years from great inspiration and challenging me to take my photography to the highest level, to so many really insightful business tips to being an amazing example of "Paying it Forward" in all your friendships, even in the business. So needless to say I was totally stoked to get invited to the [b] party.
He books pretty much the best suite in THEhotel and invites the best wedding photographers in the world just to have fun and connect (I'm not claiming to be in that category by the way...:). Thanks to my good friend Charlie Samples, I got introduced to some amazing photographers, many of whom are my heros in the business and also leading the way in sharing the wealth. Got to say hi again to Mike Colon, (I have had many chances to chat with Mike in the last year...he has probably influenced how I do business and shoot more than anyone-go buy his DVDs and go to his workshops), and Joe Photo (who I totally enjoyed chatting with a little this week). Met David Beckstead, and Michael Costa (Michael and Anna are awesome, inspiring people and photographers who live in my dream spot, Santa Barbara). Charlie also introduced me to a few of his long time friends Joe and Mirta Barnet and Brooks Whittington. All of whom were great to make friends with. Also got a really cool chance to share mutually about the journey with Jeremy Peck and Brion Hopkins, two guys in the process of building great photography businesses.
Anyway, it was super cool to be there and connect with so many great people. Huge thanks [b]!
w/ Charlie, Mirta and Joe. I am not exactly a pro at being on the other end of the camera, so by the time I figured it out, it was over. :( Ha !!
I really do want to stay in touch with everyone I met so say hi in the comments...
What I spent most of the rest of the time doing though was hanging out with my friends from Oklahoma. These guys are the some of the best photographers in the region and really have jumped into the concept genuine networking. I even hate to use that word sometimes because it doesn't do justice to the relationships that I am developing with some of these guys. It hasn't been all that long that this has been going on and I can already call many of them good friends.
Also reconnected with Jerry & Ingrid from San Fran. Great to see you two!
So to Charlie, David Baxter, Chris Humphrey, Robert Trawick and Ace Cuervo (who I just met this week), thanks for making the week a blast and always challenging me.
There also happened to be the world's biggest trade show for wedding photographers and sessions with all the rock stars in the business but that will have to be in post #2 coming up.
This was my first trip to WPPI (for non-photographer blog fans, that is the premier wedding photographers conference and trade show of the year) and it was my first trip to Vegas too. I am not into gambling, insane crowds or showgirls so Vegas isn't really my thing but world class restaurants and golf are my thing so maybe I will come back for that someday. I will pretty much always be back for WPPI. As great as the whole trip was, this was the best part...
This is what I get to come home to now days!
The best part when I was actually there was the networking and making friends in the business. This industry is sooo cool in that respect. There is a major trend to a new school of thinking where "competing" photographers can be friends, share with each other and really want to raise the bar across the board. That makes this business so much fun for me.
The King of this way of thinking is [b]ecker out of Orange County. He has helped me so much in the last few years from great inspiration and challenging me to take my photography to the highest level, to so many really insightful business tips to being an amazing example of "Paying it Forward" in all your friendships, even in the business. So needless to say I was totally stoked to get invited to the [b] party.
He books pretty much the best suite in THEhotel and invites the best wedding photographers in the world just to have fun and connect (I'm not claiming to be in that category by the way...:). Thanks to my good friend Charlie Samples, I got introduced to some amazing photographers, many of whom are my heros in the business and also leading the way in sharing the wealth. Got to say hi again to Mike Colon, (I have had many chances to chat with Mike in the last year...he has probably influenced how I do business and shoot more than anyone-go buy his DVDs and go to his workshops), and Joe Photo (who I totally enjoyed chatting with a little this week). Met David Beckstead, and Michael Costa (Michael and Anna are awesome, inspiring people and photographers who live in my dream spot, Santa Barbara). Charlie also introduced me to a few of his long time friends Joe and Mirta Barnet and Brooks Whittington. All of whom were great to make friends with. Also got a really cool chance to share mutually about the journey with Jeremy Peck and Brion Hopkins, two guys in the process of building great photography businesses.
Anyway, it was super cool to be there and connect with so many great people. Huge thanks [b]!
w/ Charlie, Mirta and Joe. I am not exactly a pro at being on the other end of the camera, so by the time I figured it out, it was over. :( Ha !!
I really do want to stay in touch with everyone I met so say hi in the comments...
What I spent most of the rest of the time doing though was hanging out with my friends from Oklahoma. These guys are the some of the best photographers in the region and really have jumped into the concept genuine networking. I even hate to use that word sometimes because it doesn't do justice to the relationships that I am developing with some of these guys. It hasn't been all that long that this has been going on and I can already call many of them good friends.
Also reconnected with Jerry & Ingrid from San Fran. Great to see you two!
So to Charlie, David Baxter, Chris Humphrey, Robert Trawick and Ace Cuervo (who I just met this week), thanks for making the week a blast and always challenging me.
There also happened to be the world's biggest trade show for wedding photographers and sessions with all the rock stars in the business but that will have to be in post #2 coming up.
posted by / todd scott ballje at
3:24:00 PM
3 Comments:
it was so awesome meeting you man! i don't know how i remembered half the talent i did, but all i did remember was everyone was super awesome!! hope to see you around and keep up the amazing work!!
Todd.... I really enjoyed our time together during lunch. I appreciate your honesty, integrity and guidance. Oh... and thanks for the beer! see you soon! Rob
we'll have to get a photobooth picture when we're at another conference or something. ha!
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