I’m SO excited for February to come! This will be my second year attending WPPI or Wedding & Portrait Photographers International. It is the biggest international photography convention of the year, held in Vegas. Last year I was just a rookie and didn’t really know what I was doing or how to go about things. I researched a little, tried to find other photographers advice but I didn’t find much OR the information that I did find wasn’t that great. So I thought I’d write a post or two to help fellow photographers who are going to WPPI for the first time.
Hotel – Last year a friend and I stayed at the Excalibur and while the price of the hotel room was cheaper, it took us 30 min. to walk to the convention floor every day. You may think, eh that’s not that bad. Just leave that much earlier. Well let me tell you that after going to bed at 3am-because it’s Vegas and even though I don’t drink, I socialize and talk till the wee hours of the morning, it’s flipping hard to get up and be ready for an 8am class. That would have meant we would need to leave by 7:30 or 7:00 if we wanted good seats, and then to get up, get pretty and eat. You are looking at a 6:00 or 6:30 wake up call. Do not think you’ll go to bed early because you will not! This year we are staying at the MGM Grand, where the convention is at and are so relieved! Seriously relieved!! The other down fall of having your hotel so far away is that if you forgot something, it was a haul to get back and forth. So in my opinion the price to be closer is so worth it!
Food – Last year we thought it would save us money if we bought food and kept it in a cooler. We spent some money at the local grocery store and stocked up on yogurt, pre-made salads, granola bars, pre-made sandwiches, fruit, and chips and salsa. Healthy quick eats. The yogurt and granola bars came in handy because we could eat quick before our early morning classes or if we needed a snack during the day. As you walk to the convention the other option is Starbucks but the wait is long and it can get pricey. So I am definitely going to buy more breakfast items for the morning that are quick or that I can put in my bag and save for a snack. When it came to the salads and sandwiches we went wrong. The salads were so bulky that we couldn’t carry them and our cameras in our bags and we realized that the sandwiches were just plain gross after a couple of hours. Maybe if we would’ve done something simple like PB&J’s but honestly, you’ll end up not eating it either when you meet someone and they want to go to lunch or your sandwich looks uneatable after it had a sumo wrestling match with your camera. The same goes for dinner. It is so much easier and after the long day of classes and walking the convention floor, you’re going to want something quick and filling. Save money for eating out. It’s Vegas! You have some of the best restaurants in the world just a few walking distance from the convention. For lunch there is a food court by the convention and there is a sandwich place that I can’t remember what it’s called but the serving sizes are so big I’d recommend splitting it with a friend. Again save those green notes for food!
Spending $ – Now I’m not going to tell you what to spend money on but I am going to tell you that almost every class tries to sell you something. These products may or may not be a waste of money. That’s up to you but don’t be fooled by being in the moment. A lot of things they sell are or could be useful but not practical. Remember a lot of these photographers are Businessmen 1st and Photographer 2nd. They know how to make their products seem like you need them to be where they are. If you are going to spend money I’d say save it for the trade show. Almost every booth will be having convention deals. So if there is something that you’ve always wanted like a new Prophoto light, or Boda Bag now is the time to buy it. So do save your pennies for the things that you’ve always needed or wanted. Also these booths will give you discount codes that you may use for months after the convention. If you can’t decide then, check to see when their discounts expire. You may have time to think about things before making a huge decision.
WPPI Registration – If you haven’t registered yet you’re kinda late in the game. The early bird special ends December 15th. Let me break it down to you. To become a member of WPPI it’s $100. That’s not the registration for the convention that’s for being a member of the association WPPI. You get a subscription to Rangefinder, which is an awesome photography magazine, and you get some discounts on products and your registration for WPPI. So non members can go but it’ll cost more. The cost for the convention includes access to the trade show and platform classes. BUT if you’re not a member of WPPI you can’t register for extra classes like the Master and Plus Classes. Master and Plus classes are limited to around 30 people. Master classes are like the Platforms. You listen to a speaker but on a smaller level and there are better chances of winning good prizes and getting bigger discounts. Platform classes – the free ones or ones that come with registration – are open to WPPI members and non members and the class sizes are 200+. You want to go early to these to get a good seat especially for a rock star photographer like Jasmine Star. Plus Classes are actual hands on shooting with the best photographers in the business but are only available to WPPI members. Both the Plus classes and Master classes cost extra. We did three Master classes last year and only 1 out of the 3 was worth the extra money. SO choose wisely. Also there’s a deal on registration buy one get one free. So what we have done is split the cost of that one registration so it comes to $100 per person. I’m also a member of NILMDTS and any volunteers get free WPPI membership. If you have any more questions on registration you can ask me or of course look at their website and contact them.
Networking – BRING BUSINESS CARDS! I can’t stress that enough. You will come away from WPPI with friends and if you don’t then you weren’t being social enough. Talk to the person next to you, compliment the person behind you, ask the person next to you their number. I came away with so many good friends that I facebook, email and call on a regular basis. These friends may be in another state or country but you never know if you’ll need a place to stay some time in their area. It’s also plain fun! So bring your cards and pass them around like candy! Honestly have an idea of how you’re going to give and keep your cards. If you’re having to dig through your bag each time to find them, you’re too slow. I know that seems dumb but really. You’ll see the people who’ve gotten it down to a science with their cool card holders or men and their breast pocket who don’t even have to look down to grab one. Make your cards awesome as well. We judge each other’s photography by their cards. If your cards are outdated we’ll assume so is your photography. I know that sounds harsh and snobish, which it totally is but that’s how shallow we humans are. Again, bring biz cards and make sure they’re awesome as well as the website you have on your card! As soon as we get back to the hotel or a Wifi hotspot, we’ll check out your site. Get it to where you want to be. Also under this category DO NOT come in there thinking you’re the best photographer in the whole world. Check your ego at the door! Be humble and ready to learn from each other. There are people who’ve been in the business for years and we can all learn something from each other. Last year we had some friends meet another photographer that they had followed for a while and really admired and this photographer didn’t check their ego. This photographer just lost the respect of other amazing photographers and anybody else they told, like us. Be social, outgoing, ready to learn, ready to teach and ready to meet life long friends!
Notes – Take LOTS AND LOTS of notes. Either bring a durable notebook that will last through pages and pages of turning or bring your laptop and type away. Word to the Apple user. There are only a selected amount of outlets so if your comp is like mine and has run out of it’s power to hold it’s charge, come early to get a seat next to the wall or just bring a notebook. You should’ve seen how many people were sitting up against the wall with their iphones plugged in. It was crazy! But another idea is to record what’s being said on your phone. When you write down your notes, even though you’ll be writing fast, right to where you can understand your notes later. You’re thinking, I know Mom! But really you may write something down that’s super important, you get home forget about your notes and months later look back on them to only forgot what your cryptic notes are trying to say to you. Take lots of good eligible notes.
Incoming search terms for the article:
Holy Caked Face Photoshopped
