This past week I went to Vegas for the annual WPPI Convention. Storymix Media sponsored the award-winning Photojournalist Ken Sklute as he taught photographers to take their photography to the next level with multimedia. In addition to participating in Ken’s workshop, I also had the chance to speak with the movers and shakers in the photography world.
The Convention
The Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Convention and Trade Show (WPPI) had a record breaking year. At the vendor party they announced a whopping attendance of over 16,000 photographers, which is up about 2,000 from last year.
This year they continued their fantastic commitment to new photographer training, by offering WPPI University, sponsored by Kodak. The Convention was attended by both newcomers to the industry and those experienced pros looking to keep up with the latest trends.
The Workshops
Ken Sklute’s workshop offered some wonderful advice on how to get started in the world of fusion photography. Fusion is when a photographer shoots both photos and video and provides them in one movie to their client. The new world of HDSLR cameras makes it possible for one photographer to capture both those intimate animated moments (think first dance) and emotional stills (think tear in Dad’s eye). Although it can be a bit daunting to get started, Ken talked them through the beginning of the journey.
Ken is going to join us on the blog for a future post. His instructions on creating a time lapse movie were just too good to keep secret. He will share with us how to shoot time lapse and create a movie masterpiece right in Quicktime.
I know it seems silly that I didn’t get any photos in his workshop, but I was too busy pretending to be a cinematographer and capturing video on the Canon 5D Mark II with Steadi-Cam from Cinevate. Somehow even a steady cam doesn’t correct for the plodding footsteps of a failed ballerina. I’ll have to work on that. 
National Geographic Photojournalist David McLain and award winning photojournalist and inventor Deanne Fitzmaurice also held fanastic workshops teaching photogs how to tell a story with both photos and video. The amazing thing to me was the reaction in Deanne’s workshop. She won a Pulitzer prize for her photography. But the first applause in the workshop didn’t appear until the movies, rather than static photos, were shown. The photos evoked incredible emotion, but hearing a voiceover, seeing the action… it was just so powerful.
The Tradeshow
I have to say, I went to this show with a purely Nikon mindset, but after talking with David McLain, I had to check out some of the Sony cameras. Sony sponsored his talk and provided him with some really cool cameras to show off. The Sony E-series cameras are absolutely tiny, yet have a ginormo chip! Not sure if I like the dial structure for taking manual photos, but I might have to play some more. You really can’t argue with the video quality.
iDC Photo Video had a nerdy booth, in a good way. As a tinkerer myself, I was quite impressed with the gear they have created to assist people in shooting DSLR video. Bruce Dern and his wife Maura are probably the ultimate in techie nerds. They have a background in Hollywood special effects, and have invented some products to make shooting video on a camera meant for photos, much simpler.
Jen and Steve Bebb teach visual storytelling
Vancouver photographers and authors Jen and Steve Bebb taught a fabulous workshop at the trade show about how to capture amazing audio and combine it with photos. To think… it’s possible to capture crystal clear wedding vows for less than $200, and combine that with the gorgeous photos in a movie that will make them cry!
The Sallee's at the Kodak Exhibit
My last stop was a talk by Miller Labs and Dallas-Chicago wedding photographers JB & DeEtte Sallee at the Kodak exhibit. Kodak VP Joe Paglia hammered them with light hearted questions, while the photographers and lab explained the value of heirloom memories from your wedding. I have to say, this might have been my favorite part. But I’m biased; I won a free Kodak PlaySport while at the exhibit.
The Food and Drinks
We all know the food is one of the best things in Vegas. And it’s even better with great company. So, here are my top food picks:
- Ceviche and lemons at Emeril’s with Jen Bebb – somehow my iPad survived the lemon juice
- The meatloaf at Wolfgang Pucks with Ken Sklute and Marv Heston – best I’ve ever eaten
- Cosmos at the MGM with Joe Paglia of Kodak – great drink; great drinking buddy
- Chopped Liver sandwich at Carnegie’s with Mike Fox – late night liver, how can you top that?
- Chili Cheese Dogs at Nathan’s with Leroy Hamilton – heartburn and belly laughs
- And my number one pick – real New York pizza at Metro’s with Ken and Marv (and it made for a great breakfast the next morning)
Judging by my last three picks, can you tell I like New York food?
Exciting Things to Come
In future posts, you will be treated to things from a stunning Vegas time lapse film, created by Ken Sklute, to a side-by-side comparison of the Kodak PlaySport and 3rd Generation Flip Camera. We’ll also examine more closely how to tell your story with photos and audio, as well as cohesively merging photos and video into one story. All this as a result of 3 fun-filled days in Vegas.
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