What’s is WPPI?

	Late last momth, I left the bitter cold and snow of Michigan and trekked to a warmer environment for a couple of days. My destination was the Wedding & Portrait Photography International Conference and Expo in a warmer Las Vegas. Here are some of the photographers lining up to register for WPPI. I was told that attendees numbered about 13,000.
WPPI is an annual event. The audience is the large set of professional photographers and videographers who earn their living shooting weddings, portraits, school and sporting events. The five day conference consist of classes, seminars, photo walks and live demonstrations taught by celebrated professionals and industry educators covering every imaginable photo topic. In addition to the conference, there is a three day long expo at which several hundred manufacturers of photo equipment, accessories, photo finishing services, frames, albums, software and services present their products for attendees. The venue for WPPI was the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on the south end of the LV Strip
This year the conference consisted or more than 200 different classes covering a wide gamut of subjects: equipment, lenses, posing, lighting, flash, printmaking, pricing, babies, special effects, drone. The list of instructors are among some of the most well-known and successful photographers: Me Rah Koh, Matt Kloskowski, Denis Regge, Terry White, Bob Davis, Lindsay Adler, Miichele Celentano, Bambi Cantrell, Julieanne Kost, Hanson Fong, Jerry Ghionis, Roberto Valenzuela, Tamara Lackey, and Joe McNally to name a few.
While I sat in on a few classes, I spent most of my time at the expo. Follow me as I take you on a quick walk through of the exhibit hall to show you the types of photographic knowledge that is available at WPPI.
Special Effects Class	Lindsay Adler behind the lens
A Lighting Demo	Posing Babies
Jerry Ghionis at the mic	Portraits Up Close
Single Flash Demo	Group Shots
Hanson Fong Bounce Flash	…and the result
During the couple of days that I spent at WPPI, I talked to several exhibitors about their products. I’ll have additional articles here describing these products in the next few weeks. I hope you’ll be back here soon.	Fashion

 

 
Written by: Arnie Lee

 

 

Upcoming WPPI 2018 Conference & Expo

Having been part of the software, computer and publishing industries since 1980, I’ve been to Las Vegas more times than I care to count.

However the thought of another laborious trip out West isn’t going to keep me away from the Wedding & Portrait Photography International event this year. For the past several years I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this meeting where 200+ classes are taught by professionals covering a wide range of photography topics including lighting, posing, drone, video, baby/child, sports, school, printing, retouching, marketing and business. Among the instructors are many recognizable names: Tamara Lackey, Lindsay Adler, Julieanne Kost, Sue Bryce, Jerry Ghionis, Roberto Valenzuela and Joe McNally who will share their skills with the attendees.

In addition to the standard classes, there are smaller and more intensive sessions aimed at a limited number of attendees. And for those who’d rather be in a non-classroom setting there are multiple scheduled Photo Walks that provide hands-on learning.

I’m especially interested in the WPPI Expo. In the large exhibit hall you’ll meet with manufacturers and suppliers of photo equipment, accessories, photofinishing, presentation and framing, software and services. On the expo floor, various manufacturers present live demonstrations of their equipment and techniques. It seems that all of the major brands are on hand to demonstrate their products and answer your questions. I’ve made many purchasing decisions after having met with sales reps at earlier WPPI events..

This audience is taking in a presentation at the Canon booth

If you’re anxious to sharpen your photography skills, take a look at the many classes that are offered at the conference. Last year WPPI hosted about 13,000 professional and advanced photographers.

WPPI will take place February 24 to 28 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas. For more information please visit WPPI Conference & Expo.
 
 

By Arnie Lee
 
 

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Hover and Shoot

You don’t ordinarily think of looking at drones at the Wedding and Portrait Photography International Conference & Expo. However, DJI had a booth there showing off the new Mavic Pro.
At the DJI booth, representative Laura Schutz showed me the company’s newest drone. She emphasized that drones are now simpler to fly. And drones are now much more affordable. Users have invented innovative ways to use drones for airborne photography. DJI, a pioneer in the industry, recently released the Mavic Pro which builds on the simpler and affordable features.
The Mavic Pro is compact. When not in use, the rotor arms fold tightly against the unit’s body making it easy to store and transport. Owing to its efficient motors, flying time is up to 27 minutes at 40 mph. The unit’s remote controller has a range of more than 4 miles. It can send livestream directly to popular smartphones. Mavic Pro has five built-in sensors that can detect and avoid obstacles during flight. There is also a set of backup sensors that can take over in case one is malfunctioning.
Specifically for photography is a camera that shoots 4K at 30fps mounted on 3-axis gimbal for smooth, jumpfree video. Stills are captured at 12MP. Its GPS capabilities enable accurate positioning whatever your location. In “ActiveTrack” mode, the drone follows or flies alongside the subject. In “Gesture Mode”, the Mavic follows you until you give it the go-ahead to snap your “selfie”. The “Terrain Follow” mode flies the drone at a fixed altitude above the ground.
This Mavic Pro is taking video footage of me. The Mavic Pro has many features which set it apart from other drones. The DJI website has many videos that demonstrate these features.
The suggested price of the Mavic Pro is $1000. For more information about the Mavic Pro, please visit DJI.

 

 
Written by: Arnie Lee

 

 

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