Last week I went to Las Vegas, staying at the MGM Grand. This was a part business, part vacation trip. It was my first time back since I was about 15 years old. And I must admit, I kind of like it when I was young. Because everything was so mysterious. And you really couldn’t go anywhere because everything was for gown ups. I just remember playing in the arcade everyday.
Well, the arcade has changed. Now, everywhere I went, I could play every game. But, I really am not a gambler. If fact, this was the first time I gambled at a Casino and with people I didn’t know. And I found out quick that I should never gamble again. I lost $80 in 15 min playing Black Jack. Och…. It really did hurt to loose that money. I was thinking, “I could have bought some camera equipment with that money.” Even my wife said I should never gamble again. I will listen to her on this one.
So, my main reason for going to Vegas was to attend the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) Conference that is held every year.
This was my first time going and I wanted to get some inspiration and techniques from the world’s best. So, I signed up for a hands-on Plus class with a photographer that I truly admire, Yervant. He is know for combining Fashion with his wedding, something that I am striving to do. (I’ll post some of the stuff we did in class later!)
My wife came in town for Valentine’s Day and we took a stroll down the Strand. And, if you know my wife, she likes to shop. So, the first place we went to was the Shops at Caesars Palace. At first, I was like, it’s just like every other mall. You spend money!! But, then I saw a store that caught my attention. It was Pete Rose signing autographs. So, I had to jump in on that one. When he was signing my baseball, we had a pretty good talk. He is so humble and genuine. (Who would have thought?)
That night, we went to go see KA (which is a Cirque du Soleil show). It was amazing!!
The next day, guess what. More shopping!! (Ugh….) This time, we went to the Fashion Show Mall. It was very similar to the Galleria in Houston. Same ol’, same ol’. So, we only stayed for a few minutes. But, like its name, we actually saw a fashion show.
After my wife left, I had to stay a few more days for the rest of the conference. And I learned a lot. It exceeded my expectations. Some of the other photographers’ classes I attended were:
Claude Jodoin (master at lighting)
Jose Villa (great film photographer, yes I said film)
Me Ra Koh (phenomenal story and technique)
Jesh de Rox (I loved his class and his new way of thinking. Check out his site and you’ll see what I mean.)
Andrew & Nicole of LaCour Photo (great at every aspect of photography, including the business side)
Johnathan Rubin (the future of photography and videography, truly amazing work).
There were a few more, but this classes stood out from the rest.
In closing, I have gained a lot of knowledge and wisdom during my stay in Las Vegas. I will definitely be going again. Also, look out for some interesting NEW stuff coming from me. As I will be combining what I learned to the style I had. So, you should see some AMAZING things!!
STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
by Brad
2 comments