Rangefinder Magazine
June 2006
Chicken Soup...
In their book, Chicken Soup for the Soul' Stories for a Better World, Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen write, "Do you believe a story can change your life, that it can inspire you to be happier, more confident and more caring"? You could ask the same questions about WPPI Conventions. Our "Iron Chefs," Skip Cohen, Steve Sheanin and Bill Hurter, cooked up an extravagant recipe of "chicken soup" for the photographer's soul. They "served" inspiring workshops, speakers and fellowship, with a flavorful French twist. Paris Hotel as well as Bally's hosted over 9000 conference attendees. Participants strolled through a miniature French village that formed the connecting hall of these two first-class hotels. Our classrooms were spacious and the colossal tradeshow glittered under the giant crystal chandeliers of the Paris Ballrooms like a Disneyland for photographers!
To check out this year's "wow" images, I ran directly from my plane into the print competition, where I always learn bittersweet lessons from the judges' comments. One of last year's judges, Winifred Whitfield, explained, "What this place means to me is that I get to see great work. Until you see what great work looks like, you can never learn to accomplish it!" Without question, the judges are concerned with sending the right message to the maker of an image. As chair of the album competition, Bambi Cantrell, said, "If you enter an album, remember to use fewer images and more simplicity in your story. While you are shooting photojournalism, watch for moments that close up your throat with emotion. Pay attention to your cropping, and don't clutter a good design with strokes, drop shadows and script. A good album design must be clean, simple and elegant.
Saturday night's program "Sales Magic" dovetailed neatly with the themes of the WPPI Business Institute. Calvin Hayes and Mitche Graf taught us that $24,000 per year, the average professional photographer's salary, should not be considered a good living! Calvin gave us an "Alpha to Omega Sales System," sure to raise us all a notch. Creating our own brand was a theme last year, and it continued this year as Graf and Hayes broke it down into solid steps. We crammed our notebooks with Mitche- & Cal-isms. For example, "If clients see all the pro photographers as providing the same services and products, they'll choose the cheapest one." Following Mitche and Cal's explosion of energy, Marcus Bell touched our hearts with moving images and poetic words. This presentation was supposed to be shared between Marcus and Joe Buissink, and the house was packed, although most already knew about Joe's recent heart attack and convalescence. The crowd felt better when Skip Cohen put Joe on the microphone over the cell phone. We heard Joe's heartfelt message that he was with us in spirit. Marcus spoke eloquently, covering both his and Joe's slide shows and information with sincerity and professionalism. WPPI member Robin Arostegui said, "Marcus Bell shared emotionally charged personal stories that I could relate to. I teared up more than once. He provided such valuable information on client interaction that I will forever remember his talk.
Sunday Monte Zucker and Clay Blackmore showed us how to fuse the flavor of classical portraiture with cutting-edge photojournalism. Angela Carson and, later, Lisa Jane Murphy transformed networking ideas into meaningful relationships with our smallest clients. As the conference continued, Brian and Judith Shindle, as well as Barbara Smith and others, stirred new products like custom stationary and "Love Safaris" into our motivational soup. Julianne Kost, Craig Kienast and Kevin Kubota, to name a few, were the top chefs who turned up the heat with their techniques in Photoshop and Painter. From Craig Kienast, WPPI member Tobi Bratcher learned "amazing ways to use warm tones in layers to jazz up our pictures and turn them into works of art to sell for lots of money!" Winifred Whitfield was equally impressed with the way he, "posed and photographed a model, prepared the image in Photoshop and painted it in Painter IX." Craig must have been responsible for that herd of photographers seen collecting close-ups of textures like rocks and glass and tree bark all over Las Vegas! They ran into Michele Gauger's students, who were released from the classroom to learn environmental photography, hands-on style.
Jeff and Julia Woods served us crispy fresh photography featuring real relationships with their clients. Mike Colón stated, "I loved how Jeff and Julia Woods" presentation flowed. They pull inspiration from fashion, commercial and industrial photographic fields, and I love that they are on fire about what they do! In a ballroom nearby, Carl Caylor took his audience on a personal journey while looking for light and using emotion to create portraiture. Tim Undheim of Big City Visual Productions in San Diego, California, shared, "One can see that his vision certainly comes from the heart. I found the delivery of space and color dynamics in his art breathtaking."
At the same time, Gigi Clark was serving double helpings of enthusiasm. Her multimedia presentation covered Corel Painter IX, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Adobe After Effects. Ellen Maietta from West Covina said, "I left Gigi's class realizing how important it is to develop one's own style. In order to do that, we have to let go of the safe zone of what we already learned and mastered, and allow ourselves to venture into new ways to create".
On Monday, my day began with Arthur Rainville and Mary Noone, Bostonians with two different styles that fuse like two different cuisines in a swank restaurant. If you do not know what "manuesco" or "vaporoso" means, you must seek out Arthur. He has blended his extensive knowledge of art and history with his business acumen to develop a four-step plan we can all share: (One) get a cool style; (two) get a marketing niche; (three) get rich; and (four) get a cooler style. Then Mary Noone demonstrated the art and craft of the ultimate "Day in the Life" session and the lustrous results of combining perfect lighting and rich, black velvet.
Then Rick and Deborah Ferro cast a magic spell over a huge audience of photographers starving for inspiration and knowledge. They brought us solid, time-tested ideas, sharing their successful Kids' Club and elegant Portrait Party concepts. They layered these marketing ideas like they were frosting a wedding cake, on top of three tiers called posing, lighting and Photoshop.
1. Welcome!
2. CharMaine Beleele ready to make "soup"
3. Mike Asher and Neil Schwartz, long-time WPPI volunteers
4. Regina Fleming and Calvin Hayes
5. Chris Nelson and Robert Lino
6. Bambi Cantrell's crew (l-r): Steve Smith, Alethea Mahler, Cameron Smith and Michael Van Auken
7. Canon Opening Party
8. Monte shooting at the Canon opening party
9. Rick Ferro at "Speakers' Corner"
10. Gigi Clark's program
11. WPPI's first Hy Sheanin Scholarship winner, JB Sallee, and wife, DeEtte
12. Jennifer George Walker teaching lighting
13. The Champage Shootout served ice cream, not champagne
14. Hanson Fong at work
15. Denis Reggie at the Lexar booth
16. Speaker/judge Deanna Urs and daughter Danielle
17. Photo by Audrey Wancket
18. WPPI's Steve Sheanin and Jackie Applebaum
19. Hy Sheanin Memorial Scholarship winner Catherine Hall went on stage to be recognized by WPPI CEO Steve Sheanin
20. Award-winner Ryan Schembri stylin' on stage with emcees Michele Celentano and Joe Photo
21. Curt Littlecott receiving his first place award
22. Janet Baker-Richardson receiving her first place award
23. Charles Maring receiving his first place Album award
24. Jerry Ghionis graciously accepting one of several awards
25. Chris Lalonde receiving the Fuji New Approach award from Fujifilm's John McCarthy
26. Tania Niwa receiving the Kodak Award of Distinction from Chris van Zandt of Eastman Kodak
27. Tania Niwa had a very big awards night
28. Canon's Dave Metz presenting Benny Migliorino with his Grand Award in the portrait category
29. 2006 Accolade recipients
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Tim Undheim shared, "Meeting Rick and Deborah Ferro was very enjoyable and refreshing for me. Somehow, they make you feel like you're the best of friends!"
Joe Photo and Parker Pfister reenergized all of us as they shared their personal work. Andrew Niesen, from LaCour Photography, said, "Their candor was refreshing. When I left, I felt encouraged to revisit the creative side of myself, which is what really drew me to photography in the first place."
Mark Adams, also of LaCour Photography, told us, "Mike Colón's presentation was one of the highlights for me personally. Mike laid bare for all to see the strategy and methodology he uses and continues to use to become one of the wedding industry's most innovative photographers." For Mike Colón, who attended WPPI '06 as a student as well as a teacher, it was Mike Kitada who was the inspiration. Mike Kitada is a true photojournalist of the newspaper tradition. A reporter who has photographed celebrities and the President, Mike Kitada showed us that it is still cool to photograph a simple wedding celebration. He is dedicated to the honesty of the moment.
For many members, the essence of the conference was demonstrated on the last day by the "Shoot Out" program presented by Yervant and Jerry Ghionis. Amidst wildly entertaining skits and humorous showmanship, they demonstrated high-energy coaching and posing on the runway and on the stage, using members from the audience as models.
WPPI '06 showed us all that fellowship and education can lift our mood, clear our heads, and sharpen our perspective? on the future of our businesses and our lives. If you missed it, think of this: 9000+ attendees can?t be wrong! Join them next year for your share of the finest chicken soup in the known universe.
CharMaine R. Beleele is a photographic artist, Speech Communications professor at the University of Arkansas a writer for Rangefinder Magazine and WPPI Photography Monthly, and a correspondent for the Arkansas Catholic newspaper. She can be contacted via her website: www.angelkissedphotography.com
