I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning after the Weekend Wedding Retreat at the Hotel in Orlando and packed up for my next stop, Vegas for the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International trade show and convention!  WPPI is always a true highlight of my year.  I get to see and spend time with some of my best and most passionate friends. I get to learn, be inspired, see all the new products, and of course... party!  After all it IS Vegas!!  WPPI is different every year for me, in that some years I have gone there looking for information, some years I have gone there with products to research and seek out at the trade show, some years have been focused on the programs and education, but this year, my focus was on the photographic community that I am so entrenched in and that I hold so dear to me.  Seeing people from all over the country that I have gotten to know so well either virtually or in real life is always interesting, usually eye-opening, and ultimately a rewarding experience.  This year that seemed especially true.  Thank you to all of the wonderful friends I have for being so...well... wonderful.  You know who you are...

My favorite program of the year was the closing program, Photographers Ignite.: Ignite is a style of presentation where participants are given five minutes to speak on a subject accompanied by 20 slides. Each slide is displayed for 15 seconds, and slides are automatically advanced.  Some were moving, some were just plain funny, some more inspirational and motivational, and all mixed together it was a really FAST two hours! You can find the videos from the ignite speakers here.   Don't miss Kevin Kubota, Jed Taufer, Doug Gordon, Joy and Jules aka the Bianchi twins,  Uncle "Bob", or Gerry Gihonis!

Thanks to Daria, from Daria Bishop Photography and Karen, from Karen Pike Photography for the photos!

I am honored to have been invited to do a segment for Pictage's Studio Spotlight series.  Thanks to everyone for the great feedback!  If you want to listen to it, click here.