Over these past two weeks, WPPI, Weddings & Portraits Photographers International 2012, in MGM Grand Las Vegas, held seventeen thousand photographers from all over the world.   Last year I attended WPPI for the first time – I went, loved it, set goals, and was ecstatic to come back a year later (you can read my experience here:  http://www.michellenicoleblog.com/2011/03/wppi-2011/ ).  Right now, I’m replaying my entire week in my head as I’m continuing my blog post I started on January 4th, 2012.

WPPI, Wedding & Portrait Photographers International, is one of the biggest international photography conventions in the world.  Every year in February, ~16,000 photographers come to Las Vegas at MGM to do many multitudes of things – network, learn, meet vendors, and compete in the print competitions.  This year, we had even more photographers at the convention – 17,000 attendees.  For the competitions, many people enter their work into the Awards of Excellence 16×20 Print Competition, and the greatest artists are recognized during the awards ceremony.

This year, WPPI had an entirely new meaning to me.  We:

• Attended a few platform classes:  Jasmine Star, Scott Robert Lim, and Sue Bryce
• Entered in and watched the print competition on Saturday & Sunday
• Watched my mentor, Scott Robert Lim’s dreams come true as he had a TREMENDOUS turnout at his platform talk on Tuesday morning, 8AM in room 319/320
• Had the honor to help at the Scott Robert Tiny Trigger booth – #1111

Flashback to when I wrote this on January 4, 2012 – Last year, when the winning prints were scored and hung up for display, we walked through the awards hall and I made a vow (YES!  A VOW!  Usually we only make these on the altar!).  Last year, Scott Robert Lim had two award winning prints on the wall – it was our Beijing Beauty shot, as well as our Pool house shot.  Rather than me being IN the prints on the wall, I made a vow and a goal to submit prints and hoped one would be ON the wall.

Today (On January 4th, 2012), I was overwhelmed and stressed – WPPI had the print competition deadline of January 6, 2012.  I went to FedEx, My heart is still racing from the past few days.  Currently, my prints are off to Los Angeles and will hopefully reach them by the deadline, January 6th, 2012.

These past few days have been a whirlwind – I got back from Reno for New Years and little did I know, was completely behind schedule.  As my friends started printing their prints on Sunday night, when we were coming home, my friends thought I opted out of entering prints because I was out of town.  With some miscommunication cleared up, I realized I was completely behind schedule.  Monday came – and Jeremy had completely saved me.  I quickly edited the images that I wanted to enter, and come monday evening, we went to a local print shop to print everything.  Printed.

Tuesday came, and I had to matte my prints.  Everyone’s was already done and all we had to do was pick them up.  The framer was so wonderful, she started to matte my prints right there!  When we finally finished up at the framers, and with a HUGE sigh of relief, my prints came home with me.  I registered my prints.  I was exhausted, and I didn’t even do much – it was all mental exhaustion.

Wednesday morning, finished up printing/burning everything, and watched FedEx bubble wrap and package up my prints.  Signed, paid, sayonara.  Please get there by Friday!!  I feel extremely exhausted!  My prints are on their way to LA!

Fast forward to Saturday, February 18, 2012, I was at SFO on my way to LAS (Las Vegas).  The moment I arrived, I checked in, and headed straight to the judging rooms.  There, I sat, for both Saturday and Sunday.  On Saturday, while we sat in the judging room, I saw one of my prints get judged, as well as a few other fellow photography friends, Tauran Woo, JeZa (Jeremy and Zabrina), and our mentor, Scott Robert Lim.  It was nerve-wracking sitting there, crossing my fingers and hoping the best for our SR Community to score 80 points and above for their prints.

Sunday, we did the same thing – sat in the judging rooms and watched the judges score all the prints.  Sunday was when we saw all of our engagement entries – including mine.  I was nervous, scared, hopeful, discouraged, stressed, and even tried to pray (literally!).  I was sitting next to my mentor, Scott while it was all happening.  For two prints, I was scored 78, and 79 – I was bummed.  The good thing was, the judges talked about the prints… a lot.  There were some that loved it, some that didn’t like it, some that felt a portion of the print was too bright, the buildings didn’t look right, the subjects could have been lit differently, her beauty could have been shown differently – and everything down to the title of the print.  I was feeling a little discouraged and just hoping that I’d earn something next year.  One of my last prints showed up on the panel after feeling like I had multiple heart attacks.  The judges were going back and forth on this image… The announcer said it was a score of 79…

… until one judge said he forgot to put in his score.  My head was probably buried into my knees by this time.  The re-score happened and it was an 80. An entire uplift came and I felt like a swimmer coming up above the water to gasp for air.  I was excited.  My goal had been reached and met.  I did it.  What an incredible high.  Hallelujah!  Ecstatic!!  Life is great!!!!  And this is just the beginning!!

For Monday and Tuesday, we helped out scott at his exhibitor booth, booth #1111.  Monday was great, Lyndsey and I were just learning and watching Scott and helping him sell his products.  That evening, we headed to the Sony party and watched Matthew Jordan Smith shoot some gorgeous imagery.

The view from our Suite was gorgeous!!!

Poor photographers eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch for dinner.

At the Sony Party!

Tuesday came and it was so successful.  Seven years ago, our mentor, Scott Robert Lim felt like a “nobody” at WPPI. Kodak Award, 3rd place, and many accolades later, today, we, his community, had the honor to help him achieve his dreams of speaking and running his successful booth at WPPI 2012! I respect Scott on so many different levels – he brought all of us to where we are today.  To tell you the truth, I wouldn’t be where I am without Scott.  After seeing SO MANY PEOPLE crowded in the room, and SO MANY PEOPLE listening to him speak, I was so proud of how far Scott has come after just following him on Xanga, long ago.

 Afterwards, while Zabrina, Lyndsey, and a few others were helping take orders upstairs, Diem and I headed downstairs and Scott’s Portable Lighting Kits – Triggers, Strobies, Video Lights, ND Filters, Big Boy Bars, Triple Mounts, and other products were selling like HOT CAKES!!!!!  Hot cakes I tell you!!  www.scottrobertstore.com is where you can find his radio triggers and other affordable products.  I’m also proud to hear from his newest students that they learned a LOT in his class!  If you came and stopped by Booth #1111, Scott Robert Tiny Triggers, leave me a comment and say hi!!  Thank you for coming!

(Picture to come of our crazy awesome booth)

When Tuesday’s trade show closed, we headed to the Awards Gallery.  There, we saw many prints up on the amazing wall and saw all of our SR students get represented.

Some of Scott’s students and wonderful community were represented and received Accolades of Excellence:

• Tauran Woo (LA and Worldwide)
• JeZa Jeremy and Zabrina (Bay Area CA and Worldwide)
• Marie Lyssa Doremus (Montreal & Toronto, Canada)
• Riz Crescini (Japan)
• Eric Fung (Oakland, CA)
• Am I missing anyone?!  The list will grow next year!!

On Wednesday, I walked around the trade show.  I saw Matthew Jordan Smith, an AMAZING and inspiring photographer I met last year through Scott.  Jenny, Darrell, and I saw MJS like… 3 or more times last year at WPPI!!  I love the work he does, and the beauty he brings out of the women.  He was on America’s Top Model, shot Tyra Banks, many other celebrities including Whitney Houston.  MJS has such a huge heart and is so amazing and humble.  Completely wonderful.

I also shopped around, made some re-connections with the current vendors I work with and made networks with new ones that I plan to take on.

We also finished three days of the trade show!!!!  A complete success, and I don’t think we’ve ever all worked together like that before.  It was great.  Amazing.  (missing Zabrina and Jeremy in the picture).  We’re an amazing community and I’m so glad we all had the chance to work together really well.

That evening was the awards ceremony.  We saw our friends CM Leung and Chung, I met Chung at our SR x CM China Workshop in October 2010.

The SR Community ladies

During the awards ceremony, one of our very own, Zabrina Deng (and Jeremy Chan) was recognized for their amazing prints during the WPPI Online competition!!!  SOOOOO happy and proud of you two!!!  You both totally deserve it!!!

Our Photography Papa

Our SR Community winning awards!!!

Congratulations!!

Our lovely Scott Robert Community - I love you guys!

After the entire week, I almost felt complete.  I felt like I was still missing something – Even though I reached my goal of having a print in the awards gallery, happy to help Scott and his success at his booth, AND I watched our community win some amazing awards, I was still incomplete.

While I was starting to get into a little bit more portraiture and my transformations set with JT Artistry, I was inspired by another amazing photographer – Sue Bryce (New Zealand and Australia).  At the crack of 9am, and after watching her win amazing awards the evening before, we walked our way into the room.  She shared a gazillion ideas and tips about how she became successful.  It was so amazing and she was such an inspiration.  She is real.  She turns women into phenomenal.  She helped make my week complete.

In the end, WPPI 2012 was nothing but amazing for me.  I had such wonderful roomies, went to some fantastic platform classes (Scott Robert Lim & Sue Bryce), achieved my last year’s goal to have my print on the wall in the print gallery, watched my mentor, Scott Robert Lim’s dream come true and was so happy to be a part of his success at his Tiny Trigger booth #1111, and created many many more memories and wonderful bonds between our community.  We raised it up to another level.

I learned that WPPI helps young and old photographers grow in their craft.  It gives them inspiration by learning, networking, and expanding their business to a whole new level.  It shows the immensity of the industry… 17k people there and that’s not even all the photographers in the world!  Shows how amazing everyone is.  For me, this year at WPPI helped me grow and showed me this is just one little step closer to the path to excellence.  BUT I have SUCH a long way to go.  There’s proof that the path is going to be really dark and lonely, but I hope that one day, I will be up there too.  Whether it will take 10, 15, 20 years, I will keep trying.  I gave up my full time job for something and it’s to take the path of excellence and live the extraordinary life.

Next year, my goals are:

• to work hard and have more material to submit into more competitions – this is not the very end!
• try to achieve excellence and hope to have a few more prints on the wall
• help Scott out at his bigger and better Tiny Trigger booth for next year
• learn from some amazing photographers around the world
• network
• create more buzz for our SR Community – I want to help encourage all of US to keep moving!  I want to see your print on the wall!!

LOL

Serendipity 3, with our frozen hot chocolates. Joe (Miami), Gurm & Alice (Vancouver), Me (Bay Area), Eric (Bay Area).

A BIG THANK YOU to Jeremy Chan of JeZa Photography – a good friend of mine that I met in April 2010, who helped me throughout the entire print competition process (how to print, mount, and board).  You helped me make it all happen, and I couldn’t have done it without you!!!

Thank you to my boyfriend Curtis and my wonderful parents who encourage me to keep going.

And an even bigger THANK YOU to our fabulous mentor – Scott Robert Lim, our photography father.  Thank you for everything, your support, belief in us, and undivided investment in US.  We couldn’t be luckier to have you impact our lives.  Our lives would NEVER be the same without you!