I’m back from Vegas and sick!

Well, I was going to post while in Vegas, but we were crazy busy.

I was going to post when I got home from Vegas, but I was worn out.

I was going to post a couple days after I got back from Vegas, but then I got sick.  Real sick.  And I’ve spent the last week and a half laid out!  I developed a bad case of bronchitis, and the pregnancy has lowered my immune system so it hit me hard.  I’m just now feeling up to getting out and about, so I apologize for not updating sooner!  I have a couple things to post tonight, to make up for it!

First, the Vegas Recap!  The WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographer’s International) annual convention is one of the largest in the photography industry.  With over 11,000 photographers from around the world attending this year, it was their biggest yet!  It is held at Ballys/Paris, one of my favorite places in Vegas.  We stayed in Paris this year, and it was beautiful, as always!

Devan, who is a good friend of mine and will be second shooting with me this year for weddings, went with me this year, and we had a great time!  Sunday, we flew in early, but due to a delay leaving Moline, and a very, very short layover in Denver, our bags didn’t quite make it!  They fortunately made it late in the evening!  That night, we went to the opening reception, and then to Young Guns, a first time this year, featuring 10 of the hottest young photographers in the industry.  My dear friends Jose Villa and Jesh deRox were both featured, and we had to cheer them on!  I met up with a bunch of friends from the Mexico trip.

A few shots from Sunday  (these first few are with my crappy point and shoot camera, so no laughing at the quality!)

Devan and me (don’t we look great, considering the super early morning and flight issues?)

My dear friend, Lori, from Seattle

Me and the beautiful and talented Simone Germaine

Dennis Orchard and me – Dennis is an amazing friend, award-winning photographer, and is also a speaker and print judge for WPPI

My friend Jose Villa, speaking during Young Guns

And Jesh, who also spoke, writing in his infamous journal

 Me and my friends!  Laci, Lori, Jose, Jen, me, Joel, Erin, and Erin’s friend

Monday and Tuesday were filled with speakers, the trade show, and just having fun with our friends!  Seeing some of the most successful ‘togs speak is so incredibly inspiring, and it brought me home full of ideas and fun things to do for my clients!

We managed to be the first in line for the trade show.  Look at this crowd!  I have no idea who the smiling man is, I just held up my point & shoot and snapped, but he’s perfect!  A smiling face in the middle of madness!  This was moments before they opened the doors to let us in, and the crowd stretched down all the halls of Paris!

The very first booth we stopped at was the Shootsac booth.  If you are a photographer and haven’t heard of the Shootsac, you must be living under a rock!  I bought mine at WPPI last year, when it was debuted, and we had to go this year so I could get new flaps, and so Devan could get one for herself.  Here are Devan and I with Jessica Claire, the beautiful and talented photographer that created the Shootsac.

We then had to stop at the KISS booth.  These guys make amazing wedding albums, some of the hottest and best out there!  I’m proud to offer these incredible albums to my clients!  I love the “Kissing Booth”, we had a lot of fun with the props!

Monday night was the Champagne Shootout.  Despite the name, there is no champagne.  Instead, they give us ice cream!  Everyone that knows me, knows that ice cream is my weakness.  So, these guys were my favorites ever!

I’ll post another one in just a bit with shots from my 5D!.