The 2019 WPPI Photo Expo, Revisited...

The 2019 Wedding and Portrait Photographer Expo in Las Vegas is now behind us.  Two and a half days of non-stop opportunities to gain knowledge and networking with professionals and avid hobbyists is a description that could be given to summarize the event.

That would be an extremely short sighted statement that barely touches the surface of an event like this.  All of the major equipment manufacturers of cameras and lenses, as well as major vendors and accessories have large displays, live seminars, and plenty of equipment for you to hold, shoot, and experience unlike anywhere else you could imagine.

As if that is not enough, consider that you are given many opportunities to take photos of models that are there for your use.  Weddings, portraits, family portraits, wedding receptions, all set up with their own studios just for you!

And after three days of miles of aimless wandering, you might want to change shirts, they make sure you have something clean to wear by handing out at least a couple of different shirts to show your brand loyalty!

It is estimated that approximately 10,000 photographers gathered in Las Vegas this last week for this very set of reasons.  Together, they looked at gear, had their gear cleaned and inspected at no charge by manufacturer technicians, and were able to network together and discuss their craft. 

Walking tours were conducted, individual photographers ventured out into this strange new world to test their skills, and impromptu photo shoots broke out all over the Las Vegas area. I came across one while taking a morning  drive through the Red Rock Canyon, and was invited to join in.  A great group of photographers from Texas that invited their AirBNB hostess to serve as their model.

You can not imagine a more polite and enjoyable group of people in a scale of this magnitude than was found in Las Vegas.  My wife and I were both fortunate enough to have photos in an exhibition at the event, and decided that we had to make the trip.  We took in a side trip through Zak Bagans' Haunted Museum, spent an evening at the Fremont Experience, and have now returned home for a good 24 hours of sleep to try to recuperate!  

What a trip!  New friends, 1000's of new photos, and stories upon stories to tell (and many that we won't).

The next time you have an opportunity, you should really consider spending a day in such a diverse immersion of your craft.  Regardless of your experience level, you will certainly come away with a newfound drive and inspiration to grab your camera, and keep that shutter clicking!