INSIGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

New At WPPI

BY ARLENE EVANS

It’s been months and months of planning and lots of meetings but now, finally, it’s show time! Of course, I couldn’t have gotten here without the help of Lavonne Hall, Moneer Masih-Tehrani, Shanna Allen, Karen Stewart, Neeta Lakhani, Michael Sauer, Jacqueline Tobin, Libby Peterson, Joe Kowalsky, Dennis Tyhacz, Dan Neri and our fearless leader, Johanna Morse. Yes, there were discussions and changes (and more changes) but like any family, we all have a common goal: to give you the best possible WPPI experience we can.

With over 40 new speakers added to the curriculum to help bring fresh energy and knowledge to the conference, I feel like I accomplished my goal. Without further ado, let’s meet some of the newest members of the WPPI family.

Larry Becker is no stranger to the photo community—he has hosted Photoshop World for years, is an official NAB Show Live anchor, runs a large video production team and coaches photographers who want to learn video. His Platform class, “Hey Photographers, Your Video Teacher is Wrong” (Feb. 26, 6:00-7:30 p.m.), will cover audio, camera settings for video, camera and light placement, communicating with your client, capturing B-roll and other strategies to help his students add the video products that their clients want. He’s also doing a Photo Walk that will be a good opportunity to capture images in motion as well as affordable audio capture options, so bring your tripod and camera!

While Alex Cearns is internationally known for her pet photography, animal philanthropy and her published books, she is also an accomplished speaker on topics including business and visual storytelling. She’ll be joining us from Australia to inspire her students with her Platform class, “Ducks in a Row Business Bootcamp: Set Your Business Up For Success” (Feb. 24, 2:30-4:00 p.m.), and will be sharing her experience with putting together a solid foundation (systems, processes, marketing, branding and social media), developing the right mindset to help you with client liaison and industry relationships, and learning from other people’s mistakes so that you save time and money.

We all know that the photography market is getting saturated, but how do you keep up with the competition? In his class “From Lookers to Bookers” (Feb. 26, 8:30-10:00 a.m.), well-known Washington, D.C., wedding photographer Chip Dizárd is going to show you how to create impactful Facebook and Instagram ads, improve your website and SEO, and how to work with vendors and other photographers to expand your business.

Also from the D.C. area is George Bucur who, in his Master class “DIY Promo Videos and Social Media Clips for Photographers” (Feb. 26, 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.), will show you how to use video for a wide range of marketing techniques that will put you far ahead of your competition. That’s especially helpful since statistics show that in 2019, Instagram video posts received 38 percent more engagement than image posts and over two times the amount of comments.

The UK’s Maggie Robinson will be joining the lineup for The Baby Summit (Feb. 23, 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.) this year and we couldn’t be happier. She specializes in family portraiture but also spends a lot of time working with other photographers and was named Professional Trainer of the Year by SWPP in 2019. She will show you how you can increase your average sale without increasing your work load by upping the number of wall art pieces you sell. You will also learn how to add value to your business whether you have been doing in-person sales before or always relied on online galleries. You will love her class, especially if you find it hard to get the confidence at the point of sale and don’t know how to show the client that your work is worth the investment.

Audrey Woulard is technically not new to WPPI, but it’s been a few years since she has spoken and we’re thrilled to have her back. Her class, “A Simplistic Approach to Impactful Imagery” (Feb. 26, 4 :00-5:30 p.m.), will help students understand who they are as people and artists, and what their style is based on that information. She’ll teach you how to maximize, manipulate and shape light no matter what the light source is with minimal tools. I could go on and on about all of the amazing new speakers you’ll have a chance to meet, in- cluding those speaking at Range- finder’s Rise + Shine, the all-day summit for emerging wedding photographers on Feb. 23, but my word count is limited! So, I’ll just leave you with a big thank you for joining us and being part of our wonderful WPPI family. Please make sure to stop and say hi if you see me running around the halls of Mandalay Bay. Enjoy the show!

Audrey Woulard is all about creating impactful imagery.

PHOTO © AUDRY WOULARD

Chip Dizárd knows how to get clients to book.

PHOTO © CHIP DIZARD

Alex Cearns, of Houndstooth Studio in Australia, is known for her pet photography and animal philanthropy.

PHOTO © ALEX CEARNS

PHOTO © SANDRA COAN

Arlene Evans is the WPPI conference producer. Previously, she was head of the photography channel at CreativeLive. Email her your feedback at arlene.evans@ emeraldexpo.com. Head over to wppiexpo.com for in-depth speaker and class information, special events and more.