Sometimes people compare their lives to a rollercoaster…you know, The Ups and Down and Twists and Turns. Kinda cliche, but I get it. I'd like to think of my life more like a washer machine. I do the same thing, but try to do it well. With every proverbial load of laundry, I'm given a chance to make things better. Without sounding too trite, to make the dirty…well, clean. Every cycle presents a new set of obstacles, but I eventually get through them.
In the Prewash Cycle, Load One of 2006, I had the coolest opportunity to attend WPPI in Las Vegas with one of the world's premiere wedding photographers, Mike Colon. He was a sponsored photographer at a plethora of platform presentations and tradeshow booths, so he asked if I could go along as an assistant. After a momentary lapse of consciousness, I readily accepted and spent my first WPPI experience in Las Vegas meeting so many people and getting entrenched in the industry. By the time the spin cycle came circling to a close, I felt incredibly blessed and didn't quite understand why I had been given this opportunity.
Until a couple days ago.
I was thinking about my experiences in the past with WPPI a couple days ago and I got an idea. And you know what happens when I get ideas. They! Are! Fun! And! Crazy!…and usually require JD to sit me down from running circles in our bedroom late at night to think things through. Soooo, here's my plan…I'd be honored to meet some of my blog readers in Las Vegas for a Pre-Dawn Shoot! Yup, I said it. A shoot…IN THE MORNING…preferably just as the sun rises. Oh yeah.
Here's the plan…
When: Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Time: 6:45am (if you plan on partying on Monday night, this shoot ain't for you!)
Where: Vegas Strip…details to come…
Cost: FREE…I've been given so much in the past, I firmly believe this is a very small way to pay it forward…
How to get a spot: Leave a comment with the name of your studio and spots will be given at random (please leave a valid email address as this will be my only form of contact). I'm so sorry, but entries will not be accepted via email. If you email me on account of the shoot, I will harpoon you…my inbox is a little crazy right now…so please forgive my belligerence! 😉
Deadline: All submissions must be in by THIS Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 12pm PST. Submissions posted after the deadline will not be considered.
Details:
*The shoot is limited to 20 people, max!
*Please do not RSVP if you're unsure of your presence in Las Vegas…this is a serious shoot and spots will be given in good faith of attendance. If you don't show up at the shoot, I'll harpoon you. And I have great aim.
*Spots are non-transferrable…meaning, you cannot RSVP and then pass your spot off to your roommate because you're hung over from partying too hard…if you'd like, you can join me somewhere on Monday night as I sip Pellegrino with a twist of orange! 😉
*You're not required to bring anything, but a camera is suggested.
If there are any of you who'd like to join me in the Prewash Cycle, Load Three 2009, I'd be honored to have you at my side as we shoot at sunrise! I'm in the process of looking for a couple to shoot, so if anyone is interested in working it for my camera, shoot JD an email (jd.star.photo@gmail.com) with a picture of you and your significant other by THIS Wednesday, February 4, 2009 at 12pm PST And, no, I won't harpoon the senders of these emails!
Hope to meet some of you soon and here are a couple shots of Lauri and Mike from my sunrise shoot last year at WPPI…
Lastly, the fabulous crew at PhotographyMentor.com invited me to do a FREE video chat THIS Thursday at 6pm PST! Oooooh, it's gonna be so much fun! We'll talk about my disdain for vanilla scented body lotion, why we let hair crimping die, and Justin Timberlake. Obviously. And I guess if you have a photography questions, we can kinda get with that too! 😉 Be sure to sign up for FREE now so you'll be ready to rock it out with me on Friday! Hollllllla!
**UPDATED TO ADD**
The shoot will end around 8am…but if you were planning on attending a morning session, feel free to leave at your convenience!
