Inspired Photo Blog

Last year, I attended my first photography convention in Las Vegas. In just a few hours, I’ll be leaving for my second convention experience. Is everything sexier in Las Vegas? From this ad for the Paris Hotel, one would think so and they wouldn’t be wrong. It’s an adult playground and when it comes to conventions, they really know how to Super Size. By the way, if you like this Paris Cake Topper, you can buy your very own at the Paris Hotel’s web site.

Imagine a city filled with photographers from all over the world. Some of the very best in the world, all coming together to share their knowledge, network, make new friends and have a lot of fun. The convention runs non-stop from morning to late in the evening, but the best part of the experience is the informal sharing of knowledge at the bar after classes. Photographers saddle up and introduce themselves to each other and next thing you know, they’re off and running with cameras in hand. If they can’t find anyone, then they start shooting each other. Everyone is grinning from ear to ear because what happens in Vegas never stays in Vegas.

There is a trade show that coincides with the two photography conventions being hosted in Las Vegas and it’s a mind boggling array of booths and high tech overload. This is where you can get hands on with the latest wedding albums, products and camera equipment. It’s such a huge show, as only Vegas can do it, that many photographers fly in just to attend the trade show.

Last year, the seminars I attended had a profound impact on my style of shooting and my approach to wedding photography. I know this year will be just as influential. It’s amazing to have this kind of access to these masters of photography. Everything from urban wedding photography to cinematic weddings, Photoshop classes, lighting classes and a live wedding shoot in the desert by two of the most highly acclaimed wedding photographers, followed by a barbecue. The best part of all is that everyone hangs out together for an entire week and I’d say more is learned outside the seminars than anywhere else.

Five of my friends from Portland are coming this year to Vegas. We’re already a family, but when we’re in Vegas it’s even better. All week long we’ve been working around the clock catching up on post production work, answering emails, clearing the calendar and returning phone calls. From the phone calls I made this afternoon, it’s obvious that we are all in a high state of excitement and anticipation. It’s all we talk about for months after the convention, you’d think we had pathetic lives. My wife commented that she wanted to come next year and while it sounds good when you hear us talking about it month after month, the reality is we sit around for hours and talk about photography and lighting, worse than any geek. She smiled and nodded that all so knowing nod and said…”You’re right…never mind”.

Upon my return, there will be a flurry of blogging activity. Not only a report with photos from the convention, but no less than 10 new posts of engagement sessions, a wedding (including my father’s wedding) and some of the commercial work I’ve been doing the past few months. Until then…Viva Las Vegas!

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For months I have been anticipating the release of the movie 300. As stunning and visually inspiring as the trailers are, for some reason, my wife was not as anxious as I to see this movie. Fortunately, my friend James was up for a screening and I decided the only place to experience this movie was at Cinetopia Theater, a new state of the art digital theater right here in Vancouver that I’ve been wanting to visit for a long time. Be sure to visit their site and read about this incredible theater, which will save me from boring you with all the geek stuff.

A long time ago James told me that every “first” in his life was marked by a special memory. I’ve carried that forward into my own life as well. I wanted my first experience in this perfect viewing environment to be memorable. Sharing this movie with a dear friend… is a first I will not soon forget. Amazing and jaw dropping are the only words that readily come to mind.

The movie 300 is an operatic treatment of the battle of Thermopylae, visually based on the historically inspired graphic novel by Frank Miller. Film critic for the Arizona Daily Star, Phil Villarreal, reviewed 300 as a monumental masterpiece. Honestly, there isn’t much more I can add to his review.

I was completely drawn into the archetypal story of the Spartans. Some might argue that there wasn’t much plot, but I would simply call this movie visceral. It’s a story of duty and honor and passion. I had the same feeling from watching this movie that I’ve had when watching any of the Star Trek or Star Wars movies. Visually stunning, perfectly composed compositions, the camera draws you into another world. This movie is everything a movie is supposed to be and it sticks with you for days.

Movies inspire me. Watching how they visually tell a story, how they compose the frames and how it’s all lit and put together. And they can never turn the camera vertically. Every frame is composed horizontally. I’ve often wondered if I could photograph an entire wedding horizontally and solve the creative challenges of space, light and form as they do in the movies.

This movie will makes it’s way into my eclectic collection of movies when it’s released on DVD. In the meantime, I may have to journey to the east side of Vancouver one more time to revel in this graphic story of passion. I’m sure there are women who will enjoy this movie, but it was hard to find one at the screening I attended. That’s alright with me. It’s nice to take a break from romantic comedies, suspenseful dramas and go right for the jugular.

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