I was on Facebook today and noticed that all my photography friends are heading over to Las Vegas to attend the annual photographers pilgrimage (or spring break?) Wedding Portrait Photographers International  2012. I read their status updates with a little bit of envy and sadness, but also a sense of freedom as well. Having attended over five awesome WPPI conferences, I feel a little old and somewhat tired of the scene. I’ve met a ton of friends, soaked in everything photography and learned so much over the years. But after each conference, I’d come home from Las Vegas feeling overwhelmed  yet invigorated and infused with new ideas to take my art and business to greater heights.

This year, I made a conscious decision to step back from WPPI. I’m pursuing over educational opportunities instead but still wonder what I might be missing. In a lot of ways, I’m still swimming in five years of WPPI information overload.  (*I will miss the parties though. Hehe.) 

One of the most influential WPPI talks I attended was that of Jesh de Rox a few years back, when he introduced me to the concept of Beloved Photography. It was a platform talk of such magnitude and power that people in photography circles still talk about it. Audio recordings of it have been uploaded and spread on the internet. And many years later, people joke about the growing “cult of Jesh.” I believe it’s one of those cases where you have HAD to be there to truly understand. We laughed and cried as an audience. It was an experience I will never forget.

So what is this blog post about anyway? Is it about WPPI or Beloved Photography?

A little bit of both. The way my mind works is a little funny. I start off with one topic and end up jumping around in my manic brain. I credit serendipity as it was a random platform class I attended, which I had no idea what have such a big impact on where I am and who I am today. This year, I am making great moves to reform my photographic art and business towards Beloved Photography. And I would have never discovered the concept of Beloved if not for WPPI. So thank you, WPPI for all the great learning experiences. Have fun, my dear friends — I know that you are studying hard and partying hard in Vegas! Maybe I’ll see you next year.

So in the tradition of a good Simpsons episode, I start off with something totally unrelated, to  end  with something off-tangent. Here’s a link to my latest proud moment, being featured on the University of California at Berkeley’s Greater Good: The Science of A Meaningful Life website. I constantly talk about Beloved to clients, neighbors and friends but this is my first public “outing” so to speak. While I may be busy with all types of photographic endeavors — in the background, I am thinking and living Beloved.  I am preparing a relaunch of my website, some great new multimedia service offerings and hopefully, a studio open house in the summer. The feature on the GG website is my first real introduction to the world about what I want to do and where I want my art and life to take me. It’s taking awhile for me to get there, but I will.

Auey