Fade up from black:
The scene: a Las Vegas hotel in the spring, a chill in the desert air. Inside, it’s warm and bustling, reciprocal energy—not created or destroyed—bounding between professional photographers born and working in countries near and far. The setting: A convention so grand and ambitious, so impressive in its energy and dynamics that it’s been 30 years in the making. People have come in droves with cameras in tow to see the imaging icons of our time; to go in the direction toward becoming icons themselves. They’ve come to the 2010 WPPI Convention and Trade Show.

The stars are numerous and all deserve top billing. Like Gregory Heisler, Canon’s March 7th keynote speaker and photographer of over 70 Time magazine covers (pg. 12). And the “I.C.E. man,” Australia’s Jerry Ghionis, whose instructional website, www.theicesociety.com, draws a worldwide audience and whose convention program will pack a room of 1800 (pg. 54). Then there are men quieter, but no less effective, like Eddie Tapp—who sees a type of light manipulated through Photoshop that will render your images anew (pg. 150). Oh, and the women of photography! Those like Jasmine Star, a boutique wedding photographer with business savvy and infectious passion that demands we all “stay fabulous!” (pg. 114). Kay Eskridge has much to impart, including a new method for bringing groups of women into your studio for boudoir sessions, and having them return time and time again (pg. 136). Sam Puc´, founder of the nonprofit Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, photographs children in sessions spanning their first year—and the tips she has for soothing babes into sleep are unconventionally impressive (pg. 144). There’s the powerful duos, too, like Dave and Quin Cheung who firmly believe that love reigns supreme when it comes to capturing weddings (pg. 62). With a 60-year career in portraiture, William McIntosh teams up with his daughter Leslie to blend portrait styles of yesterday and today (pg. 82).

Outside of these classrooms, under the green glow of the MGM lights, there’s Canon’s Sunday Welcome Party; a Monday evening cocktail party held beside the hotel’s multiple swimming pools; a Kodak evening event on Tuesday; and Wednesday, an Awards Night finale hosted by veteran stage lovers Bambi Cantrell and Jim Garner. Imagine, all this, coming soon to a venue near you. Get those tickets and popcorn ready. The show is on its way!

Abigail Ronck, Managing Editor