DWF 2008

I’m blogging on location from sunny Tampa, Florida! I just completed Day 2 of a super-intensive 4 day conference of wedding photography professionals from the Digital Wedding Forum. We’ve been going non-stop since 8:30 this morning (it’s approaching midnight as I’m typing this) and we’ll be doing the same thing for the next two days.

Here’s just a few pictures from my point and shoot. My main camera is still in the shop and I wouldn’t be caught dead bringing my “lowly” back-up camera to a conference of people who have the nicest cameras on earth. I’m having serious camera envy all week and I am counting the days until my 30D is back safe in my arms. *Sniff*

Last night we had a cocktail reception, but I found some of the beverages to be somewhat overpriced, and others to be downright obscenely over-priced! 😉

One of the early sessions of the day, Marcus Bell. This was after my mentoring session with the awesome Wiebners and the uber-talented Lena Hyde .

Later in the day we had a luncheon and enjoyed a few moments from the incredible Dennis Reggie (he shot many a celebrity wedding, including the iconic John F. Kennedy Jr./Carolyn Besette wedding)

Later in the day, we had the “Wedding From Hell” with the DWFers participating as either the wacky cast, the photographers, or the audience in the world’s most dysfunctional wedding/learning experience. The hotel guests must have thought they walked in on the most bizarre wedding ceremony of the century…

Jen Bebb, one of the awesome photographers with the awful job of photographing this crazy mess.

My mentor from the session earlier in the day, Joel Wiebner, played the role of the ultimate “Uncle Bob”, with Susan Stripling.

The mis-matched “newlyweds” (she’s probably 6’1″, he’s maybe 5’4″)

The night ended with a kick-butt session with the incomperable (and hilarious!) Jerry Ghionis, who demonstrated a live shoot under less-than-optimal conditions.

I was also thrilled to see my favorite photographer, mentor, and friend, Laura Novak, who is down here working her butt off at the DWF convention, the PPA convention, and the WHCC tradeshow booth, as well as her own Strategy Avenue. Check her out – she rocks! (plus you might recognize me in two spots on her wedding portfolio website – wink wink!)