PartnerCon

I'm quite honored and humbled to be asked to speak at this year's Pictage Partner Conference to be held in Los Angeles September 9th and 10th. Most of you photographers are probably quite familiar with what this is, but for those of you who aren't, PartnerCon is an annual conference held by Pictage where many of the worlds best portrait and weddings photographers come for education and creative fellowship. It's called Partner Conference, as most of the attendees work directly with Pictage who provides our online hosting and printing services, among other things.

My presentation will address the importance of photographers developing their personal work. I'll talk a little about how to continue to explore our own photographic visions, and how to work that in to your portrait and wedding business. My goal is to make things both informative and inspirational.

If you're planning on attending PartnerCon and would like to know a little bit more about what I'll be discussing, feel free to drop me an email. I'll be happy to tell you more of the specifics. You can see the complete schedule of presenters HERE.

In the next few weeks I'll be adding a little more information about this. For those of you attending, I'm really looking forward to meeting all of you. It should be a fun and inspiring two days.

Take care and keep exploring.

~wj

OSP NOLA

Part of my trip last week was spent in New Orleans. I met several other photographers in the French Quarter and we spent three days listening to great speakers and roaming the streets. We had several great models assisting us, and boy were they ever patient with us! I can't imagine how tough it must be to model in the first place, much less in the middle of Bourbon Street with 10 photographers yelling different directions at you. Thanks to all of our models for all of their hard work.

On Monday night we had a night shoot in the French Quarter, and Tuesday we went across the river to a cemetery in Algiers. Here are a few images from those shoots.

Harry Potter. . . perhaps?

Well, actually this is my nephew Wayne. For the last week I've been on a whirlwind tour through south Mississippi, culminating with a three-day stay in New Orleans for some workshops, client meetings, and "brain-picking" along with several other great photographers. (I'll post more about all that very soon)

So on my way back north, as I slowly head home (I'll be back on Sunday after a few more appointments and meetings) I stopped today in McComb for a portrait session (the Sanders. . . .more to come) and a chance to spend some time with my sister and her family. Nights like this are one of the benefits to my job, and I am grateful for them.

My nephew Wayne is one of the most intense, most brilliant children I know. He is 10, carries a book with him everywhere (and I mean everywhere), and has written more stories in his 10 years than I'll write in a lifetime. He is his father's child (brother-in-law Charles is a brilliant writer himself).

Tonight, he was reading away and I couldn't resist snapping a few photos before he went to bed.

Delta Arts Alliance

The Delta Arts Alliance is one of the most exciting new things to happen in the Delta in a long time. After years of hard work, patience, and faith in the mission, it looks like this project is off the ground for good. The renovation of the old Ellis Theater in Cleveland is well underway, and even without a strong home base, this group has worked tirelessly to provide art education in over 20 our public schools. The state cut funding for arts education a few years back, and if it weren't for the work of groups such as the Delta Arts Alliance, the youth of the Delta would nt have such a valuable part of education.