The WPPI convention and expo has become an annual pilgrimage for 16,000 photographers who descend upon MGM in Las Vegas to learn, network, and experience the latest and greatest trade-show gadgets. Aspiring photographers can rub elbows with the who’s who of the photography world and even seasoned pros pick up a tip or two from the new generation. The instructors are world class and cover a variety of topics ranging from technical to business. I’ve been home for a few days now but my brain is still chalk full of new ideas that will help better serve our couples.

What happens in Vegas usually stays in Vegas but this story is too random to keep quiet. After dinner my friends and I (names have been redacted to protect the innocent) were passing through Cosmopolitan when a bridesmaid shouted across the lobby urgently needing somebody, anybody, to fill the wedding chapel seats. We looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and diligently obeyed. I chuckled that I was a wedding photographer and was promptly handed an iPhone and asked to shoot the wedding. The ceremony was not quite what we might expect in the Midwest and was full of Las Vegas idiosyncrasies. It was one of those experiences that we will laugh at years from now over a drink but at the time we were all wondering “What the heck is going on?!” The next time a bride asks if I’ve ever shot an “iPhone Wedding” I can confidently and truthfully say, “YES!”