so last week i had the opportunity to attend the Pictage Partner Conference in Los Angeles. and to no surprise, i am still reeling from the experience and on a sort of creative high. ideas are swarming around my head and i am enthusiastic about the days, weeks, months and perhaps years ahead in the wedding photography industry. what struck me most during the conference was the high concentration of incredibly talented and truly wonderful people. i was all about the networking, the chit-chatting, the business-card-collecting. i met some amazing people and am excited about fostering and deepening relationships with them.

some blog love:

dane sanders. dane was my leadership professor when i was a freshman at westmont. i remember hearing that he was a wedding photographer as well, and soon found myself on his website, inspired, excited and intrigued. i wanted to see what that was all about. this wedding photography gig. one conversation with dane stands out in my mind when he shared with me his vision and heart for photography. i dreamt of someday do the very thing dane was doing. but was scared. unsure if i was ready. afraid of failing, of falling short. dane challenged me to commit to it fully. but i couldn’t bring myself to do it. i tip-toed, dabbled and experimented. started a blog and bought his back up camera off him. only to fall in love with photography and realized that i wanted to pursue photography seriously. it took me a while, but finally mustered up the courage to become legit. dane inspired, encouraged, and prompted it all. i am blessed by him and honored to be his former (and current) student. i am reading his newly released book Fast Track Photographer, and am loving it. AND i am proud of him for sharing his gift with the industry and so excited that he is teaching. he is gifted people. read his book.

gabriel and carly. i met this awesome couple at lunch on the first day. i recognized them from Jasmine Star’s blog, she was their wedding photographer. they are a absolute delight and i am so pleased to have meet them. their work work is inspiring, authentic and unique. and gabriel loves to snowboard. yay, for new friends.

whitney and peter are a super couple from nashville tennessee. they are so cool. we hung out the whole time. good times. and their work is amazing to boot.

david manning is a san diego based wedding photographer who is awesome and such a genuine, encouraging, and inspiring guy. he is the real deal. so happy to have met his dude! woo.

and of course, there is mike colon. this guy is awesome. i chatted with him after the Thirst Relief presentation, and we discovered we both have any affinity for snowboarding and surfing. mike is one of the world’s best photographers and i can’t believe i not only got to hear him speak but also got a chance to converse with him one-on-one. only at partnercon. mike is a genuine and humble man of God and is passionate about serving Christ in everything he does. seriously, what a treat to meet him.

my friends from santa barbara, Chris and Katie Humphrey’s, were speakers at the conference and it was so fun to see and hang out with them. i adore this dynamic duo and have learned so much from them. thanks chris and katie for always supporting me. 🙂 love you guys.

yay for partner-con and for new friends. thanks everyone for the inspiration and love. ‘preciate it.