Photography Throwback - 2011?

Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress,
and working together is success.
Henry Ford

by Skip Cohen

I left WPPI in April 2009 and started my own company. In 2011 Scott Bourne and I had an idea to create a more proactive photography association, the PWSPI (Professional Wedding and Studio Photographers International.) At WPPI in 2011, we held a private dinner at Wolfgang Puck's for a special group of people who were our sounding board for the idea: no business, just fun, and a big thanks for their help.

The challenge of creating a new association had several issues that we were working on when PMA (Photographic Manufacturers Association) decided they wanted control of the concept. We were just getting started when they challenged the idea and eventually took it over, then shut it down and refunding any member's dues that had previously been paid.

My point isn't about the concept but our friends' importance in this industry. To Henry Ford's quote above - while PWSPI wasn't a success, I've been involved in dozens of projects over the years with at least eight of the photographers who joined us that night. I know it sounds sappy, but we watch each other's backs. We really do get by with a little help from our friends.

The fun of Throwback Thursday is always in the memories old photographs and videos bring back. So, take a break today and find the time to look for an old group shot from any past workshop, convention, or conference. Then reflect and enjoy the relationships with the people in that photograph. They're all part of your network, and their feedback is essential to your success.
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