Throwback Thursday: Back to WPPI 2004

by Skip Cohen

I'm back to 19 years ago at WPPI, thanks to one more batch of photographs from Alan Karlin. The top image is from print judging, one of the convention's greatest assets. Years ago, I entered one of my own images in print competition and went into watch the judging. I was still with Hasselblad then and wanted to understand what the event was all about. I stayed in print judging for hours, completely enthralled by the process and what I learned.

Each category had a panel of five judges, all experts within that specialty. As each print went up for review, the judges would comment. It became one of my favorite events at WPPI because there was so much you could learn about composition, posing, lighting, and even printing.

And that's Michele Celentano below in 2004. One of the most respected educators in portraiture - if she's teaching a class or speaking in a booth on the trade show floor, run, don't walk to grab a seat. You'll never be disappointed.

Last but certainly not least - David Anthony Williams got the Lifetime Achievement award that year. Besides being a WPPI icon for so many years, nobody's more genuine than David. He was caught completely off guard, and the emotions just flowed. 

These grab shots may be from 19 years ago, but the fun of Throwback Thursday is in the memories they bring back. As things slowly get back to normal, if you've got a convention, conference, or even a workshop coming up in your area, make it a point to be there. It's not just about what you might learn, but being together with other artists and creating new memories.

​Remember - today's grab shots are tomorrow's throwbacks!

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