WPPI 1999 - A Photography Throwback

by Skip Cohen

While I might have shared this throwback many years ago, it's fun when a throwback becomes shareable again! Also, remember, the joy of Throwback Thursday is in the hunt for old memories.

Going back to 1999, Don Blair and I published a book together, Don Blair's Guide to Posing and Lighting Body Parts. It was a year in the making and introduced as the opening night program at WPPI that year. It's one of my most fun memories.

We had shot all the images in the book in Las Vegas, so we could use the same models for a program at WPPI when the book was delivered. The room was packed, and we kicked it off with some fun - we stole "Big Daddy's" red hat, claiming that without it on his head, he didn't know an fstop from a bus stop! Brought in under top-notch security, the cap was delivered. We kicked off the program with one more surprise. Everyone in the first few rows of the room put on a matching red hat! We'd purchased a hundred of them!

Sadly, so many of you never knew Don Blair, but you do know the legacy he left us - it's all about quality, kindness, support, and a passion for the craft.  I miss him, but at the same time, I've got a heart and head full of outrageous memories...probably enough to do another book.

Here's one more story...during the program above, at one point, Don was supposed to demonstrate hand posing. I sent up the model and was furious when he didn't follow the script. Instead, he switched and posed a tall groom with a short bride. I was hard-wired to the video guy, and while the audience didn't hear me, the videographer listened to a long list of f-bombs mumbled under my breath.

Well, a minute later, I was mortified - I had sent him the wrong model for hand-posing!  The bride I sent up had lost two fingers on one hand as a kid! Definitely not an ideal model for hand-posing. Right up until a couple of weeks before he passed away, Don was still busting my cookies about sending him the wrong model! And we laughed every time the topic came up.

If you haven't gone off in search of your own memory-making moment from the past - take a break. Those looks in your rearview mirror help justify why you're working so hard today. Plus, they're a reminder of the daily role imaging plays in our lives!

And to Big Daddy - sure do miss you pal. I learned so much from you over the years as did thousands of artists in the industry who continue to hand down what you taught them!

Happy Throwback Thursday!