Marty Sikes, M. Photog. Cr. CPP-API President, SWPPA

Remember When?

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you here this question?  There are so many things that come to my mind, and I am sure for each of you too.

I remember going to my first photography conventions.  It was an exciting time for a young college student to be around all those veteran shooters!  I remember listening to them as they would tell stories of how it used to be.  I remember the stories of having to carry the glass plates and then the sheet film and on to roll film. 

I remember my mentor, Offie Lites, telling me of how they used flash powder to shoot group pictures because the flash bulbs didn’t put out enough light.  I can’t remember how many times I would have  him tell the story where they were shooting a group picture in an old tavern and when the flash powder went off it set the wall papered ceiling on fire and burned half the building down.  I never ask him how the group shot turned out!

I love to visit with the ‘old timers’ at the conventions because they have so much to share, and if you will take time to visit with them you can ask them about the changes they have seen in photography since they started.  We all have the ’old timers’ in our associations—why not take a few minutes and let them tell you a few stories?

One thing I am quickly learning is that I have become one of the ‘old timers’.  You see you don’t have to be a certain age to fit into this category; you’ve just been in photography for a long time!  Nowadays if you have been in photography for ten or more years you may be considered ‘old school’ to these newbies.

I opened my studio September 1, 1984.  I had been shooting weddings for five years before I opened my studio and had a love for photography for several years before that.  Some of you can relate, as you got started the same way.

I remember when you shot your wedding and then had to wait a week or so to get the proofs back so you could see how they turned out.  In the early days that was nerve-racking, and then as you got more confident with your photography skills the worries seemed to fade away.

I remember when we had to print 4 x 5 proofs of everything we shot—whether their eyes were closed or not, we still had to print all the proofs.  We used to use Art Leather albums just to show proofs!  We really had to invest a lot of money just to show the bride the proofs and hope they ordered well.

Most photographers, especially in the south, were not shooting but 150-200 images because we knew every time we pulled the trigger it was going to cost us $1.25!!!  Boy, have times changed!  I know photographers now that shoot 1,500-2,000+ images at a wedding!  Photographers wouldn’t be able to afford to shoot weddings if we had to print proofs of all we shoot today.

Digital photography has changed our world!  Just like when color film came in, some photographers resisted the change.  Said it was a fad and it wouldn’t last.  Well, it lasted and those who resisted went out of business.  I was one of those who resisted the change when digital hit the market.  I had made a good living shooting portraits and weddings on film.  Heck, I had earned my Master’s degree shooting film and I didn’t see any reason to let my quality go down.

I was scared of the change at first, just like the ‘old timers’ were scared of the change to color.  It meant doing things in a different way, which meant a lot more continuing education for me!  I wasn’t scared of the shooting; it was the learning of Photoshop that blew my little finite mind.  I just couldn’t see pushing a potato around trying to clone good skin to cover pimples.

Well, that was one of the reasons, but the biggest reason was that I was afraid the computer training would be more than I could tackle.  What did I do?  I went to Texas School and to programs at SWPPA and APPA and at every other convention I was speaking and judging to see what the top guns were doing.  Once I decided to take the plunge it was ‘Katy bar the door’!

That’s the really cool thing about our associations.  We have some of the most talented photographers in the world right here in the Southwest, and they are all willing to share what they know to help our industry continue to excel.  The guy down the street may not help you since you are a direct competitor but there are always photographers who will, so don’t be afraid to ask!

As far as going to conventions, well, we have six great states in our district and they all have their own conventions.  It’s a great way to get to know the ‘old timers’ and the newbies in your state, share ideas and have some great fellowship.  You can enter print competition at your state and pick the best images to enter at the best regional / district in the world, the Southwest Professional Photographers.

Talk about making memories, making friends, having a great time, and learning from the best of the best—that all takes place September 17-22, 2010 in Arlington, Texas.  It’s like an extended family and we have a family reunion every year!

As a member of your state association in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, or Arizona you are automatically a member of the Southwest Professional Photographer’s Association.  You can attend the convention free!  That’s right; you don’t have to pay registration to come!  So if you haven’t marked your calendar already for September 17-22, 2010 you need to do it right now.

I want to hear some of your “Remember When” stories this year, next year, and ten years down the road.  I know I have a lot of great memories that I made with my friends from all of these great states that make up the SWPPA.

I remember the time when Dwayne Horton danced on the table at Joe’s Crab Shack, when Emile Navarre dressed up like Elvis, singing along with Don Hayden to a song he wrote when he was president of Oklahoma, and Kathy Meek chasing me around the ballroom at a costume party—that’s a long story but a good one.

I have had other photographers tell me they remember me sleeping standing up when I was Gary Meek’s convention chairman—boy was I worn out!  I can still see the look on Marty Burlsworth’s face as he was trying to do pranks and they backfired in his face, being there when so many friends got their first merits, and watching Tom McDonald have an entire room set-up changed to suit his plans only to find out he was in the wrong room.

We are going to make some more great memories at this year’s SWPPA convention!  We have the greatest talent in the world coming to share their trade secrets with you, and it’s all free!  We have an all-convention social planned for Sunday night with a dessert buffet and the hilarious comedy of Taylor Mason.

You can’t buy this kind of fun, but you can experience it with the rest of us in Arlington this September.  Come on and make some great memories at SWPPA!