The #1 Thing I Learned from Attending ImagingUSA

Ah, January!

I am embracing the cold weather, low temps, and snowy trails. I am also embracing the idea of rest, hibernation, and staying inside. Balance is everything, isn’t it?

I’ve written in the past about January being named after the Greek god, Janus, and how it’s about looking forward to where we are going and backward from where we have been.

Currently, I am looking forward to attending ImagingUSA. ImagingUSA is the annual photography conference hosted by the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) where photographers can attend classes to improve their technical and business skills, network with peers, and meet the topnotch vendors who are set up at the trade show.

Now that you know what ImagingUSA is, allow me to share the one thing that you need to know about attending.

Over the years, I have learned that there are no strangers at ImagingUSA. Seriously. When I first attended, I was three years into building my business, and I knew I needed a community where I could ask questions and learn about so many aspects of photography, including lighting, posing, and creating work that thrilled my clients. When I went to ImagingUSA that year, I went solo, and – yet – I was never alone.

I was invited by other women to join them for dinner. I was asked and encouraged by the people I sat with in the audience to join them as they gathered in a group to walk downtown. When I had dinner on my own, people at neighboring tables engaged me in conversation, asking about favorite classes and speakers.

When I attended ImagingUSA last year, I had been with friends each day, and then one early morning, I went out with the goal of grabbing a quick selfie in front of our CPP wall. What’s that, you may be asking?  A Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) has passed a rigorous technical exam of 100 questions and submitted images to show technical proficiency as a photographer. (We also have a gold tube arrive in the mail with our certificate enclosed… because … if something is worth celebrating, it is worth celebrating well.)

But I digress…

The CPP wall is a shout-out to those who have become certified. It encourages a sense of community within our members. While I got certified the previous summer, this was my first opportunity to see my name on the wall.

I arrived, and I looked around to see if anyone was free to snap a cell phone photo. There were small groups of people huddling together and talking, and I didn’t want to interrupt. HOWEVER, one of those groups had seen me as I began to turn away.

“Excuse me,” the gentleman asked. “Do you need something? Can we help?” Both sets of eyes – his and hers – were on me now.

“If you have a minute, would you mind taking my photo?” and I pointed toward the wall where the names of Certified Professional Photographers hung.

“Did you get certified?” he asked.

“I did!” and I couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across my face.

“Congratulations,” they said in unison. But then… these two strangers did the most extraordinary thing. They jumped up, they shouted, and they cheered. Their hype blew me away.

“You’re certified!”

“Let’s get a photo!”

“Congratulations!”

We snapped photos of me pointing to my name on the wall, and then they joined me, and we all smiled and laughed and cheered.

As I said my thanks and we parted ways, my heart was full. While I may have known before that ImagingUSA was safe for solo travelers, now I knew for sure. This is the moment and the experience that taught me that there were no strangers – only friends and colleagues – at ImagingUSA.

 

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If you are a photographer who is looking for a community dedicated to education, business, and your own personal growth as an artist, join PPA today.

If you are based in North Carolina, even better! Come join us at PPNC – this hyperlocal state group offers seminars and workshops within our state. The friendships you’ll make and the skills you’ll learn will only help you to succeed and be a better photographer.