Parker A Grimes Photography

I’m writing down my thoughts on PhotoCamp Utah while they are still fresh on my mind. This is the second year they have held it and the first year I have attended. It was an incredible event. Zack Arias reported that Utah has one of the most active and open photography communities he has seen. Scott Bourne of Photofocus.com has also commented on the Utah photographer community. I feel fortunate to live in Utah, I just wish it wasn’t a 4 hour drive to get to the events they hold. PhotoCamp Utah was attended by 300+ photographers and there were another 400 on a waiting list. The tickets for the event sold out in 6 hours. I heard about it via Twitter and bought a ticket when there were only about 20 left. I’m so glad I did.

The highlight of the day was the keynote by Zack Arias. He absolutely knocked it out of the park and he deserved the standing ovation that he got at the end. The keynote, and other presentations, were recorded and can be watched online right now. Definitely worth checking out, especially Zack’s presentation.

More than anything, the greatest thing about the event was just rubbing shoulders with other photographers. I enjoyed talking to everyone that sat next to me. I got to see the Jarvie Window in action and even got to experience it for myself. As soon as he uploads them I’ll grab mine and share it. I’m curious to see how it turned out.

Jarvie Window in action.

I hadn’t planned on attending the Business Planning session, but I’m glad I did. Zack Arias made a surprise appearance. The session was really great. More than anything, it was a great validation for me. It is good to know I’ve been doing things right. Accounting, business insurance, business license, and taxes were all topics covered.

Zack Arias makes a surprise appearance on the Business Plan Pannel session.

The print display was really cool. It was fun to see the prints. There was some really great work on display. I waited until it was too late to order my print and I wish I hadn’t been so lazy.

Print display.

Several things Zack said really hit home with me. He ended his keynote by picking up his camera and saying, “if at any time, this thing, this stupid piece of plastic, gets in the way of my family I have to give this up…” I am impressed with his love and respect for family. I highly admire that. The other thing that hit home for me was his description of a photo he took that changed him. He described it as a series of tumblers going off inside of him. They all lined up and something clicked. I had an experience like that too with a photo I took about 8 years ago. It was the beginning of my interest in photography and it took 7 more years before I decided to start doing photography professionally.

Zack's photo that set off a series of tumblers inside him.

So, overall I was happy that I made the four hour (one way, 8 total) trip. The event also inspired me to get more serious about organizing a photographer community here in Cedar City. I’m looking forward to it.

I’m really looking forward to attending PhotoCamp Utah this year. It is only their second year (I didn’t go last year) and they seem to be putting together a really great event. I can’t wait. One of the keynote speakers will be Zack Arias. I don’t mean to sound like a fan-boy, but seriously, I really admire him for a number of reasons. First, his photos are killer, some of the best lighting I’ve seen. I would love to attend one of his OneLight workshops. Second, he seems to be really down to earth. He had humble beginnings as a photographer, this is his second go at it, and he has just gradually built his business into something a lot of folks really look up to. Third, he gives fantastic advice. Anybody that is thinking about becoming a photographer (especially for pay), or wants to improve their craft should watch his critiques. There are 12 episodes about an hour each and you will learn immensely. I could name a bunch more, but just go check him out if you haven’t already.

There are a couple of groups in Northern Utah that I am quite envious of, specifically the Photowalking Utah group and the Utah Strobist group. Both hold events regularly and I would have loved to attend every single one of them if it weren’t a 4 hour drive just to get there. There are a few of us photographers in Cedar City that have toyed with the idea of starting our own group. It would be small. We just don’t have the population to pull in groups like they do up there, but it would still be fun.

PhotoCamp Utah is this Saturday. I hope to meet some new people and enjoy a day full of photography goodness. I’ll also report back here on the blog how it goes.