Rise + Shine for the First Time

When Charlotte, North Carolina, wedding photographer Scott Stockton was asked to be a panelist on Rf editor-in-chief Jacqueline Tobin’s “From The Ground Up—How I Built My Business” panel at WPPI (as part of the magazine’s Rise + Shine program, geared to wedding photographers in the first five years of business), it was his very first time attending the show. He also had to wake up early to make the 8 a.m. session start time. But he didn’t seem to mind.         

“I’ve been a photographer for the past five years, three of which have been shooting weddings,” he explains. “Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been addicted to romance and romantic comedies. I was watching anything and everything that had Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in it. This has continued on through today, and I am currently addicted to The Hallmark Channel. 

“While this was my first year at WPPI, I have been following along with the event in the past through YouTube videos, social media  and Rangefinder magazine,” says Stockton. “I will not only be going again next year, but all the years to follow. There’s so much to see and learn, and I met so many photographers that I follow on Instagram and look up to. To be able to engage with them and talk shop was something special that I could’ve only gotten while attending in person.”

Stockton says that while he still works a “regular job” too, he does have 25 weddings scheduled for 2019. “I have to be very calculated with the moves I make with my photography business. My ultimate goal is to grow it to the point where I can tell the 9-5 job to kick rocks. Honestly, I’m very close to that point.”

And after attending classes at WPPI, including his favorites by Trevor Dayley (“Mastering Lighting”), Vanessa Joy (“Speed Posing”) and Justin and Mary Marantz (“Lighting on the Fly”), Stockton advises that if, like him, you are serious about making the leap to shooting weddings full time, put it all down on paper. “How many shoots do you have? How much are you charging for them? What are your expenses? Write it all down! It’s vital to have these metrics in front of you to get a full picture of how long it will take to go full time. My wife and I have been using Excel, Quick Books and Honey Book for the past three years to track everything. Numbers don’t lie, so put yours on paper, make a proper plan to obtain your dreams, and then put the education behind it at WPPI.”                                

—Jacqueline Tobin

Gifts and Proposals

Having taught fellow pro photographers for almost 20 years, there are many familiar faces that I recognize year after year at my seminars—like Amber Henry, who can be frequently found in the front row of my presentation and is always smiling. Her long-time partner, Chuck Spencer, contacted us several months ago to say that he was planning on proposing and wanted to know if he could somehow make that special moment happen during my Platform class at WPPI; he knew it would mean the world to her. My plan was to find the perfect moment during my class to invite them on stage and give Chuck the opportunity to propose. We all kept it a secret for nine long months. Then, in front of hundreds of people, Amber was on stage watching Chuck get down on one knee and say those four magic words: “Will you marry me?” It was a privilege to be part of the entire stealth operation. As a wedding gift, I told them I would photograph their wedding and that Melissa (since she is a licensed celebrant) would be honored to perform the ceremony.

Later in the week, at the pre-awards cocktail party, Melissa met a sweet couple sitting at a neighboring table named Sophie and Phil (above). Within 10 seconds of meeting them, I fell in love and knew I wanted to do something for them as well. Sophie said she was an avid student of mine for over 8 years, and that she and Phil were getting married next year. While I was on stage receiving my Double Grand Master designation, I invited Sophie and Phil to come up. Even though we had just met, I told Sophie it would be my honor to photograph their wedding next year as a gift. Her priceless reaction was all the payment I needed. This is what WPPI is all about. I have been attending for 16 years and it has changed my life, and so many others’ lives, in so many ways.

—Jerry Ghionis

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#whyiWPPI with Jerry Ghionis