WPPI Speaker Spotlight: Yervant

It’s no surprise that there are some big changes this year at WPPI, most notably the new venue (the Las Vegas Convention Center) and expanded show floor. But that’s not all that’s new—attendees looking at the presentation lineup will see that it is packed with new speakers from across the globe, all ready and willing to share their unique perspectives and expertise. Here, we interviewed legend Yervant—who’s back after taking some time off—to learn more about his upcoming PLUS classes.

Yervant 
PLUS Class: Taking Low Light Photography to a Whole New Platform 
February 7, 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

PLUS Class: Lights off! Low light and High ISO, February 9, 3 p.m-4:30 p.m.

What can attendees look forward to most about your presentations?
Y:  Many educators teach lighting techniques, but each one of us has our own particular way of using those techniques. In addition to helping attendees find the magic in low light and going through the tools I use to render light, my audience will see a huge repertoire of my most recent works that show the results of my numerous techniques in this particular subject.

When did you last speak at WPPI? What are you most excited about at this year’s show?
Y: I used to be a regular presenter at WPPI for many years but, over the last few years, I had to decline the invitation due to high demands at my studio in Melbourne. I have a very busy studio where clients book services at least 12 to 18 months ahead, and I had to give the clients priority.  My last WPPI platform presentation was in 2015. I love catching up with friends at WPPI and, of course, seeing what other amazing artists are doing from around the world.

Tell us a bit about the Yervant Symposium (sponsored by GraphiStudio and WPPI) that you did around the U.S., Canada and Europe last year. Are you doing it again this year?
Y: My goal with the symposium program is to bring top names from a variety of genres of photography to talk about the core of our craft. I am adamant that genre, equipment used and subject matter are all secondary; the real craft is all about seeing light, working with light and composition, which all need to be perfect before anything else. I want people to go to the roots of our craft and grasp the most basic techniques, then develop themselves into whatever genre. Our symposiums covered exactly that. We gave the audience a 360-degree view of the principles of photography and how each of the guest presenters interpreted those into their own style and genre. My wife, Anie, and I are working on a major symposium event in Sydney, Australia, in September 2017, with some very big names as the presenters.

If you weren’t a photographer, what would you be?
Y: A plastic surgeon!

Yervant is an internationally renowned Grand Master photographer and was honored with a WPPI Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. As he describes, “I am a portrait photographer, fashion photographer, photojournalist, landscape photographer, commercial photographer—all within any five minutes of a wedding day, I see it, capture it and get it right.” 

CreativeLive Video Tutorial: How To Shoot and Design Wedding Albums, by Yervant