A Day in the Life of WPPI 2014

May 12, 2014

By Laura Brauer

“A Day in the Life” is more than a Beatles song; it represents a project that started over nine years ago by Graphistudio to help preserve the memories of a much-anticipated annual conference and trade show.

Highlighted in the gallery of images are the behind-the-scene looks at activities, master classes, platform presentations, parties and special events, and the grand finale (the awards ceremony) of WPPI, all captured by this year’s Day in the Life photographers: Danny Dong, Ella Gagiano, David Medina and Collin Pierson.

We’re hoping these images will not only help you relive some of the special moments from this year’s show but also make you wish next year’s show was already here! Graphistudio will be publishing these images in their hand-crafted, Italian-made art books, which will be on display at future shows.

Graphistudio is a leading global supplier of commercial quality printed books that services photographers in over 128 countries. According to Maureen Neises, director for the U.S. and Canada operations, “Our vision is to help advance every photography studio we work with by providing innovative products and solutions. We are working on a new wave of products that will change the way photographers do business.

For example, adds Neises, “Our trendy YOUNG BOOK appeals to new brides and is available in very modern materials. We are also working on new workflow tools, which will be announced soon. Once we find success in one category, we keep moving—we are never satisfied.”

The WPPI 2014 Day in the Life Photographers

Danny Dong started wedding photography in 2008 and was able to quickly grow his business from scratch to a high-end wedding studio in the San Francisco Bay Area within five years. In recent years, Danny has received awards from many international photographic competitions and his work has been well-recognized by the industry. This year, he served as a judge for the WPPI 16×20 Print Competition and also taught a master class at the conference. His current workshop is rated one of the most popular wedding photography workshops in Asia and he is very well-received by all his students.

Ella Gagiano moved to Las Vegas from beautiful Cape Town, South Africa, where she got her degree in graphic design and fell in love with photography. Ella, along with her husband Jason, built the high-end brand Ella Gagiano Photography that provides photography and video to discerning couples from all over the world. In only three short years, they have also built another photography studio, High Class Studios, which provides complete wedding services such as photography, cinematography, photo booths, and DJ and lighting services.

David Medina is an international wedding and lifestyle photographer based in Puerto Rico. After studying advertising photography in 1990, he worked as a freelance editorial shooter and as a photojournalist. In 2005, as a natural next step in his photographic journey and passion for storytelling, he opened his own studio specializing in documentary wedding photography. As David’s work evolved throughout the years, his wife joined the studio as a photographer to better represent their passion, vision and mission for fine-art storytelling photography, marriage and family. In 2013, they rebranded and became Hidden Kiss Studio.

Collin Pierson is a lifestyle and destination wedding photographer based in Chicago, Illinois. Combining his unique past in photojournalism, sports and fashion photography, he has created a style that is both candid and dramatic. Collin’s passionate and personalized approach toward his profession and clients is reflected in the images he captures of their life-defining moments. When he isn’t traveling the world taking photos and finding new inspirations, he loves to cook and learn new languages.

See this story in the digital edition.