{Around Here} Happy Day!

When I woke up today, I thought it would be just any other day. I usually try not check my e-mail on the weekend, but that never happens! So, I wake up and check my e-mail and find one from the WPJA. My heart sinks to stomach. I’m thinking “They usually don’t contact the ones who don’t get in-I must really suck for them to be e-mailing me!!”  I read the e-mail and not only is it good, but I got into the association I thought I wouldn’t get into! I am a proud member of the [AG]WPJA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ack!!! 

As soon as I read the e-mail I jumped up and told Jimmy and have been doing the snoopy dance ever since.

I applied one late night a few weeks ago without telling Jimmy, or anyone else. My thoughts were that I only need to disappoint myself and I gave myself a pep-talk. I am new in this business, so I still have time to apply. The AGWPJA upholds strict guidelines for membership inclusion. After I hit the “send” button for my application, I went over the  criteria and I lost any cojones I thought I had. Here is a sampling of some literature from their website:

“The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA is a group of international wedding photojournalists, who capture unscripted wedding moments as they happen, and excel in the art of post-production image processing. The [AG]WPJA is a division within the Wedding Photojournalist Association (WPJA); one which specifically promotes Fine Art Wedding Photojournalism.

The Artistic Guild of the Wedding Photojournalist Association [AG]WPJA is comprised of outstanding wedding photographers, who are at the forefront of the wedding photography industry when it comes to enhancing images. The chief objective of the [AG]WPJA is to provide members with a platform where the finest enhanced, manipulated and/or artistic wedding photojournalism in the world is spotlighted and promoted for the bride and groom.”

If you can’t tell, I am super excited to be included! I am one of the only ones (I think) based in the Tampa Bay area to be admitted , but I am in the presence of some other great Florida photographers-not to mention International photographers. I am so honored to be a part of the AWPJA.