and that they “should” be presenting at
these events. Some almost appear jaded
when they’re not invited to the event. The
more we can get away from those who
feel entitled and bring in people who feel
genuinely excited about being part of Way
Up North, the better the presentations will
be and happier the audience will feel.
Take Vancouver-based Tuija Seipell, for
example, a keynote speaker and business
adviser who spoke in Rome this year that
doesn’t shoot weddings. If we had surveyed
the audience before the event asking if
they knew who she was, we’re doubtful
many would. It was a risk on our end, but
a calculated one because we believe that
wedding photographers need to hear hard
truths from outside the bubble. She bluntly
said that she felt weddings only existed “in
a world with young, beautiful white people.”
It was an awakening to have someone who
had no vested interest in the industry, and
when we surveyed the audience after the
event, Tuija was the presenter who received
the most praise.
Two big additions to the format this
year are the WUN Awards and wunX.
The latter will comprise four consecutive
presentations, 10 minutes each. The forces
presenters to be prepared and get right
to the point. The awards are for Europeans
only and will recognize both filmmakers and
photographers. They will be a combination
of nominations and submissions, and with
nothing like this existing in Europe as of
right now, we’re quite excited to gauge the
reaction.
—Jakob Granqvist and Cole Roberts
