ANDREW’S NEWEST BOOK, FOCUS & FILTER, IS SHIPPING!
My PhotoPlus Expo 2017 Quick Review: What to See and Do
The 2017 PhotoPlus Expo is upon us and once again it’s a fantastic show. As I had mentioned in my last post, this year is a bit different for me because I decided to exhibit this year (I’m in Booth #673), which has been a lot of fun. That means, of course, that I had much less time to spend on the show floor. However, I’d like to highlight a few booths that I highly recommend visiting a few things I recommend doing at the show.
I should probably start with a link to my 2016 PhotoPlus Expo Show Report, which you can find HERE, because most of the companies I highlight are at the show again this year.
Have Your Camera Checked and Cleaned for Free
Many of the camera companies at the show are offering to check your camera and clean the sensor for free. I’d recommend visiting your camera maker’s booth as soon as you get to the show to see if they are offering the service, and how long it will take. Remember that you won’t have a camera for that time period, so you might want to bring another camera if you want to use it for the many photo opportunities around the Expo.
Show Floor Presentations
There are many, many presentations happening throughout all three days of the show on the Expo floor. I would recommend checking online first to see what’s scheduled for the companies in which you are interested. If you can’t find the schedules posted, I would just take a photo of the schedules for any specific company when you first come into the show, then decide which ones you want to attend.
Two companies that I have schedule info for, and that I’d like to highlight are Canon (Booth #121) and Epson (Booth #707). I especially want to highlight Epson because of the outstanding speakers that both companies have at the show during their “Epson Print Academy.” For example, on Friday from noon-1pm Mac Holbert, a fantastic teacher and pioneer in the world of archival inkjet printing will be speaking at the Epson booth, followed by John Paul Caponigro, also a pioneer in the world of digital imaging and fine-art printing. Even years after it was published, I still highly recommend to my students and clients the video training series by Mac Holbert and John Paul Caponigro titled: Fine Art Digital Workflow, which you can find HERE.
Robert Farber Exhibition and Blazing Editions
At the Icon Gallery featuring the work of Robert Farber at PhotoPlus Expo. photo © Andrew Darlow
Last night there was a special event in the exhibition area in the Icon Gallery (Booth #1101, shown above during the event) highlighting the incredible work of Robert Farber. Farber was named the featured photographer in the Blazing Editions/ChromaLuxe Collaborator Series: 2017 Master on Metal, and the show should not be missed. I also highly recommend visiting Blazing Editions’ Booth (#665) at the show to see some massive, stunning images from John Paul Caponigro, Jay Maisel, and other outstanding photographers. You can read more about the exhibition HERE. There you will also find the other cities where the show will be traveling.
Now I need to jump in my car and get back to the show!
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Posted on October 27, 2017 by Andrew | Filed Under ART, DIGITAL CAMERA, DIGITAL PRINTING, EXHIBITION, NEWS, REVIEWS, TIPS, WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
PhotoPlus Expo 2017 Returns to NYC – Free Expo Passes and Meet Me at Booth 673!
Hello! I’m excited to announce that I will be exhibiting under my new consulting company name, Andrew Darlow’s WorkflowSchool.com, at the PhotoPlus Expo 2017 in New York City next week from Thursday, 10/26 to Saturday, 10/28. If you haven’t visited the show before, it’s the largest photography trade show in North America, and it’s filled with photo- and video-related gear, free expo floor talks, model and still-life photo opportunities, and much more. I should also note that even if you can’t attend the show, you can sign up for updates on the show site (link is on the bottom right) to get news updates and special offers from PDN (Photo District News) and photo-related companies.
Free expo floor talks like this one at Sony’s booth is an example of what you can experience at the PhotoPlus Expo.
I’ve had the honor to speak at the show in the past on the topics of Lightroom and Inkjet Printing, and I thought this year would be a perfect opportunity for me to have a booth at the show so that I could answer any questions about the content in my new book, Focus and Filter (Ulysses Press), and let people know about how I might be able to help them with their workflow, from capture to print.
Yours truly holding an LED light unit at the PhotoPlus Expo 2016. Photo credit: Whitey Warner
With that, I have two items to share with you below. The first is a link to a free three-day trade show pass and 15% off the cost of a 1,3, or 4 day Conference Pass. However, the Conference Pass is completely optional. I’ve found the paid conference seminars to be excellent, but there are many educational opportunities available right on the show floor:
Click here for a link to a 3-DAY TRADE SHOW PASS
and the second is a link to set up a five minute quick meeting with me at my booth (#673). I have been to many trade shows, and it’s easy to start speaking with one person and have others waiting to talk to the same person. Instead, I decided to set up a system with more than 50 available times so that I could meet with a lot of people at the show. Feel free to bring a copy of any of my books if you’d like me to sign them…if you don’t mind the value of them possibly going down 
, and I’ll have copies of Focus and Filter available at the show for purchase.
Click here to schedule a FREE 5 MINUTE MEETING with me at the show. Everyone who meets with me will receive a WorkflowSchool.com backpack and some other goodies that I think you will really like. If you schedule a meeting, there is one question on the signup form re: whether you would like to purchase a copy of Focus and Filter at the show, so that I know about how many copies to bring.
A few sample images from Focus and Filter. Photos © Andrew Darlow
Even if you decide not to meet with me at the show, or if the times are not good for you, please stop by Booth #673, and I may be free to chat. An assistant or I will be giving away empty sandbags and info from Focus and Filter on how to easily fill them. I decided to give away hundreds of sandbags at the show because I wanted to shed some light on the subject of using sandbags (especially when using light stands outside or to support backdrops). I’ve seen what can happen if sandbags are not used, and it can be especially dangerous if there are pets or children around.
And this year, for the first time, the PhotoPlus Expo will be co-located with the NYVR Expo. Your Expo pass allows you to see what they have on their show floor (Friday and Saturday are their trade show days). Feel free to share this post and/or the link to register for a free pass with your friends or family. Here’s a link to the show’s policies, including minimum age requirements for attendees.
If you’d like to see my Show Report from last year’s Expo, visit this page.
The PhotoPlus Expo only comes around once a year, and I hope to see you there!
All the best,
Andrew
P.S. If you’d like to download a PDF sample from Focus and Filter, which includes the Table of Contents and some tips from the book, visit this page.
P.P.S. I also welcome you to join any of our three Meetup Groups if you would like to be invited to attend other events like photo walks, workshops, etc. in the future.
P.P.P.S. If you don’t receive my ImagingBuffet.com newsletter updates and would like to receive them, as well as some Lightroom and workflow videos, you can sign up here.
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Posted on October 22, 2017 by Andrew | Filed Under DIGITAL CAMERA, EXHIBITION, MACINTOSH, NEW MEDIA, NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY, Press Coverage, TIPS, Tutorial, WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
The QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning Returns to NJ July 28-30, 2017
It’s that time of year again in Central New Jersey! For the 35th year, the QuickChek New Jersey Festival of Ballooning is returning to Solberg Airport in Readington, NJ from Fri. July 28 to Sunday, July 30, 2017. There are always many photo opportunities at the show (especially when scores of balloons are in the air). And there are always a lot of interesting balloons to see. This year, they include the Angry Bird balloon, Simba the Lion (built to help build awareness and help stop the poaching of lions), and many more.
So when should you go? An evening ascension is planned for Friday afternoon (7/28) at 6:30pm, and morning and afternoon balloon ascensions are planned on Saturday, July 29 and Sunday, July 30 at 6:30am and 6:30pm. There is also a “Balloon Glow” during the Saturday evening concert that is usually an amazing sight to see. I would recommend taking a look at the weather forecast a day before the event to help you decide when might be best for you to attend.
From a morning ascension at the QuickChek NJ Festival of Ballooning. Photo © Andrew Darlow
What to Do at the Festival
There are many family-friendly events at the festival (including rides for kids), and there are MANY food options, including a multitude of food trucks and a “pop-up” QuickChek store. The bands that they have lined up look fantastic, and there are quite a few musical acts that play both day and at night (see the schedule for exact dates and times). You can either purchase reserved seats if you want to get close to the stage, or you can just enjoy the show from a lawn chair or blanket outside the main show area with your ticket to the festival since all of the concerts are held outdoors. I was there a few years ago for the Joan Jett concert, and she and her bandmates rocked the house!!
This year, for the first time, they are having a Friday Kids Concert with Laurie Berkner at 1:30pm. I know Laurie and her band’s music well because our son Tyler has enjoyed it for many years. They are also having a “Camp Package,” for the first time with special discounts for camp groups.
Special Opportunity for Amateur and Professional Photographers
On Friday morning 7/28 at 6:30am the festival organizers allow members of the press as well as amateur and professional photographers/videographers to attend a “Pre-Festival Media Launch” for no charge (parking is also free). To attend the festival after the media launch, you must then have a ticket and pay for parking in a separate area. I plan to attend once again on Friday morning to take photos with many other pro and amateur photographers and videographers. Experiencing the sun rising with the balloons all gathered in one place is truly breathtaking. Below is a self-portrait from a few years ago, taken with a GoPro camera. I’m sporting one of my favorite ways to carry my gear–using The Wedding Photographer’s Vest from TheVestGuy.com. Another favorite accessory (the Peak Design Capture PRO Camera Clip), allows my camera to hang securely from my chest. For more information, including parking instructions, see the bottom portion of this page on the festival’s website.
Ticket Information and Discounted Tickets
Regardless of which day you attend, there is a special discount available when you purchase tickets by end of day Wed. 7/26. Kids 3 years and under are free, and tickets for children 4-12 are about 50% less than the adult tickets.
Any general admission tickets purchased are valid for one day only. You can also avoid an online ordering fee by purchasing tickets at a QuickCheck store (here is a link to a page where you can search for a QuickChek location).
Join Our Meetup Group
I also posted a Meetup event for the Friday Media Launch over on this Meetup Group. You are welcome to join, and there’s no membership fee. I post events, workshops, etc. there from time to time (both local to the NY/NJ area as well as virtual events).
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Posted on July 26, 2017 by Andrew | Filed Under DIGITAL CAMERA, NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY, WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
Photography Workshop Tour w/ Matthew Jordan Smith Comes to New York 5/24, Plus Many Other Cities
A few weeks ago I posted information about the Next Level Photography Workshop Tour w/ Matthew Jordan Smith on two of the Meetup Groups I run (links to the groups can be found at the end of this article).
I wanted to send a quick note out here on ImagingBuffet.com as well because I think this would be an ideal workshop for many of our readers. Matthew Jordan Smith is one of the most accomplished portrait photographers in the world, and he will be sharing many of his lighting and posing “secrets” during his talks, which include about 30 cities worldwide, including Philadelphia on 5/23/17 and New York City on 5/24/17. There will also be an opportunity to photograph models at the event. I should also note that a digital course will also be available for those who are interested in the content but who can’t attend a live event.
I’ve copied a few of the attendee testimonials below from social media to give you a feeling for what people are saying about the tour:
SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR OUR READERS
The workshop organizers have created a special $25 discount code for photo groups and sites like ours, which can be entered on the checkout page. The code is PhotoGroup25. The fee for the full-day event is US$219 before the $25 discount, for an adjusted total of $194 (that pricing may be slightly different in countries other than the USA).
For more information, including the full schedule and list of cities, VISIT THIS PAGE.
Please note: Andrew Darlow and ImagingBuffet.com receive no direct compensation for sharing this event. We were offered a media pass to attend the event, and we may have a table at the New York City event where we can share information about ImagingBuffet, our Meetup Groups, etc.
I hope to see you at the New York City event on 5/24! -Andrew
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Matthew Jordan Smith’s Main Website
Andrew Darlow’s three Meetup Groups are listed below (all are free to join, and even though most Meetups are held in the NY/NJ metro-area, some events are online and in other locations.
The Art of Photography and Photoshop Meetup Group
The NY/NJ Photoshoot Club Meetup Group
The NJ Shore Shooters Meetup Group
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Posted on May 23, 2017 by Andrew | Filed Under DIGITAL CAMERA, NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY, WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
Artwork as Far as the Eye Can See! Artexpo, Solo and Photo Solo Shows at Pier 94, New York City, 4/21-24, 2017
If you like looking at art (and/or if you are a collector looking for something to add to your walls or collection), I think you will love Artexpo and the two other shows being hosted under the same roof from 4/21-24, 2017 at Pier 94 in New York City. The other two shows I just mentioned are named [solo] and [photo solo], and what I like most about the “solo” shows is that most of the people who exhibit there are independent artists showing new work, or work that has yet to be exhibited publicly. Many of the artists who exhibit in the Artexpo show are also independent artists, but many exhibitors are galleries who represent a number of different artists. I also noticed that a photo lab (Bay Photo Lab), will be exhibiting in Booth F331. Based on previous show floor layouts, you may not really notice when you move from one show to another.
Here is an overview from the Artexpo website that describes the Artexpo portion of the show:
Each year thousands of art industry insiders flock to Artexpo New York in search of the art and artists that will shape trends in galleries worldwide. Hosting more than 25,000 avid art enthusiasts annually, we’re the largest international gathering of qualified trade buyers—including gallery owners and managers, art dealers, interior designers, architects, corporate art buyers and art & framing retailers.
Just be sure to wear comfortable shoes, because the event is HUGE!
For more information and to register, visit the Artexpo website HERE.
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Posted on April 21, 2017 by Andrew | Filed Under ART, DIGITAL PRINTING, EXHIBITION, INKJET RELATED, NEW MEDIA, NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY, Press Coverage, WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
Happy New Year and a Winter Product Review of NuTouch Touchscreen-Compatible Gloves
HAPPY NEW YEAR, and all the best to you and yours for a Happy and Healthy 2017 and beyond!
I thought it would be fitting, as we enter 2017, to share a photo from about a dozen years ago. It’s a photo of our son Tyler with my Dad (his Grandpa Mark) when Tyler was just two months old. It’s my version of “Father Time w/ Baby New Year!” Below the photo is the image info.
Image Info: The lighting was entirely from a table lamp and a halogen torch lamp. Both of those lights had the same color temperature, so it was easy to balance them in Lightroom when I prepared the final image. Camera Data: Camera: Fuji FinePix S3 Pro; Lens: Tamron 28-300mm XR Di f/3.5-6.3 @ 60mm; F-stop: f/4.8; Exposure: 1/250 Sec.; ISO: 200.
I have a lot to be thankful for this past year. I was able to work with many new and longtime clients and workshop participants, and I was able spend quite a lot of time with family in 2016, especially Tyler, who just turned 13 (oh my!). My wife and I (and his teachers at school and at a weekly social class he attends) have been helping Tyler to become more independent and outgoing each day. If you haven’t seen the special GoFundMe page I set up recently about our upcoming week-long intensive therapy for Tyler, which I believe will have very positive results based on the techniques we are already implementing, you can take a look at it here. In the photo below, I included a photo of Tyler at 10 months old with a photo of me, Tyler and my wife, Belinda a few months ago at my wife’s Mom and Dad’s 50th Anniversary.
We are extremely thankful to everyone who contributed and shared the information. I generally don’t share such personal family matters, and I’ve never requested assistance in this way, but I had a feeling that our story would help others who are experiencing similar family situations, and I was right. The outpouring of love and thoughtful comments have been very heartwarming.
QUICK PRODUCT SUGGESTION FOR SMARTPHONES or CAMERAS w/ TOUCHSCREENS
Cold weather in many parts of the world brings cold hands and fingers when outside (or in a cold car), and that can pretty easily be solved with gloves. However, most gloves are useless on touch-screen devices, and if you have an iPhone 7 or 7 Plus, you may have noticed that the home button is even more finicky when using gloves (assuming you are not using Touch ID, which recognizes your fingerprints on the home button).
That being said, I found an inexpensive and comfortable set of gloves that work very well (even while pressing the often difficult to press buttons on DSLRs when using many different gloves). They are called NewerTech NuTouch Gloves, and they are currently priced at under $10 at Other World Computing (see above). You can find them in a few different sizes here. You can also find them for about $14 on Amazon.com here. The Other World Computing links are not affiliate links, but the one to Amazon.com is, which helps to support our publishing efforts.
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Please let me know if you have any questions about Image Backups, Lightroom, Photoshop, etc. and I might just answer them here on ImagingBuffet.com (or privately if it’s a quick answer). You can reach me here.
All the best, and I hope to be back soon with more tips and techniques!
-Andrew
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Posted on January 2, 2017 by Andrew | Filed Under DIGITAL CAMERA, NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY, REVIEWS
How to Take a Screenshot on an iOS Device with a Single Screen Tap
There are many reasons why you might want to take a screenshot on your computer or smartphone. One of the main ones for those who love taking pictures is to crop a photo quickly (just pinch to zoom, take a snapshot of the photo, and a new cropped version of the photo will appear in your “All Photos” list.) The problem I was having recently was that I kept putting my iPhone 7 Plus into sleep mode instead of taking a screen shot when I pressed the sleep and home buttons at the same time (that’s the traditional way to take a snapshot on an iOS device). It seems more difficult now for me than it was when I used an iPhone 5S as my main phone.
Below is a step-by-step procedure for setting up your iOS device so that you can take a screenshot in one screen tap (well, I should probably write “screen push” or “extended tap.” If you have a chance to try it out, you’ll know exactly what I mean.
The AssistiveTouch icon shown in the bottom right of an iPhone’s 5S screen, which makes it possible to take screen shots (and do other tasks), with two quick taps. Devices with 3D touch can do the same action with just one press.
I was also looking for a way to “bookmark” my favorite podcasts while on the go by taking a screenshot of the episode that’s playing in the Podcasts app. Taking a screenshot shows the exact place in the audio file or stream where I would like to return in the future. I was hoping Siri could help me with this, but I don’t think there is a way to take a screenshot using Siri (please let me know if you know of a way to do that). When I asked Siri to take a screen shot, she told me: “That may be beyond my abilities at the moment.”
Here are the steps to take a Screenshot on an iOS Device with a single Screen Tap (Please note: A Device with 3D Touch is needed for a single screen tap, but any iOS device with Assistive Touch should work fine if you are willing to tap twice):
STEP 1: Go to Settings>General>Accessibility. (See Fig. 1)
Fig. 1: Accessibility
STEP 2A: Scroll Down to AssistiveTouch and Turn it On. (See Fig. 2 and Fig. 3)
Fig. 2
STEP 2B: One More Thing Re: 3D Touch
If you want to make the 3D Touch “Push” action more sensitive (it takes less effort to make a screenshot), choose Light from the “Light, Med, Firm” scale in the 3D Touch menu. I find that Light is perfect whether I’m holding the phone or whether it is in a holder/mount.
STEP 3: Turn on AssistiveTouch, then press Customize Top Level Menu. (See Fig. 3)
Fig. 3
STEP 4: Under 3D Touch Action, Choose Screenshot from the menu items. (See Fig. 4)
Fig. 4
STEP 5: You will then see a white button with a black square background around it (about the same size as an app icon) appear on every screen you use (See Fig. 5). When you touch it, it gets much more contrasty, and it will then fade back to about 20% opacity. You can place it just about anywhere along the border of your device’s screen. Quick Tip: You can delete an app in the space where you place the button (or reorganize your apps in iTunes so that it doesn’t overlap with any of your apps).
Fig. 5: Notice the black square with the white button inside on the bottom right of my iPhone 5S’s screen. It gets much lighter when not pressed. Photo © Andrew Darlow
STEP 6: If the white button is annoying or you just want it to temporarily disappear, you can set up a triple-click action to turn it on and off under Accessibility>Accessibility Shortcut (it’s the last item in the list, as shown in Fig. 6). Then choose AssistiveTouch and triple click to your heart’s content!
Fig. 6: AssistiveTouch under the Accessibility Shortcut menu
If You Don’t Have 3D Touch on Your Device
Many iOS devices don’t have 3D Touch (you can tell that you don’t have it if the 3D Touch Action line is not shown on the screen in Fig. 4). However, you can achieve almost the same result, but you will need to press the screen twice. Once to open the Assistive Touch control (by pressing the white button) and once to choose Screenshot. You won’t be able to see the Screenshot icon by default in the menu (shown in Fig. 4), but you can add it quickly by pressing on any of the icons there (or add a new one by pressing the + key). Then choose Screenshot from the list of items.
Here’s an example of a screen shot captured during the show (at 11:28) from one of my favorite Podcasts, Mac Geek Gab (I highly recommend subscribing to the show (or just listening online) if you use any Mac or iOS device). The show is packed with practical advice, tech tips, gear reviews, etc.
A screenshot from the Mac Geek Gab podcast.
I hope that this was helpful to you and I welcome your comments!
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Posted on November 12, 2016 by Andrew | Filed Under APPLE COMPUTER, MACINTOSH, NEWS, PHOTOGRAPHY, SOFTWARE, TIPS, Tutorial
PhotoPlus Expo 2016 – Show Floor Highlights
Chris Burkard doing a presentation at the Sony Booth at PhotoPlus Expo, NYC. Photo © Andrew Darlow
As usual, I had a great time at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York City. There was so much to see that my head was spinning! It was also nice to reconnect with many familiar faces. And as usual, I have a long list of companies and products that I’m racing to share with you so that you can see what I saw if you are attending the show on Day 2 or 3 (Fri. 10/21/2016 or Sat. 10/22/2016).
Here is a page on the PhotoPlus Expo site with a full list of exhibitors in case you’d like more info about the ones below or any others at the show.
Also, if you’d like to read my other article about the Expo, which includes info on how to get a free Expo only pass, here it is. So without further ado, here are about 25 companies in 20 booths (listed in alphabetical order) that I’d like to highlight.
AcrylicPress.com
Booth 361 – This company (according to their website), is the largest manufacturer of acrylic photo decor and full-color personalized acrylic keepsakes in the world, and they truly know how to face-mount to acrylic. Their prints and photo blocks are stunning, and one of the things that sets them apart is that they offer the option of having the edges of their acrylic prints beveled, which gives them a very nice look. The hanging options they offer are also very elegant and strong. They are also giving out cards at the show with discount codes for their services.
Adobe.com (The Adobe Theater)
Rear of the Expo Hall near the PDN Gallery and Booth 170 – I could have stayed here most of the day learning new tips and tricks from experts who really know their stuff. Below is a photo with the full schedule of presentations.
Schedule for the Adobe Theater at PhotoPlus Expo 2016
Canon U.S.A.: Power of Print Pavilion
Booth 973 – Canon is making 17×22 inch prints for any attendee who stops by the Pavilion with an image from your phone, flash drive, or memory card. For best results, I recommend that you prepare a file at about 200-300 ppi at about 16×20 inches. Prints will be output on papers from either Moab by Legion Paper or Innova Art. I would try to get there as early as possible to minimize wait times. They are also featuring an impressive group of speakers there on all three days.
Epson America Inc
Booth 707 – Epson’s booth is always impressive, and this year is no exception. Seeing so many prints on so many papers can really help you decide which one might be right for your work. You can also see their newest P-series line of printers.
Hahnemuhle USA
Booth 437 – Hahnemühle’s booth is another favorite of mine to visit each year, primarily because you can browse printed samples of so many of their papers. They have a new limited edition black portfolio box for the Super A3/Super B size only (also known as 13×19 inches) with three fine-art paper options. You can find out more about it here. The boxes have a notched area that allows for the paper to be easily removed, which is a nice touch that combines stability and convenience.
Hoodman Corporation
Booth 1055 – Hoodman is constantly innovating, and in addition to their loupes for DSLRs and video cameras, they were showing quite a few hoods for use when flying drones. They even make a hood for GoPro units called the H-200 (about $20).
Innova Editions
Booth 1148: This is another great company who makes inkjet papers. Here is an overview of two new art papers developed in cooperation with Fabriano, as well as information about their new Editions Line of inkjet papers. Their booth also features some stunning large format prints of Marilyn Monroe photographed by Milton H. Greene.
LumeCube
Booth 948 – LumeCube launched with a Kickstarter campaign in 2014 and their main lighting product is nothing short of amazing. It’s a small cube that produces super-bright daylight-balanced light. You can even control the LumeCubes with an iOS or Android device, which allows for much more control. They also offer a 5-Pack Colored Cap Kit for about $10 that interfaces with the app so that you can easily tell one LumeCube from another. They were also showing new aluminum “cages” for gels and other light modifiers. And for drone owners who want to light up the sky, they recently released mounts without lights as well as custom lighting kits for specific drones that include two LumeCube units.
Mornee Sherry, Chief Visionary Officer and inventor of the LumeCube, lighting himself with a LumeCube. Photo ©Andrew Darlow
MagMod
Booth 948 – Last year at the show I purchased quite a few MagMod accessories, which are designed to work with just about any shoe-mount flash or continuous light. What makes their system unique is how the accessories connect via a magnetic system to the lights. I highly recommend stopping by to see their innovative products, and you can even bring your own flash to test out their products.
Manfrotto Distribution
Booth 555 – Manfrotto has so many outstanding products, from tripods and “video monopods” that have small retractable feet, to bags that can carry many light stands and other equipment.
Moab by Legion Paper
Booth 848 – Moab has a very large selection of high quality inkjet papers and the prints they show in their booth are truly stunning, including a panoramic print of a glacier and ship by Joshua Holko which he photographed in Antarctica. It must be seen to be believed! For more of his incredible work, visit this page.
A selection of different Moab by Legion Paper showing the same group of photos. Photo © Andrew Darlow
Modibooth
Booth 558 –Photo booths are extremely popular, and this company has a number of affordable solutions that impressed me. They simplify everything and their hardware looks great. You can even test it out and walk away with a print and/or a 4 frame animated GIF!
My Case Builder
Booth 1069 – This company does something truly amazing: they custom cut foam inserts similar to the open case that’s in the photo below in the Nanuk booth photo. In fact, the company resells Nanuk cases as well as other cases so you can choose both a case and a custom insert at the same time. They recommend you actually ship your gear to them so that they can properly fit everything, but if you have standard cameras, etc., you can have them create an insert online without having to send any gear in.
Nanuk
Booth 170 – This company makes some super-strong hard cases for a very wide range of devices. Some even have extension handles to make carrying them through airports and other locations much easier. They also have cases that are perfect for light stands.
One of the cases from Nanuk. Photo ©Andrew Darlow
OWC (Other World Computing)
Booth 462 – If you are not familiar with OWC, you should first take a look at their site, macsales.com. If you need an empty enclosure for any hard drive, a RAID system with drives, a new SSD drive, a dual hard drive “bay” to run bare hard drives/SSD drives in, or if you are looking for a reconditioned Apple laptop, iMac, or other Mac, they are definitely a place to check out.
Peak Design
Booth 661 – Peak Design is a company that I’ve been very impressed by for years. I’ve been using their Capture Clips (Capture and Capture PRO) since their first Kickstarter campaign in May of 2011. Since then, they’ve done a few more hugely successful Kickstarters, and recently, they really hit a home run with over $6 million raised for a number of new camera/gear bags. Here’s a great story about Peter Dering, the company’s founder and CEO. Their booth at the show is very well laid out, with all of the gear at eye level and on tables just in front of the items.
Peak Design’s booth. Photos © Andrew Darlow
PhotoFlashDrive.com
Booth 949 – This company’s booth is truly spectacular! They specialize in custom flash drives as well as boxes and related items that hold prints, USB thumb drives, etc. They also recently introduced slip-in mats that they call “Simply Slip-Ins Archival.” They are also running a “Virtual Trade Show” during the PhotoPlusExpo on their site at PhotoFlashDrive.com.
Photofocus (Featuring Four Exhibitors: Perfectly Clear by Athentech, Platypod Pro, and Plotagraph)
Booth 869 – I give the folks at Photofocus a lot of credit for putting together an awesome booth packed with great hardware, software and friendly people answering questions about photography, Lightroom, etc. I’m honored to have written quite a few articles on Photofocus.com, and I highly recommend the website.
Re: the companies whose products are being featured in their booth, I watched an impressive demo of the Perfectly Clear plug-ins by Levi Sim (see photo below). With just a few presets and slider adjustments, he was able to dramatically improve an environmental portrait.
Levi Sim demonstrating the PerfectlyClear plugins from Athentech. Photo © Andrew Darlow
The Platypod Pro products are so simple, but powerful. They are essentially weighted plates (currently there are three options) that can hold all types of gear, including ballheads, cameras and lights. At the booth there are a number of them set up with different equipment. You can even thread some webbing (a.k.a. strapping) or a tension strap through the Platypod Pros’ belt slots and wrap them around trees, strap them to railings, etc. Levi Sim wrote a great article about how he used the Platypod Pro Max while hiking, and Richard Harrington, also from Photofocus.com, wrote a very good article about the Platypod Pro Max here. This Facebook post from Platypod Pro shows how you can even use cable ties to secure the Platypod Pro (not sure if you can do this with all of them, but you can see how it is done here with a Platypod Pro Base Plate).
Plotagraph is a software that’s truly amazing. Essentially, you can turn a still image into one that has motion. Picture a scene with clouds that can be animated to look as though they are moving. I had a demo with the inventor of the software and CEO of the company, Troy Plota, and I look forward to testing it out for myself soon. Below are Troy Plota’s hands using an iPad Pro to make adjustments to one of my photographs using the software. I learned that fireworks photos take some expertise to animate well!
And for those interested in attending a photo walk Friday evening, 10/21, Photofocus will be meeting in Times Square at 7pm. For details, visit this page. There is no need to sign up to attend, but if you do register (as long as there are still free tickets remaining), you will be eligible for prizes from the three companies listed above who are exhibiting in the Photofocus booth, as well as ThinkTAP Learn.
Booth 519 – Sony’s booth, like usual, is very impressive. They have a number of model photography areas, and the photos on the wall taken with Sony gear also look great. You will also find a café inside the booth serving coffee and other beverages, which was a nice touch!
At the Sony Booth at the PhotoPlusExpo in New York City. Photo © Andrew Darlow
Westcott
Booth 124 – I always like visiting the Westcott booth to see their lighting and modifiers, such as their Rapid Box, which is available in a number of sizes. Below is an embedded post from Instagram from their booth:
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Posted on October 21, 2016 by Andrew | Filed Under APPLE COMPUTER, DIGITAL CAMERA, DIGITAL PRINTING, EXHIBITION, INKJET RELATED, Lightroom, MACINTOSH, NEW MEDIA, PHOTOGRAPHY, PHOTOSHOP, Press Coverage, TIPS, Tutorial, WORKSHOPS/CONFERENCES
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