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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.

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.

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.

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.

https://www.meetup.com/The-Art-of-Photography-and-Photoshop/

https://www.meetup.com/nj-shore-shooters/

https://www.meetup.com/NY-NJ-Photoshoot-Club/

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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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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PhotoPlus Expo 2016 – Show Floor Highlights

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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:

A photo posted by Westcott Lighting (@westcottlighting) on Oct 20, 2016 at 9:12am PDT

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All the best, thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy the show if you attend!