0

Free Trade Show Pass and Tips for Getting the Most from the PhotoPlus Expo 2018 in New York City

2019 UPDATE! Looking for a Free Expo Pass for the 2019 PhotoPlus Expo being held in New York City from 10/24-26, 2019? Check out my article about the 2019 show HERE. Or to go right to the page with the free passes (available online until Wed. 10/23 and then $25 on-site at the show), visit THIS PAGE.

It’s that time again! The PhotoPlus Expo 2018 is returning to New York City from Thursday, 10/25 to Saturday, 10/27/2018. It’s always one of the highlights of my year, and if you are interested in just about anything related to photography and/or video, I think you’ll really enjoy the show. It’s the largest photography trade show in North America (over 200 exhibitors), and it’s always filled with gear, free expo floor talks, model and still-life photo opportunities, photo walks, workshops, 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 to the show newsletter is on the bottom right of PhotoPlusExpo.com) to get news updates and special offers from PDN (Photo District News) and photo-related companies.

With that, I have a few items to share with you below. The first is a short video overview of the show which should give you a feel for what you might see and experience at the show. Also, here’s a link to a great article about the show from the folks at Fstoppers, one of my favorite photo blogs. That article also has a code for a free three-day trade show pass when you register online, as well as info on how to save if you decide to sign up for any of the workshops or related opportunities that are available. 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.

And this year, for the second 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.

A FEW QUICK TIPS FOR GETTING THE MOST FROM THE SHOW

The ability to see different papers, print processes, try out different cameras, lenses and other equipment on the show floor are main reasons why many people come to the show. I highly recommend bringing a few extra SD and/or CF cards to put in any cameras that you’d like to test out so that you can bring the photos/videos home with you (just make sure they don’t have important images on them and make sure the cards are not too important/expensive, because you may forget them when you move to the next booth!).

I also recommend having a card with a few high-res images that you’d like to have printed if the opportunity presents itself. Also, I highly recommend having a safe and dust-free place for your current lens to go while you are testing other lenses (if you are putting lenses on your camera, which is a perfect way to see if a specific lens might be right for you). And to keep track of papers, printers and print processes that you see and that you’d like to check out after the show, I recommend having a notebook and pen ready to jot down your favorites (or you can do that digitally via a notes app or by sending yourself text messages. Keeping track of all the names can get confusing!

PREVIOUS SHOW REPORTS

Here are a few of my previous show reports that I believe can be very helpful when deciding what booths to visit during the show:
• 2017 PhotoPlus Expo Show Report
• 2016 PhotoPlus Expo Show Report

SPECIAL NOTE – EPSON PRINT ACADEMY

This year (like last year) Epson will host their “Print Academy” in Booth #707. This is a fantastic opportunity to learn from many icons in the world of image editing, printing and photography. The people who are scheduled to speak (schedule shown below) are: Vincent Versace, Julieanne Kost, Matt Kloskowski, John Paul Caponigro and Mac Holbert. I’m honored to say that Mac Holbert is one of the guest artists featured in my book, 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques. To see the full release about the Epson Print Academy (including some special glasses they’ll be demonstrating for drone photography), visit this page.

AN EXHIBITION NOT TO BE MISSED

This year, there will be an exhibition of art prints at Icon Gallery (Booth #1103) by John Paul Caponigro and NYC Dance Project’s Ken Browar and Deborah Ory. If the exhibition is anything like last year’s show that featured the work of Robert Farber (a photo can be seen below from that exhibition), it will be spectacular.

The exhibition prints and finishing from the 2017 and 2018 Icon Gallery shows were produced by Blazing Editions (they are in Booth #1113 at this year’s show). It’s difficult to express in words the quality of the printing and finishing (mounting, framing, custom cutting, etc.) by Blazing Editions. I highly recommend taking some time to visit the show, as well as the Blazing Editions booth. They specialize in metal printing, and they have samples of the same image printed using different finishes, which can help a lot when deciding on the look for a particular project that you (or possibly one of your clients) might have in mind.

The PhotoPlus Expo only comes around once a year, and I hope to see you there!

All the best,
Andrew

P.S. I also welcome you to join any of our Meetup Groups if you would like to be invited to attend other events like photo walks, workshops, etc. in the future.

P.P.S In case you missed that link to the Fstoppers article to find the code for the free 2018 PhotoPlus Expo trade show pass, here it is.

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.

0

Photo Gallery and Info from the Epson Digital Couture Project Event in New York City, Plus News About the 2018 Event

I’ve been photographing people as a professional photographer and writer for over 25 years, but I’ve always focused more on catalog, advertising, product reviews and beauty salon-related work than runway shows and similar events that often occur during Fashion Week in Manhattan in February every year. However, last year I could not pass up an opportunity to attend an invitation only special event sponsored by Epson called the Digital Couture Project. On February 6, 2018, the 4th Annual Epson Digital Couture Project is happening once again, and I expect it to be just as impressive as the 2017 event.

Since this is not a topic I cover a lot here on imagingbuffet.com, I think I should mention who I think will get the most from this article:

• Anyone who wants to see cutting-edge fashion from designers around the world. To me, it’s like a global art exhibition, but with the designers expressing their art through their textile designs, and with male and female models serving as moving canvases. Two words kept coming to mind as I was looking at the wide range of textiles, color palettes and unique approaches to fabric printing: “Truly Incredible!”

• Anyone who has an interest in any type of garment printing, from direct-to-fabric printing (using printers like Epson’s SureColor F2000 and F2100), to dye-sublimation transfer printing (using printers like Epson’s SureColor F9370, F6200 and F7200). Once you see how these machines work, it’s easier to understand the technology and capabilities. I’ve included a YouTube video from Epson below that shows how an image can go from artwork on a screen to a design on fabric by first printing on a dye-sublimation transfer paper (in this case using an Epson SureColor F6200 printer), and then using a heat press to transfer the art to a fabric.

The video below offers a sneak peek into the 2017 event, and I especially like how they interview the designers who created the clothing:

Epson created an excellent overview of the 2018 event, its designers and the printers used for the project HERE.

Also, below is a GIF (courtesy of Epson) showing many of the featured collections from the 2018 event, as well as a list of the designers who participated:

1. Brazil – Lua Luá (Michele Gevaerd)
2. Canada (Toronto) – Hayley Elsaesser
3. Chile – Karyn Coo
4. Ecuador – Stephanie Ruiz
5. Guatemala – Eduardo Figueroa
6. Mexico – Emilio Mata
7. Paraguay – Ilse Jara
8. Peru – Ana María Guiulfo
9. Colombia – Lina Cantillo
10. United States (Los Angeles) – Candice Cuoco
11. United States (Miami) – Fernando Alberto
12. United States (Philadelphia) – Thomas Jefferson University (Alexandra Pizzigoni and Patricia Franklin)
13. United States (New York) – threeASFOUR (Gabriel Asfour, Angela Donhauser and Adi Gil)

For More About the Tech Behind the Fashion

The Epson SureColor printers listed earlier can also be used to print on transfer paper that can then be used with a heat press to create dye-sublimation metal prints (extremely popular these days), jewelry, snowboards, skateboards and much more. This page has much more on that, including information on how to request a free printed sample. Below is one of the Epson SureColor printers that was set up at the Digital Couture Project. It shows a few designs printed on dye-sublimation media prior to transferring the images to one or more fabrics using a heat press.’

Fashion designers and professionals (such as those who run print service bureaus), who are interested in Epson’s digital printing technologies can visit www.proimaging.epson.com for more information.

The Photographs

There are a few things that I should note about these photos. First, I used a Canon EOS 6D full frame 35mm DSLR for all of them. The 6D is outstanding in low light, allowing for the use of about ISO 1200-3200 with little to no visible noise in the shadow areas. If there is noise, it tends to be very “grain-like” without a lot of different colors, so it’s easy to reduce in Lightroom or other software. To increase my odds of getting sharp images, I used a combination of Shutter Priority Mode (set at between 1/1oo and 1/200 sec) with Auto ISO because I was relying on available light that was constantly changing, and not on or off-camera flash or LED lighting. I like the natural look that results from that approach, but it did mean that many of my photos had to be taken at ISO 3200 because the lens’ maximum (most open) aperture is f/4.5-6.3, depending on where in the zoom range the photos are being taken.

I also used just one lens for the entire shoot. It’s a beast of a lens due to its size and weight (approximately 4.1″ x 8.6″ (10.41 x 21.84 cm) and 4.33 lb (about 2 kg)), but I love it: the Sigma 50-500  f/4.5-6.3 APO DG HSM OS Lens For Canon EOS (it’s available in other mounts as well). It’s incredibly versatile due to its range, and I found the results to be very sharp at all focal lengths. As you can probably see from the images below, I enjoy taking photos from different angles, including from the back, as well as close-ups of items like shoes, which may or may not have been digitally printed like all of the other clothing. Some of the footwear by some of the designers was definitely printed digitally, which you can see in the video overview posted above. I believe that taking photos from behind a model, or when just one out of three of the models is facing forward, works very well because clothing is usually designed with attention to all of the “camera angles.”

And in case you are wondering here is the photo info for the image that opens this article and that shows designs by Daniela Hoehmann: 1/200 sec, f/4.5, ISO 3200.

0

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.