Show Floor and NYC (plus my head!) reflected in the glass, PhotoPlus Expo NYC 2019 © Andrew Darlow (click on image to see it larger)
I visited the PhotoPlusExpo 2019 in New York City yesterday, and as usual, it did not disappoint! It was a smaller show than some of the shows in the past, but it was still jam packed with a lot of great gear, and one of my favorite things of all…high-end photo papers! In fact, I think that it’s worth the trip just to see the printed samples in the booths of the companies I’ve listed below.
In addition, for this post, I will list some specials that are happening online and at the show. That’s a “Super Tip”: Whenever there are big trade shows, look for special offers from the companies who are exhibiting. They know most of their existing and new customers are not able to come to the show, so they will often share promo codes and offer other specials while the trade show is live. The show continues until Saturday, 10/26/2019 and Expo-only tickets are now just $25 (free expo passes ended on 10/23). You can purchase passes on-site if you haven’t already, and HERE is the main website for the show.
Also, in case you missed my article with information about the many presentations happening on the show floor (updated 10/25), you can see that article HERE.
PAPERS, PAPERS, AND MORE INKJET PAPERS!
As I mentioned above, one of my favorite things to do at the PhotoPlus Expo (and any photo trade show), is see the wide range of high-end inkjet papers that are on display. Often, different papers are presented (with the same image on each print) in racks like you might see at a store that sells posters. In the case of this year’s show, large, very impressive prints are generally displayed to showcase what’s possible when you pair exceptional images, a high-end printer, and a high-quality paper. Here are some of the booths that I saw and recommend checking out at PhotoPlus Expo 2019 (or you can, of course, check them out online and order sample packs of their papers to do your own testing.)
• Canon USA (Booth #121) – Link to Canon’s Large Format Printer Page
• Canson Infinity (Booth #449) – Link to Canson Infinity’s Site
• Epson (Booth #701) – Link to Epson’s Site
• Hahnemühle USA (Booth #237) – Link to Hahnemühle’s Site
• Moab Paper (Booth #629) – Link to Moab Paper’s Site
And I would be remiss not to mention Blazing Editions (Booth #748), whose dye-sublimation prints on aluminum always amaze me. The prints start out as inkjet prints that are then infused into aluminum panels using heat and pressure. Below is a photo from their booth.
Blazing Editions’ Booth at PhotoPlus Expo 2019 © Andrew Darlow (click on image to see it larger)
There is also a fantastic exhibition of the work of Jay Maisel and Stephen Wilkes at the Icon Gallery located next to the Blazing Editions booth (Booth #737).
SPECIAL OFFERS
B&H Photo (Booth #451) has many show specials, which you can find HERE. As noted on their site, some of the special offers require a promo code, which is PPEBH19.
Hunt’s Photo & Video (Booth #362) has special pricing on many items on the flyers they are distributing at the show. I assume they are the same price on their website, but you could always ask them if you call the store to order. You can find many of their current special offers HERE. One item in particular that caught my eye is the Lowepro Fastpack BP 150 AW II ($59.50).
PhotoflashDrive.com (Booth #861) is offering 20% off all of their products (Expires 10/26/2019). If you are at the show, I highly recommend stopping by to see what they do, and don’t miss seeing their amazing PlayBook Video Player.
Skylum Software is in Booth #149, and they are doing continuous demos during the show, as well as speaker presentations (you can see a Google Doc overview of their talks HERE). They just announced their Luminar 4 software, and it looks extremely impressive. If you don’t use Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw for your editing (or if you want to access some of Luminar’s unique tools as an external editor/plug-in), I think you will love it. Full Disclosure: I have an affiliate partner with Skylum, so I receive a small portion of sales when you use the links I provide. To see all of what Luminar 4 has to offer, including a lot of amazing bonuses when you pre-order, including a free 1 year subscription on Smugmug.com, visit THIS PAGE. (Luminar 4 ships Nov. 18, 2019).
ONE MORE THING!
I have one more thing I’d like to share from the Expo. I was very impressed by a company called My Case Builder. Basically, you choose what case you have, and they will then custom cut foam for your gear that fits perfectly in the case. For more information, visit www.mycasebuilder.com. They had a show special printed on a postcard at the show, but I don’t see it offered on their website, so I don’t think it’s right to share it. However, you can call or email them and ask if they will apply their current show special to your order.
IN-PERSON OFF-CAMERA FLASH WORKSHOP IN PRINCETON, NJ – 11/2/2019
I’m really looking forward to teaching a workshop titled: Mastering Off-Camera Flash at Rising Star Photography Society in Princeton. NJ on Sat. 11/2/2019. For full details, visit THIS PAGE.
The PhotoPlus Expo 2019 in New York City is happening from 10/24-10/26, 2019, and like every year (I’ve been attending for over 25 years), it will be packed with the latest and greatest new cameras, lenses, accessories, editing software, booth presentations by working pros, photo walks, art exhibitions and much more. It’s one of the largest photo trade shows in the world, and until 10/23/2019, free expo passes are available on the show’s website HERE.
The best way for me to describe how to get the most from the show is to read THIS ARTICLE that I wrote last year all about the show. There, you will also see articles from previous years.
METAL PRINT EXHIBITION: ON + OFF THE GRID
This year’s exhibition of metal prints by Blazing Editions will feature the work of Jay Maisel and Stephen Wilkes, and I’m sure the images, as well as how they are presented will be outstanding as always. See the caption above for more information about the exhibition and the opening reception, which will be on Thursday, 10/24 from 5:30-7:30pm.
EXPO FLOOR SPEAKER SCHEDULES (constantly being updated)
One of my favorite parts of the PhotoPlus Expo are the many talks that happen on the show floor during the show. It’s also an opportunity to sit down for a bit after walking up and down the aisles. Here are a few of the many speaker schedules:
Unique Photo (Booths #945 and #845)
Hahnemühle (Booth #237)
Olympus America (Booth #1063)
Skylum Software (Booth #149) and they are doing continuous demos during the show, as well as speaker presentations (you can see a Google Doc overview of their talks HERE). They just announced their Luminar 4 software, and it looks extremely impressive. If you don’t use Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw for your editing (or if you want to access some of Luminar’s unique tools as an external editor/plug-in), I think you will love it. Full Disclosure: I have an affiliate partner with Skylum, so I receive a small portion of sales when you use the links I provide. To see all of what Luminar 4 has to offer, including a lot of amazing bonuses when you pre-order, including a free 1 year subscription on Smugmug.com, visit THIS PAGE. (Luminar 4 ships Nov. 18, 2019).
Tamron (Booth #620)
For the last seven years, an amazing bundle of software, e-books and video training has been made available for just 5 Days. It’s called The Complete Photography Bundle from 5daydeal.com and this year, it has an estimated value of just under $3000 for just $89 (there are some upgrades with more content that are also available). Last year was the first year I became a partner with the company who puts the bundle together, which means that I receive a commission on sales when I share my referral link to the main page for the bundle.
Here’s a quick overview image of the people and companies who are contributing:
A $10,000 GIVEAWAY AND A FREE APPLICATION FROM SKYLUM SOFTWARE
Because the bundle is so highly discounted (nearly $3,000 in value for just $89), I believe that if you find just one valuable item from the bundle, it will be worth investing it. Whether or not you decide to purchase the bundle, you can enter a $10,000 giveaway that includes a free copy of a piece of software FOR EVERYONE WHO ENTERS from Skylum Software called AirMagic (here’s a link to a quick overview video tutorial of the application). Just look for the entry form toward the bottom of the 2019 Bundle Page. It looks like this:
10% of all the proceeds goes to charities (over $1.5 million has been raised thus far), which you can select. I usually choose to give an equal amount to the charities they have selected. About 100,000 people have purchased the bundles over the last seven years, and I’ve bought at least four of them. In a word, the content is AMAZING! If you’d like to check out what’s inside the bundle (and it’s A LOT), visit THIS PAGE.
P.S.: I HIGHLY recommend purchasing a dedicated external hard drive (or making some space on a drive you own) for all of the files that you will probably be downloading if you purchase the bundle. That way, you can move the content from computer to computer and not worry about filling up your internal hard drive (if space is an issue on your internal hard drive(s)). You may even want to purchase two relatively small hard drives (512GB or 1TB) so that you can use one as a backup. They can be found for $50-75 each online or in camera stores/office supply stores like Staples.
Again HERE IS THE LINK to the The Complete Photography Bundle VII 2019. Please feel free to contact me HERE with any questions you may have.
All the best!
Andrew
Andrew Darlow
Editor, The Imaging Buffet