PhotoPlus Expo 2012: First Day Impressions from the Show Floor

Yesterday was the first day of PhotoPlus Expo and as usual, I was amazed at the sheer number of products for photographers and video pros. I need to get back to the show floor, so I’m not able to post many photos right now, but I wanted to share a list of things that impressed me so far on the show floor (especially the things that you can only see (or really appreciate) in person at the show-stay tuned for more general announcements). Below is a quick list of 15 companies and there are more to come! Just search for the company name in the show guide (or at photoplusexpo.com) for booth numbers. I’ve hotlinked the company names to their respective websites, and added links in some cases to specific products that I mentioned.

At the Moab Paper booth, PhotoPlus Expo 2012, New York City. Photograph by Douglas Kirkland of Sophia Loren. Paper: Entrada Rag Natural 300.

1. CamRanger: A MUST SEE! This is an amazing wireless device that allows you to view DSLR video live and control many Canon or Nikon cameras from an iPad or iPhone. Plus, you can shoot RAW + JPEG and just have the jpeg’s transfer to an iPad or iPhone.

2. Nikon: As usual, Nikon has a huge booth, and highlights include a “mad scientist” actor with an amazing set, as well as some walls covered with impressive photos.

3. Moab: Moab’s booth is very open, which makes for easy navigation and print viewing. As usual, they have many print samples with the same image printed on many of their papers. There is a print by Douglas Kirkland of Sophia Loren from 1972 on Entrada Rag Natural that is truly stunning!

4. Graphistudio: INCREDIBLE BOOKS! There are not enough superlatives to describe the quality of the books in their booth. They also have free sample swatch books with actual print samples (about 4×5 inches). These are invaluable when trying to decide what papers to choose). The book cases/boxes are also incredible. They also have a number of very affordable book options for  under their Graphisenior program. For example, you can order sets of up to 30 tiny books that look amazing for under $100.

5. MetalMural: Really nice metal prints, in many different configurations. The booth is definitely worth a visit. Be sure to compare the different finishes they offer. Each is very distinct.

6. CamRanger: A MUST SEE! This is an amazing wireless device that allows you to view DSLR video live and control many Canon or Nikon cameras from an iPad or iPhone. Plus, you can shoot RAW + JPEG and just have the jpeg’s transfer to an iPad or iPhone.

7. SKB Industrial Cases: Gear is expensive, and this company’s hard cases really impressed me.

8. Canson-Infinity: Canson’s booth has a number of fantastic prints by Elliot Landy and others. Also, many of the prints in the gallery area were printed on Canson papers.

9. Kolo: I’m been a huge fan of Kolo ever since I first noticed their albums more than 15 years ago. They have a great service that includes photo printing and insertion into their albums at a very affordable cost. They even allow you to use their software to make proof books.

10. Woodsnap: Prints on wood! Amazing. Enough said. You should see these. I was told that the ink becomes part of the wood surface, and you have to see how they rout out the back for hanging with screws.

11. Innova Digital Art: In addition to showcasing many great paper options, the company sells inexpensive do-it-yourself art box kits that look like gallery-wrapped canvas prints called the “JetMaster Display System.” These should definitely be seen in person. They can used with a wide variety of different papers or canvas. I also learned about a direct printable option for flatbed printers.

12. Epson: The Epson booth is always impressive, especially because of the print samples on the walls. They have a new OBA (Optical Brightening Agent) free canvas in three finishes. They also have a new system for high volume printing called the SureLab D3000.

13. Moo: Moo has some amazing examples of their postcards, business cards and stickers at the show. They also have some great show specials that work by allowing you to purchase store credit at about a 20-30% discount.

14. Hahnemühle Fine Art: Hahnemule always shows incredible prints on the walls of their booth, and their sample books with large printed examples of different images are very helpful for narrowing down choices when selecting papers, canvas, etc.

15. UNDFIND: This company has great-looking and very functional camera bags with replaceable front covers. But what caught my eve first was their FISHBOMB. They are very strong, well-designed and functional cases that can attach to belts, straps, etc, and the newest version, the FISHBOMBV2, is a bit larger and has four special pockets designed for media cards.

AfterCapture Magazine Featuring Digital Imaging Contest Winners Available Free for Download

A few days ago I had a chance to read through the newest edition of AfterCapture magazine. I was extremely impressed by the overall content and the many fantastic before and after images from their 2012 AfterCapture Digital Imaging Contest, sponsored by Wacom. It’s rare to have an opportunity to see how photographs go from “Raw” to a finished image, and I found the issue very inspiring. If you do any post-processing of your images, I highly recommend taking a look. It’s free to view online from this page.

PhotoPlus Expo Returns to New York City Oct. 24-27, 2012 – What to See and Do

The PDN PhotoPlus Expo is returning to New York City from 10/24-10/27/2012. I’ve been attending the show for about the last 20 years, and it has, without a doubt, helped shape my career as a photographer, writer and educator. In my early 20’s, I can remember walking the trade show floor and being amazed by the large, detailed prints on the walls, as well as the incredible photo and lighting gear as far as the eye could see. Many of the seminars I attended over the years helped me to prepare for my seminar talks related to printing, Photoshop and Lightroom at the Expo in 2008 and 2011.

These days, my favorite things to explore at the show are the booths that showcase different prints (inkjet or lab-produced prints). I always find a new paper, canvas or other material that blows me away. I also always enjoy seeing the many book options from many different companies (from oversize wedding albums to DIY (Do it Yourself) books). The exhibitions from different photo competitions throughout the show are another high point. Here’s an article I wrote from the 2009 show to give you a sense of some of the items I’ve highlighted in the past, and here is an article that I wrote covering 10 tips for navigating the show. All that being said, I think that the best part of the show is reconnecting with friends from the past and meeting new people from around the world–especially those whose work I’ve seen or whose articles/blog posts/Facebook posts I’ve read.

Below is a screen shot with an overview of some of the special events happening during the show (I’m looking forward to attending many of them). For more information about the special events, see this press release. And to register for seminars, special events or just for the trade show floor (registration is free for the trade show floor until 10/24), visit this page.

This year, I’ll be posting my thoughts and sharing photos from the show floor on Facebook and Twitter. You can keep updated by “Liking” my page here and/or by following me on Twitter here.