This past weekend I had the opportunity to attend the photo expo at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. The event was running a short time, from October 30th to November 1st, so I was lucky to catch the last day of the expo. The event showcased companies from all different realms of the photo world, from the large companies like Nikon and Canon, to brands for gear such as Lowepro. They had companies that specialized in camera, lenses, gear, camera accessories, prints, software, and portfolios. Companies that advertised, networked, and created websites even had displays to draw photographers in. At certain booths, you even had the option to buy and sell gear. Essentially, every little corner and necessity of the photo world was in attendance, and there was plenty to do and see - all for free.
Immediately after entering the Photo Expo, I started to make my way through the aisles and aisles of booths displaying all different things. At many booths there was an opportunity to win contests. One booth was giving away free website design, sigma’s booth giving away a lens, and various other companies offering up prizes to lucky winners. Although I expected the opportunity to be able to get special show pricing on some gear, not many of the booths were actually selling, but rather simply advertising. A positive and great experience of the expo was that many of the booths allowed you to try their products on your camera and personally see what their product can do to improve you and your photos. You could spend hours at the nikon, sigma, canon, or any of the counters trying on different lenses - and that is not an experience you can often get, especially all under the same roof.
A certain aspect of the photo expo I really enjoyed and appreciated was the free seminar’s offered by many of the different companies. I sat for a few minutes of many seminar’s here and there, but the two seminars I sat entirely through were by Jennifer Rozenbaum at the Sigma stage. Jennifer Rozenbaum is a boudoir photographer who gave seminars on utilizing small spaces as well as her key boudoir poses. I thought her speeches were interesting because I never noticed boudoir photography as something people make their career into, and it’s actually quite beautiful, especially when done by someone with a talent and eye for it. In utilizing small spaces, she made a point that all your furniture should be movable so you can utilize it easily wherever you may need it. Also, when working with a small space you should explore outside the space such as hallways, outdoors, and anywhere else available because sometimes these spaces can be utilized as well. In posing, she actually spoke of how a woman can arch her body the right way in the right light and it makes cellulite almost invisible, without editing. A good technique she uses to get her models comfortable is to do casual photos before they’re posing half naked in front of her, which if done immediately, could make them uncomfortable and stiffen up. I always find it interesting to listen to a photographer speak, especially if they work in a field I find interest in, and Rozenbaum did not disappoint.
An interesting aspect of Photo Expo was the booths that were interactive. Many studios were set up with models so you could hook up your camera and test out a company’s lighting or equipment. In my pictures above with the model against the white background, I was testing a huge circular light that you stick your head, and camera in the middle of. Although I think the pictures came out nice, mostly thanks to the gorgeous model, I thought the lights were overpowering. It’s nice to have the opportunity to have first hand experiences with equipment though, good or bad, so I know if I’d want to add it to my collection or not. Also, there was a stage where a contestant from the TV show, “Face Off” was applying makeup to nude artists as a piece of art, where photographers could approach and photograph. The models with graffiti pictured above are photos from this stage. Many people surrounded this stage and it was very crowded throughout the day, but when you have live art and a huge expo full of photographers, you can’t expect much else.
All in all, I thought the Photo Expo was an interesting experience and something every photographers should attend at least once. I was able to gain first hand experience with a lot of equipment as well as learn about it in a way I wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. It’s also always a wonderful experience to hear professional photographers speak as well as be able to personally correspond and ask questions with them. Although I would have enjoyed the opportunity to be able to make some purchases, I wasn’t disappointed that I attended. It definitely made me think more about the gear I have and how I plan on expanding my collection as well as making me further ponder what career path I will be taking with photography. It is a lot to think about, but I’m hopeful with my growing experiences that answer will become clear to me with time.
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