This week at the Jacob Javits center in New York City, MacTribers had the opportunity to rub elbows with the photography world elite at the PhotoPlus International Conference and Expo...and it was quite a treat! Architectually echoing London's famed Crystal Palace, the gorgeous glass and steel building with its views of the Empire State building was the perfect location for the gathering of the movers and shakers in the industry.
There were hundreds of exhibitors on the expo floor showcasing thousands of new products and technologies, and we made sure to concentrate on the newest and coolest for you. Although the show had less exhibitors than in past years (no doubt due to a just rebounding economy) the turnout actually seemed as high as ever. After a quick tour around the floor to see which booths were hopping we zeroed in on some exciting releases from Sigma, new programs at the Academy of Art, and innovative offerings from PhotoShelter.
Sigma DP2
Since Sigma just released its DP2 digital camera a few months ago, we expected a crush at their booth. Showcasing photographs shot with their new Foveon chip technology that effectively bypasses the need for a blur filter as well as a variety of cameras and lenses, the booth was big, easy to navigate and filled with helpful Sigma and Foveon folks eager to extoll the virtues of the DP2. We managed to get a few impromptu interviews, and Foveon tech Rudy as well as two of the photographers whose art was featured were really helpful in translating the technology into practical application.
Photo Training
We decided to take a look at the Academy of Art University's booth to get a better idea of what their program entails, and we were a little surprised by the size of the student body and campus--they're up to 16,000 enrolled students in their on-site programs, and the campus is basically all of San Francisco! Students can choose from a variety of programs either on-site or online culminating in a BFA or MFA and the alumni we spoke to had the distinction of having one of his pictures in Time Magazine before he even graduated. We'll highlight more of the pros of the school in an upcoming Training Guide, so if San Fran and art school sounds good to you, stay tuned.
PhotoShelter
PhotoShelter looked better than ever this year at its high tech booth filled with computer stations so attendees could access the site instead of just hearing about it from employees. Adding to its already impressive roster of features, the photo-hosting and selling website has added tons of free content to make sure photographers who work with them stay on top of the world...they've even provided ways for like-minded shutterbugs to link up and sell their photos together as an "agency." From tips about stock photography to getting the most out of your search engine hits, these guys know the business and make it theirs to get you up to date too.
MacTribe the Show
In addition to seeing the exhibitors and products, we managed to run into quite a few MacTribe favorites, including the always innovative media artist Bina Altera and New York's underground treasure, photographer extraordinaire Andrea Fischman; we found they were up to new and interesting projects which we'll be covering in 2010. To get the full update as well as all the interviews and video from the floor of the convention, you'll have to look out for the next installment of MacTribe's Video Podcast. We promise, you'll get the same buzz from the lights, crowd and creativity we did at this year's PhotoPlus Expo. In the meantime check out some of our twitpics
For more info visit: Photoplusexpo.com
All images just MacTribe having fun! Visit us on Twitter and tell us about some of your favorite moments from this years show! We look forward to hearing your stories. Watch for the new issue of MacTribe Magazine that will include a full roundup of Photoplus 2009,
