“Oh, my God – is it cold out here! Just look at all that snow…” I thought to myself steeping off the plane in BWI. Having spent over 5 hours on the flight from Phoenix to Baltimore my husband Will and I were not looking forward to the 2,5 hour drive home to Rehoboth. January is not the most exciting month at the beach and catching a break from the cold in a desert climate sure felt nice. Unfortunately, we couldn’t bring the warm weather of Arizona back home with us, but we got to bring something much more valuable – business-changing ideas, education on some of the latest trends in the world of photography, as well as new friends, new connections, and newfound inspiration to continue doing what we love!
Imaging USA is one of the world’s largest annual photo imaging conventions. In 2009 it gathered over 8,600 of talented, successful professional photographers from all over the world to learn, share, and party. It was our first time attending, and we didn’t really know what to expect, but I can describe this event simply as a photographer’s dream!
The convention consisted of 3 days of intense seminars taught by the top players in the industry, and an evening reception at the end of each night. On top of Imaging USA's education, there was an Imaging EXPO trade show going on during the time of the convention. It was a well-organized 223,000 square feet showroom floor featuring the hottest products, most efficient services, and latest technology. I must say, the trade show turned out to be a lot more fun than I thought. I expected to be attacked by a bunch of over enthusiastic vendors trying to sell me something I don’t need. And boy, was I wrong! They weren’t pushy and aggressive, but more educating than anything. We got a chance to touch and learn the best ways to use a product, and see it demonstrated before our eyes. Some of the larger vendors like Canon, Millers and Nikon took up huge amounts of space with couches and presentation areas where they brought in speakers for 1/2 hour lectures. There were also 2 mini -"theaters" (projection screens with rows of chairs) where speakers were brought in to present as well. We enjoyed those lectures just as much as the convention’s seminars themselves!
One of the main highlights of the convention for us was getting to meet and hear Anne Geddes, who is well known for her stylized depictions of babies and motherhood. Anne was just radiant! You could feel the beautiful energy around her. She talked about how she started out and showed several slideshows with her work. She also shared some behind the scenes videos of her studio. As I have been getting into baby and maternity photography myself recently, I found this to be extremely interesting and informative. She got emotional a few times during her presentation, which made it that much more personable. It’s funny, after I came back one of my friends asked if Anne Geddes was unfashionable. And I suppose you could say that…she certainly wasn’t wearing leggings or hoop earrings, but I find her style to be timeless and elegant, just like the art she creates with her photography.
Another exciting aspect at the convention for us was meeting different wedding photographers from all around the globe. Wedding photography has been one of our main focuses, and learning something new about it, getting a different perspective was really great! It turns out, the newest hottest thing in weddings these days is turning a wedding into a full wedding day – meaning after the ceremony instead of rushing straight to the reception, the bridal party goes on a little trip around the town with the photographer in tow! They might hit the local landmarks, a bar or a coffee shop, or simply walk down the streets and have fun getting noticed…it gives the bride and groom a chance to really enjoy the day in a relaxing way, as well as makes for some awesome candid photographs. This has become a tradition in Europe and Australia, and now it’s taking the west coast of the U.S. by storm! We are very excited about bringing it to Rehoboth and East Coast in general. So far a few couples that we are providing wedding photography for in 2009 have decided to adopt it – one is even renting a Trolley to visit downtown Rehoboth after the ceremony! To all you future brides – it’s something to consider!
I also learned about a great opportunity for college students who are interested in photography but can’t quite afford the convention price – volunteering can get you in the door! This year the first 70 students who volunteered received free lodging at one of the host hotels for the time of the convention. From what I understand, volunteers were asked to help out a half day each day of the convention and then were free to attend programs or relax the rest of the time. Great way to make some connections and learn from the best!
And finally, I’d like to mention that ALL of the photographers who taught the classes emphasized the importance of educating clients on copyright laws. The thing is, a lot of people aren’t familiar with those laws, and thus we often run into somebody trying to go to a local Wal-Mart to reprint the professional photos they bought from a studio. People also tend to expect to get all the negatives of their photos (from a wedding, for example) without having to pay extra. Meanwhile, it becomes impossible for a photographer to make a living. Consider this: when you go to a restaurant and have a lovely meal, do you expect the chef to come out and give you the recipe so you can cook that same meal at home next time? That chef would hardly have the incentive to continue producing such outstanding food, just as photographer would hardly have that same incentive to continue producing such fine art, and brides, grooms, and photography lovers around the world would be the poorer.
Olga Vickers with Hitched Photography
www.hitchedphotography.com
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