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Time and money are two things that most people find in very short supply. So
it is not surprising, that the challenge of keeping up with the new and
ever-evolving technological developments that continue to have a profound impact
on our lives - in even the simplest of tasks - can be daunting, cost-prohibitive
and intimidating. However, the consequences of not being up on these
changes - whether for financial dealings, social networking, professional
interests, work, family, personal or pleasure pursuits - can have serious
consequences.
So - how do we get ourselves up-to-speed without spending a lot of money (by,
for example - perhaps paying for a course to gain insight into equipment, to
find out if it may, or may not be for you), and time?
One clear and direct way to decipher the “noise”, peruse an abundance of
choices and acquire the introductory/ working knowledge necessary to make
informed choices on potential usages and purchases - is to attend a trade show
where you have access to information, see actual products, attend
demonstrations, try out equipment and interact with experts there at your
beckoning. Furthermore, trade shows can quickly and inexpensively provide the
medium to discern what we know, what we want to know, what we think we
know and what we absolutely should know - and what the hell we didn’t!
The advantages of
attending a trade show or expo
- Meet key people at
all levels in the industry you are seeking knowledge in
- You are exposed to
people who have real working knowledge of the products and technology you
seek
- You get to compare
competing products
- Sit in on seminars
and workshops that highlight capabilities of products - many are free
- Shows are spread
over a few days so you have a chance to follow up with presenters
Meet many people who have, or had questions, concerns and interests similar
to your own.
So at a trade show,
you can arrive in the morning knowing little or nothing; by noon you will
know something - and by the time you leave, you can know a lot. All of which
put you on the path to acquiring knowledge -- and the wherewithal to ask the
proper questions to gain more knowledge. And some trade shows even
waive registration fees if you pre-register online, or have a promotion
code.
There are thousands
of people with a wide variety of interests and backgrounds at the three-day
Photo Expo held in New York at the Jacob Javits Center.
Tomorrow - a closer
look at the photo expo, and handling the choices offered by new and
constantly-developing photo technology. |
New York, USA
- When Steel Talks (WST) is among the press corps at the PDN International
Conference and PhotoPlus Expo, Jacob Javits Center, New York. We are here
to mingle with manufacturers, observe, question and explore their philosophies
and their new digital imaging products and accessories that have, and will
continue to have, such a great impact on our story - the story of the global
steelpan culture, art form and community.
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Press corps at work for
the PhotoPlus Expo |
Indeed, the tens of thousands of people who are part of our global WST
network on Facebook, Ning, PanOnTheNet and more, have come to expect - in
addition to full articles - high quality images, photos that tell a story
about the art form, its practitioners/ musicians and fans.
We, When Steel Talks, are now equally as famed for our steelpan photography, as
we are known globally for state-of-the-art recordings, video, audio
production and news coverage. Photos bring text to life - just as the key
to a superior video is superior audio. Without those great,
eagerly-anticipated images from our
WST pan-photographers our articles would be - well - simply a grouping of
characters on a screen enrapturing readers, but still leaving much to their
imagination - and awaiting that final touch -
photographs - to be truly brought to life.
Have you noticed that hardly anyone says “cheese” any more to the subjects in
a photo - especially a group picture? This year as When Steel Talks traveled to
festivals and panyards of the world, and went out on our annual pan yard
recordings, the WST pan photographers now called out for the “Facebook” smile,
or pose - and all enthusiastically complied. “Facebook it, Tweet it, Photoshop
it” are now part of the permanent entries into the global lexicon and
consciousness of man. And an integral component of them, is digital photo
technology.
So what caught our eye on the first day?
With scores of booths and cordial reps vying for
attention, there were of course those that made us do a double-take, and
investigate further. From cameras, camcorders, photo printers, to
storage media, media colleges, software, related digital imaging services,
accessories and more - there was much to investigate.
Olympus Imaging America was a favorite, with
WST taking special interest in the
E-620, one of their latest DSLRs, while still noting their 2007
flagship E-3
which debuted in October of that year, the
E-30 and of course the attention-grabbing Olympus Pen -
E-P1. Skilled, well-informed and extremely accessible Tech rep
Nathan Ross entertained practically every one of WST’s queries.
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Nathan Ross with Olympus E-3 |
A quick trek through the aisles allowed WST to zoom in on
innovative accessories that are well suited to the photog shooting
on the move (like WST’s pan photogs). Both
Trek-Tech and
SteadePod got a second look with their versatility and flexibility
in adjusting to space and support challenges - bringing their unique
brand of stabilization to the fore. The former offers an
intriguing
monopod/tripod (and hiking staff) combo available with sturdy
MagMount ball heads. For the extreme minimalist, the
SteadePod
delivers steadying by maintaining tension on a lightweight cable
attached to a still or video camera, while anchored by a footpad.
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Trek-Tech monopod products |
SteadePod |
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Edward Fasano (l) and Mark
Suban |
Nikon is always on the cutting edge of technological development, and has
one of the largest representations at the 2009 PhotoPlus Expo. Edward
Fasano, General Manager, Marketing, SLR System Products, and Nikon tech rep
Mark Suban were but two of the many Nikon personnel on hand interacting with
event attendees. The extensive array of
Nikon digital imaging products and accessories on display included
recently-unveiled DSLRs Nikon
D5000,
D3000,
D300S and the
D3S. WST was pleased to interact face-to-face with Fasano, a key figure on the digital media scene - and explore a bit more
in-depth, the perspective behind the designs of a couple of their more
recent product lines.
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Spider camera holster |
An accessory that would be considered handy by some merited the attention
of folks eager for an opportunity to experience for themselves quick access
to cameras - the Spider
Camera Holster. Strapped around the waist, cameras with lenses
attached ride securely on hip, but rapidly detach, and are almost as quickly
replaced - from hip to hands in a flash, according to the company.
With the ability to capture higher resolution images on the upswing, the storage media
is well in step with space required; SanDisk and Lexar sporting
high-capacity drives, along with the likes of LaCie, Western Digital and
more, were definite considerations. Lens connoisseurs were not left
out, with specialist representatives showcasing both high-end and econo mode
product lines.
|
Dina of Metal Mural |
These days, displaying your digital moments can
take several forms. WST visualized one in particular -
Metal Mural - as
an opportunity that many ‘pan parents’ might like - highlighting the
picture of their child in action on the steelpan instrument, on a glossy
metal tile. Reproduced on a single tile about twelve inches square
which could be placed anywhere, for those so inclined, an entire
mural of a much larger size consisting of several tiles could be put
together. Which young steelpan musician would not be captivated by
a fairly large likeness of themselves caught up in the musical moment -
on a wall area?
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Scott Heath and PDN’s Lauren Wendle |
For an event of this magnitude to come together, several actors come into
play, not least of all the public relations firm - for this event, veterans
in the communications field, PR-Synergy, and event organizer PDN
(Photo District News) represented by Vice President/Publisher Lauren Wendle.
In chatting with Scott Heath of PR-Synergy, WST learned that it is the first
trade show for his company. Scott and his team are in the process of
pulling off what has been a highly-anticipated and hotly-attended event on
the annual trade show calendar. For Scott, representing and promoting the
2009 PDN International Conference and PhotoPlus Expo at Jacob Javits is
close to his heart as PR-Synergy represents several movers and shakers in the
digital imaging world - and beyond -
and proudly counts a ten-year relationship with
digital imaging giant Canon in its roster of clients; it is obvious why the
fit is like hand-in-glove for Executive VP Scott, PR-Synergy President Lou Desiderio
(pictured right, assisting press personnel), and
associates. Up and on his feet most of the time ensuring that things
rolled according to plan, it was in the midst of it all that WST was able to
share a few words with both Scott and Lauren Wendle. Lou himself moved
around unassumingly, interacting with those present and tending
personally to even the simplest of tasks - such as facilitating wireless
access for users, and more.
Why is When Steel Talks here?
As the thousands of you who navigate the When Steel Talks (WST) website and
social networks everyday already know - no longer is anything truly ‘local,’ and
neither is anything truly ‘global.’ The internet, Facebook, Ning, Twitter
and YouTube among others, have redefined those borders forever. And
thousands of you (in numerous languages and places from all over the globe)
greet each other in some facsimile of “Good morning, Facebook people,” everyday
on the WST profile, fan page or group - and you are keenly aware that quality
digital photographs are critical to the story of Pan on the internet - in fact
they form an indispensable component to the global music community and art form.
Because of that importance we take the When Steel Talks global network to the
PDN PhotoPlus Expo in New York. This is part of our ongoing thrust to
introduce new technologies that directly impact the steelpan music community.
It was way back in 1998 when German imaging company AGFA - probably more
through the curiosity of what we would do with product, more than anything
else - dispatched two pioneering digital cameras - an ePhoto 1280 and ePhoto 780, along with an AGFA scanner for our evaluation and promotion.
Of course they got much, much more than they ever expected - as the
pictorials and subject matter we presented with the cameras were like
nothing they had seen before. Simply put, our photos stole the show at
that year’s Photo Expo. But more importantly, having access to that
technology at that early stage allowed us to apply it to the documentation
and capturing of the life of steelpan music enthusiasts, the culture, art
form and global community in a way that still reverberates today.
It was literally history in the making, both for AGFA and the global
steelband community,
with the flexibility gained in documenting images of pan. With this
captivating new digital photo format, we now thought and operated in the digital
frame of mind at a very early stage in the game. It was this
atmosphere which led a then-fledgling Adobe company to contact our organization,
beginning what would turn into several years of a mutually beneficial
partnership. Many other leading manufacturers of multimedia digital
technology would almost immediately follow.
Technology, especially digital technology, has permeated every aspect of our
existence in ways both known and unknown. The most basic functions of our lives
are now inextricably impacted, connected and influenced by some form of digital
technology. And of course, of those entities impacted - not least of them
is the world of “photography” - its culture, the education, history and
moreover, the science of photography and its dynamics.
Let us face it - with the explosive development of social networks and other
online digital delivery systems, the art and/or business of photography and
passion of capturing images, have taken on a whole new perspective and place in
our lives. Our expectations and understanding of our physical environment and
social conditions have changed dramatically. No self-respecting
organization can honestly say, that they are ready for prime time if they do not
have a documented photo image - or film - archive of their activities (do you
really exist if you do not have such?), or lack the ability to procure same.
And Photography is a critical aspect of that documentary portfolio.
Digital photography has changed who we are, and moreover how we and
others see ourselves. Photography captures the moment and history almost
simultaneously of an event and/or condition. Digital photography and its
support systems remarkably allow a picture to be a sentence, paragraph, chapter
or volume of an occurrence. And for assignments like capturing, documenting and re-telling the rich and colorful history and present day
activities of the steelpan instrument - this technology is incalculable in
pictorial storytelling.
The PDN PhotoPlus Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
in New York runs through
Saturday 24 October.
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2009 PDN PhotoPlus Expo articles:
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