FOCUS ON IMAGING – Photo Expo: BIRMINGHAM 2011

FOCUS ON IMAGING is Europe’s biggest annual imaging show, covering all your needs from image capture through to output and beyond. Whether you are a professional image maker or processor, a buyer of image making equipment or materials, a manufacturer or distributor of products or a keen hobbyist, a visit to FOCUS ON IMAGING is a must.

Over 200 exhibitors and product launches galore – -  So the Website says.

So,  Was it all worth it ?

Well.   its free (if you sign up before the event) So its off to a good start at least.  For me personally, I had an amazing few days, running about meeting people, making deals, seeing new toys, shaking hands, seeing demo’s and having a bit of a geeky time.

Canon deemed the event unworthy of there attendance, the word on the street was that since they do not have a new product to show, what’s the point in coming. Maybe to save face with your current clients who spend hard earned money with you ?  Its like Cadburys not being at a Chocolate Show. Canon lose points. Hasselblad did not attend either, it was a shame, but more understandable. It would of been nice to see Apple there too.  Sony had a HUGE stand with a very over the top runway event. Sony seem to think they were still in Japan. Sony still don’t have a camera to make me think of shooting with one, but give it a couple of years. The cameras have some impressive functions and toys, they just need refining a little for me. Pentex had a whole range of new cameras and the new digital back camera, but I never stopped to check them out, sorry ! i was really busy !!  I did check out the great new range from Lumix, very nice indeed!!
so who did turn up and brought cool things?  Well, Nikon had another new camera aimed in the middle of the range, the D7000. I would still put my money in the D90 , D700 or D3 though.  Anything smaller than the D90 would see me going to see the chaps at the Lumix stand.  One of the coolest new things I was shown was not even on show. While taking to the chaps on the Orbis stand (please do check them out - http://www.orbisflash.com/ ) I was introduced to Eddie.   Eddie is part of the new Tripod range from the 3 LEGGED THING company.

I am awaiting my very own Eddie very soon. There are two others in the new carbon fibre range, Jimmy and Brian.  Jimmy is the bigger brother and Brain a smaller more compact and lighter version, check the site our for more info. http://www.3leggedthing.com .  I really should say a very big thank you to the very lovely Album Epoca team.  This year I was asked to supply some photos for there new range of books. I designed the books and sent them off to be printed and never saw them until they were on display at the trade show, so I was very keen to how they printed up. I have to be honest and, yes.. even though they are my photos, I was taken back a little by the quality of the books and the print. Even the other printing companies were a little interested in seeing the quality of the print. They have over 400 styles of covers and the best print quality I have seen in a wedding book. No, there not the cheapest, but you can see where your money is going.  Seeing Flavio Bandiera’s work in these books is a joy, but, seeing my work next to his, well, is a slightly bigger joy to say the least. Do check out the Album Epcoa website and check out there amazing work.

I had a very long chat with the people at the Royal Photographic Society and the BIPPm trying to work out which is best for me, I have a feeling the RPS are much more suited for my needs and we have been talking workshops amongst other things.

Topaz Labs and Portrait Professional were there showing some cool new plug in software for quick easy edits, I did stop and have a chat with the guys. Topaz were very impressive and very busy, they must be very happy with there results from the show. They have some clever software and slick demo’s to show it off. Lovely guys and best of luck to them. NIK software were there too,  I had a long chat with there Marketing Manager and hope to bring you some very good news very soon,  for me NIK have the edge with there stunning, well made range of products.  After a couple more meetings  I am sure there will be some amazing news!!  Its safe to say I think they had the edge on all the other “plug in” type products on display. The Topaz Masking tools (Masking 3) are very very nice though. The Topaz Labs programs seem more for creative style then NIK Software.

Inside Focus, an exhibitor’s Perspective, from James Madelin, inventor of the orbis® ringflash and frio™ hotshoe adapter:

“Focus 2011 was a big step up from last year… with many more photographers dropping by our stand to catch up, watch orbis® and frio™ demos and generally hang out and talk about all things lighting, tweeting and more (not forgetting the all-important topic “cake.”)

Tradeshows are great fun from the perspective of an exhibitor. It’s massively exciting to have a chance to hang out with such a diverse range of photographers in one place over a few days, and the atmosphere from our demo team was almost like I’d imagine a music tour might be, with everyone sharing nicknames and in-jokes by the last evening. Exhausting and energising in equal measure. I got to shoot some photos too, which is something I never feel I do enough.

Bring on Focus 2012 !

Damien Lovegrove had his new coffee table book on display of the extremely gorgeous Chloe Jasmine Whichello.  Chloe came down on the Tuesday to hang out and say hello, we caught up a little and had a look around , it didn’t take us long to find Starbucks.

Damien :- My first art or coffee table book will be officially launched at the end of March. The book titled ‘Chloe-Jasmine Whichello’ was shot over four and a half months in the second half of 2010. There are punchy street portraits, high class fashion shots and delicate art nudes among the 160 or so photographs of the fabulous C-J. The first 1000 copies of this lavish edition will contain one of five signed and numbered archival prints each in a limited edition of 200. The first 1000 books will also be numbered themselves and signed by Chloe and I.

I have been following Damien for a number of years and this new book is of the expected Lovegrove standard. Please do go and check the website for more information.

Standard Edition Price: £49.95 (Pre-order)
Special Edition: Available from FloppyChicken.com

Another little highlight was meeting the incredibly talented Steve Kraitt. He was not at the show, but myself and Chloe bumped into him at the Lovegrove stand. If you not know Steve’s work, I urge you to go and check his work out.  Have a look at http://www.kraitt.com/

To sum up, Its just like walking around a very large Calumet store to be honest, but, its also a fantastic chance to see more products in a great way to compare them. It is also, a fantastic chance to network. As you might well guess if you did come to the event. Its set up to sell, and sell alot. Calumet, Jessops and Jacobs were all there with a whole host of the smaller trade show sales shops. You could lose lots of money very quickly indeed. Especially if you went to the Phase One or Fuji stands. The Colour correction and printer company were there in force with Fuji and Epson taking the Key spots. The event is set up to sell and provide to wedding photographers, this means that the wedding album printers are all there and all have very busy stands. (Album Epoca are the best – because they use my work in the demo books !  I have to say it !!)

I would love to see Focus really focus on photography and photographers a little bit more, it would be fantastic to see the Arts world a little bit more represented at these sorts of shows, I say get some local artists to show work !!  A nice gallery would not go a-miss at a photography event !!  I shall leave you with a the very lovley Vicki Blatchley modelling a Brian the tripod from 3 Legged thing.