TWiP #140 – Photography Trade Shows – Yes or No?

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Fred just returned from WPPI and the group discusses which shows they've attended and the differences between the various photography trade shows that take place each year. There are many trade shows to choose from including:

• PMA – Tends to be more technique and photography focused
• WPPI – more business focused and content on how to make money in photography. Focus is on wedding and portrait photographers
• Photoshop World – dedicated to learning more about everything Adobe including Photoshop and Lightroom
• Photokina – held every two years, this show is dedicated towards gear and technology. Tends to be where most of the major photography manufacturers release new products
• Photoplus Expo – photography trade show which offers a lot on the business side and on the technical side Joseph felt a lot of it he could get online.

No matter what show you go to, all of the shows offer great opportunities for networking. Given a choice of only going to one show, Alex would choose PMA, Joseph would pick Photokina, Nicole would stick with Photoshop World, and Fred would pick PMA.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Question #1: From Denis Grenier:
Just bought a new 7D and I understand that Shallow Depth of field is easier with a full frame sensor.  Am I right to think that to produce the same bokeh available on a 5D with a 50mm F/1.8, I would need a 30mm (* 1.6 = 48 mm) F/1.4 lens?

Alex: If you are talking about the Bokeh, then you don't need to worry about the lens length but you would need to worry about that to get the same framing. Bokeh is the soft background behind someone. The quality of the Bokeh will be affected by the quality of the lens and the depth of field. Alex recommends the Canon 50mm f1.4 which tends to be sharper at f1.8 than the less expensive 50mm f1.8. You can use a tool like a Lens Align to determine where the lens is sharpest. Most are sharpest between 5.6 and 8.0.

Question #2: Mark Boadey wonders:
I'm not the morbid type but a thought crossed my mind today, “What's going to happen to my pictures once I pass?” Should I make arrangements for a family member to become the guardian for future generation or even leave them in a will? Would love to find out what you guys think and or what plans you've made…if any?

Joseph: It isn't something I've looked into yet but I should. For someone like Nicole who earns a living off her photography, it is definitely something to look into to ensure that you have complete say in who is making money off of your images after you are gone. Nicole has included a provision for that in her will. As far as how iStock would handle things, she has seen several discussions threads but no definitive answer. her guess is that if someone were to pass, then they can pass on the copyright to the person named in their will. That person can likely continue to receive revenue from the sale of images from that account but wouldn't be able to put up new images using that same account.

Question #3: TWiplog reader Manning Aalsma asks:
I was wondering if it's better to use an actual graduated neutral density filter over the graduated filter tool in Lightroom.  Or, is the Lightroom tool good enough, so that I don't have to buy the actual filter?

Nicole: If you're really serious about going out into the field and shooting landscapes, then you should consider investing in a graduated filter to get it right in camera. If you're just going to do it occasionally, then the tool in Lightroom does a really good job. Another options is to shoot an HDR image and merge them in Photoshop. Ultimately you'll get more detail if you capture it in camera rather than trying to pull it back in post.

Alex: I like to use ND filters a lot when shooting video so that I can control the shutter speed.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Frederick: RPS-Studio – studio lighting in a box

Alex: EG-S Focus Screen – replaces the regular focus screen and assists with manual focusing

Nicole: Kelby Training seminars: http://www.kelbytraining.com/seminars/

Joseph: Black foam core from your local art store. Big, light, and the perfect gobo. Cut 'em up, shape 'em if needed, last a long time and are cheap.

WRAP UP

Visit the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

Joseph Linaschke – www.apertureexpert.com or www.twitter.com/apertureexpert or www.photojoseph.com

Nicole Young – www.nicolesyblog.com or www.twitter.com/nicolesy

Frederick Van Johnson – www.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Alex Lindsay – www.pixelcorps.tv or www.twitter.com/alexlindsay

CREDITS

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

TWiP is brought to you by Audible.com – the leading provider in spoken word entertainment. Audible has over 60,000 titles to choose from to be downloaded and played back anywhere. VisitAudiblepodcast.com/twip for a free audio book of your choice.

TWiP is also brought to you by SquareSpace – the fast and easy way to publish a high-quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account, go to – Squarespace.com/twip, offer code TWiP.