Get noticed at WPPI NYC/PhotoPlus in the 16×20 Print Competition

Photo competition for wedding and portrait photographyWedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) announced today that entries are now being accepted into the first WPPI NYC @ PhotoPlus 16 x 20 Print Competition. Entries will be accepted from now until Sept. 23. Categories include Wedding: Bride and Groom Together, Bride or Groom Alone and Wedding Party; and Portrait: Individual and Group.

The top-scoring prints will be displayed before 25,000 attendees at WPPI NYC @ PhotoPlus, Oct. 27 and 28 at the Javits Convention Center in New York City. Trophies will be awarded to first-place winners, who will also receive a one-year WPPI membership and a free registration with a guest to WPPI 2012.

Accolade points will be awarded to WPPI members for prints scoring 80 or above. A Wedding and Portrait Grand Award winner will be chosen and then recognized at the WPPI 2012 Convention and Trade Show taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, next February. 

Entry fees are $39 for each entry or four submissions for $100 for WPPI members, and $49 per entry or $150 for four submissions for non-members. There is no limit to the number of prints entered. For more information or to enter visit: www.wppinyc16x20.com

WPPI NYC is the first WPPI Expo to take place on the East Coast. Co-locating with PhotoPlus Expo this fall in a new exhibit space at the Javits Convention Center in New York City, WPPI NYC will host a full day of educational seminars for professional photographers on Wednesday, Oct. 26. A two-day Expo will follow Oct. 27-28 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

Attendees who register for WPPI NYC will also have full access to attend the PhotoPlus Expo. The pre-registration rate to attend all WPPI NYC seminars, WPPI NYC Expo and PhotoPlus Expo is $99. On-site registration will be $150. In addition, all registered attendees of the PhotoPlus Expo will have full access to WPPI NYC.

Road Show for Pro Photograhers Hits the Road in Later Summer, Early Fall

Educational seminars for professional photographersWedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) announced today that its third annual WPPI Road Trip is set to begin on Monday, Aug. 8 in Long Beach, Calif. The 2011 WPPI Road Trip features a full day of educational classes conducted by some of the most well known speakers in professional photography.

The WPPI Road Trip full day of educational classes cover topics like Business and Marketing, Lighting, Posing, and Shooting for professional wedding and portrait photographers. The Road Trip takes place in these eight U.S. cities:

  • Aug. 8, Long Beach, Calif.
  • Aug. 10, San Jose, Calif.
  • Aug. 15, Columbus, Ohio
  • Aug. 17, Chicago
  • Aug. 22, Philadelphia
  • Aug. 25, Boston
  • Sept. 19, Austin, Texas
  • Sept. 22, New Orleans

WPPI Road Trip guest speakers include: Bambi Cantrell, Kevin Kubota, Roberto Valenzuela, Rick Miller, Jasmine Star, Jim Garner, Dave Getzschman, Jared Platt, Vicki Taufer, Scott and Adina Hayne, Bob Davis, Sal Cincotta, Jules Bianchi, Joy Bianchi Brown, Monica Sigmon, Susan Stripling, Dawn Shields, Damon Tucci, Lindsay Adler, JP Elario, Beth Forester, Dan Sanders, Doug Gordon, Dixie Dixon and Kirk Voclain.

“Road Trip offers professional and aspiring photographers the convenience of being close to home with minimal time away from their studio so they can easily spend the day attending Road Trip and immediately apply what they learn to their work and business. Plus, the WPPI Road Trip provides a mid-year educational refresher like no other,” said George Varanakis, Show Director of WPPI and Publisher of Rangefinder.

For more information about locations, dates, speakers and registration, go to http://www.wppionline.com/storage/2011/roadtrip/home.html

The registration rate is $159 for a full day of education, lunch, and mini trade show. Registrants can also bring a guest for $89. There is also a special student/educator rate of $75. The Road Trip rate, guest rate and student/educator rate also includes free registration to WPPI 2012 in Las Vegas.

WPPI Joins PhotoPlus Expo in NYC, Oct. 26-28

WPPI co-locates with PhotoPlus Expo in New York CityJudging by the sheer volume of photographers at the Wedding & Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) show in Las Vegas earlier this year, WPPI’s announcement that it will bring the show to New York City and co-locate it with PhotoPlus Expo should make this the biggest photography event of the year.

WPPI will join PhotoPlus Expo at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City, Oct. 26-28. Called WPPI NYC, the show will kick off with a full-day education program for pro photographers on Wednesday, Oct. 26, followed by a two-day tradeshow Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27-28.

PhotoPlus Expo and its associated conference run Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 27-29, so you can immerse yourself in everything wedding and portrait oriented and then check out what PhotoPlus has to offer.

Registered WPPI NYC attendees will also have full access to attend PhotoPlus. The pre-registration rate for all WPPI NYC classes, the tradeshow and the PhotoPlus Expo tradeshow is $99. On-site registration will be $150. All registered attendees of PhotoPlus Expo will also have full access to WPPI NYC.

Registration details have not yet been announced, but are expected soon, according to WPPI.

In the meantime, go to www.photoplusexpo.com and www.wppionline.com, and check back here for regular updates on both shows.

Some Highlights from WPPI Las Vegas 2011

Canon cameras and printersIf last week’s photography trade show in Las Vegas, WPPI, is any indication, 2011 should be a much better year for everyone. To say the exhibit halls were crowded, particularly the first day, would be an understatement.

The show also marked the first one produced following the merger of WPPI/Rangefinder and PDN/Photo Plus Expo. The Neilsen Company, which owns PDN and Photo Plus Expo, acquired WPPI, Rangefinder and AfterCapture late last year.

The Neilsen Company estimates that 16,000 attended the show, held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Official figures have not been released, but it sure seemed like a cast of thousands was in attendance. The overall theme appeared to be presentation. The majority of vendors showcased new ways for photographers to present their work to their clients. There were new types of photo albums, both physical and digital, album creation software, Web-based services and tons of ways to sell output through companies like Simply Canvas, White House Custom Colour (WHCC), All Pro Canvas and Artsy Couture, among others.

On the album side, there were a few in particular that caught my eye. First was an economical photo book called Pro-Line Self-Stick Albums produced by Neil Enterprises Inc., featuring a peel-back corner that makes it easy to apply the prints to the book’s pages quickly. It’s a simple concept, but it’s unique and works quite well (we tried it).

Photo album custom leather
Full color, true leather custom leather album covers by Leather Album Designs.

Leather Album Designs showcased its ability to create custom leather covers using any design or image you care to create in full color using a digital printing system that seamlessly blends the image into the leather. In short, the image becomes part of the leather. You have to feel and smell it to believe it, and I did both.

I also ran across Album Design Software, which is designed to blend into Photoshop to eliminate the steps normally needed to “trick” Photoshop into working with an album creation software. The 6.1.1 version of the software won a 2010 Hot One Award. Check it out at www.albumds.com.

All Pro Canvas had an interesting photo product on display that uses dye-sublimation to apply your images to slate. Dye-sub certainly isn’t new; you can see it on coffee mugs, mouse pads and any number of promotional products you can sell to clients, but this was a unique application that deserves a second look.

Three dimensional photos
Here's another cool product we found at WPPI, Lifeform 3D, where the photos come off the page, quite literally, using the company's hand-sculpted CanvaSculpt material.

Of course I must admit to being biased about photographic printing, so a stop at the Hahnemuhle and Canon booths was a must, and they didn’t disappoint. Hahnemuhle was kind enough to give us a preview of its new 100 gsm rice paper, which comes in both white and natural. It will be sold only in rolls and should be available soon, so stay tuned here for more info.

Canon’s booth was really about cameras and all the new bells and whistles the company’s including in its camera models, including HD filming capabilities. Still, for those who print their own work Canon had its new 24-inch wide iPF6300S in the booth (the iPF8300S is the 44-inch version, but was not on display). The new printers are scheduled to be ready for delivery later this spring and will feature an expanded color gamut, faster printing speeds, bundled software for improved workflow (a print plug-in for Photoshop, an accounting management software and Poster Artist Lite) and other improvements. Click here for more info about the new printers.

Canon new printer iPF6300S
Canon's new iPF6300S was on display at its booth at WPPI. The new printer, and the 44-inch iPF8300S, are expected to be ready for market later this spring.

You can still browse through the WPPI exhibitor list alphabetically and by category, and link to their websites here if you weren’t able to make it this year. PDN PhotoPlus Expo is scheduled for Oct. 27-29 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City. WPPI 2012 will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas again, Feb. 20-22, 2012.

Find Craft and Clementi, Pick up Prizes, Day Two

Find Craft and Clementi at WPPI TuesdayCongratulations to Rick Reil of ReaLife Photography, Kennewick, Wash., who found LexJet account specialist Justin Craft at the right place and time at WPPI today. Rick won a 24-in. x 40-ft. roll of Sunset Select Matte Canvas. Later, Gary R. Coppage, Goldvein, Va., found LexJet’s Michael Clementi and picked up Sunset Stretcher Bars and a pint of Sunset Satin Coating.

Where's Waldo?
These are the LexJet guys you'll look for Tuesday at WPPI for a free roll of Sunset Select Matte Canvas and a pint of Sunset Satin Coating: Justin Craft and Michael Clementi.

Tomorrow at WPPI (Tuesday), find Craft and Clementi at 1 p.m. at the Canon booth (401) and you’ll get a free 24-in. x 40-ft. roll of Sunset Select Matte Canvas and a pint of Sunset Satin Coating. Look for Twitter updates at twitter.com/lexjet. The first three photographers who find Craft and Clementi and mention either this blog or LexJet’s tweets will pick up the prizes.

Good luck, and we’ll see you at WPPI.

Where’s Waldo, WPPI Style: Find Craft, Clementi, Pick up Prizes

Free products given away WPPI
Justin Craft: Find this guy at 11 a.m. at WPPI, and get free stuff.

LexJet account specialists Justin Craft and Michael Clementi are currently roaming the floor at the big portrait and wedding photography trade show in Las Vegas, WPPI 2011. Here’s the deal, and let me be clear…

Find Justin and Michael at the show at the times and places below and today you might pick up some free stuff and fantastic deals:

WPPI find Michael Clementi LexJet
Michael Clementi: Find this guy at 2 p.m. at WPPI and get free stuff.

We look forward to seeing you at the show and we’ll let you know where and when the Where’s Waldo giveaways are at tomorrow’s version of WPPI tomorrow morning.