New York, NY—More than 250 leading manufacturers of photographic, video and other visual communication hardware, software and professional services will share their latest technologies with the thousands of photographers and filmmakers attending the annual WPPI Wedding and Portrait Photography Expo at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, March 2–4, 2015.
The three-day expo is part of a weeklong conference featuring 200+ educational seminars and classes conducted by 150 prominent speakers, and several special evening events like a keynote by Joe McNally, the opening night party at Hakkasan, and the Honors of Excellence Awards ceremony. This year’s WPPI Conference + Expo begins February 26 and runs through March 5. Visit wppionline.com for a complete listing of all events.
Attendees will have the opportunity to experiment with new imaging hardware and software products designed to help photographers improve their workflow, expand their skill sets, and build upon practices for increasing their business and profits.
For a limited time, those wishing to attend can use the promo code WPPIfan when registering online to get free access to the expo as well as $30 off a Full Platform Pass. The pass give holders access to 80 platform classes, the keynote by Joe McNally, the official opening night party at Hakkasan, and more. Full Platform Pass holders can also choose to enhance their educational experience by signing up for master classes and photo walks.
“There’s nothing that compares to the WPPI Expo. It’s an epic ‘toy store’ for photographers and the biggest of its kind in North America!” explained Jason Groupp, WPPI director of Education and Membership. “Exhibitors demonstrate their latest products, offer exclusive discounts to help our attendees obtain new tools and gain substantial savings. This is the tangible counterpart to sessions that focus on helping photographers expand and market their services, and conduct business in a cost-effective, profitable manner. Photographers also have the opportunity to meet and give feedback to the vendors they work with all year—this conversation is an integral part of strengthening the WPPI community as well as the industry overall.”
The following is a sample of exhibitors participating in the 2015 WPPI Expo.
Bay Photo (Booth #1519)
Bay Photo’s maple wood prints are printed onto ½-inch thick, certified-sustainable maple wood board for a natural-looking print that is eco friendly. Photographers can choose a natural finish and the wood grain will appear through the light areas of the image. Or, for a more vibrant look, their white finish is available (with a white ink underlay so that images “pop” off the wood). Wood prints are available in a variety of sizes and come with a universal mount.
Canon USA (Booth #1477)
Canon will be showcasing imaging products to serve the needs of wedding and portrait photographers and filmmakers, including EOS DSLRs, cinema and video cameras, imagePrograf wide-format printers, Pixma Pro printers and high-resolution REALiS projectors. The Canon booth will feature expert stage presentations, product demos and a photo gallery. On display will be the newly announced Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R DSLRs, as well as the EOS 7D Mark II, featuring Canon’s first 65-point all-cross-type AF system and its dual pixel CMOS AF system for the rapid and precise focusing of video and still images.
Fundy Software (Booth #119)
Fundy Software makes photo design software for professional photographers and gives users creative control when designing albums, signing books and collages. Their core product—Fundy Designer—includes Album Builder, Image Brander and Blog Collage, with template-free, patent-pending Drop Zone technology.
G-Technology (Booth #1105)
Showcasing its new rugged storage solutions that help keep content safe in virtually all environments, G-Technology will exhibit its Evolution series family of external hard drives, the new G-Drive ev ATC with Thunderbolt, the G-Drive ev ATC with USB 3.0 and the G-Drive ev RaW solutions. The all-terrain case (ATC) series is designed to withstand daily wear and tear with a watertight drive compartment that floats when dropped in water and is drop resistant. The ATC case comes with a tethered Thunderbolt or USB 3.0 cable that shields a 35% more lightweight, removable G-Drive ev RaW USB hard drive. Like all G-Technology external drives, these new storage solutions come with a three-year limited warranty.
Lowepro (Booth #124)
The Pro Roller x-series AW with MaxFit system takes Lowepro’s roller bag to the next level. Photographers can maximize the gear they carry and protect it during travel from studio to location, or abroad. The patent-pending MaxFit system is designed to be easy to customize and maximize interior space. Other features include rugged new wheels and trolley, a high-impact-resistant exterior, a built-in all-weather cover, and a Reserve Pack that unzips from the hard-shell case.
Lytro (Booth #1665)
Lytro will demo its newest camera, the Lytro Illum. With a single exposure, photographers can adjust aperture, use selective focus, tilt, focus spread, animate and even 3D to bring pictures to life.
Nikon (Booth #721)
Nikon will be showing its full line, including the D750 DSLR and new Nikkor lenses, such as the lightweight AF-S Nikkor 300mm f/4PF ED lens. The 24.3 megapixel D750 is compact and inherits some of the best elements from Nikon’s full-frame professional cameras, such as a 51-point AF system, 6.5-fps bursts and low-light capability.
PeakDesign (Booth #629)
PeakDesign will feature two new camera straps. Slide is designed as a versatile pro camera strap; Anchor Link quick-connectors let users wear Slide as a sling, neck or shoulder strap. Seatbelt-style webbing with internal padding has smooth and grippy sides, helping it glide over clothing or stay put where users want it. Clutch is a quick-connecting and quick-adjusting camera strap that gives access to camera controls but quickly cinches down when security is needed. It features a Hypalon exterior, microfiber pad and aluminum adjuster hardware inspired by high-end climbing gear.
Profoto (Booth #611)
At the Profoto booth, Tamara Lackey, Joe McNally, JP Elario, Brian Marcus, Dixie Dixon, Justin & Mary, Michelle Turner, Ryan Brenizer, Jared Platt, Sal Cincotta, Mike Allebach, Vanessa Joy and Jaleel King will share their tips and tricks.
Spinlight 360 (Booth #1360)
The SpinLight 360 modular system is a modifier system designed to allow photographers to both take away light and direct light exactly where they want it, easily and instantly, with the capability to rotate bounce cards 360º. It features a selection of modifiers and an integrated gel system that offers numerous lighting possibilities without having to remove the ring module from the flash. The SpinLight 360 securely attaches to most speedlights and can be used on-camera and off.
StickerYou (Booth #1266)
The StickerYou online platform allows users to upload their own designs or photos to create custom stickers, labels and large format decals at a low cost. Unlike similar companies, StickerYou has no minimum order quantity. StickerYou’s proprietary die-cut algorithm enables stickers and labels to be cut to the exact shape of any design.
Tamron (Booth #421)
Check out the latest Tamron SP full-frame lenses, including the SP 15–30mm, a full-frame, fast, ultra-wide-angle zoom with image stabilization—and visitors can enter to win one. Attendees can get $200 total rebate savings on the Tamron SP 24–70 and SP 70–200mm and a $50 bonus rebate on other select lenses when they purchase one from an authorized exhibiting dealer during the show. Booth visitors can enter the raffle, sit down for an espresso and chat with a leading pro photographer at the Tamron café, and bring any Tamron lens to the booth for inspection.
Think Tank Photo (Booth #131)
Think Tank Photo will be releasing a new mirrorless compact camera bag series. The Urban Approach 5 holds one medium to large CSC body with lens attached, one to three additional lenses and an 8-inch tablet. The Urban Approach 10 holds one medium to large mirrorless body or compact DSLR with lens attached, two to four additional lenses and a 10-inch tablet. The Urban Approach 15 backpack is designed to hold a complete mirrorless camera, a 15-inch laptop, a 10-inch tablet, a smartphone and space for personal items.
Zenfolio (Booth #915 & 1227)
Zenfolio is a premier all-in-one photo hosting and e-commerce website for photographers to display, share and sell their work online. It offers unlimited galleries, an integrated blog, marketing tools and 500+ products to order and sell.
