Photo Expos for Winter/Spring 2012

The next three months offers a wide range of photo expos, festivals, and conferences. Here’s a quick survey of eight of the larger events.

PhotoPro Expo – Feb. 2-5, Cincinnati, OH This has to be the greatest value of all the winter events. $159 gets you 16 speakers, including Yours Truly. I’ll be doing Speedliting clinics on the tradeshow floor Saturday and Sunday. Plus, if you’re an early-bird, I’ll be giving away some special door prizes during my Sunday session at 7am! In addition to the great lineup of speakers and the tradeshow, there will be a print competition and, since it’s Super Bowl Weekend, parties every night.

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The other events are:

Photo LA – Jan. 12-16, Santa Monica, CA

Imaging USA – Jan. 15-17, New Orleans

FOTOfusion – Jan. 24-28, Palm Beach

WPPI – Feb. 16-23, Las Vegas

Gulf Photo Plus – Mar. 5-10, Dubai

Photoshop World – Mar. 24-26, Washington, DC

Palm Springs Photo Festival – Apr. 1-6, Palm Springs

Photo LA – Jan. 12-16, Santa Monica, CA This is the 21st-annual international exhibition of photographic art in Los Angeles. If you need a crash course on the business of art photography, cancel your appointments for the rest of the week and get to LA. This event is a total eye-opener. It’s a great chance to talk directly with art dealers and survey the universe of art photography.

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Imaging USA – Jan. 15-17, New Orleans As if anyone needs an invitation to head to NOLA for a few days of fun…Imaging USA is the joint annual convention of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), the Society of Sport and Event Photographers (SEP), and the Evidence Photographers International Council (EPIC). Imaging USA hosts a wide range of seminar and workshops, plus a huge tradeshow.

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FOTOfusion – Jan. 24-28, Palm Beach FOTOfusion is a large and diverse event produced by the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in Florida. It includes shoots, computer labs, lectures, workshops, and community events. Over 70 photographers are scheduled to teach.

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WPPI – Feb. 16-23, Las Vegas WPPI is the huge conclave of wedding and portrait photographers that literally attracts attendees from around the world. There’s a huge tradeshow and an all-star list of speakers. If you are thinking about getting into the wedding pic biz, consider WPPI to be a must-attend. Even though I don’t shoot weddings, I’ve attended many WPPI sessions and always come away with new ideas about composition, posing, workflow, and managing a photo business.

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Gulf Photo Plus – Mar. 5-10, Dubai I had the good fortune to be invited to teach at GPP’s FotoWeekend last November and can say wholeheartedly that GPP makes a trip to Dubai a great experience. [Travel tip: I flew non-stop on Emirates from Los Angeles and found my coach-class seat and meals to be quite good.] The week-long GPP event for March, 2012, includes a long list of great shooters and teachers.

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Photoshop World – Mar. 24-26, Washington, DC Over the years, Photoshop World has morphed from being a computer-centric convention into an incredible conference on digital photography and lighting. Uniquely, your PsW ticket enables you to attend any session you desire. Check out the full schedule, here. To add to the value of PsW, there’s a large tradeshow and a number of fun and crazy events in the evenings.

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Palm Springs Photo Festival – Apr. 1-6, Palm Springs It’s no surprise that PSPF continues to grow each year. The festival provides an intimate opportunity for professional and emerging photographers to improve their craft. The events range from short lectures and seminars to multi-day workshops — with networking activities each night.