The South African Photo and Film Expo begins today at the Coca-Cola Dome in Johannesburg.
The event, organised privately, in conjunction with Nikon and Pix Magazine, serves as a platform for exhibitors and photographers to gain knowledge about the field.
Show organiser Matt Raven says the expo, now in its second year, has grown exponentially, and as it's the only photography show of this magnitude in Africa, he hopes it will grow even further.
In terms of the exhibition itself, Raven says it is a platform for camera manufacturers, printers and specialists to showcase their products. The fact that there are 110 exhibitors gives consumers the chance to see everything that is available to them, rather than being exposed to only bits and pieces of advice from stores, he adds.
“There are demonstrations, 38 workshops and training on software, hardware and styles available to visitors,” he says. “For the serious photographer, there is training available on all levels - beginner to pro, and they can see the latest technology through product demos.”
Raven says there have been some major developments in photography in the past few years, including 3D, 'mirrorless' D-SLR technology and medium-format cameras, and this “opens up new doors to consumers”.
He says the biggest challenge for photographers is getting out there with the right equipment, the right advice, and the right software. “This is why we are providing this platform.
“One of the most major developments is the fact that, as the digital world grows, the computing power needs to grow with it,” notes Raven.
“Files on a medium-format camera are as big as 250MB per image nowadays and we need to garner interest in developing, not only the cameras, but the technology around the cameras, including the software and computing power to deal with this.”
Exhibitor Nikon says the expo has been a success, as consumers get to experience the products first-hand with the help of people in the know.
“Going from eye-to-camera is not the only thing about photography these says,” says Tobias Ginsberg, PR and communications manager of Nikon SA. “Programming from digital to print, and digital to digital is also growing, including distribution and publishing.”
He says there are great developments in software and hardware happening which people need to know about and experience before they buy or use a camera. “This is all about creating accessibility, because photography is a hard field to break into,” Ginsberg adds.
He says Nikon is working on bringing processing to the people and enhancing the experience for professionals. “USB 3.0 is going to be the next best thing,” he notes.
The exhibition, as Raven mentioned, is not only for the big names. Sony, which took over Minolta a few years ago, says it has struggled to gain recognition in a Nikon- and Canon-centric market. It says its strategy to become part of the “big guns” is to give users the full Sony experience.
Karen Baker, Sony's Alpha product manager, says one of the ways in which the company is doing this is by breaking into the photographic schools market, where younger people can get to know the brand, and “the expo is the perfect platform from which to start”.
“We aren't going to change older and more experienced photographers' minds about their trusty old Nikons and Canons,” she says. “What we can do is let the products speak for themselves to newer customers.”
A consumer at the show, who wished not to be named, said: “Before the show, I was convinced that there were only two brands and that photography was inaccessible. Now, I have two camera bodies and a host of lenses.”
The show runs until Sunday and will include workshops, demonstrations and speakers such as Fiona Ayerst, an underwater photographer, Michael Tree, a wedding photographer and David Oosthuizen, an animal rights activist and photographer.
Share