Incredible Weekend!

Wow! What a weekend. Since Thursday I have been enjoying the Professional Photographers of Ohio Convention in Dayton, Ohio! My brain is so full of new information and some incredible new ideas that I can hardly decide what to try first.

This convention is held in the same place as IHC*. Just imagine that huge floor filled with rows upon rows of vendors in every category imaginable: cameras, frames, back drops, props, lenses, lighting, software, printers, tripods, printing labs, album companies, etc. - and all of this multiplied times 4-5 different companies for each category. It's amazing! Aaron and I didn't even make it through all the booths. In addition to all of this, there are several sessions you can attend throughout the day to hear experts give tips for success in a specific topic like senior portrait photography, running your studio, wedding album design, creating competition prints, children photography, etc. All of these sessions were really good and this is where I learn the most.

Yes - there are scads and scads of people there. Very crowded at times, but really neat to meet other photographers and talk shop! :-)

The session on lighting was very helpful! The word "photography" literally means "writing with light" - lighting is the most challenging part of taking a photograph.

The print competition is really interesting. We watched part of the judging, which was very educational to hear comments from the judges on why a particular print was scored low/high. I plan to enter prints next year.

*Just a note for those going to IHC in about a month. They are doing some serious construction in Dayton - not only was the "normal" exit we take to get to the Convention Center closed, but they are also doing construction at the Convention Center itself! As of now, you can't use the front entrance because of some huge contraption they are putting in that little half-circle where people normally load/unload. I'm not sure if it's some form of art or if it was part of the construction equipment. :-) Everyone had to use the 3rd floor sky walk to come and go. Hopefully, they will be done before IHC - but it didn't look too promising.