The Digital Show Expo 2012 Highlights

See the hot topics at the expo that are sure to light your fire 

This year’s The Digital Show Expo brings a breath of fresh air to Melbourne. That fresh air smells fragrant of camera equipment and curious digital gadgets. Never before has there been more contests, draws, and giveaways for visitors to enjoy. As if the jaw-dropping photo imaging technology wasn’t enough, many of the world’s most prolific and celebrated pro photographers were there to bump elbows and share the tricks of the trade. Here are the highlights of The Digital Show Expo 2012, but hang tight, it’s going to be a wild ride.

Looking for the best tips? Get them straight from the pros

There has never been a greater gathering of industry leading professionals, all for the purpose of working hands on with visitors. Those lucky enough to spend time at The Digital Show Expo were treated with one-on-one, hands-on time with the experts. No question was left unanswered.

Epson shows us that projectors shouldn’t be all work and no play

There was no shortage of impressive, wheelin’ and dealin’ technology at the expo. However, Epson seemed to find the perfect balance of cutting edge and heart warming. Displays of the dream home theatre setup and an interactive projector really opened our eyes and apertures to some fantastic ideas.

The entertaining training camp kept visitors glued to their seats and asking for more

The lively Training Camp theatre offered a wide range of speakers and topics to help visitors take their photographic skills to the next level. Between using flash creatively, taking better portraits, capturing nature, and using the latest tools and gadgets, the Training Camp theatre had it all. Visitors had the chance to watch, be amazed, then have their burning questions quenched by the cool knowledge of the experts.

Speakers at the Training Camp included brilliant artists and photographers Abraham Joffe, Nick Ghionis,  Christian Fletcher, James Madelin, Vicki Bell, Glynn Lavender, Darran Leal, and even yours truly, Jerrel Dulay. The Digital Show theatre across the hall also featured photographic legends such as Michael Coyne, Tony Hewitt, and Dean Jones.

So many different props, with only one chance to enter the contest!

There were countless opportunities for visitors to win big. Of all the draws and contests, this one run by Yaffa Publishing Australia really stood out.  Visitors selected three items out of a mysterious box of of props and took a photo. The most creative photo wins some seriously sweet swag.

Making prints has never been more fun as a family day out

 What’s better than making photo prints with your family? How about making those prints for free? Looks like everyone was a winner at The Digital Show Expo! Visitors who happened to bring SD cards or USB sticks with photos were able to walk away with memories in hand.

Our phones have become ‘smart’, and it’s about time our printers caught up!

The Digital Show Expo saw some brilliant new technology, but this one just about takes the cake. Lightweight, attractive, and user friendly, this Bolle Photo smart printer allows pretty much any smart phone user to produce photo prints that their friends and family can truly ‘Like’.

Try this on for size! All the latest camera bodies and lenses were present for hands-on time

The world of photography has been ever expanding, making massive strides in image quality, ease of use, and creative freedom. It’s no surprise that nearly every cutting edge camera body and lens made a showing at The Digital Show Expo. Nikon left no stone unturned, and put every latest model out on show. Visitors curious to see exactly what makes these new cameras so hot were able to get the answers straight from the horse’s mouth, and then try those cameras and lenses for themselves.

Take it to the extreme with the right camera gear

So you want to be a hero? Now you can be, and prove it to your friends and family back home.  Tackle the toughest winds and waves with the most rugged photo gear. There was no shortage of “radical” gear at the expo.

The absolute best photographers judge this year’s AIPP awards

Visitors were able to have a peak into the award judging to see exactly how the ‘best photos’ are decided upon. Each year, the photo judging has seen more and more entries, but the quantity of entries certainly has not outweighed the staggering quality of art.

A visitors takes his time to enjoy one of the most stunning galleries we’ve seen

It wasn’t all gadgets, gizmos, and talks at The Digital Show. Visitors enjoyed a magnificent and prolific gallery of the most beautiful scenes to be captured on fil… er… camera.

It’s been an electric show this year, with more gadgets, gizmos, and advancements than we could shake a tripod at. However, it’s not over yet! The show is just getting started! The Digital Show website will help keep avid photographers, and anyone who enjoys digital tech and entertainment as much as we do, right in the loop.

High fives around the table for those who had the chance to attend the expo this year! For those who missed out, catch up and follow The Digital Show facebook page, and don’t worry, there’s always next year!

Stay strong, keep your cameras high, and as always, happy hunting!

Jerrel Dulay

Sneak Peak! – The Digital Show Expo 2012

Have an exclusive, sneak peak at the impressive gear on display at The Digital Show Expo

It’s not every day you can find such an exhilarating gathering of the world’s greatest photographers and the most advanced imaging technology all in one place. The Digital Show looks like it will be bringing the ‘not every day’ to today! Or rather, this week! Whether it’s waterproof armor for your camera, the ability to print on just about any surface and material imaginable, or face to face encounters for personal tips from the world’s leading photographers, The Digital Show somehow manages to bring it all together!

The doors to the expo open at 10am on Friday for business and trade, and 10am on Saturday and Sunday for the general public. However, we were able to have an early look at just a few of the jaw-dropping exhibits on display. Some of the latest technology was simply out of this world! Here are just a few glimpses of the photographer’s dream that awaits visitors.

Trust us, it’s safe to go back in the water! Up to the minute, and downright cutting edge, Scubapix has everything you need to take your brand new Canon EOS 5D Mark III underwater! Not only that, but they’ve also got water housing for Phase One, Nikon D800, and the Nikon D4.

Ever wondered what the future would be like? While we still may be far off from hovering skateboards, flying cars, and self drying clothes, we do have the next best thing. On display is an actual printer that creates real objects from photos and 3D models loaded from a PC. This tech can ‘print’ out objects in stainless steel, tough ABS plastic, and more. The printer even paints the objects as well!

Can’t find that always-conveniently-missing wrench? Don’t bother looking for it. Grab your new 3D printer and make yourself a new one!

Need ideas for unique, meaningly gifts? We could not keep track of all the amazing ways to print photos. If creative printing solutions were stars, then The Digital Show would be the night sky. Everything from pocket books, teeshirts, mugs, caps, and even some astounding new framing solutions will be sure to razzle and bedazzle!

Pocket photo books not tough enough for you? Then how about some nice, tough metal? The innovations and new framing ideas at this show certainly left us wide-eyed and star struck. With layered-dimensional collages and an incredible range of printing materials, Print2Metal certainly had us ooh-ing and ah-ing.

It is vital for photographers to be strong and stand firm. What better way to stand firm with the latest and most advanced Tripods that have ever been on the market. Every photography will be able to find exactly what they need for stability at The Digital Show. When was the last time you saw this many tripods? Can’t remember? Neither can we!

With so many world-leading photographers in one room, it only makes sense to have a gallery of award winning photographs, stretching on for as far as the eye can see. Some of the works we caught glimpses of made us laugh, others almost made us cry, while others had us wishing we owned a more expensive camera. This is one of the most evocative photo galleries we have ever seen.

Quite a few of these interesting, analogue-TV-static filled squares really had us curious. They’re not just for decoration! The Digital Show is adorned with a myriad of QR codes, hidden all over the place! We used our iPhone to scan them, and found some fantastic surprises! We don’t want to spoil anything, but we will hint that there are some exciting contests to join, and enticing free giveaways to take part in!

Just make sure you download a free QR Scanner/Reader for your smart phone, and get in on the fun!

We were lucky enough to catch a glimpse of The Digital Show, and whatever treasures and plunder lie on the other side will be revealed when the doors open on Friday. Bring your friends, family, and a camera. The Digital Show looks to be one wild ride that you definitely won’t want to miss!

Entry is free with online pre-registration. Sign up at www.thedigitalshow.com.au !

Hope to see you at the show!

Happy Hunting,

Jerrel Dulay

Gear For The Aggressive Photographer – Part 2

Sometimes the going gets tough,  and photographers simply have to get tougher. Here’s the gear to help you do just that.

Sometimes, photography can be compared to an adorable kitten; gentle, delicate, and requiring the utmost precision to pet it the right way.  However, sometimes that kitten becomes a vicious lion, and when photography starts to bite, it’s time to bite back.

If you missed part 1 of this article, check it out HERE.

Whether it’s due to sub-zero temperatures, seven-hour hikes through rugged mountains, or having to outrun a ravenous pack of zombies, photography is not always an easy sport. To help make dealing with these tough situations easier, we take a look at some wicked gear for the aggressive photographer.

Lowepro’s SlipLock harness system can be one of the most vital tools in a photographer’s arsenal. The harness system is fully customizable to fit the user’s needs. The Lowepro harness uses a modular system that fits a wide range of add-ons, consisting of a variety of lens pouches, pockets, and bags.

Photos Your Mobile Phone Can’t Take

See how mobile-photo-enthusiasts can take their creativity to the next level with an SLR camera.

Smart phones like the iPhone have changed the way we communicate with each other. Mobile phones with camera features have introduced many people to the world of photography.

To deal with the limitations of mobile phones, many apps have been introduced. However, using an app to ‘fix’ an image taken with a mobile phone only masks the faults and limitations of the phone hardware.

SLR cameras grant users an exciting level of creative freedom, and quality of images that simply cannot be matched by mobile phones. For those smart phone owners who have had a taste of photography and are looking for more, we look into the photos that your mobile phone simply cannot take.

Click any image to see the full-size versions to really compare the differences

#1 Fast Shutter Speed

Ever wonder why some pictures taken at kids birthday parties have all sorts of colourful blurs where there should be happy children? This happens when a camera’s shutter speed is too slow to capture a scene with movement. Mobile phones do not offer much control for the user in this respect. When there are options for controlling shutter speed, they are extremely limited.

Most entry level SLR cameras can capture pictures at up to 1/4000^thof a second!  The faster the shutter speed, the more “frozen in time” the image will look. Modern phones automatically do what they need to do in order to achieve the “best” picture. This often results in unwanted images. SLR cameras allow users to have full control over shutter speed with just a flick of the wrist.

#2 Long Exposure

There are few things quite as enchanting as a glowing city skyline at night. Ever try to snap a quick photo, only to see bunch of little squiggly lines? Sometimes with luck, one might get a photo that kind of looks like the city, except with blue and gray sprinkles everywhere. These are not the same kind of delicious sprinkles found on donuts and cupcakes. These sprinkles are referred to as “noise” or “grain”, and they definitely do not make the picture look good.

SLR cameras allow users to take “long exposures”, which means the camera is taking a photo for a few seconds, or even a few minutes! This lets users take amazing photos at night, where there doesn’t seem to be any light at all.

Taking night pictures isn’t the only cool thing SLRs can do. Long exposure shots allow anyone with a flashlight or torch write out cool messages or draw silly pictures. Ever wonder how some people are able to take mystifying photos with blurry ferris wheels or misty oceans and waterfalls? How about those star-filled night sky photos? The answer is long exposure photography!