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This one is dedicated to the line of CE employees operating the computers and the tills. The caption reads " Now what do I do - what have I done - what has it done...?". I also have to pay tribute to the patience and good manners of the people who waited in long queues for their purchases to be processed through. Commerce with a computer never seems to go as smoothly as the software salesmen say it will. One day - when we get flying cars, food pills, and vacations on the moon it will all be sorted out...
Darn, I missed getting a picture of Cyrus Roussilhes...but I did grab a shot of his stand with the oranges. There is likely to be a story there as Cyrus has a lot of stories in his business. Go to that website and have a look at the PLP classes and workshops he runs. All over the place and with all sorts of subjects.
It's all so neat before the crowds arrive.
The young Abraham Lincoln.
Julie The Indefatigable. Down on the floor, upon the chairs, portraits of everyone, groups, stands, events, and a smile all the while. That's real pro-style.
The Oasis. If it was not exactly the Fountain Of Youth, it was at least the Fountain Of Periodic Energy. Hard-core trade show people don't drink the coffee - they chew the pods. Thanx and a tip of the Uncle Dick hat to the venue for this and to H&S for making sure that the water, apples, and sandwiches came round at regular intervals.
The visitors to PhotoLive may wonder how easy it is to do the setup - it is hard for the staff and exhibitors, though they are somewhat used to presentations of this nature. There will always be last-minute changes and defects to be righted. The pack up is a little easier...though, as everything needs to be out at a certain time, it can best be described as a flurry. The visiting interstate reps seem to make extensive use of Pelican and similar travelling cases to take the expensive gear on the planes, and this is probably a pretty good hint for the photography enthusiast as well. When you need to know what a pro uses, watch the pro. If it is after a show, stand out of the way...
Will there be a tail of enquiries after this for items glimpsed at the show? Of course, and CE staff will be happy to answer them. Will it actually spark sales? Yes, it will - I got a dramatic example of this when Tony Hewitt spoke to visitors about the Girt By Sea project that he and Denis Glennon had undertaken and showed the book resulting from it. I had enquiries and sales in a rush after that on the book stall.
Is it a better thing to do - to go to a trade show like this - than to sit at home an surf the internet for forums and reviewers? Yes, it is - photography is human after all, even if it is just one human doing it. So talking to another person about it and exchanging ideas is always valuable. The TAFE and AIPP and FIPP stands and their attendant people certainly proved this.
Mind you, I wouldn't mind if you read the daily column from Camera Electronic regularly every morning. Some days the author even knows what he is talking about.
Some days...
