Our stand at the Focus show played host to thousands of visitors over the four days. The big pull was the pair of portfolios in the foreground. These folios are now available online from our shop.
Once a year at ‘Focus’ we get the chance to meet many thousands of photographers face to face. We listen to their successes and try to understand their needs. The Focus on Imaging show in Birmingham was smaller this year with some major exhibitors absent. Visitor numbers seemed good and they bagged a few show bargains. I was expecting the retailers to really throw a sale but the weak pound put paid to that. Many cameras and lenses were priced up for the show and not down as expected. Training companies have sprung up everywhere so if you are looking for education beware of the untrained eye.
Our portfolios. We’ve been asked by literally hundreds of photographers where we get our portfolios from and now we supply them to order. Anyone buying portfolios from will get our portfolio Photoshop actions absolutely free. See here for more information.
Our Evolve programme is really exciting some photographers who are clearly using this ‘slow’ period to retrain, re-brand, and prepare for the upturn in the economy. Thank you to those of you who have requested information. Laura is back in next week after her well earned break and will be sending out the business evaluation packs on Monday. If you want to inquire about a place on the next Evolve programme that starts in April, just email Laura for your business evaluation pack. This will be followed by a complimentary consultation phone call with me to get you on the right track. Those photographers who have signed up early, get two months consultation prior to the start of the programme absolutely free.
I was a guest speaker at the Canon theater at Focus on Imaging on the Wednesday. A sell out 104 delegates saw my mini talk on using light creatively when shooting portraits. They also received a portrait portfolio production on CD created for the show. Thank you to all who attended. The talk was filmed and will be available in some form soon.
In other news, my reviews of the Nikon D90 camera and the SB-900 flashgun are now published here on the Warehouse Express website.
Next week sees Marko and I giving seminars to hundreds of photographers in Germany. We are at two big events in Munich and Frankfurt. I’ll be writing again when we’re back next weekend. Thank you for your patience.
Damien.
Hi Albie,
Thank you for your excellent question re using the Sto-fen outside. When I’m shooting out of direct sunlight and the flash is only a metre or so from my subject I use a Sto-Fen to cut down the power of the flash to bring it into the sweet spot of TTL control. Rather than the flash output lurking around 1/125th power it brings it back to about 1/16th or 1/8th power. TTL is far more accurate at this level. Also if I dont use a Sto-Fen off camera when hand holding the flash I have to take care what direction the flash is pointing in. With the Sto-Fen it really doesn’t matter.
Damien.
PS: The flash DVD thread is here
Hi Abby,
I get the Aqua bags from here. :)
Hi Carl,
My 5D mk2 should be with me on Friday. I’ll take it to Manchester on Sunday and use it on my Street Fashion and Cherish the Dress shoots.
How’s yours?
Damien.
Hi David,
It’s a good idea to have a pro only show but I’m not going to be organising one. It would mean too many days without shooting pictures.
I think there will be demand and as it’s your idea maybe you should give it a go. I’ll take the first stand. :-)
Best wishes, Damien.
Hi guys and girls,
Thank you for all the kind words. We will be acting as agents for Plastic Sandwich and their complete product line will soon be available on our website with a few excellent offers. I’ll keep you informed.
Damien
Hi Damien
It was good to meet you at focus where I brought your book. Even though I have been working as a professional full time for a few years now I am still learning and your book is playing an important part in this learning curve. Thanks and I look forward to your next one.
Cheers Carl
P.S. have you got your 5dmk2? Yet should get mine tomorrow.
Damien,
I picked up your Using Flash on Location dvd, excellent all around, however raised a Technical question with me. on 2 occasions you use a stofen type reflector outside on a 580 flash gun, could you explain your rationale. Apologies if this question is in the wrong place, but I couldn’t see anywhere to ask general questions and I bought the dvd at focus.
I missed focus this year for the first time in 6 years. I have to say I am gutted I missed the talks and the presentations.
I personally would like to see a show aimed at Pros, separate from Focus. Not restricted to pros but just geared towards them (bit like SWPP). The reason being is I go to focus to see albums, frames, seminars etc and I find that the show can sometimes feel full of bearded blokes in Anoraks, fighting to see the latest cameras (I mean no offence to these people, they deserve to be there as much as I do).
Maybe there is the oportunity for the Lovegrove Roadshow….. Seminars, workshops, suppliers of professional products etc. I’d attend that!!
Hi Damien,
I didn’t say hi at Focus as your stand was very busy.
Thanks for sharing your fantastic portfolio supplier as they just shout quality. Could I ask you where you sourced your aqua blue bags that you sell you dvd’s in?
Thanks for all your help and advice.
Abby
Hi Damien and team, it was good to see you all on the Sunday and the portfolios looked awesome.
Big thanks for taking a Broncolor kit to the show for me, I got a chance to give it a go on Saturday and all I can say right now is WOW!! f22 1/250 with my 4 year old son jumping in the air with the sun in the frame behind him, thats just amazing…
Can’t wait for the Fresnel glass so I can give that a try too.
Can’t wait to us this more now and so looking forward the the Urban Portrait day in May
Nick
Damien
Just received my Plastic Sandwich portfolio-fantastic!
Now comes the job of filling it……..
Looking forward to the shoot in Manchester
Thanks for your advice
Tim
Damien & Team,
Firstly congratulations on a stunning display at Focus, I went on Monday and was very impressed with the stand and those albums were simply stunning.
The few minutes I got to talk to Damien were just as informative as the DVD’s and gave me more tips than some other pros could give me in 10 minutes.
Well done to all of you and I look forward to the urban portraits in May.
Scott
Damien / Marko / Laura and the team.
Great to see you all at Focus. The show was quite a mile stone for me as it marked the first full year of my journey into wedding and portrait photography. To obtain the level of skill and expertise that is required to successfully compete in this industry is quite a challenge. The lovegrove team remains a major contributor to my ongoing training and inspiration.
In the past have I have studied with other training companies but they lack the sheer professionalism and excellence of the lovegrove team. This has proved to be a costly misjudgement.
The Advanced Post Production course with Marko and the Lovegrove DVD collection has been one of my best investments to date and present truly good value for money.
This year I will be looking forward to attending one of the Bristol urban shoots and hopefully ( If available) the “Cherish the Dress “ workshops with Damien & Chris Hanley.
A big thanks to you all!
John Allen
http://www.jonallenphotography.co.uk
Yeah I agree the solid leather cover with your name embossed did look really impressive. I did visit the stand but didn’t get chance to say hello as you were quite busy :(