"Inspired to Dream" - the Canon 2012 Expo

The Canon 2012 Expo: “Inspired to dream….”

By Loftus Viljoen [Q.Q. Africa Photography]

Sandton Convention Centre

Dreams are said to be born out of a succession of emotions, images, ideas, and sensations which occurs involuntarily in the mind, or some people would say the brain, during certain stages when you are sleeping.  You can dream up to 2 hours during a normal period of 8 hours of sleep. However, for the creative mind, dreams can occur involuntarily while you are awake and this is called daydreaming.

The funny thing about dreams is that they occur during a period of high brain activity - while daydreaming has long been made out as being a lazy, non-productive pastime, it is now commonly acknowledged that daydreaming can be constructive in some contexts. According to Wikipedia there are numerous examples of people in creative or artistic careers, such as composers, novelists and filmmakers [and photographers], developing new ideas through daydreaming. Similarly, research scientists, mathematicians and physicists have developed new ideas by daydreaming about their subject areas.

It does not matter what the scientific, philosophical or religious explanations are, we all have dreams.  

Dreams can sometimes be triggered by seemingly something uneventful or just a new angle on a subject or it could be triggered by something specific.

With something like 250 millions pictures posted on social media/internet everyday everybody has now become “photo aware” and more and more people are looking at buying new quality cameras and lenses – Canon has globally sold 10 million new lenses in the last 10 months and that itself tells you a story. The competition between the various brands is fierce.

Last year's "It's all in the detail" winner and photojournalist, Naomi Myburgh, checking out some serious lenses

During the course of 2012 new products and services were introduced and launched on the photographic scene followed by various workshops, presentations, lectures or whatever to equip the photography consumer with new skills or a better understanding of the product or service. Unfortunately some of those product/service providers deemed it fit to present the same content with the same examples as a repeat course/lecture of something similar I attended earlier the year. That did not do anything to enhance my skills or promote the product/service to me and was a waste of my time – they only had to inform the consumer that it was a repeat course and I would have aligned my plans accordingly. There is nothing wrong to repeat courses or lectures as there are many people that did not attend it before.

On the photography scene two of the most anticipated events were the Photo & Film Expo and the Canon Expo respectively. The main difference between these events is that at the Photo & Film Expo you have anything up to 300 exhibitors displaying an array of products and/or services they are marketing and for the privilege to have nearly everything at one place the photography consumer pays a hefty entrance fee. With the internet and the online media you will rarely find a new product launch or even see a new product or service at the Photo & Film Expo. I am on a “new product watch” on the internet so if there are rumours about something new I will know about it long before it is freely available on the market so I do not go to Shows/Expos to buy new products.

The Canon Expo on the other hand is solely a display of Canon products/services and no, you do not have to pay an entrance fee to visit this Expo.

At a commercial expo you will find that the exhibitors will lure you with all kind of deals or offers to buy their products/services whereas at a branded expo you will find that all the focus is on the branded products/services.

The similarities of the Canon Expo with the Photo & Film Expo are that they are all photography related, have very attractive competitions, but most of all they offer a variety of workshops or presentations or lectures. 

By looking at other peoples work and techniques you are able to judge where you are with your work, skills and techniques. This will determine where you are going photography wise. 

Being in the safari rental business, as I am, I have often seen people go on a photographic safari equipped with the best cameras, lenses and equipment available on the market and then they do not know their equipment or how the cameras [mainly cameras] work.  Very often that little book [called a manual] that came with the camera has never been opened or studied – when I ask people if they have ever read their manual the general answer is that they are difficult to understand. What I also find is that many of the guests on safari do not know what the functions of aperture, shutter-speed and ISO are and what the influence the one has on the other. And, if you want to add more to the confusion talk about white balance or colour temperatures.  If you know these basics you will understand the dials, buttons and functions of your camera/s better.  

Attending the various workshops or lectures or whatever gives me the opportunity to get the “feel” of new products or branded products and I get to check out the basic functions, but my primary objective is to learn. You are not too old to learn. I have attended workshops on various genres of photography this year, like portraits, studio, weddings, travel, photojournalism and wildlife, despite the fact that my preferred field is wildlife photography.  On each of these workshops I have learnt something or got some useful tips, for example in night photography shoot in Raw and set your camera WB to “daylight” and this will enable you to capture both tungsten and fluorescent lights in their natural colour. The “daylight” WB setting is “neutral” and captures the full colour range.

Canon's new 200-400mm f4 lens on display at the Canon 2012 Expo

 

The Canon Expo is probably the last major photographic expo of 2012 and before I visited this show I knew that they would have a couple of international speakers [as I have seen their work on the internet] as well as local presenters, but I also knew that Canon would have the much talked and much anticipated Canon 200-400mm f4 L lens with IS and 1.4x built in converter on show. This lens unofficially appeared at the London Olympics of 2012 and I knew that they had to make certain adjustments for the professional photographers on the final production model. 

As far as I am aware of it is also the first time outside Europe that this lens was on display and this shows you how the status of the Canon SA Expo have in the global context.

So I checked the Canon programs for the weekend and decided to go on Saturday. The skies were dull and rain eminent so we decide to leave our  cameras at home – bad decision, because as we approached the Convention Centre we saw a vagrant sleeping next to the extraction vent for the parking lot with the warm air blowing over him: this was a photo opportunity lost. 

As we entered the Sandton Convention Centre we were pleasantly surprised to find that there were banners up from last year’s competition winners, but as we went into the main exhibition area I saw that there was a major improvement on the flow and movement of people – there was a centre focus point in the middle where people can walk around with extra display areas on the outside parameter and 3 lecture areas [as opposed to last year’s 1]. The competition exhibits were much easier to access than last year. 

When we got there the first lectures already started and we quickly slipped in to listen and then something small caught my attention. A mirror-less camera that is able to accommodate all my EF-S and L-lenses. This camera is small and very handy as a back up or even a travel camera. Inspiration to dream…

Then…I laid my hands on the 200-400mm F4 [throughout the zoom range] with its 1.4x built in converter on a Canon 1Dx camera [what a combination…dream on…!!!]. Apart from rumours, nothing is really known about this lens, but from what I have seen was that it was fast and I liked the turn dial for the zoom as opposed to the slide out system of my old 100-400mm lens. It seemed to be lighter than my old 300mm f2.8 lens. The “bulge” on the left hand side of the lens which holds the 1.4x which apparently bothered the Olympic photographers was either redesigned or changed but for wildlife photography or even action photography it does not bother me. The closest focus appears to be 2 metres and I noted that it has 3 IS settings. The switch for the 1.4x converter is L-shaped and had a bit play. How durable it is or how the harsh desert conditions of the Namib or the Kalahari would have on it I don’t know  - I do not believe that the “play”on the display model would influence its dust/water resistant seals. I would certainly love to have this lens on my Wild Horses of the Namib trip next year [dream on……]. Back to reality it is rumoured that this lens is going to cost about R130,000.00 in South Africa which will probably put it out of reach of many photographers.

On the presentations - I was mesmerised with Brutus Östling’s take on bird photography – his setting up of the shots and the settings he used on his camera [it was all on the big presentation screen]. And then Ziv Koren did his bit on photojournalism and although I have seen some of his pictures before [especially the AIDS Project in KwaZulu] it was just interesting to hear him speak about it and the difference in the same photo shot with various cameras, especially what the 1Dx has to offer…triggering new dreams  what it could do to my photography with the new 200-400mm f4 lens. 

I liked Manus van Dyk’s fresh approach to the basics of aperture, shutter-speed and ISO and where to focus to achieve certain effects in DoF. By the time we finished listening to Manus the day was gone. Funny how time flies when you are enjoying something.

Whether it is logistically possible, I don’t know, but what I would have loved to see at the show was a free sensor cleaning service for our Canon cameras.

The expo photos depicted herein was shot from my cellphone – so I apologize for the quality.

My impression of the Canon 2012 Expo, and my guess is many visitors to show had the same, is….“Inspired to dream”. 

©2012 Loftus

THE 2012 PHOTO & FILM EXPO – “The Good, the Bad and the Whatever…”

THE 2012 PHOTO & FILM EXPO – “The Good, the Bad and the Whatever…”

By Loftus Viljoen

 Arty Acrobatics – taken by Loftus Viljoen ©2012 with at Canon 7D, Canon 24-105mm lens at the 2012 Photo & Film Expo

The Photo & Film Expo is an annual Expo  aimed at attracting South African photographers, amateur as well as professional, to come and visit  them and view photography related products [or buy it], to get informed about new products, to meet service providers and the most important aspect of the show is to attend workshops or lectures on many aspects of photography . Even if a lecture consists of a slideshow, for example, on wildlife photography – you can learn from the experts by just looking at their slideshows and taking note of their settings and equipment used and then compare it with your own work.

The “photo & film” part is a conundrum because in the modern day we use digital imaging rather than film, but we all do understand that the expression is meant metaphorically to be about imaging in the photo industry. 

One would think that we are looking at a niche market with a limited number of photographers, but with the advent of cell phone cameras and social media like Facebook everybody with a cell phone has a camera. It is said that more than 250 million photos all loaded onto the internet EVERY day and whether these figures are right or wrong what it tells you is that there are globally millions of people being “photo aware”. People are taking more and more notice of what is going on around them and capturing it on camera and sharing it on social media. However, millions of dull, washed out and badly composed photos are posted on Facebook everyday and that is the market that your better class camera manufacturer of supplier should target.

First impression of the Photo & Film Expo 2012 – taken on the last day of the just after 10:00 with a Canon 7D, 24-105mm lens.

For many years I have been writing stories or articles on safaris, destinations and the outdoor lifestyle and have lots and lots of photographs published in those stories in various magazines. One golden theme in my stories over the last year of two is that of “preparation and planning.” 

If I need to do a story on the “Wild Horses of the Namib Desert” [see my blog  http://ngonyamarentals.blogspot.com/2012/10/wild-horses-of-namib-desert.html ]  I  need to research my topic and for that I spend hours and hours researching on questions like “where did they come from? How did they manage to survive in the Desert? How is the First World War relevant? Etc..etc….” After asking those type of questions my interest is aroused and I need to find them and photograph them myself. I need to interview the locals face to face to get more behind the story and now this is where planning and preparation comes into place. I first need to work out a route on my laptop and GPS. Are my laptop and GPS good enough to make a trip to a very dusty area? O yes, what about my camera, batteries, lenses, cleaning equipment, lighting [flashes], support systems like tripods and beanbags. If I don’t have the equipment what equipment should I take along – back to the internet and start researching again. What is the most economical way of acquiring the equipment I need to take with – rent or buy? Next we go onto the vehicle and what type of accommodation  and the list of what you need to go and photograph the Wild Horses becomes longer and longer. Then it becomes a matter of the costing – what is this whole exercise going to cost. 

You may now ask me what has this planning and preparation have in common with the Photo & Film Expo? As a matter of fact – quite a lot. 

I do not go to shows and expos to view products - that I do only to kill time between the real reason why I am there. I need information and I need someone to share their experiences with me. The main reason for me to visit a show is for the workshops they offer – this is a source of information and knowledge. When I do my planning of safaris or photography projects I do it so far ahead as 18 months in advance some may be sooner or some may be later – so if I want to go to the Masai Mara and Serengeti  I will visit  Gerry van der Walt, Morkel Erasmus, Andrew  and the guys at Wild Eye and learn from them or if I want to visit visit the Caliso celebration [I bet you haven’t heard about this before] and the Kuomboka festival of the Lozi King in Western Zambia I will talk to guys who have been there – and because very few Westerners have ever visited these celebrations I have to mentally prepare myself by asking the right questions on similar experiences. I will attend lectures or workshops on what may come in handy in my planning for the next 18 months period. And should any of those projects not materialize I, at least, have built up a knowledge base. 

 The guys from Wild Eye

Having my mind set on what I need to look for I started my preparation to visit this Expo  on a hiccup - my application for media accreditation had gone astray. In the meantime I also found it difficult to get a proper and downloadable program from the organizers website. I even had to go and try and get one from Nikon [but they only had a program available relating to the speakers and activities at their stages]. PIX magazine also went out of their way to assist me.  It is very frustrating  to plan your workshops and the days on which they are presented if you cannot find a program – this only became available a couple of days prior to the opening of the show. That is not all, I planned my trip [bear in mind that I had to travel a distance of 60 kilometres everyday to get to the show and another 60 kilometres back] and then to find that the printed program was wrong and certain days’ programs were changed around.  This meant a waste of my time and the organizers should have a close look at their programs and planning next year so that this does not happen again. I missed out on a couple of workshops as a result of this. If I can plan my trip according to the published program the least the organizers can do is to place a notice board at the entrance advising visitors of the change in the programs or on the social media where people can see it. It is like a bride changing the venue of her wedding and not telling her photographer about that.

Setting up a studio with Sean Nel from Outdoor Photo

On my visit on the Thursday of the show I was surprised to find so few people around at the show and I also noticed that by 17:00 the show seemed to be deserted. Some of the exhibitors I spoke to also found that Friday was quiet attendance wise. I would not have skipped the Expo on Friday if I knew beforehand there was a change in the programs so when I turned up on Saturday I was surprised to find the change and disappointed to have missed some workshops that were supposed to be held on that day. Saturday seemed to be very well supported and the workshops on the Nikon and Abode stages were full to the brim. The program of events was set up in such a manner that certain speakers will talk on the same subject and this would give you the opportunity to plan on which day you will attend their workshops.

On the one day I specifically made effort to attend one of the Adobe workshops and despite them having  excellent speakers I found the content of the lecture was disappointing – it was the same content with the same photos that I have seen earlier this year at other workshops [and I could find the same content on the Adobe Learning TV on the internet]. The same happened at the Nikon stage presentations – there was no new content for some of the speakers [and they are excellent speakers] and it may have worked for first time visitors, but unfortunately it did not work for me. I guess that is the problem if you are going to have the same people year in and year out presenting the lectures – you will hear quite a lot of self promotion whether it is a book or a DVD having much the same vibe and talk as last year or at other workshops prior to the Expo. Yes, there were new speakers with a new approach to the presentations which I did find helpful. At the training stage there were a couple of stuttering  presentations where the studio setup did not work – the backdrops were too close to the models and the presenter not getting the effect he/she wanted or where equipment that was supposed to promote a product failed and which did not give me any confidence. I also saw quite a lot of people leaving “boring” lectures. On the mezzanine level there was a stage setup for what I assume to do with movie-film industry and this seemed not to be operation or otherwise I missed any activity there completely.

Something that I was not prepared for, and was pleasantly surprised with, was to find a couple of vehicles that were specially converted and rigged for wildlife photography. After absorbing the overwhelming Nikon banners  as I entered the Expo my eyes floated over the hall while I was descending on the escalator when I saw a Toyota Landcruiser safari vehicle rigged or prepped for wildlife photography. After taking a couple of photos of it and making a mental note of what in it would ideally suit me  if had had to rig it I walked in the direction of my first workshop for the day.

Diagonally across it there were two other vehicles also rigged for wildlife photography belonging to a tour operator specializing in Namibian parks and this was interesting to see to what lengths operators would go to make their guests comfortable. 

Most of the photography I do is wildlife and people are much surprised to see that I do other types of photography like events, arty, destinations, landscape, weddings as well.  Especially when you do photography for publications with an accompanying article in many instances you are restricted to a certain word count and then your photos need to tell the rest of the story. A couple of years ago I did a trip to Liuwa Plains in the northwest of Zambia and came back with 4 stories on a freelance basis  all of which were published. Having done research previously I knew that we travelling through the Kingdom of the Lozi King of Barotse land. The point I am trying to make is that you need to alert and aware even while you are busy with your planning and preparations and that it why I went to the Expo with an open mind. 

 I probably enjoyed my Sunday visit to the Expo the most with the aerial acrobats and the Cortina pop-group being the highlights. I was able to photograph the acrobats doing their thing and finding the best setting was a matter of trial and error in a very short time as their show lasted only a couple of minutes. I did not have any intent photographing them as my focus was capturing a couple of photos of the Expo for purposes of my article, but after looking at the finalists of the Image-of-the-Year Competition it inspired me to do something different with my photo hence the glowing metallic look.

I also took a cursory look at the underwater  cameras and accessories as I used to dive myself and had a Nikonos underwater camera [yes I owned a Nikon before] but unfortunately drowned it on my first dive with it. That put an end to my underwater photography aspirations.  The equipment nowadays for underwater photography is much better than what we used to have. 

Equipment or accessory wise I found a camera strap called BlackRapid which takes off all the strain around your neck because it hangs over your shoulder with the camera on your hips. It has quick release buckles which prevents the camera from slinging while you are walking.  See www.sunshinecompany.co.za for more info. I have seen them in photography magazines from abroad but did not realise they were available in South Africa.

One of the common talking points around a campfire when on safari when it comes to vehicles is the Landcruiser vs Land Rover debate and when you are with photographers you will always find the Canon vs Nikon debate.  

The 2012 Photo & Film Expo has once again flamed the debate on social media as to the absence of Canon at this Expo. Normally this debate is started by one or two Canon users as they feel intimidated or insecure when entering the Expo. It is very much like the Lion King story of Disney – when someone uttered the word “Mufasa” Ed and his mates would go in a state of shivering. Nikon signs, banner and bags are up your face all the time and Nikon goes out of their way to aggressively market their products. I did not feel threatened using my Canon 7D at the Expo neither did any Nikon rep try and convert me to switch brands - I know the guys at Nikon and I know the guys at Canon: they are all great guys. Some Canon users would regard it as arrogant or stupid or non-supportive of Canon not to be there. The CES show, for example, is the largest electronic show in the world with more than 120,000 visitors and thousands of exhibitors and last year Apple was not officially at the show – who are we to tell Apple that they should be at that show and likewise who are we to tell Canon that they should have been at the Photo & Film Expo. The Photo & Film Expo is about photography and not “mine-is-bigger-and-better-than-yours” or a Mexican standoff between Canon and Nikon. Feel free to chose what brand you want to support. You are in the business of taking photos not the processes involved in manufacturing or marketing it. 

You need to spare a thought for the organizers, apart taking flack from me on their scheduling of their workshops or lectures or the contents of it, they also have to deal with people who want to know why certain brands, like Canon, are not officially represented at the Expo. I know that they are trying hard to get Canon and other brands as well as new exhibitors on board but it is sometimes very difficult  as Canon, for example, have a completely different marketing agenda and this Expo does not fit into that agenda. The organizers have nothing to do with the Canon vs Nikon debate – they are only interested in getting the market leaders in photography on their Expo. 

I take a close look to what is going on in the photography market and I do check out  the specs between the various makes of cameras and lenses and mostly those of Canon and Nikon and I am on an internet data list who keeps me informed of the latest developments. I check the TIPA Awards and the comparisons done by DP Review and others on the different products and some years you will find Canon to have the better product on certain levels and some years it will be Nikon. 

Having a Canon or a Nikon camera doesn’t make you a better photographer - those skills you need to learn. Know your equipment and its functions and master it – preferably before you go on a photography safari or photography shoot. I know what the functions on the buttons and dials on the various cameras do and how to assist guests going with me on safari or shoot with their equipment and getting the basic settings, but the fine tuning is up to them. 

In conclusion this year’s Photo & Film Expo had its hiccups and highlights and although this is the only Expo in South Africa that I will visit for more than one day. In the future I will take a closer look at the speakers and their topics or workshops and if there is a hint that I have attended a similar lecture or workshop before I will avoid it. 

©2012 Loftus Viljoen  

COSTING A PHOTO SHOOT OR ASSIGNMENT

By Loftus Viljoen and Q.Q. Africa Photography

Cameras, lenses, lighting equipment and flashes, laptops and software and a motor vehicle are all part of the tools a photographer use to produce his photos and, of course he needs an office/studio. Notwithstanding popular belief that it does not cost a photographer anything to take a photo all the aforementioned items are expenses and are very expensive.

Newcomers to the photography scene always asks the question what he or she must charge for photos or a shoot and I hope what I am saying below will help them with a determination of what they should charge. It is of no use to check out other photographers prices and decide to charge less – that is the quickest way to exit the photography market. 

Determine your fixed costs. What are they?

    Your office/studio/study – you do not get it for free [and even if you get it free now – are you going to get it free forever? No, I don’t think so]. You should work out the real costs of having that studio/office/study and to easiest way to check it out is to see what it would cost you to rent it. Let us say your space is 50 sq metres and that cost you R2400.00 per month or R120.00 per day [you will be working normal 5 day week and that is 20 days per month].  Add to this an electricity bill for R1000.00 or R50.00 per day [once again 20 working days per month]. So this gives us R170.00 per day without a single photo shot. 

·         The next item is your car: You can use the AA costings or you can go and check out a car rental for the day. Don’t be short-sighted you are going to need transport for the month whether you use the car that day or not. For your car and fuel you can add at least R200.00 per day. 

·         What about a cell phone?  Generally speaking a business cell phone with business package is going to cost you an average of R50.00 per day. 

·         Website and marketing is going to cost you at least R100.00 per day. Advertising can be very expensive with a small advert in only one glossy magazine can set you back R10,000.00 per month. 

·         Camera/lenses and lighting equipment, laptop and software: For start up you are going to need at least R200,000.00 worth of equipment - a good professional camera will set you back at least R50,000 without lenses and you will need a backup camera of the same quality as well. The amount of R200,000.00 may be conservative! This amount capitalized over 36 months means you will pay about R2,100.00 per month or R105.00 per day. If you  rent these items from rental companies as and when you need them your costs will be very high for each shoot. [Make sure that you buy a professional camera that will allow you to take at least 200,000 shutter actuations - normally a non-pro camera has a shutter lifetime of 50,000 actuations.  You will probably have to replace or upgrade your camera in 18-36 months which means that you will still be owing on your old camera by the time you need to replace it.]

·         SO FAR without firing a shot your daily fixed expenses are R625,00 per day and if you haven’t had shoot on the one day the costs should be added which brings you to R3075.00 per week or R12,300.00 per month. O, I forgot, what about insurance to cover your fledgling business?

You are not going to work for free or work just to recover your expenses, you want to live as well and therefore you need a “salary” and for this purposes we say you want to earn R100.00 per hour [yes as low as that] for yourself which means it is R800.00 per day [on normal 8 hours working day] or R2000.00 per week or R8000.00 per month.  And if you want to employ an assistant let us say for 50% of your “salary” this figure goes up to R1200.00 per day or R12,000.00 per month.

To To reach your objective or goal as set out above your “worth” is roughly R230,00 per hour. A photo shoot of say 200 photos is going to take your 200 minutes or close to 4 hours which means half of your day is gone [plus add travelling time of another 1 hour] which means you have spent  at least 5 hours on this shoot so far.  Editing 200 photos at 5 minutes per photo gives you another 1000 minutes or roughly  another 17 hours. Add to the time another 2 hours to consult with the customer before and after the shoot and in the selection process and this gives us a total of 24 hours or 3 days you have spent of this assignment and this works out at R1825,00 per day [on this module] x 3 days = R5,475.00 plus the actual costs of printing.  It works out about R25.00-R30.00 per jumbo photo.  So when you see photography packages starting at  R6,000.00 you know it is a basic price to cover that photographer’s costs.

At some stage or another you will have to replace your car, your camera or equipment and in your planning you need to "save" money to replace that. 

The above is only a guideline to new photographers - do your homework and work out your costs and expenses you need to recover it or stay out of the photography business.

Time cost a lot of money, don’t under-estimate your worth or the time you are going to spend on an assignment and don’t undercut another photographer’s price as it will come and haunt you.

Join a photography group where you can discuss ideas and where you could show your work to fellow photographers. Photographers are keen to ref customers to another photographer or post an available shoot on Facebook, but if you are an undercutter and produce sub-standard work you will not get your peers' approval.

 ©2012 Loftus Viljoen