News

Monday, August 30, 2010

So Much More Than the Best Education

Education isn't the only thing Imaging USA is known for. We're focused on photography and photographers, and that means a host of other events will be coming your way at Imaging USA. After all, Imaging USA is THE place to...

• Get connected - Mix, mingle and network at the convention-wide parties.
• Improve your photography - Sign up for free consultations with PPA Jurors/Mentors.
• Get in touch with your charitable side - Party with the PPA Charities Celebration.
• Be honored for photographic achievements - Celebrate at the Award & Degree Ceremony and the Grand Imaging Awards.
• Get certified - Take your Certified Professional Photographer exam.
• Meet up with your colleagues - Catch up with ASP events, the PPA District/Affiliate Print Chairs Meeting, PPA Judges Refresher Course, etc.
• Get inspired - Soak up inspiration at the International Photographic Exhibit.

Now, we don't want to "sully" our reputation as the place for world-class business and artistic education, but we think it's only fair that you know there's some partying (and other events) going on. But really, these are all just different forms of inspiration. And inspiring YOU is what we're all about.

Party...we mean, plan...on!

Get Your Name Out There

Bob Coates shares what works for him:
"Sometimes simple is better, especially if you live in a small town. Get your business name out there by sharing your passion with everyone you meet. Whenever I'm working on a special project, I carry copies and show them to any and all. You can use prints or load your images onto your phone or other device. Don't be shy. I show my work at restaurants, the bank, the dentist and anywhere I spend money. Your excitement shows, generating inquiries. Do your friends and neighbors know what you do?" --Bob Coates, M.Photog.Cr., CPP

(Learn more from Bob during his Imaging USA class: "Get Your Name Out There without Spending (Much) Money.")

Weekly Giveaway: Win Buddy Pass #4

Week 4: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass
Every week we'll be giving away special items that photographers like you might just find outstandingly handy. This week's hot deal: a FREE Imaging USA Buddy Pass  for San Antonio! Click here to enter and check back in every Imaging USA e-mail for new prizes and chances to win. This will be the final Imaging USA Buddy Pass that we are giving away, then we'll have some great prizes from our Imaging Expo vendors as well.

(Congratulations to Amanda L. of Berlin, WI, the winner of last week's Imaging USA Buddy Pass!)

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Imaging USA Spices Things Up with Special Events

Imaging USA is home to many photographic classes as well as the Imaging EXPO tradeshow, but there are also some great special events that will be happening at this year’s convention.

Of course, we photographers like to party with the best of them! Get the party started with the “Heat Up The Night” festivity (Sunday, January 16). And don’t miss the “Big. Bayou. Bash” on the last night of Imaging USA, for it will help prepare you for the 2012 convention in New Orleans. PPA Charities will also host a celebration the night before Imaging USA officially begins (Saturday, January 15), including the check presentation to Operation Smile.

Along with these great parties, Imaging USA will also host the brand-new Grand Imaging Awards and the PPA Awards & Degree Ceremony to celebrate photography and photographers themselves.

The International Photographic Exhibit is another Imaging USA highlight you don’t want to miss. You’ll see images from PPA’s 2010 Loan and General collections culled from the International Photographic Competition.

Plus, attendees interested in becoming Certified Professional Photographers will also have an opportunity to register for and take the CPP Exam.

Read all about these events, plus many more, on the Event Highlights page.

Nik Software Announces New HDR Efex Pro(TM) Software

Nik Software (www.niksoftware.com) today announced HDR Efex Pro, a completely new HDR imaging toolkit designed to help photographers quickly and easily achieve the full spectrum of HDR enhancements from the realistic to artistic. 

High dynamic range photography is a process in which multiple exposures are captured, aligned and merged to generate a single image that enables a much wider range of colors, highlights, and shadows. HDR techniques are typically used to enhance landscape, architectural, nighttime, and artistic photography. New HDR Efex Pro overcomes limitations in other software tools with a revolutionary all-in-one approach that enables both realistic and artistic effects to be applied within a single tool.

"HDR is one area of innovation in the evolution of photography and an area that we have been dedicated to from a research perspective for quite some time." said Michael J. Slater, President and CEO of Nik Software. "Our focus with HDR Efex Pro has been to bring innovative and best-in-class technologies to HDR, including our unrivaled tone mapping, our proprietary U Point® technology and powerful ghost reduction, all of which have been developed specifically in response to our customers' requests."

Monday, August 23, 2010

First-Timer? Twenty-First-Timer?

Whether you're dipping your toe into Imaging USA for the very first time or you're jumping in full-force like you have for as long as you can remember, you're in for a rewarding experience in 2011. So how can you make it even better?

First-Timers
Wear comfy shoes and plan, plan, plan. Imaging USA can be overwhelming because there's so much to see and do! Make a plan so you don't miss out on classes and events that can be extremely helpful:

• Read the class descriptions (most are online, and even more are coming!), and start scheduling your day. (Plus, there are several pre-convention classes that are perfect for newer photographers.)
• View the current exhibitors at the Imaging EXPO trade show (via the online floor plan) and start mapping the booths you know you want to visit.
• Schedule time to peruse the International Photographic Exhibit for can't-miss inspiration (write it down or you may forget).
• Consider scheduling a free consultation with a PPA Juror/Mentor.

All-the-Timers
Carry on, my friends. You come back to Imaging USA for a cornucopia of reasons, and you know what works for you. But don't forget to test the waters in a new class, even if it doesn't seem like it's "what you do." You never know where you'll find the next great piece of advice to spice up your art or business.

Still, some of the best advice we can give for a rewarding Imaging USA experience is to ask each other! Ask your fellow photographers what they like best about Imaging USA, what they try to never miss, what they try to bring (and take away). Make new friends and talk to other Imaging USA attendees on the OurPPA forum, or on our Imaging USA Facebook page.

We'll see you soon...in the heart of Texas!

Weekly Giveaway: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass

Week 3: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass
Every week we'll be giving away special items that photographers like you might just find outstandingly handy. This week's hot deal: a FREE Imaging USA Buddy Pass  for San Antonio! Click here to enter and check back in every Imaging USA e-mail for new prizes and chances to win. This will be the third of 4 Imaging USA Buddy Passes that we are giving away, then we'll have some great prizes from our Imaging Expo vendors as well.

(Congratulations to Scott B. of Bedford TX, the winner of last week's Imaging USA Buddy Pass!)

Monday, August 16, 2010

Weekly Giveaway: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass

Week 2: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass
Every week we'll be giving away special items that photographers like you might just find outstandingly handy. This week's hot deal: a FREE Imaging USA Buddy Pass  for San Antonio! Click here to enter and check back in every Imaging USA e-mail for new prizes and chances to win. We'll be giving away 3 more Imaging USA Buddy Passes and we'll have some great prizes from our Imaging Expo vendors as well.

(Congratulations to Carol M. of Danville, VA, the winner of last week's Imaging USA Buddy Pass!)

Cook Up Something Special This Year

Cooks know that preheating the oven is essential for getting the best results from baking. But did you know that the same goes for photography education?

Coming in early for Imaging USA's pre-convention classes is the perfect recipe for the best educational and networking results—it makes the entire experience more rewarding. You will have access to more instructors and more in-depth education, for many pre-convention classes last all day (or at least several hours). And that can also lead to tighter connections with your fellow pre-conventioneers.

"Preheat" your Imaging USA experience with the following early-bird specials:

• Speed Shooting with the Pros classes - learn a multitude of tips from one hot photographer after another.
• PPA's Studio Management Services (SMS) workshops - get your business on the path to success with these business, financial and marketing hotshots. (The Business of Wedding Photography, The Business of Portrait Photography & the 3-Day SMS Business Workshop)
• Daylong classes on creating and refining your senior, boudoir or pet photography specialties.
• Corel® Painter™ classes to help beginners and those more advanced take your art to new places.

And that's just a bite-sized sample of the opportunities available in these three extra days of education! Get your creative fire started—choose your pre-convention classes online now.

Your Imaging USA Team

P.S. Be sure to book your hotel room according to the times of your chosen pre-convention classes!

Monday, August 09, 2010

Weekly Giveaway: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass

Week 1: Free Imaging USA Buddy Pass
Every week we'll be giving away special items that photographers like you might just find outstandingly handy. This week's hot deal: a FREE Imaging USA Buddy Pass  for San Antonio! Click here to enter and check back in every Imaging USA e-mail for new prizes and chances to win.

Imaging USA 2011: It’s Time

Can you believe it? It's already August, and it's time to start making your plans for Imaging USA 2011 in San Antonio! We're so fired up about this year's photography convention and expo that we can hardly wait to start sharing the highlights with you...and now it's time:

• Time to check out ImagingUSA.org to see all the classes and pre-convention choices
• Time to make your hotel reservations (you'll want to be right next door to the convention center and in the thick of the action on the River Walk, which our reserved hotels offer)
• Time to map out the sessions you want to attend
• Time to plan your San Antonio sightseeing
• Time to start making that wish list of equipment and products (the deals at the Imaging Expo will be smoking!)

There are so many benefits all rolled into this one event—it's everything you need to push your business on the path toward success. At Imaging USA you can discover how to delight your clients with new products and improved lighting, learn the latest techniques (like fusion photography), find inspiration in fresh ideas, networking and gorgeous images, and bolster your business with marketing, sales and management education.

So what's the most profitable use of your time in January? Imaging USA, of course!

Your Imaging USA Team

P.S. Remember: Imaging USA is January 16-18, 2011 in San Antonio, Texas. But plan to join us a little earlier if you want into any of the in-depth pre-convention classes!

(Photo Courtesy of the San Antonio Convention & Visitors Bureau)

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Pick Your Imaging USA Pre-Convention Classes

Imaging USA offers the perfect kindling for your creative fire: pre-convention classes. From January 13-15, 2011, you have the chance for more in-depth education on a variety of subjects, from specialties like pet or senior photography to using Corel Painter software and understanding the business side of photography. And the classes are now available for viewing and registration!

Take a look, pick your pre-convention classes and make your travel plans to join us in San Antonio for Imaging USA!