Get Ready for WPPI 2018!
- Errors & Omissions
- Insurance for Cameras and Other Gear
- Worldwide Camera Insurance
- Business Personal Property Insurance
- General Liability Insurance
I’m not a portrait or wedding photographer, but I always make room in my schedule to hop over to Las Vegas to attend the WPPI Expo.
That’s because the best of the best in the photography industry are in attendance, and I want to see what innovative products and services these companies have developed over the course of the year.
And while I love exploring the trade show to get my hands on the latest, greatest photography accessories and learn about new trends in the business, I also really enjoy meeting the people in the industry and getting to know them and their story.
In looking ahead to WPPI, which runs February 25-28, 2018 in Las Vegas, I couldn’t help but take a peek at the companies that will be in attendance. Below is a summary of some of the can’t-miss folks you’ll need to see if you attend the show.
Sirui
One of the booths I’ll be sure to visit when I’m at WPPI is Sirui.I’ve been a fan of Sirui for a long time now.
I picked up a Sirui tripod years ago, and it remains one of my favorite pieces of kit.
And that’s what Sirui is best known for - well-built tripods that are packed with features to help you take better photos.
I have a full-size tripod for landscape photography, but Sirui offers all sorts of other tripod options, too. That includes tiny collapsible tripods that you set on a table for a small camera up to big, beefy video tripods that can handle a bunch of weight with ease.
Regardless of the type of tripod, Sirui dedicates themselves to making something that is easy to use and will serve you well for years and years to come. Trust me - I know that firsthand!
From features like built-in levels and retractable metals spikes, tripods with integrated monopods to tripods with waterproof legs, and tripod kits that come complete with a tripod head and carrying case, Sirui knows how to pamper you with the ultimate gear experience.
You can look forward to seeing, touching, and testing out their tripods (and other products!) if you visit them at Booth 1151 at WPPI. To prepare, visit their website to see all they have to offer.
Sew Trendy Fashion & Accessories
Fatima Hurd
I’ve been in the photography business for a good, long while now, and in that time I’ve had the pleasure of meeting tons of great people in this industry. One of those people is Valerie Best, founder and CEO of Sew Trendy.
Valerie started her company by herself in her basement. She handmade her first gown in 2012, and over the years has expanded her operation into one of the top clothing manufacturers for the photography industry. You can see Valerie and her team in the image below hosting visitors at their booth at Photo Plus earlier this year.
The rapid growth of the company might have derailed others into losing sight of their commitment to quality, but for Valerie and her team, the desire to craft the finest quality clothing and accessories remains as strong as ever.
Sew Trendy’s gowns, for example, are gorgeously designed and impeccably made, helping the women that are wearing them to feel beautiful and confident in front of the camera whether she’s an expecting mom, a young lady, or a woman headed out on the town for the evening.
Corinna Schultz Photography
But Sew Trendy isn’t just about gorgeous gowns. Instead, they have a complete line of fashion accessories, too.
That includes stunning floral crowns like the one you see in the image above. They also offer sashes, rhinestone crowns, coordinating girls dresses, and gorgeous newborn photography props.
In other words, no matter if you specialize in maternity photography, newborn photography or non-maternity photography, Sew Trendy has something for you.
Be sure to stop by and say hello at Booth 1054 WPPI! In the meantime, you can check out Sew Trendy’s line of products by visiting their website.
Click Props USA
If you’re a portrait photographer, you understand that while the background you use isn’t the star of the photograph, the quality of that backdrop makes an enormous difference in the quality of the shot.
That’s why it’s so important to invest in portrait backdrops that aren’t just beautiful with current designs, but are also made such that they last for years and years to come.
When it comes to gorgeous, well-crafted backdrops, you needn’t look any further than Click Props.
I met with the Click Props folks at Photo Plus, and when I did, I could immediately see that their products truly are top-of-the-line.
Their backdrops are made of thick vinyl, which means they’ll stand up to use for years to come. Another impressive feature that goes unseen in your photos is the reinforced grommets every 12-inches along the top of the backdrop.
All those strong grommets mean the backdrop hangs beautifully without any bunching or folding, giving you the background you need to make your portraits pop.
Click Props doesn't just hit it out of the park in the quality department, though…
They offer more than 200 gorgeous backdrop designs, that way you’re sure to find exactly what you need to complete your artistic vision. That’s true whether you want a forest scene, a library look, graffiti, or something in between.
Have a look at Click Props’ backdrops by visiting their website, and be sure to say hello at Booth 1060 once WPPI rolls around.
Ikan
When I attended Photo Plus back in October, I dropped by the Ikan booth to have a visit, and it reminded me of two things.
First, the Ikan folks are the best in the business - they’re knowledgeable, friendly, and ready to help you get the gear you need.
And second, I was reminded of the fact that Ikan has a ton of products. That comes with the territory when you’re one of the top photography gear distributors in the U.S.
One gadget I enjoyed playing with was the DS2-A Beholder 3-Axis Angled Gimbal Stabilizer shown above.
This thing is perfect for videographers like me that shoot with a smaller camera and just need a lightweight, handheld stabilizer. But don’t think that because it’s small and lightweight that it doesn’t have a lot of awesome features.
Not only does the gimbal hold up to four pounds, but it also has a unique angled arm that gives you an improved view of your camera’s screen as you film.
I also took note of the fact that you get 360-degree movement on the pan axis, which combined with the 3-axis gyro stabilized brushless motors, gives you beautiful, seamless movement in your videos. It even has a 32-bit controller, a 12-bit encoder, and an OLED display that shows the gimbal’s operating modes.
Another product Ikan will feature at WPPI is NiSi’s line of filters.
As any photographer knows, filters are one of the most useful photography accessories you can own, especially if you shoot outdoors.
NiSi offers circular and rectangular filters to meet your needs, with everything from reverse ND grads, NDs, graduated NDs, and polarizers to help you take improved photos. NiSi even manufactures special filters for drones and cinematic cameras, so, really, no matter what you use to shoot photos and videos, NiSi has you covered.
You can see these and many other products first-hand at Booth 1209 WPPI. Trust me, Ikan’s booth will be hopping with plenty of people checking out tons of awesome gear, so join the crowd! In the meantime, you can visit Ikan’s website to see all the products they have to offer.
Calotype
Photography is an industry full of innovations, and at the forefront of modern innovations is Calotype.
I first learned about this company a few months ago, and to say that I'm impressed is an understatement.
The nuts and bolts of it is that Calotype is a web-based, end-to-end photography suite that allows you to improve the management of your workflow, and as a result, streamline how your photography business functions.
That's especially true if you work in high-volume photography niches like school photography or sports photography because Calotype helps you track data for all your clients. When you might see hundreds of clients in a single day, Calotype can definitely make your day easier!
But don't think it's just for school photos and the like. Wedding photographers can reap Calotype's benefits as well.
That's because it helps you organize images, create secure QR codes and encrypted image galleries, make custom pricing lists, view sales statistics, and manage email marketing.
There's a lot more to love, too. Drop by Booth 469 and see how Calotype might change your business life.
Holdfast
Holdfast makes some of the best photography accessories on the market today, hands-down.
I say that as someone that's a proud owner of their incredible MoneyMaker multi-camera strap and their amazing Roamographer bag.
These items - and the others in Holdfast's inventory - show an attention to detail that I don't often see.
Not only are their products gorgeously handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces, but they offer all sorts of functionality as well.
I'm not a wedding photographer, but I know enough that one of the must-haves of working such a stressful job is having easy access to your gear.
Well, the MoneyMaker solves that problem because you can carry two cameras with lenses attached (and a third one with an adaptor) right at your fingertips.
That means you're less likely to miss a shot because you have to swap cameras or lenses. Instead, you've got everything you need right there on your person.
I can tell you that the MoneyMaker is the most comfortable camera strap I've ever used, too. That's certainly worth something when you have a long wedding day ahead of you!
Don't take my word for it, though. Stop by and say hello to the Holdfast crew at Booth 920 and see their finely crafted straps, bags, and other accessories for yourself.
nPhoto
Taking great photos is just the beginning. You also need to present your photos in the best possible light.
That's precisely what nPhoto does...
nPhoto has the largest lab in Europe, where their artisans craft gorgeous photo albums and other photography products that make your images shine.
These aren't any old albums and photography products, either.
Instead, they're heirloom pieces that your clients will cherish for generations to come.
That's because nPhoto is committed to quality and craftsmanship - two things that have gone by the wayside as more and more cheap online printing companies have cropped up.
Aside from offering the best quality products on the market today, nPhoto gives you tons of customization options as well, from the size of the photo album to the type of paper used to the font style used.
They have gorgeous accessories to complement their albums as well, including parent albums, trifold image displays, USB drives, and more.
Part of building a successful photography business is developing partnerships with the best vendors. As someone that's held an nPhoto photo album in my hands, I can tell you that these guys are at the top of their game.
See for yourself by visiting Booth 173 at WPPI 2018!
Skylum
Skylum, formerly Macphun, has built a reputation over the years as one of the top photography software companies in the game.
As evidence of that fact, Skylum's incredible Aurora HDR 2018 software was named by Apple as the App of the Year for 2017. Given that there are hundreds of thousands of apps floating around out there, that says a lot about the quality of the products being put out by this small team of photography die-hards.
But Skylum's software isn't just about winning awards.
Instead, it's intended to allow photographers like you and me to quickly and more easily fine-tune our photos.
In fact, Skylum's Luminar 2018 (shown above) has all but replaced Lightroom in my post-processing workflow. And as I noted above, Aurora HDR is an amazing piece of technology that allows even beginner photographers with zero HDR experience to create something beautiful.
Their software is powerful, smartly built, and exists in a work environment that's beautifully designed and easy to use. What more could you want?
See Skylum's software in action at Booth 462. You can learn more by visiting their website as well.
Package Choice by Hill & Usher
No photographer should be without photography insurance - there's just too much that can go wrong, too many accidents that can occur to go without it!
For photographers, Package Choice Insurance by Hill & Usher is the way to go.
That's because Package Choice understands the unique needs of photographers that are in business for themselves.
With that in mind, Package Choice offers a variety of property and liability coverages, that includes:
Package Choice offers many other benefits to photographers as well. If you aren't insured, or if you aren't happy with your current insurance, have a chat with the Package Choice folks at Booth 1237. More information is also available on their website.
Iris Works
If you're like me, the hardest part of being in the photography business is managing the business aspect of it all...
You know, keeping organized, not forgetting appointments, maintaining periodic contact with your clients, billing, and so forth.
Iris Works was built for photographers like you and me that want to spend less time worrying about the logistics of the business and more time actually taking photos.
Not only does Iris Works give you a snapshot of your business activities all on one screen, which features your daily to-do list, your upcoming schedule, and recent client activity, but it also enables you to automate messaging to clients.
That means if you have a shoot coming up in a week, Iris Works will automatically send a reminder email to the client. Cool, right?
It'll also help you draw up contracts, create questionnaires, create and send invoices, and many other handy features that will help your business run more smoothly.
Iris Works will be at Booth 1062 at WPPI - I highly recommend talking with them and seeing their product in action!
KEH Camera
KEH Camera has been in business for decades, providing a place for photographers to buy and sell top-quality pre-owned gear.
Their inventory includes over 50,000 cameras, lenses, and other gear, so no matter what you need to add to your kit, the chances are good that KEH will have it.
Even better than their massive inventory is the fact that KEH makes things nice and simple for you.
There's no worry of fraud. No concern that you won't get your money in a timely fashion, either. When you order a product, you know it'll be what shows up on your doorstep.
You can rest easy knowing that every camera, lens, and other piece of equipment undergoes KEH's 10-point inspection process. What's more, you can trust their grading system so you know the exact condition of the product before you buy.
And if you have something to sell, it's as easy as a few steps, and includes free shipping, too.
There's a reason why KEH has such a good reputation. They have great products, excellent customer service, and good prices, too.
See what KEH has to offer by visiting them at Booth 1046 at WPPI 2018.