Beginner's Luck: First Timer's View of PhotoPlus Expo and NYC

Just back from my first experience of PhotoPlus, and so glad I have been procrastinating on submitting my 2008 travel/conference budget. Now I know that this one goes to the top of the priority list. It seems everyone brings their A game to the Javitz Center for this show, and the result is an ambiance of enthusiasm, professionalism, collegiality, and focus on serious photography.

I'd given myself an assignment (more on that later) that motivated me to walk the entire floor, and I found the professional enthusiasm that one would expect at the "big guns" (Canon, Epson, Nikon, HP...) and familiar high-profile friends (Adobe and Apple) extended to other booths as well. I had terrific talks with knowledgeable staff at LowePro and Think Tank (camera cases), Photodex (PC friendly slideshow software), xTrain (online training), and Leica (who were really friendly and engaged despite the fact I was there inquiring about a case for my Panasonic and not their lovely cameras and lenses).

And then there was the setting. The Javitz center has a naturally lit open galleria, an easily understood floorplan, and a Starbucks with an entertainingly enthusiastic staff. The lighting and sound experience on the expo floor created some of the best convention atmosphere I've experienced. And of course, there's the big picture setting, New York itself, a place where grime, noise (electronic in this case), and being stuck in traffic can give a (lucky) novice photographer one of her favorite shots, taken from the PhotoPlus shuttle bus window on the way back to her hotel after a great photography-filled day.