Day One Report From “Professional Imaging 2010” in The Netherlands

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(Above: one side of Nikon’s booth on the show floor at PI 2010).

Hi Gang: Had an awesome day yesterday at Professional Imaging 2010 at the NBC in Utrecht, Netherlands. The Dutch are just about the most gracious and fun folks to present to ever!

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(Above: A shot of me aiming at something that I’m certain, after looking at my memory card, has no visual interest whatsoever. Photo by Jeff Revell).

The Ones That Got Away
I got into town on Saturday, after spending a day and a half in Brugges, Belgium shooting some of the most uninspiring photos ever (I think the chilly weather froze my creativity. Yes, that’s how desperate I am to describe my lack of ability to take a single decent photo in a day and a half of shooting).

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(Above: Frank Doorhof during one of his Elinchrom portrait lighting demos).

A Man On a Mission
Anyway, the night before the conference started, I wondered if Dutch photographer Frank Doorhof might be teaching at the Elinchrom booth, since I read he was there last year (I first learned of his work via his lightning instructional videos on the Elinchrom Web site), and on YouTube.com and I’ve been a fan of his for a while now. I posted a comment on his blog on Saturday that I was a fan, and hoped to meet him at the show. When I did finally meet him, he told me he thought somebody was pulling a prank, and that it wasn’t actually me who made the post (I cracked up!).

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(Above: Frank rocked despite the cramped space in the booth).

As expected; Frank was awesome!!! He’s a great presenter, and his lighting demos are top notch, and what he creates live in  front of a crowd with just two lights, in a very limited space, is just amazing! I watched four of his live demos yesterday, and even though he was speaking Dutch (which sadly I don’t speak), I still got a tremendous amount out of them (though he does speak perfect English, and I got to talk with him about all sorts of stuff during the day).

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(Above: Frank shot live to a large screen flat panel display for the crowd to see as he worked).

Frank is Coming to a Blog Near You!
Of course, I asked him to be a Guest Blogger here on the blog as well, and he graciously accepted, so hopefully we’ll be seeing him here soon (he’s teaching three workshops in NYC—two are already sold out in advance—here’s the link). Anyway, meeting Frank was certainly one of the highlights of my trip. He was a very genuine guy, with a great personality, and you could tell he loves this stuff, and anytime someone is really passionate about their work, it shows. I also got two of his English-speaking lighting DVDs and I’ll be watching them on the flight home tomorrow. I’ll give you guys a review once I watch them.

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Now, back to the show.
I did the opening keynote yesterday for Adobe (which I’m doing again today), and then I did a Photoshop & Lightroom Killer Tips session in the Adobe theater and it was standing room only. The Dutch are SO into this stuff, and I can’t tell you how many people I met that watch every episode of Photoshop User TV, or D-Town TV, or have my books, or are Kelby Training Online subscribers—it was just amazing (I’m still stunned be recognized this far from home).

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I included some images here from the show floor, all taken with my iPhone (That’s all I had with me at the time), and although you can’t tell from the photos, this is a very happening show, with two separate halls, and cameras, printers, and softboxes on display everywhere (Dutch translations of my books were there, too, as Pearson Education Benelux had the first booth right inside the hall, so I did a book signing there yesterday after my sessions and met a lot of great people).

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All My Books In One Big Book
One thing that they had which I had never seen before, but I absolutely loved—was an edition of all three of my “Digital Photography Books” (Volumes 1, 2, and 3) put into one single hardcover book (shown below). It’s big, and heavy, but it really works, and they were selling like hotcakes (they were sold out of a lot of my titles by yesterday afternoon. Also, David Ziser’s new book “Captured By The Light” was completely sold out by mid-afternoon.

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Shows like this are so inspiring—just being surrounded by so many great images, and great photographers. If you’ve never been to a show like this, it’s a must-attend event.

OK, there was this one weird thing…
So, that’s it from here (well, right now, here is the lobby of my hotel, which is really nice by the way, but there is one really weird thing. The room is very modern, and I’m sharing the room with my brother Jeff, and my buddy Jeff Revell (from PhotoWalkPro) So far so good, but the shower has nearly a full length glass panel facing outward toward the bedroom, so when you’re taking a shower, everybody else in the room can see you clearly. It’s almost like they’re showering right in the bedroom itself. It’s not frosted glass mind you. It’s just glass. A lot of it. Right here. It’s really kind of…well…it’s kind of different. I’m working around it, by blinding “The Jeff’s” with a continuous high-speed flash aiming out into the bedroom. OK, I’m just kidding, but I did consider it).

If I can remember, I’m taking my DSLR tomorrow with a 50mm f/1.4 to get some decent shots of the show (rather than my iPhone photos), and maybe I can get someone to snap a few of me during my keynote.

Today’s my last day at the conference, and if you’re there make sure you say hi (I can’t tell you how many people I met yesterday who told me they read my blog every day. That really tickled me big time!).

Have a great Monday! (Heb een grote Maandag!)

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  1. Hope it’s gonna be a “grote maandag” today :-) I’m almost on my way to nieuwegein, hope to join your masterclass, and really look forward to it! Hope they have some new books today…

  2. Hi Scott, welcome to the Netherlands! Hope you enjoy it. At least this weekends weather helped improving the quality of your stay, although that’s not quite noticable inside NBC.

    Just read this post to find out about the event in Nieuwegein. On my way to work in Amsterdam Zuidoost now, by train. Tempted to skip Amsterdam Amstel and proceed to Utrecht. Afraid that’s not possible :-(

    I try to read your blog everyday and especially enjoy the guestblogs. Also really like Ps User TV. Funny how you are surprised to see how good your work is known here, while we think: wow, he’s here!

    About the hotel: although I haven’t been in all hotels in NL, I can assure you that it’s not normal to have only a glass wall separating the shower from the bedroom. That indeed sounds quite modern and seems to have given you a weird impression of the dutch…:-)

    The word great emphasizes that something’s better than good. This can be best translated to “zeer goed”, “geweldig” or “fantastisch”, of which the last two are a bit too happy. You could guess what fantastisch means.

    I did not yet buy one of your books, but plan to do so. I understand that it’s very useful to have the books translated to dutch, but you would be surprised to see how many Dutchmen would rather buy the EN/US version. Especially since most people I know preferably use English software…

    Ik wens je een fijne maandag en een goede reis terug!

  3. By the way:

    Have a great Monday! (Heb een grote Maandag!)

    “Grote” is the Dutch word for “big”… Heb een grote maandag means have a big monday… “Heb een fijne maandag” would be better….

    Robin

  4. Hi Scott,

    I really enjoyed both your keynote speech as well as the Photoshop & Lightroom Killer Tips session last sunday. Having my wife buy me your Down & Dirty tricks book and you signing it really made my day!

    Take care!

    Martijn

  5. It was great seeing you in-real-life yesterday at the show. I enjoyed your keynote about 20 years Photoshop and I also learned a lot from your ‘Killer Tips’. I have some of your translated books, they helped me very much learning the Adobe software. Thanks!

    I hope you enjoy your monday in The Netherlands, have a good and safe flight back home.

    Peter

  6. Not sure how you could shoot anything uninspiring in Bruges. I went on a riverboat cruise in the Netherlands and one of the stops was Bruges (which I had never heard of at the time). It was and still is the prettiest place I’ve ever been. Would love to go back someday.

  7. Did you try the best chocolate in the world in Brugge, and then wash it down with a Coke Zero like I did earlier in the year? Ditto with the Brugge pictures as mine were great despite the rain.

  8. Hi Scott,

    I really enjoyed your keynote and the killer tips sunday! It was the first time I had ever been on a photography-event and I really liked it. Also, thanks for your helpfulness when I asked the question about changing lenses! I hope you’ll be back next year on professional imaging.

    but one thing:
    Quote: “The Dutch are just about the most gracious and fun folks to present to ever!”.

    I’m a belgian and there were a lot of Belgians on the event yesterday!

  9. I’m a pilot and spend lots of time in foreign hotel rooms. The next time you take a shower in that situation, run the warm water for a few minutes first to fog it up, then you’re good to go! Enjoy,

  10. I antended professional imaging today and there was some great inspirational stuff. I really liked your presentation and the one of belgian travel photographer Piet van den Eynde. I can’t wait for the final release of Lightroom 3.

    Some of the displayed photos at the various booths were really amazing, really liked the ones on display at the Ilford stand (I love the Ilford film preset in Silver efex pro).

    I feel inspired to go out tomorrow and take some photos at the pier of Scheveningen :) Just don’t tell my thesis counselor ;)

  11. Hi Scott,

    I attended the key note and your killer tip session with my sister and colleague Marc yesterday and we had a great time! You are truly a master of Photoshop, Lightroom and photography but I knew that already from all the books, Photoshop User Magazine and TV.
    It was my first time at Imaging and you being there really made it really worth while.

    So glad I came prepared with a book, so you could sign it (thanks). Well hope you and the Photoshop guys can come down to Europe to do a Photoshop World Europe edition! Know for sure there would be a large turn out for that.

    Mireille

  12. Scott,

    Very nice to hear about your failed photo exploits – spending a day and a half and not getting a good pic, missing sunrise and sunsets. Makes me happy, not in a schadenfreude way, but because that happens to me all the time! I figure I just suck as a photographer. Nice to know sometimes it is just weather, bad luck or luck of the drawer.

    Thanks for sharing your failures as well as success. Keeps me going!

  13. When we bought our first house it had a jacuzzi with mirrors on 3 sides. So not only could I see every square inch of the paunchy honky I could see it to infinity. Yikes

  14. Great to have the possibility to hear you live after having read some of your books. Good tips and splendid performance! I had the opportunity to follow two shows of an hour, the keynote speech (see my iphone video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23LfgmswsEw) and the PS en LR killer tips. The ‘glass’ tip was great and the wedding one in Lightroom with the picture-in-picture (though on the subject Adobe should still improve something) to mention some. Days like today give a good boost to spend time to improve both photographing and photo editing skills. Thanx a lot!
    Unfortunately I forgot to take one of your books from home for a signature, but you tips & show are worth more to me.

  15. Hi Scott,

    loved your keynote and killer tips presentations today. surprised to find that now even the only thing left I still advocated for the panos was rotating around the nodal point is also out of the window. At least that was the conclusion from your tip on shuffling the feet and our quick discussion after the presentation.

    Anyway, lots of inspiring stuff for putting photoshop to more efficient use (would also be nice to have a version of you with a pause and/or rewind button :-) Man, you talk fast.

    Thanks

  16. Scott, you didn’t leave your camera lying around did you? Remeber Joe Mcnally’s practical joke. You may have some “revealing” photos on the web. (don’t need that site,sorry).

  17. Hi Scott,

    I was in the NBC today too. That sneak peek of photoshop next blew me away :-D Abolutely stuff of which my clients are dying for…

    I hope you enjoyed your time in Holland and come back again!

    Kind regards
    John Verbruggen

  18. Hi Scott,

    Glad you got to meet up with Frank! He’s a great guy and really knows his stuff… I’ve been a big fan of his for years so it cool to see that you were as well. Great to hear your having a good time out there and got to see him in action. Have a safe trip back.

    – Marq

  19. Hi Scott,

    Sunday was a great day for me in the NBC. I learned a lot from your Photoshop and Lightroom killer tips. I am one of those who watches every episode of Photoshop user TV.

    Thanks for signing my photobags.

    Have a safe trip home, and I hope to meet you next year.

    Joost

  20. Sounds like it was a lot of fun, Scott, I would’ve loved to go to this hehe.

    And I didn’t know your compilation book was put out by Pearson Education. I work for Pearson School Systems–glad to see our sister division putting out some great material. :D

  21. Hi Scott, I was lucy to see your masterclass this afternoon, I have to say it was a blast! I learned a lot, and it was fun seeing you in action. Hopefully you’ll consider doing a workshop in The Netherlands, I would be more than happy to join! Thanks again and I hope to see you in the future.

    Jeroen

    PS As sworn, I won’t be telling the secret link to the masterclass tutorial… :-)

  22. Awesome to see you finally met Frank. Frank’s expert lighting is really something else…there is a reason Elinchrom and Leaf sponsor him. We cannot wait to see his guestblog. His willingness to keep things simple and neverending patience must be a Dutch thing and i’m sure it will enhance his blogging.

    We can’t wait to meet you in New York & Emmeloord Frank!

  23. Hey Scott,
    Saw Frank mentioning this post on his forum so I popped over for a look. Glad you enjoy his stuff, because I am a really big fan of his work. I’ve purchased nearly all the DVD’s and been on his site for ages. In fact, he’s entirely the reason I switched to Elinchrom and it was his previews that encouraged me to go for the Quadras. I’m looking forward to the Guest Blog already!

  24. OMG! I can’t believe you weren’t inspired by Bruges!!
    I absolutely loved it and would love to go back some time! So many pretty shots just awaiting you!

    I would love to show you my favourite shot! =D
    http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?id=3024411129&size=large

    But take it easy on me, I had just bought my 1st DSLR and had never had training! Was just messing around with it!
    I hope you like it though, and get the chance to go back to take some amazing photos! ;) x

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