PMA 09 – The Ultimate Event for Everything Photo

This year I attended PMA 2009 held March 3 to 5, 2009 in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention and Trade Show. PMA is the Photo Marketing Association International, established in 1924 to encourage growth in the photo imaging industry. This was the place to be to have the inside track on the newest up and coming technology, and how to better use what you have right now. From software programs, to monopods, to color copiers… if it exists for use in the photo imaging world, it was here on display. 

You had the big names of Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic, but you also had the small business there with unique products. With over five hundred exhibitors, there was a lot of ground to cover, lots of questions to ask, and plenty of drooling and day dreaming. Germany, Switzerland, and Japan seemed to have a very strong presence, with Germany offering some very neat and exciting ideas.

Foolography from Germany is working on a Geotagging device that attaches to your camera and imbeds the exact position a photo was taken into the metadata for that photo. Currently it works on Nikon’s D200, D300, D700, D2Hs, D2Xs, D3, and D3X. For more information their website is: www.foolography.com

Backpacks, storage systems and protective travel cases for your camera and equipment were very well represented… try and choose just one! Some of the neatest cases I saw were hard cases with predesigned inserts to protect your valuable camera equipment and lens, using Velcro you would be able to configure the case to suit your needs. Lowepro, Pelican, Storm Case, Delsey, and Domke were just a few of the other exhibitors.

Lighting Systems and Backdrops were represented by Photo Basics, Westcott, Backdrop Outlet, and Denny Backdrop Manufacturing. Of course once you had your photos you would need to put them in a photo book or a digital photo frame… don’t worry these were represented as well. Zookbinders for photo books and Digital Spectrum Solutions for photo frames. There was even a representative for traditional photo albums…

Monopods, Tripods, and other stabilization systems for you camera and equipment also seemed to very well represented. Delkin Devices were showcasing a Fat Gecko Camera mount using suction cups and designed for use in motorsports www.delkin.com/products/accessories/fat-gecko.html  Gorillapod is a unique tripod that has over thirty leg joints that bend and rotate. The Gorillapod can be wrapped around trees, stabilized on rocks, wrapped around a fence… if you need that hard to get shot, and you don’t have a flat level surface, this is the tripod for you. Not only that it comes in an array of colors… allowing you to stand out from the crowd.   www.joby.com/products/gorillapod/2

Lens filters were also available for review, represented by Zeikos, Hoya, and Schneider-Kreuznach from Germany. Any questions you had about what filter for what situation could be answered and handled with any filter on display here.

It was an amazing experience, and one I don’t plan to miss next year. There was so much information and knowledge it was a little overwhelming for a first timer. By next year I should be a little more seasoned and prepared with even more questions. Hope to see you next year at to PMA 2010, which is held February 21 to 23 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Camera Wench
“Have Camera… Will Travel”