Since a few of our readers have an issue with our trade show photos, we thought we’d show you something. Please note…both of these photos were taken with the same iPad. Lighting makes a big difference, regardless of camera. Not having a couple of hundred lookie-lous hanging around helps a little too.
And, I’ll say it again. We aren’t a photo collector website. On SSD, you get the info the same time we do. If you want pretty pictures, visit one of those websites that posts lots of photos but has no idea what any of it was. We’ll have better photos, but only AFTER the show is over. You have to process the hell out of anything you take thanks to the crappy environment and we’d rather do it once we get home.
This is very true. Florescent lights and the poor lighting in general at SHOT make for bad pics unless you have a camera that can compensate for it. You’re doing a great job!
Seems to me that if you’re going to a product oriented trade show you would be taking photos with something better than an iPad.
What makes you think we don’t do that as well? In fact, I’ve said that we do.
Wow. The b!tchy pr!ncess is strong in this thread.
What I value(d) from SSD and the three other sites that offered solid, minute-by-minute coverage (none of whom beat SSD) of SHOT was the sheer volume of quality information, both in terms of verbal and visual descriptions that let me plan my 2012 personal and professional spending.
Having spent, oh, a couple decades in the visual infromation game, I can tell you that doing good flash photography without (a) LITERALLY stepping on other attendees, (b) alienating the exhibitor (who is trying to attract interest from people WHO TEND NOT TO ENJOY BEING PHOTOGRAPHED) and–most importantly for people whose blogs are to be trusted–(c) loss of impartuiality (“How about coming up to our suite for a few mixed drinks, our full-on product spiel and 10 minutes of unlimited access). And even if you WERE able to do all this, photography done outside the studio entails 2 stages of editing: the first is choosing the best of the 3-4 shots of the same subject with different exposure and flash settings, the second involves massaging the best quality out of the chosen shot. Also, trade shows at Vegas are THE WORST–even the trade shows are lit like the casinos.
Most GOOD blogs are 1-4-person operations. Beyond that they’re getting paid by advertisers (impartiality again) or paywall revenues.
So there you have it. Do you want your imagery (and the information it supports) good, fast or cheap? Pick 2 and get back to us.
The perfect model.
Seems to me you can’t read. Reread the article. It says that Eric does it so that he can post real time.
Thanks for the support. Some people aren’t happy no matter how well you tell the story.
You can post realtime without using a tablet as a “camera”. Of course the photo looks fine out in sunlight, its how it looks inside a dark building with crappy lighting that separates pros from amateurs. (and no, I’m not judging anyones photos here, just saying how important lighting and your ability to deal with it is).
I have a D3 and a wireless adapter + lighting gear, and have a D4 on order. I do event photography for a living (7+ years now). I’m sure you wouldn’t have to much trouble finding someone like me that would be *happy* to help photograph shot show 2013 (and probably happily do it for as little as a press pass). You write the stories and caption the photos, they get excellent, well lit, high quality photos. Trust me, it absolutely can be done at a trade show, and real time, just not with an iPhone or iPad. They are really cool devices but they are *not* professional cameras.
Ben,
I’m aware there are other options. But, I’m using WordPress. I can integrate a photo into the article right from my tablet and move on. I don’t have to worry about my article uploading to one server, the photo to another, determine the link to the right photo, process it, and then integrate it in the proper dimensions to fit the look of the site.
Granted, my way isn’t the best looking way, but I could go back to shooting photos and taking notes all day and then waiting til 11 pm to write articles and process photos. Bit, that’s the old way, and the way many others still do it, or worse yet, go radio silent all SHOT week and then write “me too” articles when they get back.
I don’t know how many times folks stopped me during the show thanking me for catching this product or that so that they knew to go check it out. I don’t think I could write the volume that I do if I let the images drive the train.
Thanks for the offer to help, but I’m very comfortable working the way I do. However, I’d be interested in a portable lighting solution that might help get some white light onto some of these subjects. Got any ideas?
As for an assistant, I already have one for admin issues. I tried to bring in an additional writer over this SHOT Show with very disappointing results. I don’t believe we’ll be doing that again, anytime soon.
Lighting that an iPad could fire off that would be managable? The best I can think of is a warm color temp flashlight with a very wide floody beam, with 3 or more intensity modes. Trying to juggle much more then that would become hard, quickly.
If your willing to use a DSLR then another reasonably cheap option would be to use a D7000, 18-55/2.8, SB700/SB900 flash, and a EyeFi SD card. The EyeFi SD card can be run in a secondary slot on the camera and automatically upload its images to your ipad. Then your getting the usability of the iPad for your wordpress integration, yet your also getting the high quality high ISO images from a real DSLR.
The EyeFi SD + DSLR combo is excellent. To do the same thing with my D3/D4 requires a 500$ wifi addon that doesn’t integrate quite as well with the iPad as the EyeFi setup does.
Feel free to email me with questions.
Some guys are dicks. The Venetian is dark with ambient lighting shining off funky colored walls that produce bad photo ops. Even with an HD NIKON it was tough to balance things out for a good photo. Product shots will give you the photo shopped experience, but won’t let you see what is the latest on the trade show floor. This gives no mention to the hordes of people looking to stand in front of you to take in the novelty experience.
What? SSD isn’t a catalogue site I get to buy from and have stuff shown to the N.th degree of detail? is that what those links to manufactures and retailers web sites are for? Wow 🙂
Sorry if that sounded dick-ish, that wasn’t the intent. The intent is to remind us all that our equipment load out is dependent on our METL. If the mission is to assault an armored colum in defilade then I sure as shit am packing some AT-4’s or Dragons and not leading the assault with a pistol. Likewise, if the mission is to report on the latest gear, then I want to be sure that I am portraying that gear as accurately as possible.
Recently SSD was given some sort of an honor for being an industry leading blog. If SSD is an industry leading blog then these manufacturers should be inviting you to the front of the line to get their word out. You should be using your press credentials to your advantage to get better shots, back of booth tours, after hours interviews.
Grainy photos, incorrect links to manufacturers web sites and shots of flip-flops “live from the floor” don’t lend credibility to the site that is supposed to be an industry leader in the defense community. In fact it leads you down a path to a point where the manufacturers DONT want you involved because your articles don’t add value to their line.
Or maybe I am just a dick and should shut up now.
I hope you’re good at whatever it is you do. I happen to be very good at what I do. In fact, I’m one of the best at what I do. I can tell you that you know very little about what I do.
Companies don’t do back of booth tours on camera, they keep their secrets there. I get to see them, I just don’t share them.
Very few people want cameras on them during industry parties. Those that don’t mind, generally regret that decision later.
I do get invited to the front of the line. How do you think you got to see so many new products announced here the week before SHOT Show?
You aren’t a dick, you just don’t know what you’re talking about.
When I start my website, http://www.gayforgear.com I’m gonna use the bestest camera I can find and I’ll take super duper high quality photos of all of the latest and greatest kit from condor and voodoo tactical and 511. Just the best stuff for me and the other guys who live in mom’s basement.
You’re a big stupid head.
I’ll show you!
Go drink a beer and calm down Brad. SSD’s techniques in journalism are done for a reason. As mentioned before it is “real-time”. News quicker than any other tactical blog site. Its purpose, which it excels at, is to provide the end user with knowledge on anything in the industry. Which last time I checked involves more than a few sku’s. Let me know if you have a site like SSD’s that posts 10+ posts a day. Sometimes you can’t have your cake and eat it too.
Im impressed all or most of those photos came from an iPad. I’m just happy there are photos at all, and I really doubt manufacturers are second guessing the publicity they get from SSD based on photo quality.
Just trade show photos come from the iPad.
I just found your blog and appreciate the heck out of the pics. One tip that may help is keep a small penlight or other small light source handy to light those dark nooks and crannies. It doesn’t take much light to fix low light for even cellphone and pad cameras. Thanks again for the updates.
Thanks.
Oh dear a pic from a trade show isn’t as spiffy as it could be, so what? Getting the word out on time is important here, like comparing photographers in journalism and studio, who’s shots are going look better off the bat? Ideally I would want the best out of every shot taken, but that takes time, and even if it’s just a few more seconds of alignment, composition and settings fiddled with then that adds up with such massive events. And of course as much as a great photo can help sell a product, it’s the product that sells itself here, not how pretty the image of it is.
Soldier Systems does a great job and I know that what they do works out well for what I do. At SHOT I check Soldier Systems at the end of each day to see what I may have missed. We aren’t from the states and don’t have a data plan that doesn’t cost a mortgage on my house to use so our coverage is after the show. So when we get back we have those pretty images and videos everyone is crying for.
Even with a good camera and a good flash SHOT photography is a pain in the ass. You end up having at least 3 separate light sources all of a different color bouncing off multiple colors walls and booths. If you decided to white balance your camera then move 3 feet to the side to take a shot of another object you would end up doing it the same. I started doing the shotgun approach and taking more then one photo of the same thing so I can delete the ones that aren’t as good.
Keep up the good work guys I know blurry picture or not I will still check back a couple times a day.
You can’t please everybody. I’d rather you post those snapshots quickly than have to wait for well constructed photos much later. Keep up the good work.
I like the fact you don’t use a giant flash system to piss of everyone else at the event. After all, don’t manufacturers have studio shots of this stuff on their sites before long anyway?
As a professional photographer and somebody that has worked trade stands, I fully appreciate just how annoying it is to have a flash constantly blasting in your face all day.
SSD, keep up the good work.
Admin, we love the things you and Mama do for us. Intelligence gathering is a treasured activity and those who reap the benefits (us) understand that you can’t always get the “best” shot and that the information that goes along with it is the most important part. For the most part we’re treated to early information with promotional images FROM the company. When we do get pictures from the field they are pictures that few, if any, others are even able to bring us. We love that you love what we love, appreciate the breaking news and inside information, and try our best to ignore the ignorant goobers who wander in with more opinions than sense. SSD!
Dont listen to the people that complain. I enjoyed the pictures from shot. I can’t go because I’m not on the in list, but always wanted to, so you guys taking pictures gets me there. I loved it. I spent most of Friday last week virtually at shot.
Thanks,