Klyment.com - Journal

Terry Monahan, marketing manager of Chimera, helping out Britta Leuermann, a fashion photographer based in Cologne, with one of the softboxes.

Part of the Manfrotto Group booth, the National Geographic booth had some innovative concepts when it came to employee dress code.

Some of Kata's bags for photographic equipment. They used to run independantly developing bags for the military but now are owned by Manfrotto. These are by far the nicest lighting cases I have ever seen. Easily hold a pack and several heads in a semi-soft yet resiliant packaging with very well-designed straps and a rolling system and the bags still remain very light considering their sizes and features. Will be distributed by Amplis in Canada. Check with your local camera dealers in the coming months. The lighting cases have not yet been priced.

Look at this bunch of perverts at the Lumedyne booth. As Stephen put it, Lumedyne knows how to draw a crowd.

Ah, fuck . . . I'll join in, too.

It's nice to see Kingston's marketing materials are being put to good use.

While I'm sure the intent behind using puppets during child photoshoots was very good, I could totally see myself using one to creep out kids if I ever had to do a child portrait session. I shall be picking one up Saturday or Sunday.

Live shoot in the Bacht booth. Some ultra-highend lighting stuff but I see most of their benefits for shooting of large objects like automobiles. They also have some incredible-looking ceiling rail systems. Model's name is Yesim. She's been shot for Carlsberg and Wilkinson Swords. The European modeling agency systems seem to vary greatly from those in North America. Models sign with multiple agencies and there are some that arrange stuff similar to what One Model Place and Model Mayhem do to help models and photographers to connect.

The photographer (I shall update with full name later) was demonstrating an all on-location workflow with the lighting, Hasselblad 501C/M, Phase One P30 digital back, Phase One Capture One Pro to tether directly to a computer where files were processed and then printed on an Epson 7800. Incredible resemblance to my studio workflow.

Linhof - Anagram's technical partner in developing digital scan back technology. The scan backs can be used with other brands too but Benjamin of Anagram showed me a few design aspects of Linhoff cameras that help digital backs achieve a better fit. Linhof was also showing of their new 6x12 and 6x17 Technorama medium format panoramic cameras which allow for perspective control movements. Though still expensive, these camera bodies were surprisingly cheap at about 2450 and 2750 euros each respectively. Even a Chinese 6x17 camera with view finder issues, no perspective control, and a few minor Q/A issues come out to about 800euros equivalent already.

Stephen speaking to Laura and Terry of Chimera. Lighttools manufactures Soft Egg Crates for Chimera's soft boxes and the two companies have enjoyed a long and prosperous symbiotic relationship by only offering the highest quality softboxes with the best fabric grids available.

The Broncolor booth. A photographer was doing a live shoot here if I recall correctly and there were videos of a shoot with Paris Hilton along with some large format prints of photos taken during that shoot. The booth was spectacular.

California Sunbounce - one of the most celebrity-endorsed products I've seen in Hall 6. The product consists of a quick release fold down metal frame and a fabric "cot" that suspends across the distance between two bars. Easier to control in wind and attach to extension arms to hold them overhead. THe pricing is very good too, considering that it commands a price premium of about 50% over some Photoflex retail prices for reflectors of similar size but with a much less effective design. I shall be picking up one with white on one side and gold/silver zebra on the other. THey come with a punch that holds everything together.

Visitors resting in the Panasonic rest area.

Sinar

Jurgen (sp?) of the Anagram/Linhof booth. The company he works with manufactures digital scan backs for large format cameras. The backs are overbuilt like crazy employing servo motors that are designed to handle loads of up to 50lbs to move an electronic assembly weighing approximately 50grams. The software allows for semi-live preview of the scan area and also allows the fine art reproduction artist to composite two scans, one each with lighting set from each of the sides so that one may help attach the illusion of depth to a fine art reproduction print. It's something that can be done manually but apparently there are complex optical calculations to perform this task and looking at the results I have little doubt that much thought has been put into this feature.

The best cold wrap I ever had. This one was chiken with mustard and vegetables. Some of the vegetables were chilled until they were just a little frozen making them very cold, crisp and refreshing and the flavour was excellent. The stuff in Cologne in Kamps (sp?), what appears to be Germany's or Cologne's equivalent of Tim Hortons in Canada, doesn't compare.

Stephen Pilby of Lighttools seems to be enjoying the ride.

The breakfast room in the guesthouse Stephen and I are staying at. My room was beautiful. Hahah, Stephen decided to take the attic room which most normal-sized humans can't fully stand up in. But I think Leanna would have been fine.