The Photography Show is an opportunity for all levels of Photographers to gather together to see, hear and touch the latest in equipment and training, as well as an opportunity to network and collaborate with others.
I cannot shout loudly enough about the importance of sharing and support over competition and rivalry and The Photography Show truly embodies that ethos too.
The annual show is housed at the NEC and attracts visitors from all over the U.K., as well as abroad too. This was my first visit to the show and I was looking forward to seeing some of the speakers (Many of which are included in the ticket price) as well as having a look at the exclusive offers that are available during it’s run.
It was when I went to book my ticket at their website, that I spotted a photography competition on the homepage. Before I knew it I had filled in the form and submitted my four images to the ‘Blogger’s Day in The Life’ competition and quickly forgot all about it. It wasn’t long before I received a very surprising e-mail to tell me that I had been shortlisted as a finalist for the Lifestyle category and not long after that a public vote was launched.
The Day of The Photography Show
As I stood at the train station, I couldn’t quite work out why Obi Wan Kenobi was stood next to me. Then as my train arrived at Birmingham International, I realised that the NEC was home to both The Photography Show and to Comic Con that weekend. It was such a fantastic atmosphere; Photographers snapping pictures of their favourite comic icons whilst the cast of wonderfully costumed characters, played up their alter-egos for the opportunity. A wonderful improvised collaboration between strangers. I loved it.
On arrival, I was greeted by the show’s wonderful PR team and headed to the press office to mingle with the other finalists. Champagne and French pastries were plentiful as the excitement grew. I couldn’t wait to see my images in the gallery, as beautiful as our digital word is, there is something very prestigious and grand about a physical gallery, filled with beautiful imagery.
Then we walked, en masse, though the show to the gallery, I couldn’t believe how beautiful each stand was. The larger stands not only provided gorgeous product displays, but also had features for visitors to take pictures of. Most of my fellow attendees had their camera with them and were busying their lenses with gorgeous colours, textures and forms offered by each company.
Blogger’s Day in The Life Gallery
The gallery wall was huge, headed with the competition title, with each entry evenly spaced in its own Instagram-esque area. The prints were provided by The Print Foundry and the gorgeous, deep box frames really created a striking look. I was beyond thrilled with my images, in their little square frames and all of the entries looked stunning as a collection. It was such an honour to share a space with such talented individuals. By this point, the excitement was overflowing as we were gathered for the announcement.
Victoria Beddoes Wins
The Bloggers were gathered in a circle, alongside the PR team and Olympus’ Mark Thackara to announce the overall winner. I didn’t expect to win. I was so grateful to be there, to have made it as a finalist and to see my work on display. So, when, the words ‘Victoria Beddoes’ were uttered, I simply couldn’t believe it. I can recall looking instantly at my brother, who gave me the nod of ‘yes, they said you.’ and then a huge surge of emotion followed and then a good few seconds of trying not to cry. (I can’t help it, I cry at everything, especially that advert were the puppies come out of the biscuits). I was awarded with my prize from Olympus, a stunning Olympus PEN camera and then had to pose for many pictures. Thank goodness I didn’t cry!
The Photography Show
The rest of the day was my own to enjoy and there was so much to take in. There are various stages, where talks, demos and workshops are held and I got to see quite a few on the Social Stage, which were really interesting. I had intended to visit some of the others, but sadly ran out of time as the day completely whizzed by. I have to say, that before I went, I hadn’t expected to see such a diverse crowd of visitors there. It was fantastic to see so many families, women and disabled photographers in attendance. The was such a supportive atmosphere and conversation between strangers flowed in appreciation of shared passion. The stands were equally as diverse and I particularly loved the Blackmagic Design stand, it was so feminine and intricately designed.
It was great to see displays that were not all black and chrome, that appealed to different kinds of photographers. I will pop a gallery of my iPhone snaps at the end of the post for you to have a little look at. The day did whiz by and my only complaint is that I didn’t go for two days, to allow me to make the most of the talks and workshops. Whether you are a professional Photographer, a Blogger or would simply like to improve your photography for your family snaps or business social media, I would definitely recommend grabbing a ticket for The Photography Show 2017. You can head to their page and register your interest for next year.
Thank You
All that remains is for me to say a whopping thank you to all those that read my blog, follow me on social media and of course to anyone that took time from your busy lives to vote for my images. I cannot find the words to communicate what an exciting and appreciated experience it has been and how thankful I am to you for helping me get there.
I’d also like to thank Goodresults PR, The Photography Show and Mark Thackara at Olympus.
If you would like to see more of my photography, please visit my portfolio
Love,
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