Recently, I had the opportunity to head out to Los Angeles to connect with the ASMP-LA Chapter at their recent “Touch & Try” event. This day-long event was held at the beautiful SIGMA Showroom in Burbank, CA (seriously, if you are in the area, check this place out… it’s very cool). Not only did SIGMA play host, but they also provided the cameras and lenses that attendees could try for themselves.
All Photos © Carter Nicklaus, Nancy Kaye, Laredo Montoneri, Ralph Clevenger & Melanie Porter
But what would a photo be without lighting? The other main sponsor of this event, Profoto, sent out the one and only Chris Fain to lead the multi-bay photo setup, and provided the latest and greatest in Profoto lighting for the attendees to experiment with. Multiple models, multiple sets, and two amazing companies (and ASMP Corporate Members!) make for an unforgettable day.
Profoto brought the goods not only with their strobes, but also with their cinema lights and the great Ben Scott who came to talk all things lighting for film and video. Pair this with the chance to get hands-on with SIGMA’s line of Cine lenses, and it was an added bonus to the day. To add one more layer of connection, we were also happy to have Samy’s Camera there as an additional resource for the attendees!
This event was coordinated and put on by the ASMP-LA team, including Carter Nicklaus, and Laredo Montoneri with support from Sej Saraiya. The LA Chapter is led by President Nancy Kaye, and many of the Chapter Board Members and local Members were in attendance as well. If you are in the LA area and haven’t yet connected with Nancy and the Chapter, you should check out what they have going on over at their Chapter site: www.asmp.org/losangeles. We were also excited to have ASMP National Board Member Ralph Clevenger drop in to talk with Members and Chapter Leaders and take some behind-the-scenes images! It is always great to see Ralph, and also see the broad based support for excellent Chapter events.
As ASMP’s COO, the most important part, though, was getting out to LA and meeting so many of our great ASMP Members. I can’t express how rewarding it is seeing a great Chapter event come together that supports the local photo community and connects Members not only with each other, but with the brands that support them and their creativity.
In sum, it was an excellent day in LA, and I look forward to seeing what comes next!
– Melanie Porter
