Exposure Exposition

I had a chance to check out the second day of the 2023 Bozeman Photo Expo, hosted by Bozeman Camera, which included presentations by photographers Autumn Schrock, Charles Glatzer, Brett Wells, Mike Mezeul II, Dan Hawk, and Charley Voorhis. There were presentations on volcanic landscapes in Iceland, chasing the aurora borealis, even adventure filmmaking. So, whether one was just getting into photography or had years of experience, this event had something for everyone.

Dan Hawk gave a presentation on the fundamentals of landscape photography. A lot of his points were good refresher concepts for me, but what hit home was the importance of foreground. He explained that it can be just as important—if not more important—than the background. Humans are naturally drawn to pictures that tell stories, and pairing that with leading lines to direct the viewer’s eyes through a picture is the chef’s kiss. The common goal of any photographer is to have the viewer looking at a picture for longer, not just glancing over it. My takeaway was that an interesting foreground should be the attention-grabber, which then guides the viewer through the rest of the picture. All this talk about landscape photography did give me the itch for a higher-resolution camera body, so of course I was eyeing up the R5 by Canon. And what’s a new body without a new lens? The RF 100mm f2.8 Macro lens could have easily landed in my shopping cart as well—the gear is never-ending with photography.

All the presenting photographers were helpful in giving tips & tricks, and were happy to offer advice to the attendees. Some audience members were also eager to share their own experience—overall, a great community turned up for this event. The show included representatives and gear from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Sigma, Tamron, and Used Photo Pro.

Overall, it was a cool experience. If you missed it this year, thankfully it’s an annual show. Bozeman Camera did a fantastic job putting on the event, and I’m glad to have them as my one-stop-shop for anything camera related. Their employees are always helpful, knowledgeable, and down to talk gear whenever needed.