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Matt
Furr: The most exciting thing to for me to
see at ImagingUSA was
the "Photo Labs". I spent a great deal of time talking to a recent
RITgraduate about her job at ProDPI. Almost every job that goes through
their
company is customized and different from the last. The amount of work
involved
in color managing the different substrates and processes used to develop
the
specific job requests was never-ending. This lab did everything from
retouching
artwork and photographs to bookbinding the photo books. On top of that,
they
even took care of packaging, mailing, and fulfillment. I typically
though of
printing companies to be either packaging, fine arts, or commercial. I
never
realized the market for photo labs. This was my most memorable moment
from
ImagingUSA.
Jenna
Gladney: The most memorable thing for me at ImagingUSA was
walking
across the show floor and seeing a familiar logo. The logo was for
Litho-Krome ProColor (a Hallmark Company) and thereason it looked so
familiar
was, we had watched a video on the plant in one of our graphics classes.
I sat
and talked to the salesmen for a few minutes and ended up meeting a GC
graduate, Donnell Williams, who plans on attending Intern Employer Day
in just
a few weeks. Occurrences like this happen often within the printing
industry and are always an encouraging reminder of the
vast opportunities that await me upon graduation.
Trey Riedmayer: Volunteering at Imaging USA 2012
was
an overall outstanding
experience. Between attending classes and walking the expo floor, I
definitely
became more knowledgeable of the professional imaging industry. While we
were
there, we were able to take advantage of a portfolio review in which we
met
with professional photographers and they critiqued our work. Also, it
was great being able to direct every
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conversation at the conference
towards
printing. By
doing this,I was able to find the printers there and have valuable
conversations. Another memorable experience took place in the Art
District of New
Orleans. After randomly stumbling across a glass-blowing/print making
shop, we
had the opportunity to watch a Vandercook letterpress in action,
printing
business cards.
Alex Peterson: From January 14–18th, 2012, I
attended the Imaging USA expo and convention
in New Orleans working as an intern with the Student Photographic
Society. The
entire event was a great learning experience both from a viewpoint being
behind-the-scenes and as a regular attendee. Working, attending classes,
and
touring the city gave me a fantastic experience in New Orleans.
My first day as an intern, I worked the registration desk. Here, I
helped
attendees login to the Imaging USA registration website and access their
badges. Once they clicked print, I would retrieve the badge, fold it,
place it
in a holder, and return it to the attendee. I would then direct them
towards a
specific class about which they requested, or to the trade show. Often
times,
individuals would come back to the desk to get a new badge printed if
they had
lost it. This took a different approach since the regular access website
wouldn’t allow a duplicate print. In this event, I directed attendees
towards
the overseeing Imaging USA representative and they would have to print
out a
new badge for them. Because I was the first “orange shirt”, or volunteer
the
attendees would see, I was also asked many random questions like pricing
for
the show (if individuals wandered in wondering what was happening),
where
classes were, which vendors were attending the trade show, etc. I
enjoyed this
shift because I was kept busy interacting with the attendees. I also
enjoyed
helping direct people with a smiling face. My second day as an intern, I was scheduled to work a slower area and
simply
directed individuals towards classrooms. I did not enjoy this shift as
much
because most of the job, I was simply standing in one area until someone
came
up to me to ask a question or ask for directions. This was not as challenging
and consequently, I quickly became bored. This shift was more of a challenge
for me than the busier shift was.
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I
knew that I was still helping
individuals
find their classrooms, though, so I still felt I was helping in the show
and
that I was needed. In between my shifts, I attended several of the training classes. While I
do
not want to go specifically into photography after graduation, I do
enjoy
learning as much about it as I can because I have used it in both of my
internships. I expect that it will be a prevalent subject in my career
as well.
I was specifically interested in learning more software applications
rather
than the “inspiring” classes, which motivated the attendees to be
creative.
Because I had attended Imaging USA last year in San Antonio, I was
familiar
with the tracks and schedules. I attended several classes, which
discussed
different techniques in Photoshop. I have always felt that Photoshop was
my
weakest Adobe application, so I am always looking for ways to improve my
knowledge in the software. When I was not assisting with the show or
attending the training
classes, I would walk around the city with the other Clemson students
that went
to Imaging USA. I had never been to New Orleans and for being there for
five
days, I saw a lot of the city. Travel is always a learning experience
for me
because I like being immersed in different cultures. I have always
thought that
I was a little sheltered and I like being able to branch out and see and
learn
in new environments. We toured the French quarter, the French market,
the
shopping district, and our hotel was in the warehouse district. In this
way, we
were able to see almost the whole city in a five-day span. The culture
and the
experience is very different from any other city I had seen. I prefer
living in
the suburbs or in the country where I can enjoy nature and a quiet but
busy
life, but New Orleans is one that I could really see myself enjoying.
I think that Imaging USA is an event that was definitely worthwhile and
the
experiences I obtained during my trip were very valuable to me. It was
fun, and
instructive to work the convention, attending the training and classes,
and see
a new city
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