If you didn’t get along to the Photography and Video Show this year but are wondering if it’s worth it, SCC member Emma Hall lays out the pro’s and cons to help you decide whether to make the trip to London in 2027…
"I recently visited the Photography and Video show at the Birmingham NEC with fellow SCC members Simon S. and Mike C," writes Emma. "I thought I'd do a review to help you decide if you'd like to go if you haven't before or if, like me you haven't been in a number of years."
The costs
After moving to London for a number of years, the organisers have now decided they will alternate between Birmingham and London. This means 2027 will be in the Excel centre, London.
Standard entry for 1 day was £24, concessions (60+, disabled) £21. If you run a Photography company and can prove it, entry is free. Be aware NEC charges for parking too; booking in advance saves £5.
First impressions
It was very easy to find and get into the show and there were no queues despite it being nearly opening time on the first day.
A show guide and special issue of Digital Photo magazine were supplied free of charge. Hold onto that show guide/map, it's invaluable.
The show is well laid out, with wide aisles so although busy it never felt overly crowded. There were plenty of places to get refreshments which while pricy were better than expected quality.
So onto the good stuff ...
Most of the major industry players were there... Canon, Nikon, Sony, Sigma, OM System etc. They have lenses and cameras on their stands you can handle and take pictures with. Some stands had lighting sets up and models too.
Of course there were also all the other kinds of goodies… software, lighting, tripods, tablets, paper. Most of which you could also play with and ask experts questions too.
Aside from gear, there were also stalls for books, photo tours/days and online photo lessons. There was certainly something for everyone. They had video equipment, drones and, impressively, a whole analogue area – great if you need to know where to get film or develop it!
There were some very good and some not so good show deal prices. A few galleries of work were around to enjoy too. I spotted an area for "influencers"/content creators to do fun selfies...funnily enough the quietest in the show!
Food for thought
I think the highlight for me though was all the talks. They ranged from 20 minutes up to an hour, and covered everything from photo genres to processing to running a business. The only trouble was you couldn't get to all of them!
I personally chose one on making a food photography story, which I found very inspirational not only for the food, but also on concept ideas, lighting ideas and panel creation with coherency between the pictures.
I then switched vein completely and attended two post processing talks, one on post photo multiple exposures and one on surreal composites. Both gave me inspirational ideas and technical hints.
So, what didn't work?
The programme gave details of talks in the various "theatres", but not those on various stands, including Adobe, who had their own theatre. That made it hard to plan, as you had to go down to the stand to find out what they were doing.
If you didn't arrive early, or tried to listen at smaller stands to demos/talks, the ambient noise made it difficult to hear anything. The exception was the Hannumuhle Theatre which was entirely enclosed, professionally lit and soundboarded.
Many companies only demonstrated their equipment on their stand, and then sent you to Wex to buy. This resulted in very long queues at Wex (and probably many lost sales).
Would I go again?
Yes.
If you need to see how much that new tripod actually weighs (because it's not just "book" weight but density), decide if you really want to invest in a new piece of kit, see what's new in the photography world, get a bargain, or be inspired and learn (where else could you get a whole day of classes for £24) it's a fantastic opportunity.
If you are a first timer or really want to explore everything though, I'd try and go for two days. (Two-day tickets are cheaper per day price). If not, plan the day and hit your highlights.
Take bags to carry stuff! If you don't want to overspend, take a prelimited debit card or a friend to hold your credit card!!