Exposure Photo & Video Imaging Expo

Exposure has something for the photographer in everyone! Listed below are some of the presenters that will be featured at our Spring 2012 Expo:

Jerry Ghionis, presented by

Westcott Presents an Icon of Contemporary Photography

American Photo magazine considers him one of the top ten Wedding Photographers in the world, he's been voted Wedding Photojournalist and Fashion Photographer of the Year by the prestigious SWPP society, and won the Diamond level Photographer of the Year Award from PPA. Exposure 2012 is honoured to welcome the designer of Westcott's new ICE Light™ and undisputed leader of a new generation of photographers, "Icon of Imaging" Jerry Ghionis. Considered the 'MacGyver' of photography for his ability to transform the ordinary into spectacular and extraordinary imagery, Jerry brings his talent both as a groundbreaking photographer and highly motivational public speaker to the Exposure stage for the first Keynote of the season. We anticipate this multi award-winning creative talent to transform the Exposure stage into a creative hothouse, and we are most indebted to Westcott for their wisdom and insight in presenting such an extraordinary artist to our audience.

Zach and Jody Gray, presented by

The Mastery of Creative On-location Lighting

As featured in Professional Photographer and in diverse publications ranging from People to Southern Bride magazine, Zach and Jody Gray are not only true masters of creative on-location lighting solutions, they are also one of the greatest husband and wife photographic 'dream teams' working in the industry today. Thankfully, these SanDisk and Westcott Top Endorsed Pros' creative endeavours extend beyond the lens to the stage, and Exposure is excited to feature their dynamic mix of technical achievement and business savvy at this Spring's venue. Join Zach and Jody as they present 'Killer On-Location Lighting', a highly creative and unique Keynote that teaches you how to maximize the use of available light and master some essential lighting techniques. Once you see Zach and Jody live you'll know why they present some the most desirable photographic seminars in the world today.

Alex Buono, presented by

Explorer of Light

You would think that an Oscar Nominee, award-winning cinematographer, member of the Writer's Guild of America, and Director of Photography for Saturday Night Live would be resting on his creative laurels by now, but rest has never been an option for Alex Buono. Having been on the camera crew for Hollywood blockbusters such as Twister, Conspiracy Theory, and Armageddon, learning techniques alongside some of the world's top cinematographers, Alex soon branched out to writing, producing, and shooting with his own documentarian interests in mind. Aside from his critically acclaimed documentaries, this game-changing filmmaker is now one of the world's leaders in HDSLR video work, pursuing the latest advancements in the field with the eagerness of a student and the mastery of a professional. Join us in welcoming this rare creative talent to the Exposure stage and witness this impassioned user of Canon's finest HDSLR gear share his methods, insights, and trade secrets.

Kristian Bogner, presented by

Nikon Ambassador and Artist

We are excited to announce that world-class professional photographer, teacher, and Nikon ambassador, Kristian Bogner will be bringing his passion, intelligence, and wisdom to the Exposure stage for our first show of 2012. His dedication to the craft of photography over the years has solidified his ambition to "capture the amazing beauty of this world and positively influence others with his images and teachings through a passion for photography". His illustrative style is bold and colourful, yet translates a sensitivity to the subject that only Bogner could convey. In his recent photographic expedition to India he captured amazing images of monks, nomads, mountain scapes, and palaces; artistic images that will undoubtedly grace the walls of his dedicated followers. Join us in celebrating this multi award-winning photographer's work and prepare yourself to be inspired.

Candace Corey, presented by

The Invisible Art Brought To Light

"This is the job of my dreams. I hope I never wake up from it!" Candace proclaims. This statement exemplifies the dedication and pure love of the craft that she exhibits in her extraordinary work as a makeup artist. Hers is a craft that few have mastered, but Candace's unique talent is made evident in her work for Rolling Stone, Oprah Magazine, Beauty News, and other industry-leading publications. After 22 years of being a leader in her field, Candace has never wavered in her desire and zeal for the creative outlet that makeup artistry has provided. In the current climate of over used photographic post processing techniques, Exposure anticipates Candace's insight into the current era of digital imaging and how her talent (and others like her) can minimize the artificial look of some imaging tools. The movies have always relied on the talent and wizardry of the makeup artist to bring the human face to life on film, this is a special talent that is often overlooked because it looks so natural. Candace will be presenting on the Westcott Event Stage, see you there!

Nick Didlick, presented by

Watching the Trends

Looking at a photographic masterpiece as a student, Nick asked himself "How did they do that?" The question that launched Nick Didlick's photographic career 36 years ago still motivates him today, however Nick is now the one providing the answers. An accomplished Editorial and Commercial Photographer who's been twice-nominated for a Pulitzer by Reuters News, Nick still finds time to share his ever-expanding knowledge base with those who look up to him as he did to others when he started out. Always at the forefront of today's rapidly-shifting digital technology, Nick firmly believes that if you don't adapt quickly to new imaging trends you may be passing by a fantastic opportunity to grow both your photographic skills and your business. Nick's curiosity and zest for all things creative is what makes him such a gifted photographer and knowledgeable speaker and his willingness to share his know-how is why we are so honoured to have Nick at this year's show.

Roel Dixon-Mahatoo, presented by

Finding your Range - The Art of Travel

From high fashion to classical portraiture, fine art to photojournalism, photographer Roel Dixon-Mahatoo has tackled and ultimately mastered the genre. Once a successful systems engineer who gave up his vocation to follow a lifelong passion of being a professional travel photographer, he now puts his extraordinary talent to use to create magnificent images that challenge and transport the viewer to other worlds that actually exist right here on our Earth. Dixon-Mahatoo shares these explorations of new vistas through the lens of a rangefinder-style camera. Experience his journeys through photos from Canada to China and Antarctica, and learn first-hand the powerful new tool known as 'compact system cameras' and how you can achieve the same kind of photographs utilizing these incredible new photographic tools.

Gary Fong

Visionary and Entrepreneur

To call Gary Fong a visionary would be an understatement. Photographer of unique personalities such as Sylvester Stallone, Paul McCartney, and Bruce Lee, Gary Fong went on to revolutionize the wedding photography industry using a technique he called 'story-booking.' No longer would wedding photography be the stagnant, boring pictures of posed couples they've always been, Fong retold the story of that magic day, using only photography as his device. Successful, but never satisfied, Fong sought to revolutionize the photographic equipment industry as well and introduced a flash diffuser system of his own design, quickly becoming the industry standard in portable flash diffusion. Now with the success of his memoirs 'The Accidental Millionaire' Gary Fong brings his wisdom, humour, and teachings to the Exposure stage in hopes that you will take away some inspiration and courage to push your ideas further than ever before.

Larry Frank, presented by

Forever a student

Photographer, traveller, writer, presenter, Photoshop instructor, digital retouch artist, and most importantly, forever a student. Larry Frank believes that once you lose your desire to learn, you become less of a teacher in the process. "The world of photography as we knew it, no longer exists" exclaims Larry. He who understands that new methods and photographic tools have forever changed the landscape of imaging, and if you don't adapt, your art suffers. Over 24 years with Nikon Canada as head of their Professional Division, he has advised and consulted with photographers ranging from forensic to fashion, managed Nikon's Olympic Games projects, pioneered the Nikon School of Photography and has presented this one-day photo seminar to over 130,000 professionals and photo enthusiasts across Canada. Listen to Larry share his dreams, knowledge and passion on the Exposure stage and experience what can only be described as a magical journey.

Richard Lautens, presented by

Getting personal

Exceptionally creative talent is only half the story for Toronto Star's extraordinary photojournalist Richard Lautens. His is an art that requires him to constantly be alert and to maintain focus while the world around him is in disarray. For Richard, the success of a story relies just as heavily on his photographic talent as his innate ability to filter out noise and isolate his subject so that it is conveyed with maximum clarity and vision. As a student of the art that followed his dream of becoming a professional photographer, Richard states of his passion for journalism: "it's amazing how may surgeons, lawyers, leaders of industry can't wait to retire so they can take pictures and we get to do it and get paid." As opposed to the "Big Story", Richard prefers personal stories that touch the heart and trigger the emotions. His job is to peer through the looking glass of his camera lens and translate the trials and tribulations of the human condition into a format that we, the viewer, can relate to and sympathize with. Exposure welcomes this visionary journalist, and we proudly invite you to join us and listen to Richard share his biggest story-his life as a photojournalist.

Rick Madonik, presented by

Photography of War

"It was the moment of the Olympics for me and I will hold it dear for years to come," said Madonik of the incredible instant, captured in glorious detail, of Sidney Crosby's Gold metal winning shot at the 2010 Winter Olympics. His amazing image of that moment honoured Rick Madonik with the 2010 George Gross Award for Outstanding Sports Photography and his achievement led to unexpected personal recognition from his peers and fans. His sharp eye has provided stirring images from such assignments as the famine in Africa (Ethiopia) 2000, the war in Afghanistan (2006, two separate trips), the Israel-Lebanon War (2006), the Virginia Tech shootings (2007), the inauguration of Barack Obama (2008), as well as numerous National and Provincial election campaigns. For his talk at Exposure, Rick will concentrate on the photography of War and will be discussing the uniquely difficult challenges involved in capturing photos of conflict. Join Rick Madonik as he shares the personal techniques and photographic tips he has customized to solve the problems and challenges of a war photographer.

Erin Manning, presented by

Professional Photographer & Educator

Check out a short clip from her digital photography show "The Whole Picture."

A professional photographer, author, educator, and media personality, Erin Manning is what every student of the photographic art aspires to be; talented and successful. As Author of 'Portrait and Candid Photography', and 'Make Money With Your Digital Photography', Erin understands that photography can encompass both art and commerce. Highly engaged and passionate about 'all things photography,' Erin's friendly teaching style helps people comprehend the techniques of photography in a way that is advanced, yet easy to grasp. With her own branded Westcott lighting kit, and as the host of 'The Whole Picture' on DIY Network's Telly Award-winning TV series, Erin is no stranger to an eager audience with a passion for photography. That is why we are delighted to announce Erin will be joining this year's exciting roster of speakers at Exposure for her presentation on the Westcott Event Stage.

Sam Mehta, presented by

A World Adventurer Talks Shop

Exposure is proud to present the powerful imagery of an adventurist, a truly passionate photographer and life-long lover of travel. Sam Mehta has travelled the world to touristy as well as exotic destinations, but his eye remains focused on capturing the magical details of unfamiliar territory and making it his own. A strong character with a delicate eye, Sam has completed the Everest Base Camp trek in Nepal in 2010 and trekked other regions in the Himalayas (Bhutan, Sikkim, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh) in 2011. Sam is scheduled to tour the remaining Himalayan regions (Tibet, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand) in 2012, completing his three-year plan to capture images of Himalayan people and places. An ardent user of Canon DSLR gear, Sam will discuss his approach to photography, his choice of travel gear, what he packs, and what equipment he uses when hiking in remote locations. Bring your backpack! Sam's presentation will have you travelling to the ends of the Earth and back.

Amina Moreau, cofounder of

Cinematographer Extraordinaire

It is with great pleasure that we welcome to our Exposure stage the groundbreaking video work of Toronto's own stillmotion. Consisting of pioneering collective of creative talents, stillmotion, are considered industry-leading masters of handheld HDSLR video. These powerful cinematographers are currently based in Toronto and San Francisco and not only shoot events, sports, and commercial work - they always try to blur the boundaries of each genre they tackle. This band of filmmakers and photographers, as a rule, always let their curiosity get the better of them and they love to tell stories big, small, and everything in between. One of their recent accomplishments has pushed this powerful collective into the headlines. The stillmotion team won 3 Emmy Awards at the beginning of May for A Game of Honor, a documentary they shot for CBS and Showtime Sports. Because of this, you can expect Amina's exuberance to be a little amplified (a.k.a. off the charts) during her talk.

Ethan Meleg, presented by

Exploring Canadian Wildlife

Published by National Geographic, Canadian Geographic, Forbes, Ontario Tourism, Lonely Planet, Popular Photography, and humorist for an Outdoor Photography Canada Magazine column, Ethan Meleg is the definitive professional photographer living the dream and doing what he loves. A specialist in photography of the natural world who captures images of birds, wildlife, landscapes, and outdoor recreation in their natural glory, Ethan is the consummate explorer. Driven by a passion for Canadian wildlife, he scours our precious landforms with a camera lens as his only guide and creates images that define who we are as Canadians. Along with the prestige of his published works, Ethan is a popular and accomplished presenter; his talks offer a rare blend of amazing imagery plus entertaining dialogue. Humorous, informative and inspirational, Exposure is proud to include Ethan as a speaker at this year's inaugural show.

Jim Rankin, presented by

Journalism With Vision

With the world now only a click away, the Photojournalist is our 'live-eye' connection to the events that shape our planet. Award-winning Toronto Star Photojournalist Jim Rankin captures the horrific and the beautiful and presents us with his unique vision of the world in a form that is accessible as well as informative. Since 2002 the seven-time National Newspaper Award nominee has incorporated multimedia presentation into his work with several key projects designed as interactive multimedia experiences, breaking the traditional hold of photojournalism as print-media centric. Jim's photography and multimedia endeavours have been recognized by the U.S. National Press Photographers Association, Society for News Design, News Photographers Association of Canada and the U.S. Online Journalism Awards. Exposure is proud and honoured to feature Jim as a speaker and thank him for spending some time away from the field to present his work.

Denis Rule, presented by

Sculpting the Photo With Light

Founder, owner and operator of Ottawa-based commercial studio Denis Rule Photography, Denis Rule's long photographic career as a professional photographer, successful business owner, and creative talent actually started as an underwater technical photographer over 30 years ago. Branching out from the highly specialized vocation of his past, Denis discovered that his creative eye was suited to tackle other subjects as well. Now as a master in portraiture and advertising work, Denis' manipulation of light is a well documented talent and his highly desired photographic technique is the envy of many. Denis will present his creative photographic tool kit at this Spring's Exposure Expo, highlighting his unique technical ability to chisel form with both natural and artificial light and helping to free the subject from mediocre representation by bending the rules of traditional photographic lighting.

Steve Russell, presented by

The Photograph Tells the Story

As four-time Eastern Canadian News Photographers Association Photographer of the Year, twice-honoured National Press Photographer's Association's Photographer of the Year and winner of The National Newspaper Award for Sports Photography, we are excited to welcome Steve Russell to our Exposure 2012 lineup of speakers. With a unique visual sense and exemplary technical skill, Steve's work has graced the pages of The Toronto Star for over a decade. His is a no-holds-barred approach to photography. For Steve, the image has to speak for itself, with the camera only serving to aid, not overwhelm the subject matter of the story. Schooled in traditional technique, but absorbed by the possibilities of new technology, Steve presents fascinating insight into the world of photography's most demanding skill set â€“ that of the photojournalist.

James Schmelzer, presented by

A Technician Talks Art

Being a technical representative for F.J. Westcott Company for over 25 years, James Schmelzer brings his unparalleled skill set as a light modification specialist to the Exposure stage. A true professional in the industry, James has key involvement in the design, testing, and instructional demonstration of new light modifier products for Westcott's impressive array of industry-leading photographic lighting tools. Considered a Master Craftsman photographer, James runs the successful Elite Photographic Studio whose portrait and wedding photography is highly desired. Aside from his work at Westcott and creative endeavours at his studio, James is passionate about offering his knowledge and tricks of the trade via workshops, lighting demonstrations, and instructional video-being the author and creator of the Quality of Light video series. Exposure anticipates James' presentation on the Westcott Event Stage to be one of the highlights of the show.

Sam Sciarrino, presented by

Portrait of an Artist

Best known for his creativity in wedding portrait photography, Sam Sciarrino is an internationally recognized Master Photographer who effortlessly puts his clients at ease as he uniquely captures their finest moments. Incredible skill and keen attention to his clients' individual tastes has resulted in a widespread reputation of providing professional work and exceptional artistic quality. Sam holds his Master Photographer Degrees from both the Canadian and American association of professional photographers. A testament to the level of his professional acumen - Sam has been featured in leading photography magazines and is a respected lecturer for the pro photography circuit worldwide. As founder of Horvath Studio of Photography, masters of wedding and portrait work, Sam brings his exquisite taste and talent to Exposure for an in-depth analysis of his subjects and shooting style.

Michelle Shephard, presented by

The Questions That Need Answering

View Michelle's full interview with George Stroumboulopoulos

Three time recipient of the National Newspaper Award and the Governor General's Michener Award for Public Service Journalism, Michelle started her photojournalism career among the crumbling remains of New York City's World Trade Center on the night of 9/11. Now as the Toronto Star's National Security reporter she scours the streets of Mogadishu, to the mountains of Waziristan as intensely as she does the political power plays of Washington and Ottawa. A journalist who puts the story before the technical mastery of the image, Michelle is first and foremost a student of the world, whose photography seeks to answer questions she has about our place in an environment mediated by injustice and violence. Exposure thanks the Toronto Star for allowing us this opportunity to present Michelle to our audience.

Erik Valind, presented by

Pushing the Boundaries of Light

The creation of compelling commercial work and energetic lifestyle imagery is what drives Top Pro Photographer Erik Valind to push the boundaries of figurative photography day in and day out. Inspired by the form, activity, and diversity of people, Erik uses light to add energy to every image, with the Florida sunlight from his childhood as inspiration. Join us at Exposure as Erik discusses his unique approach to travelling light and using minimal photographic gear to create transformative images that rival studio compositions. Always the showman, Erik is excited to share his tips and tricks in a variety of industry publications and is highly anticipated at this Spring's Exposure show as both a speaker and a fan. Join us in celebrating Erik's talk on the Westcott Event Stage and arrive eager to learn and participate.

More speakers still to come - check back soon!