Hyderabad : The three-day Photo and Broadcast Film Expo being held at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad showcasing products and services related to photography and videography industry concluded on Sunday evening.  The 11th Edition of saw a record turnout of over 45,000 visitors from across the state during the last two days. Even the exhibitor too made a brisk business. According to the organizers who have come to an estimation that well over Rs 5 crore worth firm orders said to have been booked.

It is hard to get confirmation from each and every exhibitor because no one divulges those details.  But, a stall Monotech even put up a board that Canon Inkjet Printers sold to Zoom Digital, Vizag.

Xerox India has used this Photo Expo as an opportunity to launch The Xerox Colour J75 Press, a new product informed Mr. K. Jagan Mohan, Business Manager-Graphic Arts. Giving details about the same, he said Xerox Colour 775, highly useful for photo labs, said it produces high-value jobs, like photo albums and photo books and other complex jobs. All these come at faster turnaround times. Costing well over Rs 42 lakhs, we already have one installation working successfully in Ananthapur, he informed. This product was launched in Delhi in February, now in Hyderabad.

Koidak too used an opportunity to launch Wedding Print Services called Kodak Collections- a range of stylish wedding albums and personalised products. This was launched in Mumbai earlier, but, in Andhra Pradesh it was launched in the expo informed Mr.  Pattath Praveen, Product Manager-Kodak Collections, Consumer Photo Services—India Cluster.  Giving details he said we have realized that there is no retail store exclusively catering to professional photographers and their needs.  Every day hundrs and thousand of wedding albums are made in India and 30% of them are made by professional agencies  like us and balance 70% are made by unorganized sector.  So we launched this service. It is a retail store that will provide imaging services such as wedding cards, bags, gift bags, Album design and printing for professional photographers. The albums and other personalised print products are available in 39 themes across Traditional, Modern, Classic and International categories.  With a wide range of themes, the Collections help couples narrate the story of their wedding in a personalised way.  Photos can be sent in J-Peg File or upload on its website: www.weddingcollections.kodak.com. They will print the album, courier you.  The price range varies from Rs 3500/- to 6500/- depending on design, paper, size and cover etc

They have also another program called Wonder Years Program, where a four page brochure is developed for each school student with school, peers, teachers photographers together, which they can preserve for life time.  Kodak also provides now Studio Rental fro “Instant Print at Weddings” solution, Phot-Scanning and Restoration.  We will soon launch a service to cater to photo merchandise such as mugs, T-shirts, Calenders etc he informed.  Those who wants to use Album Making service locally can contact Kodak on phone: 9963628880

On display at the exhibition were wide variety of albums. It looks like there is a sweeping changes happening in Album Making. They have become now light weight, tear proof, water proof.  The New dimension added now is touch and feel the jewellery, clothes, garlands of the photographs in the album.  You can even touch and feel the food items in the photographs of the food  served during the wedding.

 One step further making wedding menories last for ever, the industry has also come out with unique magazines by giving newly weds a reason to cherish their special moments with a wide range of digital printing solutions.  Now a specialized magazines are produced for marriages, receptions, engagements.  You need not describe about your wedding. Just give a magazine, those who missed the event will know everything by going through it.  It doesn’t even cost bomb.  Just for Rs 900/- you can have a book of 70 pages, A4 Size, with 200 pics.  But, you have to provide the design.  If they have to do a design, you have to additionally pay Rs 25/- extra per each page.

Now marriages can be broadcast, webcast over the internet to your friends and relatives live just for Rs 5000/- to 8000/-. Let your good times be special, informs a representative of Apex Pro Albums.

Addressing a training session to Videographer Mr. Viren Satra, CMD of Monarch Innovative Technologies, a Mumbai based IT Solutions provider serving and Broadcast, Video & Imaging Industry said Consumer video camera market diminishing, Professional video camera market flourishing.  With social media all around, Youtube and social videos are aiding the development of video market in India. Youtube created more awareness for value of the video. Video remains in the mind forever, said Mr. Viren Satra addressing a seminar ‘Video Industry – where is it heading’ held at the ongoing ‘Photo Expo’ and ‘Broadcast & Film Expo’ being held at the Ramoji Film City.

Speaking about videography in India he said that the consumer is not tech savvy. India is always lagging behind and late in adopting latest technology. The young know a little of technology now, he said. The biggest challenge in India is that the videographer is not educated but is moving to HD video (High-definition video). He is not aware of what is HD! HD revolution is yet to take off in this country. But already people are buying HD cameras. Some are buying to show who he is… others are buying what they see on TV. Some more are buying what their neighbours are buying. That is not the way it should be, he said.

Stating further he added that India has about 5 lakh videographers who are engaged in wedding market. This doesn’t include professional, educational, cable & broadcast industry. 60% of these videographers are amateur. They need to be trained through workshops, Mr. Viren said.