(Kate Bosworth Attends Blackberry Bold Launch in LA by Adam Orchon/Elevation Photos)
Last night, the Blackberry/RIM crew broke the bank and invited a good list to attend it's launch around its new phone the Blackberry Bold. The day before that it was the Blackberry Storm!
I'm on the fence but am leaning on waiting a few months till the Iphone drops in price and it becomes smaller until you need to buy the Imagnifying glass to dial the numbers it'll be that tiny! ..you laugh now but you just wait.
Meanwhile, back in NYC everyone I know was running around town attending PhotoExpo Plus, Picture house, parties, etc. At the end of the day, if you're a tech/photo geek than you're a kid in a candy store no doubt! As for everyone else, I suppose you take away with it what you want. As I have said before, Industry events are pretty boring but I understand why some companies feel they need to be part of it. Between the news about DDR's demise, Jupiter sinking faster than the Titanic, Corbis giving away less and Photoshelter picking up the scraps it sounded more like a photo industry funeral! On top of that, you have these really boring video interviews being posted on PDN where it seems as if you're friends with the writers you get to speak ad nauseum about something no one really cares about ( Wow! a photo can be FTP'd right to a server instantenously!)
OK maybe I am jaded but really folks in this economy, the state of our industry the world doesn't need anymore pens, glasses, bags or t shirts. What our industry needs is something you can't hold, touch, smell or drink. What it needs is a serious correction where good photographs command market rate prices! Where things like premium subscriptions command premium prices! Start up agencies don't give away the farm and realize that when you actually lower your pricing it isn't hurting the 800 lb gorilla in the room it's hurting those around it trying to take parts of it down. What it needs is leadership from voices outside the big three. Yes, my company is entertainment focused but the fundamentals of the business are no different than that of the larger companies in the industry. 2009 will be a transitional year for our industry. For better of for worse I can't say but prepare yourself for a wild ride that hopefully puts us back on the right track!....
