#TBT - Back to 2009 at Photo Plus Expo NYC

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by Skip Cohen

It's my favorite day of the week, and I'm turning back the clock to a trip to New York for Photo Plus East in 2009. I picked four of my favorites from the stash to make a very specific point - some of the very best memories are made catching up with friends at conventions. Sure, we go for the education and networking, but there's that very special aspect of "fun" that jumps in and never fades in the years following.

Remember "fun?" It's a special word that these days is lost in the challenges of business, the economy, and sadly, politics and the news. But even on the most stressful days, looking back at old photographs brings some great backstories bubbling to the surface and out from under the "baggage" that wears us down.

What made this show so special for me that trip was that it was the first time I went to a convention with NOTHING to do except enjoy the show and catch up to friends. It was just after leaving Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI. I wasn't speaking or teaching, had no booth assignment, and it was Sheila's first "real" trip to NYC.

Sheila and I had moved in together in May of 2009, and PPE was in October. The day started with catching up to Tony Corbell and Nick Vedros, and enough time for a fast super-hero pose, perfected by Vedros himself. Then we caught good buddy Matthew Jordan Smith on the convention floor and finished one of the days with Tony for sushi and a walk through Times Square.

If you haven't gone off on the hunt for throwback photographs, grab a coffee and take a few minutes. Old photographs remind us of great friendships, the important role photography plays in everyone's life, and backstories that just make us smile!

Happy Throwback Thursday!