Turning Back the Clock to 2009 in Photography

by Skip Cohen

It's Throwback Thursday, and here's a set from October 2009 and a perfect example of one of the things I miss the most. The location is NYC. It's the PhotoEast show, then still very much alive and considered one of the best events in photography.

I had resigned from Rangefinder Publishing and WPPI six months earlier and was living in Akron, Ohio. We had one Skip's Summer School session under our belts, and I wanted to network and catch up with friends at PhotoEast.

While catching up to everybody was great - the real kick was being at a convention with absolutely nothing I had to do. That gave Sheila and I a chance just to be tourists. From a carriage ride through Central Park to hanging out and people-watching in Grand Central Station to visiting the top of the Empire State Building - we did what tourists do - checked out NYC. We hit Broadway and scored first-row balcony for Phantom - remember, it was a recession, and people were starting to cut back on spending. 

Last but not least - we caught up with great friends. We got out for sushi one night with good buddy Tony Corbell and caught up to Matthew Jordan Smith and Nick Vedros, who were both speaking that year. Even time for a super-hero pose with Vedros!

IUSA and WPPI were great shows this year, with solid attendance and people who were simply excited to be out. Looking ahead, shows like that are one of the things so many of us have missed the most. The bottom line is that it's time to return to making memories in photography!

​Happy Throwback Thursday!