PMA 08; Studio Accessories And Novelty Sales Items

Go into any large or small photo studios and you'll find lots of items aside from cameras, lenses, and lights that add to image creativity. This might include backgrounds or props to set a particular scene or mood for the picture, often used to customize the image to the client or setting. This report also includes photo novelty items, such as photo jewelry and even bobble head picture sculptures, all of which offer photographers the chance to offer more items of interest to their clients. We end up with some do-it-yourself mounting and binding products we saw at the show.

Backgrounds And Props
Backdrop Outlet has a new Faux Tex weathered wood, brick, and cobblestone material that can be used either as a background or flooring. It's offered in 8x10 ft for $469.

Backdrop Outlet, Faux Tex

Backgrounds by Maheu was displaying their new two-ended designs of 10x20 ft and 12x20 ft muslin cloth backgrounds. Each of the more than 20 different designs can be flipped to achieve a different background pattern. Included are abstract patterns and red wave.

Denny Design-A-Set, barn

Denny Manufacturing now offers a new lightweight, colorfast "Freedom Cloth" background that accepts any of the hundreds of Denny stock designs and/or patterns, including abstracts. Design-A-Set Skins is a new line of stiffer FlexTex backgrounds that are available in 30 different designs and colors. Among the realistic texture offerings are barnwood, brick, cinder block, cobblestone, pebble, rock, and stucco.

Savage Universal announced a new line of hand-painted durable, seamless, heavy-duty canvas backgrounds. Seven color variations are offered plus Infinity Portrait White in these rip-, tear-, and moisture-resistant backgrounds. They are suitable for portrait and commercial subjects. They each have a 3" rod panel at the top so they can be used with any background system. The sizes are 9x10 ft and 9x20 ft.

Denny Novelty Tile mosaic

Photo Gifts And Novelties
ArtFX Productions offers Photo Tile renditions of any digital image. The photo is transferred onto premium ceramic tiles. A double outer coating imparts a gloss finish that's very durable. You can even imprint your own words. Many sizes are available from 2x2" up to 8x10" plus 6" oval. They also have wooden stands for displaying the tiles.

Denny Novelty showed a new line of tile photo mosaics consisting of six, nine, or 12 tiles created from just one photo that can be mounted into a choice of frames. Also new are purses with photos in four styles and sizes. What's unique is that the portrait is on a removable flap held by touch fasteners so it can be removed and changed without disposing of the entire purse.

3D Clone Bobble Head

The 3D Clone Bobble Head booth (Headbobble.com) attracted a lot of attention with their collection of realistic photo head sculptures attached to a broad variety of body styles. You simply send them a front and profile view of a person's head and they create a realistic 3D sculpture of that head, which is then attached to one of nearly 300 different stock bodies and poses you choose from. The head looks like the person and bounces about as a bobble head. This can be done online, costs $89, and takes 4-6 weeks. They also have a variety of crystal blocks into which they can engrave one photo for $60-$90.

3D Laser Tek Industries

3D Laser Tek Industries showed very interesting framed images that have a 3D effect due to the laser engraving printing method. They can make prints from 5x7" up to 22x28" and they return them framed and ready to hang for $49 up to $399. The final prints are sepia toned from color originals and do have a surprising amount of visual depth to them.

Memory Maker announced they are now affiliated with a kiosk manufacturer so customers can simply input their digital photo, scale it, and make templates to fit into any of their extensive line of photo jewelry. Some of their newer offerings include Guardian Angel bracelets and charms that hold one to three miniature photos. A simple photo band stretch bracelet holds just one photo.

My-PhotoArt digitally transforms your photo onto museum-quality canvas using archival inks, which they say won't scratch or fade in a lifetime. New are 100 percent cotton tapestry throws with a fringe measuring 50x60" priced under $120. Two totes and a 17" pillow, plus a 27x60" wall hanging runs $140 and a 16x20" canvas costs $100. Frame options are available.

Portrait Quilts

Portrait Quilts does just what the firm's name implies; they use heat sublimation to imprint digital photo images onto quilts, pillow shams, tote bags, and now pillows, too. The quilts are available in four sizes and six colors and the photos are placed in a patchwork pattern.

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