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Press Release

TAMRON ANNOUNCES 2009 LEARNING CENTER ROAD SERIES:
HOW-TO PHOTOGRAPHY SEMINARS AND PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Top Pro Shooters and Tamron Technical Team Teach at Over 50 Locations Nationwide

March 1, 2009, Commack, NY - Tamron announced an extended tour for 2009 and takes its popular website learning center on the road to more than 50 cities across the U.S. Co-sponsored by Bogen Imaging and Expoimaging, and hosted by local photo specialty retailers, the series for 2009 includes the choice of 3-hour how-to sessions and Tamron’s popular hands-on, in-the-field photo workshops. The 2009 events are led by esteemed professional photographers like Don Gale, Terry Livingstone, Dave Maynard, Jim Shadle, Roy Toft, Les Voorhis, Ed Heaton and Tamron’s technical team of photographers, all of whom are regular contributors to Tamron’s Online Learning Center that is chock-full of expert advice for taking better pictures of all types of subject matter. All of them have long track records not only as seasoned and successful pros, but also as great teachers.

New For 2009

In order for more enthusiasts to attend Tamron’s instructional events, Tamron added two new tiers of classes aimed at helping enthusiasts learn more about creating better images, without the higher cost and time commitment of the traditional Tamron Photo Workshop. The Road Series now features a 3-hour course taught by professional photographers for just $59 as well as a 3-hour course taught by Tamron’s technical team pf photographers for $29. Attendees of either of class type will receive a great welcome bag, exclusive offers from Tamron and sponsors, and snacks and refreshments are always served.

“With so many people investing in DSLR equipment and sophisticated lenses, we wanted to expand our offerings to meet the educational demand of today’s customers,” stated Stacie Errera, Chief Marketing Officer of Tamron USA, Inc., “Our series, now in its 6th year, has been well-attended and consistently scores high marks by attendees for content, structure and experience. We hope the addition of the new seminar-style format will allow many more people to attend and learn countless tips from these inspiring professionals.”

Tried and True

Each 1-1/2 day weekend event, which is limited to 30 participants, includes a Friday evening seminar and a full day Saturday in-the-field photo workshop, and admission fees and transportation where applicable. In addition, you’ll have access to loaner lenses, white balance filters and tripods to enhance your picture-taking experience, and every attendee receives exclusive bonus rebates on equipment plus a $20 Gift Card for use at the hosting dealer’s store. The modest $179 per person cost includes food and other surprise giveaways in your welcome bag.

Thoughts from One Instructor

To give you a clear picture of the kind of dedicated and committed photographers who lead the Tamron Learning Center Road Series and how they see their role as photographers and teachers, we interviewed Don Gale, a long-time instructor at the Tamron instructional events:

“On the commercial side, I run Gale Studio of L.A. I guess you could say I’m a Jack-of-all-trades, shooting weddings, portraits, and product illustrations. When I put on my workshop instructor hat I turn to my more creative side, where I specialize in nature and landscapes. I’ve been a pro since 1969 and a member of the WPPI, the wedding photographer’s organization, since 1974. However, I now spend most of my time flying around the country doing my own workshops, workshops for Tamron and conducting seminars for major photo retailers. Frankly, it’s a lot of fun taking a group of real photo enthusiasts on an all-day location shoot at a botanical garden or wildlife sanctuary, and everyone, including me, learns a lot in the process.

“The things I like most about being involved with the Tamron workshops are the feedback and the enthusiasm. I love what I’m doing because I’m working with people who are all here for one basic reason—a love of photography—so they’re bound to have a good time. In my workshops I strive to develop people’s ability to judge the light and compose pictures on the fly. I cover the fundamentals like f/stops, shutter speeds, and white balance, but the real joy is in opening peoples’ eyes and getting good feedback. I even showed one group how to get great winter pictures in Yosemite in overcast light when there was no snow cover.  Macro photography is another passion of mine, and I’m a big fan of the Tamron macro lenses—and also showing my students how to get the most out of them.”

Sign-Up Is Easy

Space is strictly limited to 30 attendees at 1-1/2 Day Events, and while maximum capacity will vary depending on dealer venue, early sign up is encouraged for all of the events. Sign-up is easy—simply visit www.tamron-usa.com to register. The most current list of dates and instructors for each location, as well as details for the individual seminar and workshop can be found by clicking on “events, contests and workshops” in the navigation bar. Below is the list of events as known at press time:

Tamron is a leading manufacturer of lenses and optical components for photographic, industrial, laboratory, video, digital and scientific applications.

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3/09