Barcelona becomes the capital of photography with the Photo Forum Fest

With a mobile phone in your pocket, photography is more accessible than ever. To get a quality snapshot, it seems that it is no longer necessary to invest in large devices, but it is as easy as taking out your phone and pressing the button, with devices that increasingly include more functions to resemble a professional camera. In this moment of boom in the sector, also influenced by social networks where content creators proliferate, Barcelona will be the setting for the Photo Forum Fest, one of the reference congresses in the field of photography and videography in Europe, which every year brings together thousands of professionals and amateurs from the sector at Fira de Barcelona.

During the three days, you can attend three congresses ---Bodaf Europe, Family Time and Life--- that address the different aspects of photography, such as family portraits or photojournalism. In addition, more than thirty conferences by camera professionals from countries such as Portugal, Switzerland, Canada or England will also be organized.

The Photo Forum Fest trade fair, with free access, will occupy 3,000 square meters where the great novelties of major brands such as Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, Canon, Olympus or DJI will be presented with demonstrations of the latest products available on the market, as well as learning the development techniques of the best photographic laboratories in Europe. In this space, you can also attend about forty free workshops to learn new techniques for capturing good snapshots, learn about the basic materials for content creation, improve video editing or learn about the experience of professionals such as sports, gastronomic or travel photographers.

More than thirty conferences with Emilio Morenatti or Marco Grob as main protagonists

In addition to the trade fair, within the framework of the Photo Forum Fest, the Bodaf Europe congresses (March 26 and 27) will be organized, which reaches its 13th edition focused on social and wedding photography and within the framework of which the Bodaf Europe Awards will be presented; Family Time (March 27 and 28), which revolves around family and children's photography; and Life (March 28), where photojournalism and nature, travel and adventure photography take center stage.

Attendees of the Life congress will be able to follow conferences by award-winning and renowned photographers such as Emilio Morenatti or Marco Grob. Morenatti, based in Barcelona, is the head of photography for the Associated Press agency and has been doubly awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his snapshots portraying the effects of the COVID pandemic in Catalan hospitals and residences, as well as for his coverage of the war in Ukraine.

For his part, Marco Grob has photographed Hollywood personalities such as Robert de Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, or Julia Roberts, but also presidents like the American Donald Trump. Grob has also won an Emmy Award for his series Beyond 9/11, photographs where he captures the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. Within the framework of this congress, the careers of other prestigious professionals can also be heard, such as the Dutchman Albert Dros, specialized in landscapes; or Mònica Figueras, who dedicates herself to both artistic projects and commercial commissions.

Content creators will also be present, such as Marcos Albera, the most followed Spanish-speaking photography youtuber in the world. Albera currently has more than 4 million followers on social media, where he regularly publishes tutorials, but also videos where he stops strangers on the street for an impromptu photo session. The Life congress will also feature a presentation by PhotoPills co-creator Rafael Pons, an application that allows planning and capturing the best snapshots of the sky, moon, or stars.

Greater female presence

The Photo Forum Fest will also show a greater weight of women photographers both as audience and speakers, which will be especially visible in the Family Time congress, which celebrates its second edition focused on child photography and family portraits. Within the framework of this congress, as well as Bodaf, professionals such as Cristina Robles, Lima Limón, Carolina Peinado, Aina Pons, or Martina Matenci will recount their experience and learnings.