Member Mixer — NAB, Photo London & Artemis II
Seven of us gathered on Friday night to talk shop — and the conversation went places nobody expected. From NAB announcements to the economics of wedding photography, from Artemis II moon photos to Australian leeches (yes, really), here's what went down.
NAB Show 2026 & GoPro's Big Bet
NAB was in full swing during our mixer, and the GoPro GP3 processor with its larger sensor dominated the conversation. Troy — a longtime GoPro owner — wasn't buying it. “They're trying to compete with what appears to be a DSLR style with a handle… I just don't see the attraction.” The consensus: GoPro makes incredible action cameras, but the software and cloud ecosystem remain frustrating. Troy's GoPro cloud sync rant was a highlight — “I can't even text while it's trying to upload.”
Marc brought the Insta360 perspective, showing off BMW MotorAdd GPS overlays and telemetry features that GoPro hasn't matched. The group agreed: the action camera space is innovating, but GoPro's software needs to catch up with its hardware ambitions.
The Economics of Wedding Photography
Troy Miller opened up about 25 years in the wedding business — and the conversation became one of the most honest discussions about pricing, class, and creative identity we've ever had on a mixer. At his peak: 40–45 weddings a year, $3,500–$4,500 per booking with $2,500–$3,500 in reorders. Serious numbers.
But the real story was about the ceiling. Why not double prices and shoot for wealthy clients? Troy's answer was raw: “I would have to wear Versace, change the clothes I wore… I am not that sophisticated.” Dennis backed it up with stories about his sister, a Hallmark movie producer who had to maintain a late-model Mercedes just so clients wouldn't judge her at meetings.
The group explored the tension between pricing for your demographic versus pricing for aspiration — and Frederick's ocean depth metaphor landed: “At certain depths, there's certain kinds of creatures that can survive, and they don't really go between the depths.” Your worldview is shaped by the thin layer you occupy.
Troy's most striking admission: he hasn't raised prices in 25 years. “The working folk can only tolerate so much.” Frederick pointed out the painful math — that's 25 years of self-imposed pay cuts as inflation moves in the other direction.
Artemis II & The Earthset Photo
The Artemis II crew's moon flyby photos — shot on a Nikon D5 with a 400mm lens — sparked a conversation about gear versus preparation. A NASA reference link to their 3D resources made the rounds. The crew received professional photography training before the mission, reinforcing a theme the group returns to often: preparation beats improvisation, and the camera matters less than the person behind it.
NASA Artemis II Photos · NASA 3D Resources
The Audiophile Rabbit Hole
Phil brought up his stereo hobby and the Expona hi-fi show in Chicago — a $2.1 million system where the rack alone cost $250,000 and the interconnects were $371,000. The speakers? “Only $450K.” Troy shared stories of Stephen Sharf's obsessive audiophile setup with $800 carbon fiber cable elevators.
This became a broader conversation about perception versus reality — in audio, in photography, in business. Frederick drew the parallel: “We all see colors differently because we all have different sets of rods and cones… the same thing goes for hearing.” Dennis shared his early career wisdom from working at a stereo chain: “I realized I could really get into this. I would never be happy, and I would never have money.”
Photography vs. Painting: The Eternal Art World Feud
Phil attended the San Francisco Art Fair — 90% painting, 9% sculpture, barely any photography. Troy shared the story of Peter being voted out of the Laguna Art Festival after painters protested that photographers could sell multiples of one image while they could only sell one painting. Peter's response: “I need to sell 10 of these at $750 to equal one painting, and you guys are upset?”
The conversation evolved into whether AI tools face the same gatekeeping — Troy saw the parallel clearly: “That's happening with AI. The same thing happened from painters that talked about photographers.” Dennis shared a story of a sculptor dismissing digital cameras and AI alike, with Frederick's response: “Welcome to the planet. If cavemen had better tools, they would have made better art.”
3D Printer Gun Legislation & Other Rabbit Holes
California's proposed 3D printer legislation got the group fired up. The bill would require certification software to scan print files for potential weapons — what Marc immediately called “Minority Report, pre-crime division.” Troy's take: “Regulation by people who are just idiots. They don't understand how this stuff works.” The group pointed out the irony: every software protection in history has been cracked within days.
The Print Question
Frederick brought up a reality TV quote: “No one under 30 has anything printed or framed anymore.” Troy confirmed this is killing his business model — his profit center has always been wall collages, reprints, and books, not the shooting fee. Phil made the sharp observation that it's partly about space — young couples are less likely to have their own homes now than a decade ago.
Then Troy turned the tables on Frederick: “What would make somebody do a family session and NOT print those photos?” Frederick's honest answer: “Procrastination.” A live print ordering session may have been spontaneously scheduled.
Bonus: Marc's Australian Leech
Mid-conversation, Marc Charette discovered an actual leech on himself from cutting trees in his Australian backyard. He showed it on camera — it was fast, aggressive, and thoroughly derailed the conversation. Frederick's advice: “Burn it now, man!” Phil's prediction: “While he's getting rid of the leech, a snake will crawl in through the door.” Australia, everybody.
Links Shared
- Spectre Camera — shared by Troy Miller
- NASA 3D Resources
- NAB Show 2026
- Artemis II Moon Photos
Who Was There
Frederick Van (host), Troy Miller, Dennis Dunbar, Phil Lewenthal, Marc Charette, Jim, Jack Hubbs