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Appealing to various levels of photography consumers are the new Earth Explorer PhotoBags from National Geographic and ergonomic offerings from KATA, both from Bogen Imaging; Lowepro's new Rolling CompuTrekker AW and Stealth Reporter AW Digital series for pros; and pyramid pleasers including the Targus protective cases and the Brazillion Dollar Home from Crumpler.

While the scramble for leadership in storage devices, cards, peripherals, etc., is an indication of how fat the demand is at every level of the pyramid, it's also an indication of how saturated the market is. A few companies have found ways to separate themselves from the pack. Lexar, for example, touted doubling of the performance of their 8GB CompactFlash memory cards, along with their ActiveMemory System, to improve professional photography workflow. They also announced their LockTight technology in new formats and new languages, as well as the Lexar Smart Download, which offers ActiveMember functionality for Adobe's Creative Suite.

Delkin jumped in with their addition of Scratch Armor CD's and DVD's to their Archival Gold line, while SanDisk showcased their SD card that when folded over reveals a USB 2.0 connector for data transfer. Even HoodmanUSA showcased their entry into the data storage market with new CF cards.

Innovative products like the Epson Perfection V700 Photo and Epson Perfection V750-M Pro scanners or even the Sony Snaplab Digital Photofinishing System target the three levels of the pyramid, too. Another product that utilizes the pyramid's dimensional faces to their advantage is photo stamps by Stamp.com, as I can use my corporate logo on a postage stamp for mailings while my wife uses photos of the kids for holiday cards.

Chimera showcased their innovative Quick Release Speed Rings for softboxes, a product that acknowledges a pro's need for speed, and is also usable by prosumer photographer groups. American Photographic Resources introduced Photo Studio in-a-Box, a portable studio in two easy sizes, for taking pictures of products to sell on eBay, as well as pro images for catalogs, websites, etc. Metz introduced two new handle-mount flash units: the Mecablitz 76 MZ-5 Digital and 45 CL-4 Digital, for pros looking for high-light output and a unique adapter system.

Various vendors and manufacturers understand pros are part of the general population when it comes to peripheral products like cell phones, PDAs, and MP3 players. It's great that I can attach a Phone Bright X1 cell phone camera light to my cell phone or take my CDs and copy my favorite songs to a Lexar 133X compact flash card with EZPnP's EZDigiMusic MP300, then take that card and insert it in a cell phone, PDA, or MP3 player to listen to my favorite songs.

I now have teenagers living in my home. They see what Dad uses as a pro and follow suit, not knowing they are part of the pyramid when they purchase their Olympus E-330 digital cameras. Automation, convenience, speed, and now digital—they're what the mix wants, and the professional photographer is the photo industry's advocate for that mix.

Rolando Gomez ( www.rolandogomez.com ), a former U.S. Army combat photographer, freelances as a photojournalist and glamour photographer. He's taught 79 consecutive sold-out workshops in the past four years. He teaches at FotoFusion, Palm Beach Photographic Center , and offers workshops at exotic locations.