Making it’s triumphant return to Brooklyn Bridge Park is Photoville, and I couldn’t be more excited! I believe this year will be even better than last, so I thought I’d write about the things I am most looking forward to.

The exhibits this year feature work from all over the world, and the breadth of subjects is fantastic. I can’t wait to see Donald Weber‘s Interrogations, Jim Motram‘s Small Town Inertia, Captive from Gaston Lacombe, Disco Night Sept 11 featuring the work of Peter van Agtmael, Don’t Stay Here: DUTCH Photography on the Move, Fruitland curated by Alison Zavos, Fractured: The Shale Play from Nina Berman, Latin American Fotografía y Ilustración Uno, Liberia: Remembering presented by the Chris Hondros Fund, Ocean Beach from Douglas Ljungkvist, Only in Burundi, Rebels curated by Luxlab and Carl Saytor, River Gambia from Jason Florio & Helen Jones-Florio, The Sequel curated by Noordelicht, and from the esteemed NYTimes photographer, Tyler Hicks: One Year.

There are lots of other exhibits that I know will be worth seeing, I just wanted to call out some of the ones I’m most looking forward to seeings. So very much photography is only experienced online these days, that having the opportunity to see it in person is thrilling. Look at all the listings here.

Then are the workshops and  talks that will bring together an extraordinary range of photo professionals to talk about some of the important issues and subjects dear to all of us in the industry. You can find the listings here, but I thought I would feature the ones I’m most looking forward to.

On Friday, September 20 Charlie Grosso will be talking Motivation, Marketing and Moxie. Following her, Marvin Heiferman will talk with Pete Brook about photography’s impact on our lives.

On Saturday, September 21 Anais Lopez will talk about her project Only in Burundi. The Magnum Foundation is presenting a panel that highlights photographers working in communities affected by gun violence. Donald Weber will discuss photographing in Chernobyl, and the men of Daylight will discuss their Fall 2013 books with the artists.

Sunday, September 22 brings us a talk from Fred Ritchin about Bending the Frame (which is another amazing book where he addresses the potentials for how visual media can impact society), a discussion about solitary confinement, the photographer’s perspective of Superstorm Sandy featuring Benjamin Lowy, Wyatt Gallery, Susannah Ray, Douglas Ljungkivt and Kisha Bari.

Mike Hartley of bigflannel will be taking questions about web design. Don’t miss out on a chance to learn all you can about websites by asking one of the best designers in the business (and my web designer)!

Julie Grahame and I will be holding a panel with Michael Sharkey, Manjari Sharma and Isa Leshko to talk about sustaining personal projects. You know you can’t miss that! It is guaranteed to be a very lively discussion.

Thursday, September 26 and Friday, September 27 brings Luminance to Photoville. Presented by PhotoShelter, there will be all kinds of practical information from The Future of Copyright to how to shoot editorial covers, to talks about marketing,  iPhoneography, and photo books. There will even be a Peer Review Happy Hour. So come one, come all!

Saturday, September 28 features talks by Andy Adams and  Naomi Lewkowicz, Photojournalism in Flux with Nina Berman, Meg Handler and Michael Shaw of BagNews, Stephen Mayes, Jamie Wellford and Spencer Platt. Also, a workshop on lighting and camera setups, and even early afternoon workshops for kids and teens to make their own zines. So bring the kids out and let them create!

Sunday, September 29 wraps up Photoville with practical workshops on lighting for fashion, the art of street photography, using pinhole camera and more.

I’ve only mentioned a handful of things, and you can see how broad this year’s Photoville will be, encompassing exhibits, talks, panels, how-tos, and lots more. The best part of all of this is the chance to mingle and meet people you might only know through social media, and see work you’ve only looked at digitally. To add to the social nature of this event are the evening programs: everything from a screening of highlights from Daylight celebrating their 10th anniversary, to projections from FotoVisura, Slideluck NYC XVII, and Institute. I hope to be at all of them. I also can’t wait to see Question Bridge: Black Males, showing Thursday, September 26, where we have a chance to understand the diversity and intimate feelings among arguably the most feared demographic in this country.

If you’re anywhere near New York you need to be here. If you see me walking around, come up and say hello. This is the biggest event of the Fall, and if you’re not there you’ll be sorry.

And don’t miss my panel on Sunday the 22nd. It’s going to be a rockin’ good time!