Photos: Preparing for Macworld 2009

On the first official day of Macworld 2009, the hall at Moscone North in San Francisco was relatively quiet. Attendees were registering and picking up badges in preparation for Tuesday morning's keynote by Apple's senior vice president of worldwide marketing, Phil Schiller.

Workers hang the final artwork in the concourse hallway and put the finishing touches on the juried art exhibit as Macworld 2009 prepares to get under way.

Ciro Marchetti's piece "Legacy of the Divine Tarot" was created entirely with Photoshop and without the use of any photographs or scans.

Now in its 25th year in San Francisco, the expo gives Mac users a chance to get hands-on experience learning about some of the digital media products and innovations to hit the market in 2009.

"Building the Future," a piece of digital artwork by Niels Maclellan from Glendale, Ariz., was created with Poser Pro, Vue 6 Pro Studio, and Photoshop.

Still off-limits to attendees on Monday, only exhibitors are allowed onto the showroom floor of Moscone Center's North Hall until Tuesday morning.

Chet Phillips from Dallas, Texas, used Painter to created "The Refined Henchman."

Lining the concourse hallway on the lower level between the North and South Halls is Macworld's own Museum of Modern Digital Art, featuring pieces showcasing Mac-generated art.

David Ho, from Fremont, Calif., used Photoshop and Poser to draw "Girl and Goldfish."

"Whistling Trixi" by Suzanne Staud, of Staudesign in Modesto, Calif., was created with Illustrator.

Apple's announcement in December that it would not participate in the Macworld Expo after this year has many industry-watchers questioning whether the show has much of a future. But show sponsor IDG World Expo proves it intends to continue on with the show, with or without Apple. Even before Macworld 2009 begins, banners prominently hanging throughout the convention center bill the 2010 event as "The start of a new era."

"Sunday in the Park," by Susan Straub-Martin of Bellevue, Wash., used Painter, Illustrator, and Photoshop as her tools.

Although a little drizzle was falling on downtown San Francisco Monday morning, Tuesday will surely kick off an inspiring week in the wide world of Mac.