IStock Dollhouse Party Video

The iStock Dollhouse party was such a fun event that our video team cobbled together a quick edit of all the footage they shot, just to give you an idea of what it was like.

A great big thanks to RC and our awesome video crew… and of course, everyone at iStock for holding such an amazing event for our NAPP members at Photoshop World!

What the heck is a Tweetup?

What the heck is a Tweetup?
A Tweetup is an in-person gathering of people who follow each other on Twitter. The informal part of Photoshop kicked off on Wednesday night with the NAPP forums/Twitter party, at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. Organized by Nancy Masse of NAPP and Kris Siam (@ksaim on Twitter), more than 150 people jammed the bar area to put names to faces, talk Photoshop, and just generally have a good time.

The discussions I was part of ranged from color calibration tools, to how bad the Buffalo Sabers are doing, to the networking benefits of a new iPhone app called BUMP that makes sharing contact information as easy as doing a fist bump. Gotta love technology!

At one point during the evening we were even trying to convince Nancy to get a tattoo of RC’s Twitter avatar (a picture of him when he was very young, with a Photoshop added mustache and goatee). She wasn’t going for it though. (There is a tattoo convention going on at the conference center along with Photoshop World, so the intermingling of the various participants at times is pretty funny.)

Capping off the evening, some of the NAPP personnel dropped in to join the festivities, including appearances by Terry White, RC, Larry Becker, Rod Harlan, Matt Kloskowski and Scott Kelby himself. Rumors abounded that NAPPS video guru Jason Scrivner was even spotted. And I would have to say that Scott Bourne summed it up well when he twittered that the evening felt more like a family reunion, than a conference. Completely agree! Great job Nancy and Kris!
- Ed Pflager is an IT Professional working in Business Intelligence, an MBA student, and an amateur photographer and Photoshop user. You can see more of his ramblings and some of his work at www.edpflager.com

iStock Rocks the Dollhouse

iStockPhoto has really pulled out the stops for Photoshop World by launching the coolest interactive PSW contest EVER!

Here’s the scoop:

The iStock Dollhouse Party Come to the iStock Dollhouse Party! Come to the iStock booth at Photoshop World and collect a card from iStock that has space for 3 stickers (one black, one red & one green). You’ll receive the black sticker in the booth. The other two, you have to find. iStock staff will be wandering around the conference area wearing either a red or green “iStock Dollhouse” sweatshirt. When you find these staff members, ask for the red & green stickers to add to your cards. Once you have all 3 stickers, bring the card back to the iStock booth to exchange for a Munny doll http://www.kidrobot.com/2008/munny/ That’s where your crafting ability comes into play. iStock will have all the art supplies needed to design your dolls. Your dressed doll will be the ticket to our iStock Dollhouse party on October 2 at a SECRET but very cool location…The party’s running from 8-11 pm on Oct. 2. We’ll have fire dancers, a contortionist, a hoop act and an illusionist. Transportation provided. Your Munny doll is your entrance ticket! The decorated Munny dolls will be judged at the party & 3 winners will be chosen. Prizes include a Canon EOS 50D Digital Camera with 17-85mm IS USM Lens.

Shooting in Las Vegas

Not shooting craps, mind you. You can do that most anywhere in Las Vegas. But if you have a few hours free, you might just want to shoot some photographs.

It’s Janine, and I have a few suggestions. But help me out here, guys. If you have a favorite shooting spot, please tell us in the comments.

Let’s start right at the Conference & Expo. Feel free to take a photo of your favorite instructor or fellow students in the classroom (no video of  the entire class, though). Even better, head over to the Tech Expo. All of the instructors hang out here during the day, and they’re glad to stop for a handshake, book signing, or photo. But be understanding if they’re on their way to a class and can’t linger. Also, some of the vendors have lighting and models set up that you can shoot. I hope the trampoline comes back! You may be able to print out a photo at the printer vendors’ booths, it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Just south of the Resort is the famous “Welcome to Las Vegas” sign. It might be fun to get there around sunrise or sunset. A bit north of the Resort, at Tropicana Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard (a.k.a. The Strip) are a collection of hotels and airborne walkways–you should get some interesting shots here, especially at sunrise or sunset. Of course the Strip itself is great for people-watching.

For an old-style Las Vegas experience, check out downtown, especially  Fremont Street. Historic hotels, casinos, and lots of vintage neon. Speaking of neon, there are tours of the Neon Boneyard and all its historic signs, at 10AM and 2PM, Tuesday through Saturday. There are restrictions on what gear you can bring, so read carefully. Reservations are required.

(By the way, I’ve heard Photoshop Extended has the ability to compare a number of photos and eliminate anything that isn’t in all of them. Theoretically, you could take a bunch of shots of the Strip and erase all the people and cars! If anyone does this, let me know and I’ll post it here.)

Further out of town (about 17 miles west) is Red Rock Canyon. This is a beautiful area in the Mojave Desert, with a scenic drive and hiking trails. Inside is Spring Mountain Ranch, a historical site that was a working ranch. At 3,800 feet, it should be 10-15 degrees cooler than Las Vegas.

35 miles away is Hoover Dam. It’s pretty amazing, and there’s some interesting construction going on there right now. There’s an observation deck that will give you panoramic views of the Colorado River and Lake Mead.

Drive 30 minutes to Bonnie Springs Ranch and Old Nevada park. Here’s a taste of the Old West. It’s meant for tourists, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find enough authenticity for some great shots.

At the Nevada/Arizona border is Chloride Mining Camp.  Since 1870, there has been a working mine here. Another classic Old West town.

Some general tips–you’re in the desert here, and it is HOT during the day. So if you get a chance to shoot early or late, take it. Some areas may not permit photography, or certain gear, so if you’re asked to stop, do so and be polite (especially if you’re wearing your Photoshop World badge!). You don’t want to get on the wrong side of casino security.

And these aren’t really great photography spots, but they’re worth a visit in town:

The Liberace Museum isn’t as funky as when it was in a strip mall, but it’s still a hoot. I particularly enjoy the items convicts made and sent to him. If you’re too young to remember Liberace, picture an older classical pianist in sequined hot pants, with a candelabra on the piano. Really. He was kind of Elton John’s uncle with a full head of hair. There’s a gift shop AND a cafe.

And you’ll find me at the Pinball Hall of Fame. Yes, 4,000 pinball machines in one place, and you can play them! Last time I was there, photography was permitted (though the light is lousy). I was too busy playing to shoot.

OK, your turn. Please comment below with your suggestions for great place to shoot in and around Las Vegas. And don’t forget our own Photowalks!

Janine Smith is a writer and photographer in Los Angeles. She is @JanineSmith on Twitter and http://janinesmith.com on the web.

What's Going On at PSW

Hi everyone! I’d like to thank NAPP for giving me this opportunity to be one of the guest
bloggers for Photoshop World Vegas. Hopefully I can share some interesting information for all of you. So let’s get started!

For first time Photoshop World attendees, I have some bad news: You will not be able to attend everything at Photoshop World. Painful to hear I know, but true. The folks at NAPP pack an incredible amount of events into three days, and trying to go to everything just isn’t possible. Sorry. ? (But the good news is that doesn’t mean you can’t do an awful lot!)

The best advice I can give you to have the best time possible is talk to people. Trust me, you’ve got a lot in common with the people at Photoshop World and there are more people attending by themselves than those who came with someone. But if you are open to meeting new folks and trying new things you will have a great time!
Here’s a few tips:

• Sign up for Dinner with a Stranger You can meet a lot of very nice people who are flying solo in Vegas and have a great dinner in the process. Make connections, trade business cards, and keep in contact during the convention and during the year, especially when you need a little creative boost.

• Want to see the Vegas sights but don’t know anyone, don’t no where to go or don’t want to go alone? There are several photowalks going on throughout the conference where you can see the sunset, the casinos and the people. NAPP_NEWS (Nancy) blogged about it previously here.

• Keep your eyes and ears open for added events! If you are on Twitter set up a saved search for #PSW (the conference hashtag) for added events. If you aren’t a regular Tweet, you can still follow what’s going on by going to http://search.twitter.com and entering #PSW in the search field. Just in the past few days on Twitter, David DuChemin and Chris Orwig announced the Neon In Your Neighborhood contest, Deke McClellan posted an invite to be part of the tapings of his Martini Hour podcast , Fotolia announced two new photowalks and Peachpit Books posted a link to their presenters schedule at their tech expo booth.

• Want to have a fun-filled two hours and not learn a thing about Photoshop? Grab a ticket to Midnight Madness! Silliness abounds, and the time flies by! But you have to get up early because there is only 200 tickets given out and once they are gone, they are gone! A word of caution though – avoid volunteering for anything at Midnight Madness until you know what it is they want you to do!

• Lastly, make sure you go to the Tech Expo! I know you are saying “But I lost all my cash at the craps table last night with Matt and Scott.” Doesn’t matter. The tech expo is where you can go to attend bonus classes put on by NAPP and this year B&H Photo. Plus a lot of vendors at the expo have exciting stuff going on as well as opportunities to win fabulous prizes. One vendor last year even set up a trampoline and had models on hand for acrobatic photo shoots. But if you don’t go, you won’t get to see all of that!

So there you have it. All kinds of fun stuff outside of the normal sessions where you can meet new people, have some great photo opportunities, and experience the other side of Photoshop World. Have a good time!

- Ed Pflager is an IT Professional working in Business Intelligence, an MBA student, and an amateur photographer and Photoshop user. You can see more of my ramblings and some of my work at www.edpflager.com

Posted in After hours, Events, Fun, Guest Post

PSW Photowalk Updates

If you’re into Photowalking, there are three awesome Photo Walks being planned for Photoshop World Vegas. Here are the details:

Peachpit’s ‘Neon in your Neighborhood’

Win a chance to go on a special Photowalk on October 2 with a bevvy of Peachpit authors (including our own Matt Kloskowski!) Just upload a photo of some “Neon in your Neighborhood” to the contest Flickr group and you could be whisked away to Vegas’ famous Neon Museum Boneyard for a special photo walk!

Full details here.

Late Night Photowalk in Vegas

Photoshop World Guest Blogger, Ed Pflager will be leading a late-night walk on Friday night. Here’s what he had to say:

Vegas is the city that never sleeps, and we’re going to prove it with a late night Photowalk at Photoshop World in Vegas. We’ll start at the Tram station on the Casino level of the Mandalay Bay, near the House of Blues at 12:15AM right after Midnight Madness on Friday evening/Saturday morning and (hopefully) finishing up back in the lobby around 3AM. Be sure to wear your walking shoes and bring a monopod or tripod if you have one.

We’ll be walking the strip, seeing the some of the most famous casinos in the world and the people out and about in the wee hours. We’ll check out the MGM Grand’s Lion statue, the Paris Casino’s Eiffel Tower and Arch de Triumphe, the Statue of Liberty and Brooklyn Bridge at New York, New York, and the Sphinx at the Luxor and much more.

Background Info:
I led the Toledo, Ohio walk as part of Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk in July and Melanie Alexander who lead the Vegas leg of the WWPW should be joining us as well. If you’re attending PSW and would like to come be a part of the walk, just tweet me on Twitter (@edpflager) or send an email to ‘me[at]edpflager[dot]com’. Updates and more information will be posted on my website.

Photocredit: Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA

Pre-Con Photo Walk

For those of you who will be arriving in Vegas on Pre-con Day (September 30th) but are not scheduled for a Photoshop World Pre-con, Terry Reinert (another Photoshop World Guest Blogger) is holding a Photowalk at 4pm.

This walk will meet in the lobby at Mandalay Bay and it looks like there’s even some prizes involved. All the details to sign up can be found on Terry’s blog.

Photocredit: Las Vegas News Bureau/LVCVA

If you do the Pre-con day photo walk, you should be back in plenty of time to join us for the Photoshop World TweetUp at the House of Blues at 8pm too. =)

See you in Vegas!!

PSW TweetUp FAQ

The votes have been counted and the location chosen. The first ever Photoshop World TweetUp will take place at the SideBar and Grille at the Boston Sheraton Hotel (official PSW host hotel) on Tuesday, March 24th at 9pm. What’s a TweetUp, you ask? Read on!

What’s a TweetUp?

Simply put, a “TweetUp” is just like a MeetUp except it’s organized and broadcast via Twitter for people who use Twitter.

So, why are you announcing it here?

I’ve been fielding so many questions and I know that there are a lot of people who are still new to Twitter, I needed a place to put everything. This seemed like as good a place as any.

What happens at a TweetUp?

Same thing that happens at a MeetUp. Basically, a bunch of Twitter users will get to meet each other IRL (in real life) and put some faces and voices to all those Tweets. Plus, it’s a great way to make friends at Photoshop World.

So, are you all going to stand around and tweet to each other on your cell phones?

Gosh, I hope not!!! No. At the most, I think people will be tweeting that they are going to the TweetUp or that they have arrived at the TweetUp. I’m sure people will tweet about certain people that they meet, but other than that, I’m sure we’ll all act the way normal humans do when they meet a bunch of friends at a bar.

Wait a minute… Isn’t the NAPP Forum Party taking place at the same time in the same location?

Yep! I stipulated that when I put the location choice to a vote and the majority of the votes went to holding it in the same location so, there you have it.

So, how will we know who’s a forum member and who’s a “Tweeple” … or who’s a ForumTweeple??

You’ll have to use your words. =) Besides, no matter if you’re a “Forum Person” or a “Tweep,” you’re all NAPP members.

What if it gets too crowded with both parties in one location?

Then we move. That’s the great thing about Social Media. We’ll just pick a new location and tweet it.

Hey! There are a few PSW instructors on Twitter now. Will they be there?

I’m not promising anything but I’m certainly going to ask them to join us.

Will Scott Kelby be there?!?!

I seriously don’t know the answer to that question. Nor would I even wager a guess.

Please leave any other questions you have in the comments section an I’ll answer them right away.

See you in Boston!

Photoshop World News Roundup

Photoshop World is now less than two weeks away! There’s still plenty of time to join us and much to report as the event draws near so here we go!

Winners of the PSW Top Ten/Midnight Madness VIP Contest Announced

Photo courtesy of Jeff Revell's PhotoWalkPro blog

Last week, we announced the winners of the first (and probably last) Photoshop World Top Ten/Midnight Madness contest. Here’s the final list if you’re interested.

The Grand Prize winner of two tickets to PSW and a $200 gift certificate for B&H is, Kristopher Saim! Congratulations Kris! Here’s a blog post he wrote about his win.

There were also ten runners-up who all won a special, limited edition PSW T-shirt that also doubles as a VIP ticket for Midnight Madness! These winners also received their choice of either Scott’s book: Photoshop CS4 for Digital Photographers, or Dave Cross’ DVD: Adobe Photoshop CS4 Selections and Masks. Winners have already been notified and will be able to pick up their shirts at Photoshop World. PS: If you were one of the winners, a follow up email with instructions on where to go for your shirt will be arriving shortly.

Congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who entered. This contest was a very interesting Social Media experiment and I thank you for playing along. =)

MOO.com Special Offer for PSW Attendees

A little while back, I posted an offer from PSW Expo exhibitors, MOO.com. If you haven’t taken advantage of their special “Pre PSW” offer, you still have a few days left to do so! I’ve heard from more than one person who has used MOO.com before and they all agree, the print quality is outstanding! Here’s the details:

Left making business cards to the last minute?  Don’t worry – MOO.com will print them for you and hand deliver them to you at PSW, so you aren’t left stranded at the show.  If you’re planning to network, mingle, do business, make deals and get special offers, make sure you have business cards with you at the event to hand to everyone you meet.

Scribbling your e-mail and cell number on a piece of paper is pretty embarrassing, so take advantage of the special offer from MOO.com to get a 25% discount on your cards and pick them up at PSW! (Booth # 622)

MOO.com allows you to choose a different image for every card in a pack, so if you have a whole portfolio of photography, design, or products; you don’t just have to choose one.  Show off all your work in one pack of cards.

Order by Friday March 13th to take advantage of this exclusive offer. Special order code is D2659G.

PSW Tweet Up Update

In last week’s “News Bits” blog post, I asked everyone interested in attending a Photoshop World “Tweet Up” to weigh in on their preferred location. So far, the front-runner is the Lounge in the Sheraton Hotel (Official PSW Host Hotel). There’s still time to vote if you haven’t yet (just pick a place in the poll below) but for now, it looks like our “Tweeple” will be co-mingling with the NAPP Forum party at the Sheraton.
<a href =”http://answers.polldaddy.com/poll/1427589/” >Which TweetUp Location Do You Prefer?</a> <br/> <span style=”font-size:9px;” mce_style=”font-size:9px;”> (<a href =”http://www.polldaddy.com”> surveys</a>)</span>

Follow Along on Twitter

Last year at Photoshop World Vegas I could count the number of folks who used Twitter at PSW on one hand. Here we are, six months later, and all that has changed. Thanks to the #FollowFriday meme, we found roughly 120 NAPP members on Twitter. Plus, there are even more Twitter users out there who plan to be at Photoshop World! W00T! To that end, we are asking everyone who uses Twitter at PSW to try and include the hashtag “#PSW” in their Tweets.

Why, you ask? Adding the hashtag, #PSW gives an added context to your tweets. Plus, it makes it easier for everyone to follow along on everything that goes down at PSW!

And for those of you who don’t use Twitter? No problem! You can still follow along thanks to all the Twitter users out there who do! Just bookmark this page: http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23PSW

Ok, some of you may be asking why you’d want to do that. Here’s a great example:

One of our blog readers (Hi Harold!) asked when Scott Kelby and the “Photoshop Guys” plan to tape their PSW episode of PhotoshopUser TV from the Expo floor. To be honest, I have no clue when that will take place, but I can practically guarantee that when they do, a Twitter user will be there and if that Twitter user adds the #PSW hashtag to his/her tweet, then everyone following that hashtag will instantly know what’s going on and can skedaddle on over to the Expo floor to catch the action!

Plus, even if you’re not at PSW, you can still follow along in real time! Aint Social Media grand?

Mimobot Joins PSW!

OK… This bit of news has me really psyched! I just confirmed yesterday that the folks at Mimoco (makers on Mimobots) will be joining us at the PSW Expo! Mimobots are “designer” USB flash drives featuring the awesome work of some of the world’s top “street designers” and other cool characters like Star Wars or Domo. Seriously, why just get a Flash Drive when you can get a Mimobot? Here’s just a taste of what they offer. I am so totally getting that mushroom dude!

Video: Corey Barker on Photoshop World

I thought I’d close this post with another video interview from NAPP Director, Larry Becker. This time around, it’s our very own “Photoshop Lad” Corey Barker. Enjoy!

See you in Boston!

The Official "Unofficial" Photoshop World Photowalk

Sweet! I just saw online today that Jeff Revel of PhotoWalkPro fame is organizing a Photowalk in Boston for Photoshop World!

The walk is scheduled to take place on March 24th during “Pre-con day” for all Photoshop World attendees who will be in Boston for Photoshop World but are not signed up to take a Pre-con Workshop.

You can get all the details and let Jeff know if you plan to join in on the fun via his blog.

Right now, it looks like Jeff is planning an evening Photowalk so even if you are taking a pre-con that ends at 5pm, chances are you’ll be able to catch up with all the walkers.

Since this is not an “official” Photoshop World event, please refer to Jeff’s website for all details, times, etc…. and be sure to thank him for organizing this event!

About Jeff Revell: Jeff Revell (author of Canon 50D: From Snapshots to Great Shots) has been shooting professionally for more than 25 years, and has a wide range of expertise in everything from landscape photography to travel and urban photography. As an early adopter of digital technology, he has been on the leading edge of digital imaging technology, education and instruction. Perhaps best known as the photographer behind the popular “PhotoWalk Pro” blog, each weekday Jeff shares step-by-step tutorials on digital photography technique and editing of digital images. The worldwide appeal of Jeff’s site, along with his live PhotoWalks have made him one of the most sought-after and trusted sources for digital photography training and education.

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Enter Our PSW Top Ten Contest

#10 – It’s a social media-centric contest. The fact that you are reading this blog means that you are using social media already. Chances are, you also have a blog… or a Twitter account… or a Facebook account… Ya’ dig?

#9 – Hey! You might just boost your blog’s SEO by linking yourself to the Photoshop World website.

#8 – Two words: Free T-shirt!

#7 – If you’re going to Photoshop World Boston you won’t have to camp out in line at 2 o’clock in the morning to get your Midnight Madness ticket. I mean, you still can if you ~want~ to or if your friends are camping out, but your free T-shirt is also your ticket in! PS: Don’t forget to wear it to Midnight Madness.

#6 – If you’re not going to Photoshop World Boston… Hey! It’s still a Free T-shirt!

#5 – You’ll also get a Kelby Training book or DVD.

#4 – You get to build your mad networking skills and drive traffic to your blog by helping to spread the word about Photoshop World on your favorite social media sites. Get it? Blog about PSW >> Link to the PSW website >> Tweet about your blog! Email me links to all your different social media posts. Everybody’s happy! Whee!

#3 – Finally! Your Twitter timeline will contain something besides what you just ate for lunch or the fact that it’s raining outside.

Oooooo! That was harsh! Hee hee! >;D

#2 – You could also win a $200 B&H gift certificate.

… And the number one reason why you should enter the PSW/Midnight Madness Top Ten Contest is…..

You can win 2 tickets to Photoshop World… and a free T-shirt!

Plus, those 2 tickets can be good for Photoshop World ’09 – Boston, Photoshop World ’09 – Las Vegas OR EVEN Photoshop World East Coast 2010 (location TBD). Of course, I can’t guarantee that the free T-shirt will get you bupkus after PSW Boston, but hey, it might be fun figuring that part out, eh? Have you seen our Midnight Madness bouncer? Smackdown PSW style!!

So seriously, why aren’t you playing along?! Read the rules and get postin’!

We’ll see you there!