Hollywood Here I Come

Just got out of the Hollywood Effects class and I have to say WOW!  In the Photoshoptography class,  Dave Cross showed us an image of a building and how it was transformed in to the movie poster for I Am Legend.   I thought it was really elaborate and looked like it took forever to create.  Well in the Hollywood Effects class Corey Barker showed us step-by-step on how to create it and it only took 30 mins!!  I was blown away at how great it looked and how simple the approach was.  It was a great class.

Last Day To Save $100…

If you haven’t registered for Photoshop World yet, you’d better act quickly! The clock is tick-tick-ticking down FAST. It’s Early Bird Deadline day… Friday, February 25… your last day to save $100 off the regular registration price.

This year’s conference is shaping up to be one of the haute-est to date with its Photoshop-meets-fashion theme, as well as the addition of new tracks dedicated to Social Media/Business and Weddings & Portraits. But that’s not all, we’ve also added new instructors like Dave Black, Frank Doorhof and Jeremy Cowart!

Photoshop World is the must-attend photography, lighting and Photoshop training event. But don’t take our word for it! Here’s a look at some blog posts about Photoshop World by former attendees:

Photoshop World instructor Alan Hess looks back at his first PSW as an attendee in this blog post…

Photoshop World Las Vegas 2010 “Best In Show” Guru Award winner and NAPP Evangelist Patrick LaMontagne linked today to this previous Photoshop World related post on the NAPP Canada page on Facebook.

And once you’ve registered for Photoshop World, make sure to read seasoned Photoshop World participant and staffer Rob Sylvan’s blog post offering insight on how to get the most out of your Photoshop World experience!

See you in Orlando!

So You’re Attending Your First [or Next] Photoshop World Training Convention?

I remember distinctly my first time at the Photoshop World training convention several years ago. Being a graphic designer and photographer working with Photoshop since its very first version (which wasn’t called version 1, it was just Adobe Photoshop), I was a bit apprehensive as to what I might or might not learn. After all I had mastered all the areas of Photoshop that I used on a daily basis, or so I thought.

Upon arriving I realized there was an excitement in the air, an energy amongst all the creative souls gathered together. The event’s agenda and notes were packed in a telephone book sized handout. I began scanning the pages to find things new and old, but mostly new. There would be designers, photographers, and artists presenting information from perspectives I had never even considered. Excitedly I began choosing classes to fill the time slots available. The classes that were my second choice would have to be missed, but wait, I have the notes and information in this massive directory. Information was flowing in all directions.

It all seemed too good. New ideas, knowledge, and inspiration was coming at me from every turn. To be honest, the first day I was like a kid on Christmas morning, the second day I was fantasizing about ways to apply these new techniques. By the time day three arrived, I was whooped! My head was spinning with my overindulgence of Photoshop 24/7. I was the relative passed out on the couch after too many servings of Thanksgiving dinner. It hurt, but oh it felt so good.

So fast-forward to today, with four Photoshop Worlds under my belt and another one coming up in March, please take my advice. Be sure to see the things that interest you, but also step out of your comfort zone and attend a couple sessions on something you normally wouldn’t. Get good sleep each night, eat well, show up early, and take notes, lots of notes. You will be presented with big picture concepts and ideas you haven’t even imagined and you’ll have little innocent looking gems placed on your lap that will change the way you work forever. Be ready for them and pay attention.

It was in one of these situations were I picked up this little nugget that I will share with you in a video below, entitled “Photoshop World Nugget,” just click on the photo to see the video. I was attending a session conducted by Bert Monroy. I had never heard of Bert before this and I had heard he was creating “illustrations” with Photoshop. No big deal, right? Wrong! This guy was, and is, “off the chain” good! My previous misconception of an illustrator using Photoshop was of someone using the lines and brush tools to make pretty pictures. This is not Bert. No, Bert uses every aspect of Photoshop to create ultra-realistic illustrations that will make you think they are photographs. He’s using layers, masks, textures, layer blend options, layer styles, etc., etc., etc.

So there I sat and Bert was showing us this photo-realistic illustration of a wood salad bowl sitting on a table. The problem he was facing was making the top rim of the bowl with a wood grain edge in perspective to match the rest of the bowl. From that little moment, in the BIG concept of illustrating with Photoshop, Bert handed me this little jewel, which I’m now handing to you…

A Photoshop World Nugget

Big things come in little packages. Hope to see you at Photoshop World, Orlando!

Kent Weakley is the owner and creative director of Blue Sky Graphic Communication, Inc. He also runs a photography blog titled Photography by Kent Weakley, where he shares photography tips, links to other photographers, and hosts photo contests on a regular basis.

Start Planning Your PSW Experience Today!

Photoshop World may be 12 weeks away… But that doesn’t mean you can’t start planning your PSW experience! And, now you can do it with a little help from the one and only Dave Cross!

To help with the challenge of selecting your digital photography and lighting classes, Dave has created a truly helpful PDF that lets you pick your first and second choices. Make your selections, print it out and bring it with you to Photoshop World. Once you get to the conference, you can review the PSW Show Guide and check out all the signs to fill in the room numbers. It’s that easy!

Don’t forget, you can also download our free PSW app. It not only lets you set up a schedule on your iPhone and/or iPad, but offers pertinent information about the Photoshop World Expo and other PSW events.

If you haven’t registered yet, make sure to sign up by February 25th to save an extra $100 off the admission price!

Happy Planning!

Concert Pre Con / Keynote

It is all Rock and Roll here in Orlando!

From the amazing concert shoot we did yesterday, to the Live NAPP reunion show we saw this morning, everybody seems ready to learn and play. The concert pre con yesterday was amazing. We shot at the keynote stage, which is set up like any big rock concert. Smoke, lights and rock star posing was the order of the day.

That didn’t stop this morning when the reformed NAPP took the stage for their reunion tour. I have never seen anything like it in my life.

Right after the performance, Scott Diussa and I gave the lucky winner of the concert pre con contest a brand new Nikon D300s and 35mm f/1.8 lens. Congratulations to Tom for wining. I must tell you that all the images that we received were great and I hope to get permission to post them here or if any of the attendees are reading this, please post your images to the flickr group for Photoshop World. It is right HERE

Well, it is time for me to get back to the conference, but I will leave you with one more photo of NAPP getting ready for the big reunion…

Concert Photography Pre-Conference Workshop

Live concert photography is tough. Moving lights, moving subjects, dark venues, time restrictions, smoke, and limited access all make for difficult shooting. At the Photoshop World Las Vegas in 2009 we introduced a new Pre conference workshop that would allow participants to learn and practice concert photography and it was so much fun that it is offered again in Orlando at Photoshop World 2010.

First I’d like to tell you a little about Scott Diussa and myself since we are the instructors. Scott is the Manager of Nikon Professional Services and Training but that’s not all, he is a great photographer and teacher. He plays a mean guitar and brings that knowledge to his concert photography. Scott has shot bands both big and small from clubs to stadiums. I am a photographer, author and instructor. I have being shooting concerts since the days of film and have shot bands both big and small. But enough about us, lets talk about the class.

The class is broken into three distinctive parts: The classroom, the live shoot and back to the classroom.

We start in the classroom where we cover the ins and outs of concert photography, from getting the credentials to picking the right gear and what settings to use.We cover why we shoot in manual mode and how to get the best results by using the best metering mode for the situation.  Photo pit etiquette is covered along with dealing with time limitations, space concerns and composition problems and solutions. Its a lot of information and it comes pretty fast but that’s because we need to have plenty of time for the live shoot.

We take the class information and put it to use in an actual concert environment. Lights, music, and explosive guitar solos. All the great excitement that makes concert shooting so much fun. Not only will you get three songs to shoot the band, but we will have a bunch of Nikon gear on hand for those who want to try a different body or lens. Scott and I will also be on hand to help with any problems you might have or any questions you need answered. When we did this in Vegas last year, we also had a couple of other photographers around who knew their way around a concert shoot and were happy to help so we really strive to make sure everyone gets their questions answered.

We return to the classroom after the shoot and discuss what went right and what went wrong, what worked and what didn’t. We also discuss the post processing. So if you have ever wanted to shoot a concert, or want to get some controlled practice in, then this class is for you.

The class is limited to 40 people. For more information and to sign up, go here: http://www.photoshopworld.com/?page=workshops#concert

What I learned at PSW

I have had a few days now to let my first Photoshop World trip settle in, and I am glad to say PSW exceeded my expectations. This is only my third photography convention, but I had a pretty good idea of what to expect from reading posts from the last PSW. What I didn’t expect was the professional quality of the keynote production. It was better than anything I have seen at any convention, and other organizations should study what made this one so successful.

There were two really big reasons for Allison (my wife and business partner) and I to go out to PSW this year. The first and most important was to meet the great Scott Bourne of Photofocus.  The second reason was to see one of my long time photography heroes, Joe McNally .

I met Scott Bourne online 8 months ago and struck up a friendship. He has been very gracious with his knowledge and wisdom. Allison and I have been looking for a reason to meet him in person, and Vegas PSW seemed like a great place to do it. Scott is truly one of the wisest businessmen I have ever met. You would do well to listen to what he has to say. My favorite Scott saying: “Never let your opinion of your circumstances dictate your actions.” Thank you, Scott.

Joe McNally was everything I wanted him to be. My only regret is that I didn’t get a chance to actually meet him. I enjoyed listening to him talk about his body of work from National Geographic, LIFE and Sports Illustrated. Here are a few nuggets of wisdom he was throwing out.

“The best thing about being in the field. You have to make a decision. There is no time for a committee decision.”
“Go and shoot the picture. Because if you don’t go you won’t have a picture.”
“Embrace the problem. You said YES to the assignment and once you do, it’s your problem now.”
“You are never really working for anyone. You are working for yourself and you have to be happy with what you’re doing.”
“National Geographic pays $600-$750 a day.”
“Far too many people want to put you in a box. Express yourself to avoid this. Shoot different things. Even if it’s just for you”
“Be alert. You just never know where the next frame will be.”
“Next to imagination, tenacity is the next important tool in a photographers tool belt.”
“Be prepared to hear NO 100 times from editors.”
“A career in photography is about risk. There are lots of people telling you what not to do.”
“Get a voice . Create a blog. Stick with that voice. Feed that voice.”

A special thank you to Nancy (@NAPP_News) for allowing me to guest blog.

Jeff and Allison run Allison Rodgers Photography, a portrait studio in Olive Branch, MS. They will be speaking at PPA’s  Imaging USA in Nashville, TN Januay 2010. Jeff and Allison are contributing writers for Professional Photographers Magazine. Follow Jeff‘ on twitter. Follow Allison on twitter.

What I brought home from Photoshop World

Well, Photoshop World is over and real life has started back up. Book deadlines, shooting schedules and paperwork are all the norm now, but I wanted to talk about the things that I took home from Photoshop World. It turns out that not everything that happens in Las Vegas, stays in Las Vegas.

Business Cards: I have a stack of business cards on my desk. Everyone that gave me a business card can expect an email or call in the next few weeks. One of the great parts of Photoshop World is the personal contact that I made with other photographers, designers, educators, authors and Photoshop users. I can honestly tell you that I learned something from everyone I met at this years Photoshop World.

Friends: I made a ton of new friends this year. To be truthful, I already knew some of you from Twitter, but it doesn’t really count until you have met face to face. I have even received my first call from Vanelli, but it was at 3pm, not 3am so thats all good. And no, I did not give Vanelli my phone, he gave me his.  I don’t know of any other place that so many people with so much in common can get to know each other. Even with the crazy schedule of classes and after hours events, I found time to hang out and talk photography / Photoshop even if it was over the breakfast buffet before classes or at the Burger Bar for a late night dinner.

The Workbook: This thing is HUGE and it doesn’t even have all the class notes from all the classes. The problem with Photoshop World is that there are classes going on simultaneously and unless you can clone yourself, there is no way to go to them all. This is where the workbook comes in, since it has all the class notes, not just the ones that you went to. On my office bookshelf, there are a lot of photography / Photoshop books and the ones that got the most use for many many years were the workbooks from the 2002 Photoshop World. The workbook from this years PSW will take it’s place next to those workbooks and I already know that it will get a lot of use as I try to put all the information I learned to good use.

The Excitement: The features demonstrated at the Keynote that may or may no make it into the next versions of Photoshop looked very cool. The idea of true color blending opens up a new way to paint in Photoshop. I am not a painter but think about being able to blend skin tones, just a little, to get some cool retouching for damaged skin. There were lots of moments where I started to think about the information I just learned and how it was going to change my workflow for the better or speed up a process I do all the time.

There are other things I brought home from PSW that can’t easily be categorized, including a huge appreciation for all the Staff folks in the black t-shits. I have no idea how you all functioned on such little sleep and kept smiles on your faces the whole time.   I also brought home a renewed appreciation and love of photography. This was mostly from just looking at all the amazing images that were a part of all the classes and hanging in all the expo booths. Being surrounded by that much talent is both humbling and motivating.

Thanks to everyone for everything I brought home from Photoshop World 09.

A different look

My perspective on Photoshop World is probably different to most. My name is Alan Hess and I am a photographer who mostly shoots live events and concerts. I believe that this year was the first time that Photoshop World has had a Concert shooting pre con or a Concert Shooting class and I was lucky enough to be the instructor for both.

Being an instructor was incredibly exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time, but the Photoshop World Staff, attendees and other instructors have been amazing. I have never felt more supported before. If you come as an attendee, you need to know that the friendly folks wondering around in the black staff shirts are here to help you, but they also helped me and the other instructors. The are on site making sure everything is working before anyone gets in the classrooms and they keep the whole train running on schedule.

The people who come to Photoshop World have got to be the most polite, patient and giving group of folks anywhere. The great questions, comments and personal feedback I have gotten has been amazing. The other instructors have all been great, really open and friendly to the new guy.

Now the fun stuff, the classes and parties and other events.

My week here stated with teaching a pre con on concert photography. We had a great class. Some classroom learning with Scott Diussa from Nikon Professional Services and myself, then it was off to the live shoot. We had turned the keynote stage into a rock and roll stage and as the photographers filled up the front area, Scott Kelby and Big Electric Cat took the stage to rock out for three great songs. When they were done with those three, they played three more.  It was like having two different shooting opportunities in the same class. After the shoot, we went back to the class room and discussed workflow and output. I would like to thank all the folks who were in that class, you made my job as an instructor a lot of fun.

More later…

Alan

New & Returning PSW Instructors

Photoshop World Vegas sees the return of two beloved instructors, Deke McClelland and Dr. Russell Brown. Plus, it also marks the debut of a new instructor, concert photographer, Alan Hess.

Alan Hess is a freelance photographer and author based in San Diego, CA. His work includes commercial photography on a wide variety of subjects and concert and backstage photography that has appeared in numerous online and print publications including Vintage Guitar and Relix Magazine plus numerous promotional purposes and music packaging.

He is a key contributor to the Lexar Pro Photographer Web site for concert photography and technology articles and has appeared in both Photoshop User magazine and Scott Kelby’s Photoshop Insider Blog.

Alan has written two Digital Field Guides for Wiley Publications: The Sony A700 DSLR Digital Field Guide and The Sony A200 DSLR Digital Field Guide. Both are available in all major bookstores and online booksellers.

Alan is taking the bull by the horns and diving into his first Photoshop World experience with a brand new pre-con workshop and a brand new class!

In his Real World Concert Photography pre-con, you will Learn how to capture high-voltage concert images and overcome lighting challenges in a live photo shoot session. His class, Concert Photography From Capture To Client, covers concert workflow from securing credentials, picking the right gear, shooting just three songs, no flash usage, downloading and editing images, to outputting to website galleries. He’ll cover high ISO, low-light shooting, importing and tagging in Bridge and Lightroom, to editing selected images in Photoshop and creating outputs for different clients.

Visit Alan’s website to learn more about him, see samples of his work, and read his blog. You can also follow him on Twitter.

Our two returning PSW instructors really need no introduction.

Russell Brown at the PSW Boston Keynote Speech

2002 Photoshop Hall of Fame recipient and 2008 Emmy Award Winner, Russell Preston Brown is the Sr. Creative Director at Adobe Systems Incorporated. Dr. Brown shows users how to work – and play – with Adobe software and if you believe his motto, “Learning about Adobe Photoshop should never be boring,” like we do, then you know you’re in for a treat!

Join him on Oct 1 right after the Keynote Presentation for “The Russell Brown Show” and discover the latest Photoshop CS4 tips, tricks and techniques from the man himself!

Deke at PSW Vegas '07 Courtesy of O'Reily DigitalMedia - Click the picture to hear an interview from then

Deke McClelland is a veteran Photoshop instructor with over 80 Photoshop books under his belt, including the popular “… For Dummies” series among many others.  His creativity, style and sense of humor truly embody what the Photoshop World experience is all about and we are delighted to have him with us in Vegas!

I could go on about Deke but seriously, go visit his website. You’ll learn a lot and have a blast!

Deke will also be teaching a brand new pre-con workshop called “Photoshop Channels & Masks” and his classes include: What You Missed When You Skipped Photoshop CS4, Understanding the Calculations Command, and Don’t Fear the LAB Mode.

Don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime learning experience. There really is nothing in the world like Photoshop World!