Create Your Own PSW Avatar!

Last year, NAPP member Kevin Stohlmeyer created an oh-so-cool PSW Twitter avatar that we just had to share with the rest of the world. Well, now he’s back with a new version for “Project Photoshop” at Photoshop World Las Vegas! So if you’re planning to attend PSW, feel free to use Kevin’s updated avatar to shout out to theTwitterverse that you’ll be at the must-attend photography, lighting and Photoshop conference of the year!

See, sharing is caring! A big thank you to Kevin!

Make your own PSW avatar for Twitter, Facebook or any other social media site!

To Create Your 2011 Photoshop World Avatar:

Download the “pswavatar.psd” file and open in Photoshop.

Drag and drop your headshot into the document and remove the “Your Photo Here” Layer. (Be sure to position your headshot layer between the “PSW Logo” layer and the background.)

Next, create a layer mask to blend your headshot into the image. I used the Quick Select Tool along with the new Refine Edge controls in Photoshop CS5, using the Output option to create a new mask. If you do not have CS5, select your image and click the mask button in the Layers panel. Clean up the mask as needed.

Save the final image as a .jpg file. Remember Twitter has file size a limitation of 700k. Reduce the quality in the .jpg dialog box as needed.

Enjoy!

NAPP member, Kevin Stohlmeyer is an Adobe Certified Instructor, User Group Manager and Adobe Community Professional for Photoshop. A graphic designer specializing in digital illustration with more than 15 years experience in the field, Kevin has also been teaching the Creative Suite since 2000. Check out his blog posts at c2gps.com/blog.

Photoshop World For Designers!

First, let me be up front. I am not a photographer by trade, I am a graphic designer. Having attended Photoshop World for several years, I can tell you that if you are a designer and use Photoshop or Lightroom in any part of your career, then you need to attend Photoshop World.

If you think that Photoshop World is just for photographers, you are missing out. Sure there are award-winning photographers, photojournalists and lots of photo-related topics. But Photoshop World is so much more. It is an all-encompassing experience with world-class instructors from all walks of life, digital gurus willing to show you their secrets, and unparalleled access to your Photoshop peers. Where else can you have your portfolio reviewed and discussed by Photoshop Hall-of-Famer Bert Monroy?

From learning amazing 3D with “Photoshop Guy” Corey Barker to new developments in InDesign from Adobe Evangelist Terry White, there is something for everyone. And yes, I said InDesign. In fact, a lot of the Creative Suite is covered during the conference – Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere, InDesign, even Twitter is a topic!

Strictly speaking from a designer standpoint, I believe that Photoshop World is the best conference I have been to in years. Don’t get me wrong, I do attend some photography-centric courses, even if I don’t quite understand all of the techniques being covered. But I still walk away from the session inspired and eager to learn more about the topic presented. That’s the great thing about Photoshop World – something for everyone and a chance to expand your skills.

My only regret is having to choose between all the great sessions. But not to worry – if you miss a session you have a great resource at your disposal as an attendee – the Photoshop World Workbook. It contains session notes, tips, techniques, and details from the sessions presented at the conference. This is the biggest conference workbook you will ever find. Trust me – after day two your arm will start to fall off. Bring a bag to carry it.

This is also your chance to network with other Photoshop enthusiasts. There is the NAPP Tweetup (which is always a blast), the After-Hours party (held this year at Gameworks), and the coveted Midnight Madness. Another great aspect is the PSW Expo, held during the conference. It has a multitude of vendors from publishers to software companies (including Adobe), showing you their latest innovations. If you want to really get some mad props for your work, you can also enter the Photoshop World Guru Awards competition. Each year, the entries inspire, amaze and wow attendees.

Whew! With all of this going on, no matter how experienced you are or what you do for a living, if you use Photoshop you should be here.

NAPP member, Kevin Stohlmeyer is an Adobe Certified Instructor, User Group Manager and Adobe Community Professional for Photoshop. A graphic designer specializing in digital illustration with over 15 years experience in the field, Kevin has also been teaching the Creative Suite since 2000.Check out his blog posts at http://www.c2gps.com/blog/.

Expo Alert! Just Your Type[DNA]…

Scrolling through the hundreds of fonts in Photoshop can be a tad overwhelming. There are so many fonts to choose from… and so little time to use them all!

But if you’re feeling inundated with way too many options, don’t despair! TypeDNA is here to help with all your type management and font pairing needs.

“TypeDNA goes beyond any traditional font manager by providing tools that help you choose the right font,” asserts Darren Glenister, development director for TypeDNA. “It’s a creative font manager that’s valuable to beginners and experts alike!”

During this year’s Photoshop World Expo, TypeDNA will be demonstrating its oh-so-affordable software, which is the only font tool that can run as a standalone product or integrated inside Adobe Creative Suite.

“This unique approach significantly enhances your font capabilities,” professes Glenister. “And it complements the design process for Mac and Windows users.”

TypeDNA’s unique features include: Similar Fonts, which streamlines your search; Font Harmony, which helps you find complementary fonts; and Attribute Filters, which helps you search fonts by shape. And the latest version of TypeDNA includes the implementation of Google web fonts direct inside TypeDNA’s Adobe CS plugins.

“Web fonts have reached a tipping point,” says Glenister. “In the next few years, the majority of new websites will be built with web fonts. We’re excited to introduce some exciting new web fonts direct inside Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.”

So if you’re ready to find just your type and take your font work to the next level, make sure to stop by the TypeDNA booth at the Photoshop World Expo for an interactive software demo. You’ll quickly realize that TypeDNA’s great features make it well worth its $49 price.

Click here to get an interactive demo of TypeDNA. Simply click the forward and back at the bottom of the page to step through every feature of the font manager.

“Gimme, Gimme 4, Gimme 4!”

Forgive the Britney Spears-inspired title… But really, what better way to promote this weekend’s exciting Photoshop World promotion than with a great play-on-words prompted by the singer’s hit song, “Gimme More“?

So if you haven’t registered for Photoshop World yet, now’s your chance to enhance your top-notch training experience with one of four great bonus offers.

To kick-off this long 4th of July weekend, we’re launching our Gimme 4! promotion. So whether you’re looking to get a free Speed Pass (no longer available for purchase!) or attend the PSW After-Hours Party for FREE, now’s your chance to cash in on one of four great deals!

Simply register for Photoshop World Las Vegas anytime between July 1 – 4*, and you’ll have the chance to take advantage of one of our exclusive bonus items.

Just click here to see the four offers and select the one you like most from the list!

Happy 4th of July… And, we’ll see you in Vegas, baby!

*Offers are valid until Monday, July 4 at 11:59 PM EST. Not valid with any existing Photoshop World registration, and cannot be redeemed for cash.

Expo Alert! Prints Charming with MpixPro…

In the world of digital photography, it’s so easy to share your work online. All you really have to do is upload your images to photo sharing websites sites like SmugMug, Flickr and Tumblr. But if you really want to make your photography come alive, seasoned pros will tell you nothing beats a printed image. After all, a great photograph isn’t really complete until it’s printed!

During this year’s Photoshop World Expo, MpixPro will shine a spotlight on the many ways to turn your just-too-good-for-the-Web-only photos into quality photographic prints and press products.

“MpixPro offers the industry’s hottest products—all in one simple ordering solution,” asserts Ted Unruh, customer service representative at Miller’s Professional Imaging, Mpix‘s parent company. “MpixPro’s award-winning service is unmatched for fulfilling prints and products for professional photographers.”

Whether you’re looking to show off your fantastic photos on traditional gallery wraps or as standout photo statuettes, MpixPro’s list of picture-perfect products is endless.

“MpixPro is the next step forward in addressing the growing demands for the highest quality and most relevant products in the pro market, including Metallic Standouts, one-of-a-kind boxes for prints and a professional line of custom frames,” professes Unruh. “Our products are offered in response to the increasing requests for innovative and distinctive products from our professional customers.”

This year, MpixPro will be highlighting the company’s crop of recently released metal & acrylic fine art pieces and it’s Luxe Cards, a collection of high-end stylish cards that are just different enough to stand out.

“MpixPro experts will be on hand throughout the show to show these premium products,” says Unruh. “And, they’ll be ready to show you how to best apply them within your business.”

So if you’re ready to give your images some high quality love and attention, make sure to stop by the MpixPro booth during regular Expo hours. After all, those prints charming deserve to be showcased and treasured!

Expo Alert! Picture Perfect In The Nik of Time…

Learning how to improve the quality of your photos and what it takes to process them in a flash will be a snap at this year’s Photoshop World Expo in Las Vegas—with the help of Nik Software.

“Photoshop World is always spectacular, but Las Vegas takes it to a whole new level,” professes Kevin La Rue, the marketing manager at Nik Software, which has been developing award-winning desktop and mobile software and technology for the professional digital imaging and consumer photography markets for more than 15 years. “We love talking about photography and sharing innovative and easy ways to professionally post-process images and get photographers back behind the lens.”

During this year’s PSW Expo, Nik Software will offer fast-paced presentations that highlight the company’s cutting-edge products and the tremendous power and control they can provide.

“For DSLR shooters, you’ll see some fantastic images and demonstrations of HDR Efex Pro, an RC Concepcion favorite,” reports La Rue. “We’ll also demonstrate how to get powerful, evocative, classic and downright amazing black and white images with Silver Efex Pro, the world’s leading black and white software.”

Both programs make up part of Nik Software’s Complete Collection of professional photography products, which earned the company the prestigious International Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) award for Best Photo Software. The suite of all Nik Software plug-ins for Photoshop, Lightroom and Apple Aperture includes the latest versions of Color Efex Pro, HDR Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza and Dfine.

“We are particularly proud to win the prestigious 2011 TIPA Award, as this award is given internationally by the people who represent imaging and photography customers worldwide,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software. “Everyone at Nik Software works hard to deliver award-winning software and a world-class customer experience.”

And for the first time at Photoshop World, Nik Software will shine a spotlight on its newest mobile technology product, Snapseed, an incredible app offering an entirely new photo experience. Specifically designed for iPad users, the app leverages the company’s advanced photographic technologies to deliver a fast, fun and high quality photo experience.

“Snapseed represents a new generation of photography applications that will extend far beyond mobile devices,” proclaims Slater. “It will deliver to everyone the power, performance and simplicity that we have delivered to professionals for over a decade.”

So whether you’re looking to enhance your images in front of the computer or while on the go, make sure to stop by the Nik Software booth at the PSW Expo to find out how to do it more creatively and efficiently!

Expo Alert! [Back]Drop It Like It’s Hot…

There’s one way to take your photos from middling to amazing: simply add a bewitching backdrop! Whether you’re using a solid scrim in an unexpected color or recreating the stunning beauty of Santorini, backdrops can add some serious pizzazz to your portrait photography.

During this year’s Photoshop World Expo, you’ll have the chance to check out a vast selection of high-quality backdrops from Denny Manufacturing, the world’s largest and oldest manufacturer of photographic backdrops, props and studio accessories. This will be the Alabama-based company’s first time exhibiting at the show.

“Providing creative and innovative designs to our customers has been a company hallmark since its founding in 1971,” asserts Debra Goddard, vice president of marketing for The Denny Manufacturing Co., Inc. “We’re so excited to be part of Photoshop World and introduce our great products to Expo attendees!”

Along with showcasing the company’s new Roll Up Floors and photo studio equipment like its EZ-Stand, Denny Manufacturing will shine a bright spotlight on its ever-popular collection of backdrops – Freedom Cloth – the world’s first wrinkle-free, computer painted line of backdrops.

“Years of research and development have resulted in the perfect combination of equipment and fabric to produce this exciting product, produced on state-of-the-art printers using the latest transfer technology,” reports Goddard. “Freedom Cloth introduces a new realm of possibilities for fixed and portable backdrops, and it’s exclusively available from Denny Manufacturing!”

So whether you’re an amateur photographer or a seasoned pro, make sure to stop by Denny Manufacturing’s booth at the PSW Expo to find the perfect photo background for your next shoot. And if you’re lucky, you may get it for less with one of the company’s exclusive discounts for PSW-attendees only!

Click here to check out the virtual edition of the Denny Manufacturing 2011 Catalog.

Movie Making Made Easy at Photoshop World!

In recent years, there’s been a steady increase in the public’s appetite for video. People are clamoring for audiovisual entertainment that will enlighten, inspire or motivate them…or at least make them laugh ’til they cry. And they’re quick to share the standouts with their family, friends and colleagues. In some cases, it takes mere minutes for a video to get one million views on YouTube.

But not all videos are worth sharing. Some lack the pop to make a great impression due to issues like poor storytelling, grainy footage or shaky shooting.

So what does it take to create Hollywood-quality videos with stunning cinematography? Well, now you can find out by participating in a just-announced pre-con workshop at Photoshop World Las Vegas entitled “Intro To HDSLR Movie Making.”

Sponsored by Canon, this comprehensive workshop will be led by Pulitzer Prize winner Vincent Laforet, who has been credited with starting the HDSLR revolution by creating the first DSLR movie, “Reverie.” The poignant narrative short film — shot in less than 72 hours with no pre-production time, a minimal cast and crew and an out-of-pocket budget — was the first 1080p video shot with a still camera. During its release in 2009, “Reverie” was seen more than two million times in the first week alone.

During Laforet’s intensive class, he’ll teach you the tools and techniques employed by the top directors of photography in Hollywood to create primetime television programs and feature films. And, he’ll shine a spotlight on the gear used to make movies including cameras, lenses, tripods, mounts and steadicams, as well as post-production techniques in Adobe Premier.

So if you’re looking to kick start your Photoshop World experience and want to learn more about movie making with a still camera, make sure to sign up today! If you’ve already registered for Photoshop World and would like to take this new pre-con, please call Customer Service at (800) 738-8513 and they’ll sign you up.

Expo Alert! Fit To Print with Hahnemühle…

There’s one way to unleash the power of your photography: print your picture-perfect work on high-quality paper that’ll stand the test of time. And now can learn more about the products available from a worldwide leader in digital fine art papers at the Photoshop World Expo in Las Vegas.

For the first time ever, Hahnemühle will be showcasing its exceptional products—including it’s award-winning fine art inkjet paper—at this year’s PSW Expo.

“Hahnemühle stands for high quality and expertise in the paper manufacturing field,” asserts Carol Boss, the customer relations manager at Hahnemühle. “Back in 1998, the company launched the first true artist papers for the modern inkjet printing technology. Today, Hahnemühle retains its leading position in the market for digital fine art papers. The products are of museum quality and meet the highest demands for aesthetics and durability.”

Founded in 1584, Hahnemühle is the oldest German paper mill still producing papers for traditional and digital art, as well as industrial purposes.

“Our products, production methods and quality control procedures have been continuously optimized over the last 425-plus years,” declares Boss. “And we will carry this commitment to excellence with us into the future.”

During the show, Hahnemühle plans to highlight its Digital FineArt Collection, which includes acid-free, age-resistant papers and canvas in a variety of weights and surface textures.

“The collection is divided into three categories: Matte FineArt, Glossy FineArt and Canvas FineArt,” reports Boss. “The line also includes two environmental papers made of bamboo and sugar cane fibers. These classic papers are finished and coated for inkjet printing to combine the precision of state-of-the-art photo papers with the wonderful elegance of artist papers.”

So if you’re looking to invest in first class paper with unrivalled color-range, brilliancy and contrast, make sure to visit the Hahnemühle booth during regular operating hours at the PSW Expo. After all, don’t your inspired images deserve the best?

Click here to follow Hahnemühle USA on Twitter.

This Is The Year. Yes?

If you’re looking to invest in your career with the world’s best photography, lighting and Photoshop training, a trip to Photoshop World is a definite must.

But don’t take our word for it!

Click on the image below to see what PSW attendees had to say when asked, “Why should photographers, designers and Photoshop users—no matter their skill level—attend Photoshop World?”

So isn’t it time to stop saying, “One day!” and sign up today for Photoshop World Las Vegas.

You’ll be glad you changed your tune to say, “This is the year. I’m going!”