Expo Alert: Fit To Print With Bay Photo!

Sure, your images may look great on a computer screen… But why not print your greatest hits to get the attention they absolutely deserve? It’s easier than ever with expert help from Bay Photo.

“We offer exceptional pro lab services, blended with one-on-one support, to photographic professionals throughout the United States and around the world,” declares Glen Clark, Cr. Photog., F/S-PPC, photographer and staff member at Bay Photo. “Whether you specialize in wedding, portrait, sport, school, landscape or other styles of imaging, our approach is to provide you with a large variety of solutions to help you maximize your efficiency and excel at your business.”

Bay Photo’s list of professional printing and photo finishing services is virtually endless. So whether you’re looking to get individual digital photo prints, photo books of your work or canvas prints of your most awe-inspiring works (or anything else really), Bay Photo will help you impress your clients.

“We’re pleased to offer a large selection of features, digital photographic print sizes, photo templates, mounting and photo finishing services, as well as specialty photo products,” proclaims Clark. “And, they’re all available through our state-of-the-art online ordering software, Bay ROES.”

During this year’s Photoshop World Expo, Bay Photo will be displaying and presenting the company’s wide variety of high quality products and services, including MetalPrints, canvas prints and wall clusters. So make sure to stop by the Bay Photo booth to get a firsthand look at the superstar ways to showcase your work.

“Bring your creative and open mind,” encourages Clark. “Be willing to consider many new ways to present, display and offer your images as both art pieces and professional quality photo products.”

So if you’re ready to have your work truly stand out, make sure to check out Bay Photo’s standout products and top-notch services at the PSW Expo!

Click here to download your FREE Expo Pass. Please note: Registered Photoshop World attendees get instant admission to the PSW Expo with their conference badge.

Introducing Your PSW Las Vegas Onsite Bloggers!

In less than two weeks, Photoshop World will bring the world’s best photography, lighting and Photoshop training to the Las Vegas strip.

For three jam-packed days, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center will be all abuzz as photographers, artists and graphic designers from all over the world come together to learn from some of the industry’s best & brightest pro-structors (seasoned pros who can teach like nobody’s business).

Whether you’re attending this year’s conference or tracking the activity from afar, we don’t want you to miss a single moment. So we’ve compiled a great team of bloggers to give you complete round-the-clock coverage of all the goings-on at Photoshop World. Some are seasoned PSW alumni; others are first-timers. They’re photographers, graphic designers and artists from various backgrounds and skill levels… And they’re ready to share their Photoshop World experiences with you!

Meet this year’s all-star bloggers!

David Hodgins

Living in British Columbia, Canada, almost all his life, David Hodgins is an avid amateur with professional aspirations. Picking up his first DLSR in 2009, he wanted more from his images. That’s where Kelby Media came in. There is still a long road ahead, and Photoshop World is another stop on that path. He has a recent addiction to lighting. David is an adult educator and training developer in emergency communications. This will be David’s first PSW.

Kristina Jacob

Kristina Jacob is an avid photographer who loves to blend her geographic background with photography. The Los Angeles-based photographer moves from macro shots of flowers to broad landscape shots as she rebuilds a unique view of the world around her. Since picking up her first SLR years ago, she hasn’t stopped exploring life, nature and architecture through her lens. She builds on her love of photography through learning from great organizations like NAPP. Click here to read blog posts about her photography and experiences. This will be Kristina’s second PSW.

Theresa Jackson

Theresa Jackson is the owner of Orchard View Color, a graphic design business in Escondido, California. With 25 years experience in the print/graphics industry, her major focus is print design, including wide-format printing. Theresa also writes a bi-monthly technical column for Signs Of The Times magazine covering Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator tips for the signs industry. Her real passion though, is for fine art photography and Photoshop. She is an active member of the PhotoArts Group in San Diego and shows new work almost every month in local galleries. This will be Theresa’s second PSW.

Jim Patterson

Jim Patterson is professor of Business/IT at Paradise Valley Community College and an avid photographer in Phoenix. He specializes in travel, outdoors and portraits. Jim administers the NAPP-Arizona Facebook page and has led three NAPP photo walks in the Phoenix area, too. Click here to see more of Jim’s work. This will be Jim’s third PSW.

Melissa Reyes-Abbey

Melissa (Mel) Reyes-Abbey is a super busy mom, wife, coach, photo meetup organizer and photographer from St. Johns, FL (a suburb of Jacksonville). She’s an action photographer who loves portraiture and believes that ESPN will beg for her photos. She strives to learn as much as she can about how to create her vision and shape light. Being a social-media junkie, She’s found a ton of resources through books and the internet to educate herself. That’s how she found NAPP. SnapshotArtistry.com has been her business for almost two years. She loves happy clients and sharing what she’s learned with her fellow photographers. This will be Mel’s second PSW.

Kevin Stohlmeyer

NAPP member Kevin Stohlmeyer is an Adobe Certified Instructor, User Group Manager and Adobe Freelance Professional for Photoshop. The Milwaukee-based graphic designer specializes in digital illustration. Kevin has more than 15 years of experience in the field and has been teaching Adobe’s Creative Suite since 2000. Check out his blog posts at c2gps.com/blog. This will be Kevin’s fifth PSW.

So make sure to check back often from Tuesday, September 6 – Friday, September 9, 2011 to check out their blog posts, photos and videos from this year’s PSW and get a taste of this year’s must-attend photography, lighting and Photoshop training conference!

Photoshop World iPhone App Updated!

Great news! The Photoshop World App for iPhones and iPads has been updated for Las Vegas.

So if you’ll be joining us in the Entertainment Capital of the World for three non-stop days of the world’s best photography, lighting and Photoshop training, then make sure to go to iTunes to update your current version of the PSW app or download it for FREE!

The PSW app features the following:

Customizable schedule –Choose by instructor, time, class name, or add an entire track.

Class reminder and map – Countdown to your next event and find it on the built-in map.

Maps – Expo Map with vendor list and bonus class sessions.

News Feed – Track the #PSW hashtag on Twitter and PSW blog feed.

Instructors – Learn more about the pros and their classes.

So make sure to get the latest edition of the FREE PSW app and start planning out your Photoshop World experience from beginning to end! With so much happening in such a short period of time, you’ll be glad you did!

Click here to download the PSW app.

Expo Alert! Box Office Champ…

If you’re looking for a cost-effective way to back up your photos, videos and music, maybe it’s time to think outside the box by investing in one of Drobo’s all-in-one-boxes for added storage capacity.

“Drobo’s award-winning data storage products provide an unprecedented combination of sophisticated data protection and management features, affordable capacity and ease-of-use,” asserts Kiley Fasano, Drobo‘s marketing coordinator.

Whether you’re a small business owner or an individual professional, Drobo’s storage solutions allow you to dynamically expand your storage capacity anytime.

“Unlike other storage options, Drobo lets users hot-swap drives, mix and match drives of different capacities, speeds, and types (SATA / SAS / SSD) and perform zero-support drive pack migration,” reports Fasano. “This means that customers can optimize storage economies without worrying about drive order, data loss, downtime or compatibility. They can even swap in drives as needed, while the Drobo is running.”

For the first time ever, Drobo will be showcasing and demonstrating several of the company’s data storage boxes at this year’s Photoshop World Expo, including the Drobo B800fs and Drobo FS.

“Drobo’s ability to deliver ‘big storage in a small box’ creates the best storage experience ever for small and medium businesses and hundreds of thousands of individual professionals worldwide,” professes Fasano. “We’re looking forward to connecting with our consumer audience to show them how to keep their files safe.”

So if you’re ready to back it up, back it up, make sure to stop by the Drobo booth (#440) at the PSW Expo.

Click here for a special video demonstration of Drobo’s products.

Click here to download your FREE Expo Pass. Please note: Registered Photoshop World attendees get instant admission to the PSW Expo with their conference badge.

Expo Alert: [Post]Work It Out!

If you’re looking to liven up your photography or graphic designs, there’s one source to help give your work some extra oomph quickly and easily… Xycod’s innovative image editing software, PostworkShop.

“The program combines over 400 pre-built artistic filters with a novel toolkit for painting, photo-cloning and retouching,” discloses John Stevenson, Xycod‘s director of business development. “A broad range of freehand digital painting and sketching options are presented, within a straightforward, easy to learn workflow.”

Whether you’re a graphic designer, artist or photographer, PostworkShop allows you to creatively reinterpret your images with your own personal touch.

“It’s all about transformation,” asserts Stevenson. “You are the artist. PostworkShop just makes it easy!”

During this year’s Photoshop World Expo, you’ll see firsthand just how easily PostworkShop can enhance your life. For the first time ever, Xycod will be exhibiting its lineup of programs, including PostworkShop 2.1, which now provides direct access to Fotolia‘s premium image marketplace.

“We have been able to use the API toolkit made available by Fotolia to create a supplementary front-end for our flagship product,” announces Bela Biro, Xycod’s CEO. “Specifically to allow the search, browsing, purchase, download and enhancement of any image in Fotolia’s catalog entirely within the application itself.”

So if you’re ready to simply create with maximum impact and without restriction, make sure to stop by Xycod’s booth (#241) at the PSW Expo for a live demonstration of PostworkShop 2.1. It will transform your life… or at least your life’s work!

Click here to check out a video tutorial of PostworkShop 2.1.

Click here to download your FREE Expo Pass. Please note: Registered Photoshop World attendees get instant admission to the PSW Expo with their conference badge.

Prepare For Battle, Photoshop-Style!

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to have just a couple of images at your disposal, a ticking clock and a captive audience anxiously anticipating what kind of masterpiece you can produce? Well, now’s your chance!

During this year’s Photoshop World Expo, you’ll have the opportunity to face off against some of the world’s best and brightest Photoshop stars to find out if you’ve got what it takes to defeat a Photoshop Guru!

The series of no holds barred “Photoshop Wars,” sponsored by iStockphoto, will take place at the iStockphoto booth (#133) throughout the day during regular Expo hours. An exact schedule will be available onsite.

Think you’ve got what it takes to challenge a Photoshop Guru? Then get ready to step into the ring and battle it out with one of the Photoshop Guys! If you come out victorious, you’ll take home some amazing prizes! If you’d rather sit on the sidelines, don’t worry! You’ll have a hand in picking the winner! Either way, it’ll still be a heart pounding experience in front of a live audience. We promise you won’t want to miss this epic battle!

See you in Vegas for an all out Photoshop war!

Click here to download your FREE Expo Pass. Please note: Registered Photoshop World attendees get instant admission to the PSW Expo with their conference badge.

Get Your Insider’s Guide to Photoshop World!

If you’ve attended Photoshop World, you’ve probably heard all about the 4+ alumni in attendance. If you haven’t attended, our 4+ alumni are the die-hard PSW attendees who come to the conference year-after-year. Some of them (I won’t mention any names!) even attend the West Coast AND East Coast editions in the same year. Well, one of those oh-so-awesome members of the elite 4+ Club—NAPP member Kevin Stohlmeyer—has created a super-duper guide to the conference that can be used by first-time attendees, as well as return attendees! Thank you Kevin for sharing your insight into the must-attend photography, lighting and Photoshop conference!

“An Insider’s Guide to Photoshop® World”

This year will be my fifth overall Photoshop® World conference (fourth in a row at Vegas) and each year, I meet new folks who have a lot of questions about the conference and Las Vegas in general. They want the “inside scoop” on where to go, how to get around, etc. So I started thinking about this project last year and here is the result – “An Insider’s Guide to Photoshop® World” with helpful tips, hints, and insights not only for the conference itself but also getting around the hotel and Las Vegas. I’ve even included a section on “Eats” featuring some great bargains and my picks for the best restaurants (that I’ve been to) in Las Vegas. I hope you find this helpful and that it makes your Photoshop® World experience the best it can possibly be!

Click here to review “An Insider’s Guide to Photoshop® World” and start preparing for “Project Photoshop!”

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.

Expo Alert! Lend Me Your (G)ear!

If you’re looking to take your photography to the next level but really can’t afford the hefty price tag for new equipment—or just can’t decide which gadgets and gizmos you’d prefer to buy—don’t despair! BorrowLenses.com is ready to help get you in gear.

“We offer a huge selection of photography gear from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, Leica and Panasonic,” proclaims Josh Norem, the marketing director at BorrowLenses, one of the nation’s largest photography equipment rental companies. “In addition, we have studio lighting equipment, video gear, accessories and more.”

Whether you’re a budding amateur or seasoned professional, BorrowLenses.com has the high-quality equipment you need to elevate your craft. And they test and clean every piece before it’s shipped out, so you can start shooting as soon as your gear arrives.

“We’re photographers ourselves and want nothing more than to make sure you have the gear you need, when you need it,” asserts Norem. “We ship to all 50 states, no deposits are required and we accept reservations and will do everything we can to make your rental experience go as smoothly as possible.”

For the first time ever, BorrowLenses.com will be exhibiting at this year’s Photoshop World Expo to give attendees a chance to learn more about the California-based company’s extensive line of equipment and even test a few lenses!

“We’ll offer super-telephoto lens demonstrations at our booth,” discloses Norem. “So drop by if you want some trigger time with a 600mm f/4 lens!”

Along with testing product, PSW Expo attendees will have access to an exclusive special discount on their next reservation, as well as get a chance to win a free rental! So if you’re ready to get the perfect shot—without breaking the bank—make sure to stop by the BorrowLenses.com booth.

Click here to learn more about how the rental process works with BorrowLenses.com.

How’d You Like To Shoot It First?

It’s becoming a great tradition at the Photoshop World Expo! This year’s trade show will once again feature a LIVE photo shoot booth—professionally lit by F.J. Westcott—featuring several live model and product scenarios.

In speaking with the person responsible for Westcott’s interactive station and Photoshop World Shootout Contest, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed with this year’s awe-inspiring scenes!

To celebrate the return of the LIVE photo booth, NAPP and Westcott have created a special promotion entitled, “Shoot It First!” Starting today, the first 50 people who register using our special promo code will get VIP access to the Westcott booth before anyone else.

Simply register for Photoshop World by Tuesday, July 19 using this promo code – PW11-SHOOTFIRST – and you’ll be one of our Shoot It First! VIPs at Photoshop World. (Participants will be selected in order of registration, while space is available.)

Click here to see what you’ll get as a Shoot It First! VIP.

So if you’re ready to become a better photographer with exclusive access to the Westcott live photo booth, register today!

*Offer expires on Tuesday, July 19 at 11:59 pm or when all 50 spots are filled. Offer valid with new PSW registrations only.

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/.