Photoshop World Wrap Up – From Kevin

Well another Photoshop World has gone by and this year’s event has definitely set the standard for future events. Looking back, I will remember this year’s PSW Vegas as the “Networking” conference. I think I met more people this year than I have ever met at any conference- and I don’t mean just exchange your cards (I went through 150?!), but actually having conversations and getting to know people.

My two favorite experiences this year was a “Meetup” I held at House of Blues on Monday and the Official Tweetup. The first was for a small group of Twitter/Facebook friends who arrived early for the conference. We were all joking about how it is hard to picture how people really look without having the Twitter/Facebook avatar to go by.

Then there was the larger than life PSW Tweetup on Tuesday. I loved that Erik Valind and the gang from Wescott step up each year and do a great job with the photo booth. Even the Photoshop Product Team got involved in the festivities (see my earlier posts). Again, this was a great place to meet a lot of the people I have been talking to in social media over the past year and turn online acquaintances into real world friendships.

In case you missed Mel’s and Theresa’s posts, here is the link to the PSW Vegas Tweetup 2011 images on Flickr. And if you did miss their posts, shame! Read them – they have great insights. Be sure to check out my shot along with my buddy Ken Toney modeling a fun shirt we produced for the event featuring the Photoshop Guys.

As for the sessions, I love seeing Bert Monroy speak at every Photoshop World. Each time I get a glimpse into the genius it takes to pull off massive artwork like his “Times Square” piece. His techniques and tips using both Photoshop and Illustrator always inspire me to do better in my own work. Julieanne Kost was on fire this year with jokes, stories and great techniques and Photoshop Hall of Fame inductee Bryan O’Neil Hughes showed some great “Hidden Gems” at the Adobe Booth.

But my new favorite presenter at Photoshop World has to be David Black. Even though I am not a photographer by trade, I attended his “Guide to Sports Action Photography” and was blown away. I think one of the reasons this session appealed to me was it wasn’t another technique and equipment presentation. David simply showed his body of work on screen and talked about his work ethic (get there early and stay late). He talked to the group about his passion. He is a great presenter and can really involve you in his thought process and convey the emotions from his work. When you come to PSW, make it a point to attend at least one of his sessions.

Then there was the expo. There seemed to be a lot more time dedicated to the expo hall this year, which was great. There were a lot of big name vendors including Adobe, Wacom and FJWescott and smaller vendors that I learned about and will definitely be throwing some business their way. The highlight for many was the Wescott Shootout Booth. Each day, four new models and vignettes took shape and allowed photographers to get some great shots. Congrats to my buddy William Beem on winning the Shootout Contest held on day 1 and Patrick LaMontagne for releasing his new DVD at PhotoshopCafe.

Other highlights for me personally were seeing my friends from Wacom and getting to test drive the new Inkling. Many thanks to Wes, Dan and the crew for letting us play with their newest product. They literally had it shipped to them at the conference just so they could see it. Little did they know many of us wanted in on the fun too. I also got to participate in iStockphoto’s Photoshop Wars this year along with my friend Pete Collins (after heckling him from the front row). It was a very hectic and challenging contest against Corey Barker, but the good guys prevailed and Pete and I were declared winners. Many thanks to the folks at iStock for sponsoring this fun contest this year.

One lasting memory I will have from this year’s Photoshop World came out of an act of kindness. I was attending another function along with some of the instructors when a woman from Texas came into the room looking lost and puzzled. I noticed before she shyly walked away that she had an “I’m a Stranger” button from the Dinner with a Stranger program. I went over and asked if she was lost and she said she was. I offered to help her look around the Border Grille until we found the rest of the DWS party. The memory I will have is the response she received when we walked up to the table and everyone greeted her. They were warm, inviting and genuinely happy to see her. I walked away with the warm feeling that people you meet at PSW are genuinely nice folks and I actually wanted to stay with them! I know it was mentioned at the Wrap Up event that Mandalay Bay Security had made it a point to tell the conference organizers what nice people we all are, but this small gesture by a group of “strangers” really drove the point home for me.

This is the last thing I want to share with you as a Guest Blogger for PSW- It’s not just about the sessions you go to, or the techniques you will learn, it’s about the PEOPLE. It’s about instructors who care (as David Black so eloquently stated in the Wrap Up), it’s about meeting new people and expanding your network, your friendships and learning from others. You never know what or who will influence you when you attend an event like Photoshop World, but you can be assured that you will leave inspired, motivated, and elevated.

Many thanks to Nancy, Tom, Karla, Pete, Mel, Theresa, David, Kristina, William, Ken, and many many others who made this Photoshop World an event to remember.

Photoshop World Wrap Up – Best Of from Theresa

I’m back home now and back to work, but still dragging from a week of sleep deprivation. This was my second Photoshop World and even though it was different than last year, it was still an amazing experience. I want to share of few of my “PSW Best Of Experiences”. These are my personal observations, but I am sure they are shared by others.

The Best Overall Part Of Photoshop World

The conference evaluation asked, “Tell us what impressed you the most.”

The PEOPLE impressed me the most. All the people that make up Photoshop World are what makes PSW so special. This includes the attendees, the instructors, the NAPP employees and the expo vendors. Every single person I met was wonderful.

The Best Class

My favorite class was “Playing With Time” by Julieanne Kost. I learned things about Photoshop that I had never previously explored. Honestly that doesn’t happen too often for me. Julieanne imparted a ton of information in a rapid fire, humorous way. I was like a sponge soaking it all up. Now I need to go try some time lapse photography of my own.

Best Expo Booth

Anyone at Photoshop World with a camera, (which is pretty much everyone) will tell you the Westcott Booth blew everyone away. The models were over-the-top amazing. I filled a 4G card on the first afternoon.

The painted Alien Girl was one of the favorites. This was my entry to the Shoot It First competition. I was honored to be part of this competition and excited for Michael Reeves when he won. CONGRATS Mike!

Later in the afternoon I found myself on the other side of the camera lens. I’m not exactly sure how this happened, but I’ll just blame it on Vanelli. Looking out at 50 camera lenses pointed at me practically gave me a heart attack. Truthfully though, I learned a lot from the other side, and taking direction from Vanelli.

Thank you Lorne Marcum for this image.

Best Photoshop Tip

I really shouldn’t admit publicly that I didn’t already know this. I learned it during Bert Monroy’s class, “Painting With Photoshop”. When he showed it to us, I just kind of gasped and said, “OMG, how did I not know that?”

Try this check box under layer style blending modes. Knowing what this does will save me time and aggravation for almost every Photoshop design project I create. That’s a pretty good ROI for attending Photoshop World.

I’m already missing everyone and looking forward to my next PSW.

Footnote

I read Mel’s Recap while I was posting my own. I swear I didn’t read hers before I wrote this, and we didn’t talk about it either. I love that our reflections are so similar, especially the part about the people. Mel is one of those people. I’m so glad we met through Photoshop World.

Photoshop World: Bring On Day Two!

Well, Day 1 of Photoshop World has officially ended and Day 2 is underway!

Starting off yesterday with the amazing “Project Photoshop” Opening Keynote was a blast (those guys at NAPP sure know how to have fun). Not only was the keynote fun, but it was a unique event in that Adobe had a special announcement for us: Carousel, a new product that acts as a multiple device photography solution. The Adobe team that created it was there to join in the announcement, which was so great to see all of those people that work so hard on great product experiences for us.
The keynote is also where the Guru award winners and Photoshop Hall of Fame recipients are awarded. It is so amazing to see the work that NAPP members create… All awards were well deserved!

After the keynote the sessions got into full swing. I attended Small Flash Basics with Joe McNally to kick off the morning… And what a way to start it off! Joe always has a fun and informative session, and really just to watch him work is awe inspiring. His audience can really bask in his passion for all things photography. I look forward to more lighting with him tomorrow!

My next session was Portrait Retouching for Photographers with the man, the myth, the legend– Scott Kelby. Talk about awe inspiring…He can retouch in Photoshop in about 30 seconds, whereas it would take me 3 hours! Which is of course why I’m attending PSW… to learn from the best.

After roaming the grandiose Expo floor and catching some short demonstrations from RC Concepcion and Moose Peterson, it was time for my final session, Making a Difference with Your Camera by Jeremy Cowart. This session was thought provoking and truly a great way to finish up the first day of PSW.

I look forward to more great sessions tomorrow and finishing up the day with Midnight Madness fun!

Pre-PSW Checklist

Hi all, long-time attendee, first-time blogger. Just kidding. With less than a week to go I thought a recap for resources and tips for Photoshop World might be helpful.

For those first-time attendees or for those who want the inside scoop on how to get the most out of your Photoshop World experience, do not miss Larry Becker’s “First-Time Attendee Orientation” held Tuesday during the Pre-Con sessions. This event is FREE and is held in two sessions: 3:15–4:15 pm and 5:15–6:15 pm.

If you cannot attend Larry’s event, or want more information about Photoshop World or getting around Vegas in general be sure to check out my “Insider’s Guide to PSW”. You can download it here.

To help plan your schedules two electronic options are available for you. First is the PSW App by Shaun Welch available for the iPhone. If you don’t have an iphone or iPod Touch,  don’t worry there is the ever-popular PSW Schedule PDF by Dave Cross which you can download here.

Next, if you are on Twitter, be sure to sign up for the NEW Photoshop World Hashcaster Site for the latest information and roundup of all the day’s PSW news and important Tweets. You can sign up here. Speaking of Twitter, the Photoshop World Tweetup will be held Tuesday night at 8 pm just outside the registration area on the patio (same location as last year). This is a great opportunity for you to meet and network with other Photoshop World attendees and the instructors (including Scott Kelby himself).

Last, here is a handy checklist of things to remember when coming to Photoshop World:

1. Your Badge. It is the “must-wear” accessory at this year’s “Project Photoshop”.  You need it to get into any event during the conference. If you forget it, expect to be asked by staff to go back and get it.
2. Comfy shoes. As in shoes you can walk around in all-day and not get blisters. Learn from my first-year mistake. Ouch!
3. A sweater or jacket. Vegas may be 110° F next week, but the conference rooms are air conditioned so be prepared if you tend to get chills.
4. Water. There is water available in the back of the session rooms. However, if you are going on a photo-safari or photo-walk, bring water. In Vegas, it may be a dry heat, but 100°+ temperatures can sneak up on you.
5. Writing utensils. It seems every year I am borrowing my pen to the person seated next to me so they can fill out their evaluation forms at the end of a session. Don’t forget you may also want to take notes during the sessions.
6. Money. Now I don’t mean bring cash for the table games, but be sure to have your credit cards or cash on hand for the expo hall. Many exhibitors will be selling as well as displaying their wares and also there is the Kelby Training Bookstore. It’s like Target – expect to spend a lot more than you planned for.

Hope this list and resources help you make the most of your PSW experience. See you all next week in Vegas.

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: 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.