Learning With Rock Stars!

As my plane lifted off the ground and we winged our way up the Southern California coastline, the words "jewel of the coast" came to mind. San Diego is so incredibly gorgeous and on this picture perfect day, I drank it all in until the plane headed inland. I was on my way to Vegas that day to attend the Photoshop World Conference at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. I was anticipating learning a lot, but I had no idea how much there would be for my brain to soak up!

It had been miserably hot in San Diego, so I was concerned that Vegas would be even hotter, but it turned out to be perfectly lovely as my mom would say. Vegas had changed hugely since I was last there and I could easily see why it is called a playground for adults. The hotels are huge! And they are decorated with themes like "Paris" and "New York, New York." At night the strip sparkles like the costumed dancers in the nightly shows. It's magical! And if you don't pay too much attention to those that have had a bit too much to drink who are acting like fools, it's not half bad.

But I was not there to play, I was there to learn along with 3,000 - 4,000 other photographers, designers, and printers. The lineup of instructors was like a who's who in the world of Photoshop and photography. They are rock stars in the photographer's eyes and it was incredibly exciting just to be in the same room with them.

Scott Kelby, who started the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) almost twenty years ago is a great teacher and I took full advantage of his workshops. He focused on retouching portraits so I was able to pick up some great tips. I also learned some fantastic shortcuts and new to me tips from John Caponigro who happens to be from San Diego.

Since my goal as a photographer is to give my clients the best possible portraits, I was very happy to sit in as these "rock stars" shared how to do my job better and easier. For awhile now I've been learning on-line at the Kelby training site where so many of the instructors teach. One of my favorites is Joe McNally who, like Scott Kelby, is very funny and very good at sharing concepts in a way that I can understand. So when McNally asked for a volunteer who was wearing white to come up on stage and 'model' for a lighting demonstration, I shot my hand up in the air. And since I was sitting pretty close to the stage, he picked ME! I am sooo glad I decided to wear my white blouse that day.

It was great fun having McNally 'shoot' me. He joked with me, told the crowd that I had beautiful eyes, and in the process of working with him for a few minutes I actually learned quite a bit. Photography is not an exact science, and when McNally's photos didn't come out the way he anticipated, I felt very encouraged. If the big guns still have to try a second and a third time to get the result they want, then I won't feel so discouraged when my photography doesn't go exactly the way I want it to the first time.

I still can't believe that Joe McNally took my picture, well, quite a few pictures. If you follow NASCAR, it's like Jimmy Johnson inviting you to have a driving lesson in his race car. It's huge! A woman stopped me in the bathroom after the class and said, "It's too bad you didn't get to see the photos Joe took of you." The way he had me standing I couldn't see the giant screens. I asked her if they were really terrible. "No!" she said, "They were really good." Boy, I wish I had been able to see them and even more I wish I could have had copies of them. Can you imagine the bragging rights I'd have? I'm still excited thinking about it today.

Next time more about Photoshop World and my little challenge to myself at night on the Vegas strip.

Now go forth and try try again without getting discouraged.

Vegas Baby!

What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas! We've all seen the television commercial and it gets our imagination going every time. I on the other hand want everything that happens to me in Vegas to come home with me. Let me explain. I recently joined NAPP otherwise known as the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and the Western Conference known as Photoshop World is happening later this week at the gorgeous Mandalay Bay Hotel in Vegas. I'm going and I can hardly wait!

Photoshop. We've all heard about it (at least in my world we have) and a lot of us have used it in one form or another. Students use it at school, most photographers I know use it, and designers of all varieties use it. "That's what Photoshop is for," or "I'll just Photoshop that," have become standard phrases in our every day language. And why not? It's a fantastic tool that can not only enhance a photograph but save it too.

There has been a debate over the years about leaning too much on Photoshop instead of working hard on technique and getting the photo right in the camera. Yes, there will always be those that take the easy road, but today I'm not talking about those people. I'm talking about people like me who work really hard on technique so that the photos we shoot will be fantastic. But sometimes I need a little help and that's where Photoshop comes in.

There are times when a lighting situation or shoot location puts us in a place where we have less control than we'd like and at those times Photoshop can be a life saver. It's also nice to be able to touch up portraits and finely tune photographs giving us the best possible image for our clients.

The three day conference will be packed, not only with eager photographers and designers, but with some of the biggest names in the world of photography. It will be hard to choose from the myriad of workshops available, but I think I'm going to concentrate on the ones that deal with skin tones, lighting, and taking great portraits.

Scott Kelby is among the names listed along with other great teachers like Joe McNally, David Ziser, and Moose Peterson (I sincerely hope that is a nickname. I would never name my kid Moose!). Scott Kelby created NAPP and is the editor and publisher of Photoshop Magazine, which I read every month. I am so excited about meeting him. I own three of his books and have literally sat with a book open in my lap following his directions step-by-step. He is an excellent writer and I have learned SO much from his books.

So tomorrow I'll be winging my way to Vegas, thanks to a great deal on tickets from Southwest Airlines, and putting my eager little brain into overload. My plan is to come home with lots of techniques and information that will enhance my work as a photographer. My ultimate goal is to give my clients the best possible image I can, and I believe it's only possible if I continue to improve my skills both behind the camera and at my computer. I won't be blogging again until after I return next Monday, October 5th, so I'll see you then.

Now go forth and do something to improve your technique!