P&P Blogger Profile: Scott Kelby
Scott Kelby of Photoshop InsiderI’m Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User magazine, President of the National Assn. of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), I’m publisher of Layers magazine (the how-to magazine for everything Adobe), and for the past two years I’ve been named the world's #1 bestselling author of computer and technology books across all categories.
Why do you blog?
I blog as a personal way of reaching NAPP members and personal friends. I felt like I needed a way to talk to them one-and-one and my blog really helps me do that. Someday’s it’s a challenge, and other days it’s a savior.
I blog as a personal way of reaching NAPP members and personal friends. I felt like I needed a way to talk to them one-and-one and my blog really helps me do that. Someday’s it’s a challenge, and other days it’s a savior.
If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
The Online Photographer (http://theonlinephotographer.blogspot.com/)
John Nack on Adobe (http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/)
Terry’s Tech Blog (http://web.mac.com/terrywhite/iWeb/terrywhite/Tech-Blog/Tech-Blog.html)
How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
Started using Photoshop at version 2.0, and I was a traditional film photographer for years before that.
What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
I shoot with a Nikon D2Xs as my main camera, with a Nikon D200 as my backup body (but I use that D200 more than I would admit---I love that camera).
Mac or PC?
I’ve always been a Mac guy. I have two Dell laptops, and they’re great, but I’m still a Mac guy at heart.
What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
OK, you knew I was going to say Photoshop right? However, right behind that is Lightroom, and behind that is iPhoto (it’s better than you’d think).
What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
I would love a Nikon 200mm F/2 lens. It’s glorious!!!!!
What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
When you realize that photography is all about shooting in great light, whether you’re outdoors or in a studio, using natural light or flash, it changes everything. I would focus on learning that by looking at how the best in the industry use light. The best outdoor photographers only shoot at dawn and dusk. The best portrait photographers only shoot their subjects in perfect natural light (not direct sunlight). In the end, it’s all about the light, and most photographers haven’t realized that yet. So, my advice---become a light snob, and either only shoot in great light, or learn to use strobes to create great light.
What inspires you to create?
Looking at other photographers' or graphic designers' work.
What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
If you don’t have faith in God, you’re pretty much on your own, and life can be tough enough without having to go it alone.
Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
I would love to retire to Maui, Hawaii, but before that I’d love a have 4 to 6 month assignments to get a chance to live/work in my favorite cities; Paris, New York, Stockholm, Barcelona and Brussels.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to just hang out with my family (going to Disney, or traveling together anywhere); and I love have dinner with friends and just talk and laugh.
What talent would you most like to have?
I would love to speak a few foreign languages.
From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? Opportunity
What is your least favorite word? Problem
What turns you on? Fixing or tweaking something that I think is broken.
What turns you off? Things that are broken (I’m not talking about appliances—I’m talking about processes, or businesses, or Web sites, etc.)
What sound or noise do you love? I absolutely love the sound of my wife’s voice, my son’s voice, and my daughter’s voice. It is just music to my ears.
What sound or noise do you hate? The sound of an alarm clock.
What is your favorite curse word? Crap! (well, that’s the PG version, but my 10-year-old son totally considers that a curse word.)
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? I’d love to be a television producer/director, or produce a Broadway play.
What occupation would you not want to participate in? I couldn’t be a pediatrician or anyone that deals with abused kids. I have such a heart for children that it overwhelms me when I hear about a sick or abused child. May God bless those people who have the gift of being able to deal with that kind of pain on a daily basis.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Thanks for helping me spread the Word---and come right on in.
*Note: If you would like to participate in the P&P Blogger Profile series, please email Jason with your blog's URL and he will send you a profile to fill out. Also, be sure to check out the P&P Weekly every Monday for news about this site and a roundup of what other Photoshop & Photography Blogroll members are posting.
