Russell Brown, Photoshop History, and Fun

Lately I've been eating up as many tutorials as I can about Photoshop CS3 and once again found myself over in the Tips & Techniques section of The Russell Brown Show watching a number of videos by Adobe's Senior Creative Director. While watching and listening to him work you just can't not be excited about Photoshop. It's just not possible.

Also, over at PhotoshopNews.com, Jeff Schewe offers an interesting visual history of Photoshop splash screens from pre-v1.0 thru CS2.

And finally, on a more personal note, after a number of changes in scheduling, destination, and overall logistics, Kim and I are beginning to plan a vacation to London and Paris for late summer. Late last fall I was thinking about a solo trip to Switzerland, then my best friend from college and I were discussing Greece but now she can't go - and the prices went way up - so Kim and I decided that Paris would be perfect. She hasn't done a whole lot of traveling, none abroad, and with her love of art and working toward her masters in Art Ed. Paris just seemed like the natural destination. We're also going to spend a day or two wandering around London and maybe catch a show.

Other than the obvious spots to see, does anyone have any suggestions for our trip? Little cafes with great food? Lesser-known places to visit? We'd love to hear them!

Photoshop TV: Special Report

Check out Photoshop TV for Scott, Dave, and Matt's special behind the scenes report from Adobe's CS3 Launch in NYC.

"Schrute-Space"

Note: The following has nothing to do with Photoshop or photography (but read it anyway).

I was reading an article about actor Rainn Wilson of NBC's The Office on CNN.com over lunch the other day. I'm a big fan of the show, I just think it's one of the funniest things on TV. Wilson plays intensely devoted assistant regional manager (really, assistant to the regional manager) Dwight Schrute who is often the object of elaborate pranks devised by his co-workers. He is one of the more unique characters ever written for television comedy and Wilson is amazing in the role.

In the article, Wilson mentions that he writes as Dwight over on the show's site on NBC.com in his blog "Schrute-Space." He doesn't write very frequently but definitely go back in the archives and read it all. Do it now.

Some excerpts from the blog:

• "First of all, "fall" is my favorite of the four seasons (next to summer and spring of course). And here is a little known fact: They call it fall because people fall down a great deal over all the leaves and branches. It also gets icy later on in the season and that ice on the puddles gets covered with leaves and brambles and such. In my humble opinion they should call it "horrifying accident waiting to happen" or "trip" or "lookout for leaves!""
• " I have over 87 people in my immediate family however. But most of them don't have the internet as they are farmers. Mostly beet farmers or Amish. The Amish don't use the internet. Probably because of how slow dial-up is."
• "Here in Scranton it is 46 degrees and SLEETY. I love sleet. It's so bracing. It's not snow (wimpy) or rain (annoying). It's sleet. It's its own thing. Sleet is the most unappreciated type of weather. This winter, let's all try and have a deeper respect for sleet and what it does and what it is. Also - think about the way the throat and swallowing works. The epiglotis decides what goes where down the trachea and/or esophogus. But it gets no respect. This tiny flap of skin in your neck decides if something is food or air. The food goes to your tummy. The air goes to your lungs. Without it your food would go straight into your lungs and clog them up. You'd have soup in your lungs. Or a sandwich. Or Doritos. Or Fresca. OR you would get air in your tummy and be a big gassy fart bag all the time. All that from the tiny, powerful epiglotis. In many ways, I am like the epiglotis. Small, unappreciated, not well thought of or respected, but POWERFUL. So powerful that without me you'd have food in your lungs."
• "Why are robots always the villains? Why are robots always portrayed as shifty aggressors with ulterior motives? Why can't robots be taken for what they are. Artificially intelligent creatures who are PROGRAMMED to serve humanity.... A coffee maker is a robot. Think about it: "I want a cup of coffee. No, make that seven. I want seven cups of coffee. I want those seven cups at 6:55 AM. I want seven cups of coffee, extra-strong. I want the coffee maker to beep me a warning signal when the requisite cups have been brewed. I want those seven cups to be kept warm at a temperature of 103 degrees fareinheit until I have drunk every drop of hot coffee." Etc... Etc... That is robotics. Plain and simple. Is that so dangerous? Are you afraid of your Mr.Coffee now? Are you switching to tea? No, you are not. You love your little coffee robot."

Good stuff!

Who's Going?

We're a week away and the word on the street is that Photoshop World is now sold out. They are still going to be opening the tech expo to the public for one day from 10am-5pm on Thursday April 5th - you can get your free pass here - so, if you are in or around the Boston area, you can at least get in to see some of the sights and get some training in the various expo theaters on the floor.

I've been registered for a while now, I've got a couch to crash on, and a nice (free!) parking spot on BU's campus a short distance away. So I'm ready to go!

Are you going? Do you want to plan a time to meet up so we can put faces to names? I will be free for lunch on Friday the 6th and would love to have a chance to meet you. I'll also be at the Photoshop World After Hours Party at Jillian's, so if you were one of the lucky ones to get a ticket we can work something out there too. Post a comment or send me an email if you're interested and we can work out the details.

Hope to see you there!

Reminder

Just a reminder that today at 3:30pm (EST) Adobe will be officially launching the Creative Suite 3 during a live webcast. While you are waiting for the webcast to begin you can watch a number of videos and testimonials on the launch event site.

Also of note regarding CS3:

• Matt Kloskowski and Corey Barker have added some new videos to the NAPP CS3 Learning Center dedicated to a few of the features of Photoshop CS3 Extended.
• Terry White has a video presentation on CS3 on his Creative Suite Podcast.
• Mike McHugh has a short video on Creative Sweet TV about the launch event in Australia.
  You can subscribe to Terry and Mike's podcasts for free through iTunes on their respective websites.

Check them out!

Taking Advantage of the Soft Light

Isn't always the case that when you want to head out to shoot the weather just won't cooperate? That was the case this weekend. It was chilly, rainy, and everything was just very blah. Not ideal. However, the overcast sky did offer some nice soft light as it filtered through my window allowing me to grab a shot of this candle holder. I just like the simplicity of the form and the muted colors.

P&P Weekly: #26

In case you haven't heard - and how can that be possible?! - this Tuesday at 3:30pm (EST) Adobe is going to be launching CS3 during a live webcast. Click here to bookmark the page.

Here’s what’s been happening this week in The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll:

• Amy of 2007 Picture a day (or week) - my favorites from this week are "Watching the sunset," "Sweden," and "Country sky."
• Paul of A Clean Well-Lighted Place - my favorite this week is "Untitled #3884"
• Kathleen of A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania - my favorite this week is "Guinevere Hesitates"
• Bruce of Bruce L. Snell Photography is back to the previous iteration of his blog.
• Mike of Creative Outlet has been busy with his day job this week, but assures us that he will be back to blogging with his latest picture a week in a couple of days.
• Dave at Dave Beckerman Photography: New York has some shots of the portfolio he's been working on.
• Dave at Dave Cross Online wrote about an Illustrator tutorial he's posted on YouTube and about where to get your free Tech Expo pass for Photoshop World in Boston.
• Jason of Designfruit has just released some Baroque borders in vector format.
• Richard from Europe in Black and White has a great shot simply titled "Wood"
• Michael over at eyes on the road wrote a profile of photographer Jim Richardson, a shot of the first daffodils of the season, and an abstract architectural shot.
• John of John Nack on Adobe always posts an interesting array of links from the world of photography, technology, and sometimes the unusual. Of note this week is a post about some new CS3 videos, a discussion about logos, and a whole lot more.
• Matt of Lightroom Killer Tips has a video about using removing red eye and a post about some Lightroom presets. Also, over at Photoshop Killer Tips, Matt has posted about removing dark circles under the eyes, cloning options, blend mode and pen tool basics.
• Mike of Mike's Blog and Creative Sweet TV posted his latest video on Illustrator to InDesign.
• Scott of Photoshop Insider has a series of shots he took of Yankees Second Baseman, Miguel Cairo (1,2,3), his Thursday news, Joe McNally's photos in Golf Digest, and memories of Monte Zucker.
• Justin of Photoshop Quicktips posts a weekly podcast on handy tips and techniques in Photoshop. This week's video is about creating a high pass, soft focus glow.
• Jon at San Miguel Photo of the Day posts images of life in Mexico. This week I like "Blowing Grasses."
• Shooter at Serial Photographer always has great shots. My favorite this week is "Untitled #42"
• Eduardo & Timothy of the 100 Images Project have just posted their most recent additions to the series. This week marks the end of their project.
• Andy from The Global Photographer wrote about integrating his site with PhotoShelter.
• Andy of Visual Realia has a couple of nice shots including "Morning Picnic" and "Imitation"
• Aaron of What the Duck publishes a daily online photography comic strip. All of them this week have been great.
• Martin of What the Heck Journal has a nice shot this week: "Go Go Go"
• Ben of Where is Ben? has a post about a second PS User article on Smart Objects and his current trip to Dubai.

Update your blogs often! I will only include links to posts added since the last P&P Weekly.

As always, if you have any suggestions or notice a discrepancy, please email me.

Creating Abstract Backgrounds

In last week's P&P Weekly I wrote about a post that John Nack had on photos taken while the camera was being tossed into the air with a long exposure.

While I'm not about to toss my new D200 into the air, this posed an interesting idea for creating abstract backgrounds. So, while sitting at my desk I set my camera to Shutter Priority, with a 5 second exposure at f/24 and an ISO of 100. After a little work in Lightroom to adjust color and overall tone and to add a slight vignette I ended up with a cool background. Give it a try!

Shooting with a Green Screen

One of the projects we are currently working on is a sequel of sorts to a historical video we produced last year for a library's local history video project. Last year's video told the story of a major employer's settlement in the area and the impact their commercial manufacturing arm had on the community since the mid-40s. This year, we are exploring the military development side of things.

One of the styles we are using to tell the story is green screening. Because of all of the visual elements that we have at our disposal, we are once again shooting all of the interviews and the host's segments in front of our chroma key green background so we can insert video and still images in post.

Above is our setup for this type of shoot. Basically we set the camera about 6 feet or so in front of the subject and the subject 3-4 feet in front of the background to help reduce the visibility of any wrinkles in the background and to avoid shadows from the key lights. We then light the subject with a pair of soft boxes to provide soft, even lighting on both sides of their face. The soft boxes are elevated when the subject has glasses to help minimize reflections. We then add a back light to illuminate the subject's head and shoulders. Not only is this a good accent light, it also serves the purpose of adding definition between the subject and the background for a cleaner chroma key. Sometimes there is some spill over of the chroma key green onto the subject and adding a bastard amber gel to the back light will help reduce some of the green. Next we put two lights on the background to make it bright and as even as possible.

Once the subject is in place we will adjust the levels of the lights, making sure that we maintain a bright background without losing a decent exposure on the subject. One important thing to remember is to switch your camera to manual iris, otherwise you will end up with a dark subject.

By the way, even though it's not a great example, the above shot was taken with my new D200.

It Has Arrived!

As I eluded to in Monday's P&P Weekly my new toy/tool has arrived! Late last week after I got back from my trip to Fallingwater, I finished my taxes, sold my D50 to the business, and placed my order for a Nikon D200 and a MB-D200 vertical grip/multi-battery pack - with an extra battery, a couple of memory cards and a card reader - from B&H.

I haven't had much chance to get out and shoot with it yet but hopefully when the weather is nicer this weekend I'll be able to.

*****
On a totally unrelated note, I just got done watching Monday's episode of The Daily Show on my DVR and to my surprise one of my former professors, Stephen Prothero, was the guest promoting his book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know - And Doesn't.

P&P Blogger Profile: Mike McHugh

"Mike's Favorite Tree"
Mike McHugh of Mike's Blog and Creative Sweet TV

Mike McHugh is Australia’s top Adobe Creative Suite Trainer, and is an Adobe Ambassador. Also the Author “How to Wow with InDesign CS2” and “How to Wow with Photoshop Elements”. And now is the host of a great podcast: Creative Sweet TV. Mike lives and works in Australia and when he is not teaching people all about Adobe Software he goes surfing.

Why do you blog?
I get quite a few questions from clients, why don’t I just answer them in a public forum? Hey I can advertise at the same time.

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
Peachpitcommons
Whereisben
Dave cross

How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
14 Years

What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
Nikon D70

Mac or PC?
Both mostly Mac. Using Parallels

What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
My Expo Disk.

What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
Macro Lens.

What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
Practice… oh and wear pants.

What inspires you to create?
Having a shower.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Have fun.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
Byron Bay

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Surf.

What talent would you most like to have?
Multi-lingual

From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? Yes
What is your least favorite word? No
What turns you on? My Wife
What turns you off? Quark Express
What sound or noise do you love? Spanish Guitar
What sound or noise do you hate? Crazy Frog Ring tone
What is your favorite curse word? Wanker
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? Rock Star/ Actor
What occupation would you not want to participate in? Prostitution or Politician or is that the same thing?
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Hey Mike, Nice job on the CS3 book, who would have thought you could solve the worlds poverty problems that way?

*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.

P&P Weekly: #25

I'm now back after a very restful and long-needed vacation. A few cool things have been going on the past few days. I already posted about my 5th NAPP Editor's Choice selection, but I've also been in contact with Matt Kloskowski of PhotoshopTV and Photoshop/Lightroom Killer Tips fame and he has agreed to be profiled here at Soup Questions! He will be the 3rd "Photoshop Guy" and host of PSTV to be a subject of our series and you can expect to see it posted once I have it in-hand. At this point all I'll say about my last piece of cool news is that the one I want, as opposed to the one I could afford at the time, will be arriving at some point today. And I'll post more later this week.

In the meantime, here’s what’s been happening this week in The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll:

• Amy of 2007 Picture a day (or week) - my favorites from this week are "Pink" and "Big sky country"
• Paul of A Clean Well-Lighted Place - my favorite this week is "Untitled #3786 (Grain Series #5)"
• Kathleen of A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania - my favorites this week are "Saint Don" and "Girl Carrying the Flag of Saint Andrew's Cross"
• Bruce of Bruce L. Snell Photography shares a few shots from a 2003 wedding.
• Mike of Creative Outlet tells us of the new home of his Picture A Week gallery and the details behind this week's shot.
• Dave at Dave Beckerman Photography: New York has a number of interesting shots this week and also takes us through a number of details that go into his portfolio project.
• Dave at Dave Cross Online wrote about his trip to Houston, information about the upcoming upgrade to CS3, The new Sigma APO 200-500mm F2.8 EX DG lens, and a brain teaser from Adobe that could result in a t-shirt.
• Richard from Europe in Black and White has a great shot called "Bridge to nowhere"
• Michael over at eyes on the road has some shots of the Kansas City, MO skyline, watching a St. Patrick's Day parade go by his office window, and a nice shot of some pussy willows.
• John of John Nack on Adobe always posts an interesting array of links from the world of photography, technology, and sometimes the unusual. Of note this week is a post about some free Lightroom presets and a post about photographs made by tossing cameras with a long exposure.
• Matt of Lightroom Killer Tips - one of our newest members, Welcome! - has a video about using Quick Develop, a post about an upcoming photo workshop in Banff NP, and a video interview with Scott Kelby. Also, over at Photoshop Killer Tips, Matt has posted about changing the color of the default red stroke, creating a reflection, putting a photo in text, and a pair of quick mask tips.
• Mike of Mike's Blog and Creative Sweet TV - one of our newest members, Welcome! - wrote about the catastrophic success of his podcast.
• Jim of PHOTOBLOG by Jim Larimer has a really interesting full color bichromate print.
• Scott of Photoshop Insider has his Monday morning news report, a funny link to a "you know you're a photographer if..." list, the appearance of Big Electric Cat at Photoshop World, and some CS3 news.
• Justin of Photoshop Quicktips posts a weekly podcast on handy tips and techniques in Photoshop. Last week's was all about creating a flexible vignette, and this week's video is about creating abstract backgrounds.
• Jon at San Miguel Photo of the Day posts images of life in Mexico. This week I really like "Kicking up the dust"
• Shooter at Serial Photographer always has great shots. My favorite this week is "Spares or repair"
• Eduardo & Timothy of the 100 Images Project have just posted their most recent additions to the series. This week marks week number 49 of their 50 week series.
• Andy from The Global Photographer wrote about using PhotoShelter, the Leica M8, camera bags, and his thoughts from PMA.
• Erik of The Journal: Life of a Persson wrote about Pi Day.
• Andy of Visual Realia has a series of nice winter scenes.
• Aaron of What the Duck publishes a daily online photography comic strip. My favorite this week is "WTD 173"
• Martin of What the Heck Journal has 3 nice shots this week: "To the Top," "Wino," and "Writing On The Wall"
• Ben of Where is Ben? has a post about his latest PS User article on Smart Objects and a recent seminar in LA.

Update your blogs often! I will only include links to posts added since the last P&P Weekly.

As always, if you have any suggestions or notice a discrepancy, please email me.

Editor's Choice #5

On our way back from Fallingwater the other day, Kim and I stopped off at this old covered bridge just south of Ithaca to take a few shots. I had passed by signs for this bridge a few times and had always wanted to stop but never had the chance. So I was excited to see what I could get.

It had been a little rainy and dreary all morning and with the snow beginning to melt it was really brown and dirty everywhere you looked. There wasn't a great angle to shoot from and, to be honest, I wasn't too happy with any of my shots.

Last night, though, I worked on this one a bit to see if I could salvage a "3-star shot" and posted it in my NAPP Portfolio along with the other shots from our trip. I went to check out the member portfolio section today and they selected this shot as one of their "Editor's Choice" images for this week.

Thanks again to everyone over at NAPP for their affirmation of my work!

Fallingwater

“The longer I live, the more beautiful life becomes.” – Frank Lloyd Wright

Fallingwater Vacation

I am going to be out of town this week on a mini-vacation. Kim and I will be taking a few days to travel down to Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater in southwestern PA. (With a short stopover to meet, at least, her mom and her dog - who gets final approval of me!)

I visited Fallingwater back in 2004 but was on a tour that didn't allow me to take any photos inside the house. This time, we're taking the in-depth tour which, even though it starts at 8:30 (too early for a vacation), takes you into rooms not accessible on the regular tour and photography is also allowed. Because it's a guided tour, I won't have a great opportunity to take the time I would want to get shots, but at least I can have my camera. I'll be back late in the week and will definitely post some of my better shots.

Part of being on vacation means detachment from my computer. So, I will not be posting this week until I get back and because of everything I have to do today I will not be writing up the P&P Weekly for this week. Photoshop & Photography Blogroll members have been posting some really great stuff this week and we have a couple of new members so please take the time to visit their sites and check them out!

Also, something for all you Photoshop addicts out there, I should have a profile coming for Matt Kloskowski within the next week or two so be on the lookout for that!

P&P Blogger Profile: Clayton Spangler

Clayton Spangler of The C Spot and www.ClaytonSpangler.com

I've been shooting for a little over 20 years; I started out by shooting illustrative images for books. I was also a studio portrait photographer for a while (at another company) and honed my skills with lighting, technical skills and working under tight deadlines. I became a digital lab manager for the same company (different division) and was involved with the nuts and bolts of working with the commercial lab side of the business.

I think this was an important step in my photographic education. I got to meet and see some of the best photographers and their work. Some had a great influence over my work as it stands today.

I now work with a company called Photographic Production Services as a Certified Photographic Consultant. Seeing what a great lab is capable of and knowing how the end product is made is key to getting the best results for my own work. I also own my own company called Clayton Spangler Photographic Design (www.claytonspangler.com)

I belong to several different professional organizations; the Professional Photographers of WV, Professional Photographers of America, the Society of Photo Finishing Engineers, the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, as well as the Society for Certified Photographic Consultants. This allows me to keep up on the ever changing world of photography as well as trends.

I have been privileged in being a speaker and instructor with several workshops and trade shows over the past few years. I enjoy this as much as the students and participants - it pushes me to keep creating and learning - to stay "relevant”.

Why do you blog?
Since my website is more “portfolio oriented”, I need an outlet to talk about things that aren’t always “business related” I want to share; to just connect with people who are interested in some of the same things I am. Blogging is a cool way to do that.

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
That’s an easy one-
On Location with Rick Lee-he is one of the most prolific and creative guys I know. David Honl – A photographer who lives in Istanbul and has great insights on a lot of subjects and situations. And although this isn’t technically a “blog”, the whattheduck.net website by Aaron Johnson- is my favorite -Way too funny! (plus he updates his comic strip everyday)

How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
So long I don’t remember (laughs) – I think around Adobe 4.5

What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
I shoot primarily with Canon digital cameras and equipment.
Although I’ve been seen shooting with some pretty cool Fuji cameras a time or two.

Mac or PC?
PC – but don’t hold that against me! I can speak MAC

What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
Does the Video Ipod count? I LOVE that thing! It’s my portable entertainment system away from home when I travel. I watch my movies and videos, listen to music; I’ve even done impromptu slide presentations on it.

What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
One of those cool softboxes they use to light up car shots with – about as big as a garage and they cost twice as much! Of course then I’d have to have a studio big enough to hang it…

What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
Learn the basics; crawl before you try to walk, that sort of thing. Digital has made photographers of us all, but not all of us photographers. If you can’t work the camera to get the best results possible -but have to rely on the camera to tell you what to do - then your personal vision will not take place, nor be communicated effectively. A photographer has to have a clarity of vision, a passion for the craft. Be able to MAKE a picture instead of just TAKE a picture. You have to be a story teller with every shot, or the idea fails.

What inspires you to create?
Light – I see light and shadows like some people hear music. It makes me want to be a part of it. I connect to how light and shadow forms shape and textures; and I am driven to capture the images I see running round in my head.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Balance –Don’t forget about the important people in your life, other things beside photography that need to be taken care of. It’s so easy to forget that too. I am the kind of person that can be out driving somewhere and will say “Oooh, let me stop and make a quick photo of that interesting (insert person/tree/brook/scenic/ here) – the lights almost right!” and then an hour later I’m still not done. Trust me You may enjoy the moment, but the person beside you may get a little tired of the indulgence.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
Near the ocean – I was born near one. Although I love the mountains around here (WV).

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I like riding my motorcycle. I have a “crotch rocket” as they call it, and I love the winding roads around here!

What talent would you most like to have?
To be able to play classical guitar.

From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? Happy
What is your least favorite word? Boring
What turns you on? My wife
What turns you off? Inconsiderate people
What sound or noise do you love? The wind blowing
What sound or noise do you hate? People yelling at each other
What is your favorite curse word? Rat Fuck Bastard
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? An expedition leader to somewhere /anywhere
What occupation would you not want to participate in? Telemarketer
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Come on in! I’ve got some people I’d like you to meet…

*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.

P&P Blogger Profile: Amy Archer

Amy Archer of 2007 Picture a day (or week)

I was very interested in film photography earlier in my life, but then somehow managed to lose photography as a regular part of my life until I got a digital SLR. Since then I've been bitten by it and not a single day can pass without me thinking about pictures or processing. My current favorite themes are landscape and macro. As for other parts of my life, I'm an American, but have lived in Sweden since 1997. I'm originally from Oregon, the place with some of the most beautiful scenes to photograph in the world. I have a wonderful family.

Why do you blog?
I started blogging to show my family in the US what it looks like where I live, and also as a learning tool for my photography. I continue to blog because it's so much fun!

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
The blogs I view each day are photographic, not text :-) The three I try not to miss are [daily dose of imagery], seriocomic, and milou.

How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
I've been using Photoshop off and on for about six years, but only about three years for photography.

What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
Canon 20D and sometimes a Canon Powershot S3

Mac or PC?
Mac

What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
70 - 200 L 2.8 IS lens!

What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
17" MacBook Pro

What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
Try to find a striking feature of everything. Try to find feeling in what you see. Light is important, but a unique and interesting composition counts for nearly as much as light. Take a lot of pictures, but don't be discouraged if you only get one out of a hundred that you really like. Throw away your bad pictures to keep from discouraging yourself (this has the added benefit of more hard disk space).

What inspires you to create?
Light, nature, and everything with subtle beauty. Hearing the shutter clicking inspires me.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Look for the joy, because it's not always obvious. Work to find it when you don't see or feel it.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
Not sure - maybe Oregon.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Go for walks in the woods, take pictures, and play with Photoshop.

What talent would you most like to have?
Ability to photograph people without getting all nervous and shy.

From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? peace
What is your least favorite word? can't
What turns you on? roads
What turns you off? arrogance
What sound or noise do you love? Cat purrs
What sound or noise do you hate? nose blowing
What is your favorite curse word? rat's ass
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? photography, of course!
What occupation would you not want to participate in? Any occupation with strict hours.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? Do you want to try again?

*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.

Vista Damages Nikon-Generated DNG?

According to Chris Garrett of DSLRBlog and Jason Chen of Gizmodo - reporting on an article via cnet News.com - that's what's happening. According to the article:

Microsoft has received reports of compatibility issues with Nikon NEF files after installing version 1.0 of Nikon’s RAW codec posted in January 2007. Tagging the RAW files through Windows Vista or the Microsoft Photo Info tool after the codec is installed appears to cause these files to become unreadable
in other applications, such as Adobe Photoshop. We have confirmed that these files can still be opened with Nikon Capture. [via Microsoft's Photo Info FAQ]

Also, there are posts on this topic at the Microsoft Photography Blog.

Admittedly, I haven't done tons of reading up on this since, even though we have it, I won't be upgrading to Vista probably until we hit a period of time when our load is a bit lighter later this spring or early summer. But this looked like something of which people should be aware. And, it looks like I'm coming to this about a month late - the articles are all dated early February.

Boston Marathon for Leukemia & Lymphoma

About a year ago, I wrote about my friend Laura's friend Anna who raised money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as she ran the Boston Marathon. After raising over $3,000 last year, Laura wrote the other day that Anna is once again in training for the marathon with the hopes of raising another $3,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. To donate, or send words of support for Anna, click here to be directed to her fundraising page.

Lightroom Reviews

Scott Kelby has just posted a list of short reviews of Lightroom (pros and cons) now that version 1.0 has been in the hands of photographers for a couple of weeks. Shortly after I posted Mike Holley's profile late last night, Scott picked it up and quoted Mike's response to the question, "What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?" To which he responded, "It has to be Lightroom, no question. It’s a real photographer’s tool."

As always, thanks for the support Scott!

P&P Blogger Profile: Mike Holley

Mike Holley of Creative Outlet

My day job, working for a large logistics company, has nothing to do with photography or any kind of creative arts. Good thing really when you consider I can’t draw, paint, sing or play any instruments. My career has been spent mostly in manufacturing and engineering.

For me photography is my one opportunity to be creative, but it’s squeezed into whatever spare time I have. Until recently I have focused on landscapes, now I am trying to expand my skills and creative boundaries into new areas.

I live in Worcestershire, England with my wife and two teenage sons.

Why do you blog?
I’m new to blogging, in fact I only started in December 2006. I use blogging first and foremost as way of documenting my learning and development in photography. I’ve found it’s good to write it down because it forces me to think about what I’ve done or am planning to do. Also, it’s a good way of tracking progress against goals.

I know right now that my posts are gradually becoming more technical, neglecting the “whys” of my photography. I will be addressing this in the coming weeks.

A benefit of blogging is that you meet people and even make new friends.

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, which ones would they be?
Hmmm this is tough. I have a growing list of places and people that I visit every day. If I had to choose just three, right now they would be:
Digital Photography School
Strobist
Lightroom Killer Tips

How long have you been using Photoshop/been a photographer?
I started photography back in the early 1980’s but then lapsed for various reasons. I got interested again about two years ago and bought a DSLR, although it’s only in the past 8 months that I’ve really begun to use it seriously.

I have Elements rather than the full Photoshop, which I bought 2 years ago for restoring pictures. I then started using it for my venture into the world of digital. You know, Elements is a much underrated package, but eventually I came to the point of wanting functionality only available in CS2. Then two things happened… I began to shoot exclusively in RAW and acquired a strong preference for developing images rather than manipulating them. This led me away from buying CS2 and after trying various RAW converters I settled on Raw Shooter Premium. Sorry Photoshop Guys…

But… Lightroom has replaced Raw Shooter Premium as the centerpiece of my workflow, so I’m back firmly in the world of Photoshop. Right now my workflow is 100% Lightroom but I plan to get CS3 later this year.

What type of camera(s) do you shoot with?
Canon 350D

Mac or PC?
PC

What is your favorite piece of photo or computer equipment (other than your camera)?
It has to be Lightroom, no question. It’s a real photographer’s tool.

What piece of equipment would you most like to get but don’t have?
A Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens… and a Holga.

What advice do you have for a novice creative professional/photographer?
Two things. It’s not about what equipment you have but what you do with it. Also, set yourself a series of achievable goals over a timescale that is realistic for you personally.

What inspires you to create?
Seeing what ordinary people like me can achieve with the ordinary gear I have.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
Whether it’s in work or life in general, to quote Aldous Huxley, “Experience is not what happens to you, it’s what you do with what happens to you”.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you live now)?
Slovenia - it’s a beautiful country.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
Doing and learning about photography.

What talent would you most like to have?
This seems a popular choice, but speaking foreign languages. Because English is widely spoken around the world, we Brits are so lazy when it comes to languages. Wherever we go, we just expect everyone to speak English.

From Inside the Actors Studio:
What is your favorite word? Yes
What is your least favorite word? Tax
What turns you on? Anything that is challenging and difficult to do.
What turns you off? Dishonesty.
What sound or noise do you love? A few possible answers here… one sound I do like is waves breaking over rocks.
What sound or noise do you hate? Personalised mobile phone ring tones.
What is your favorite curse word? Errr… go with bugger
What occupation other than your own would you like to attempt? Well a professional photographer would be too much of a cliché answer. I’d choose an investigator with the National Transport Safety Board, you know someone like Greg Feith. I think it plays to the part of me that likes challenges. What makes you think I watch too many of those disaster programmes on National Geographic..?
What occupation would you not want to participate in? Anything to do with call centers and customer services, I’d have to deal with people like me.
If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates? “Follow me, there are some folks here you haven’t seen for a while.”

*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.

"Taste the Truthiness"

Just debuted on The Colbert Report, Ben & Jerry's has just released a new flavor called "Stephen Colbert’s AmeriCone Dream™":

a decadent melting pot of vanilla ice cream with fudge-covered waffle cone pieces and a caramel swirl. It’s the sweet taste of liberty in your mouth.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Announcement

Photoshop News reported today that a blog published by Adobe's Creative Solutions PR team announced that CS3 will be officially announced later this month during a live webcast of the launch event in NYC. According to the blog:

The wait is nearly over! We can now confirm that Adobe Creative Suite 3 will be announced March 27, 2007. The company is celebrating the launch at an event in New York City that will be webcast live at 3:30pm ET. During the webcast, Adobe will reveal the features and suite configurations that make this the largest software release in Adobe's 25 year history.Details on how to view the webcast will be available on Adobe.com later this week.

They also note that even though the announcement will be made on the 27th, the actual ship date won't be until later in the spring.

P&P Weekly: #24

A special thanks to all of those who have been a part of the P&P Blogger Profile series thus far. I will be posting two more this week. A few people have agreed participate and have not yet returned the profile form. I would like to encourage those of you on the blogroll who have not filled out the profile to take a few minutes to do so and send it back to me so you can be featured here. If you need another copy of the form, please email me and I will send one out to you right away. Simply email it to me along with a photo - either of yourself or one you've taken - and I will let you know when it will be posted.

I have received a couple of requests over the past month to be profiled and included in the blogroll that I have not yet decided on. I don't know what criteria is appropriate for inclusion. Certainly the most basic requirement is that you have to be either a photographer and/or Photoshopper with a blog. Should there be any further requirement? On the one hand "the more the merrier." I don't necessarily want to let my personal tastes get in the way because I want to be encouraging and inclusive. But should there be a quality element that I should consider as well? Invitation only? I'm open to suggestions.

This week we are doing sound for our 4th and final school musical of the season - Once Upon a Mattress - and so I'll be somewhat out of touch.

In the meantime, here’s what’s been happening this week in The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll:

• Amy of 2007 Picture a day (or week) - our newest member, Welcome! - has some great work, be sure to browse her gallery. From this past week, I especially like the simplicity and light in "White Fence."
• Paul of A Clean Well-Lighted Place has a couple of nice shots, "Baker's Feed Store" and "Black Car, Cuba" reminds me of my time in Havana in December of 2002.
• Kathleen of A Walk Through Durham Township, Pennsylvania has a really interesting shot called "Last Day of February" and I really like "The Way Home (Windshield)" and "Theresa at McGlinchey's on her Birthday."
• Bruce of Bruce L. Snell Photography has some shots from a recent shoot with the newest member of his extended family and from a cold shoot around Kansas City, MO with some friends.
• Mike of Creative Outlet has his 8th installment of his Picture A Week, some contenders for his "A Different England" project, his Lightroom Project Gallery, a lesson in knowing your equipment, and what he's learned about lighting during his PAW series.
• Dave at Dave Beckerman Photography: New York has posted some details about his limited-edition portfolios, a shot called "Apocalypto, Watering Hole," and his profile which was first featured here on New Year's Eve.
• Dave at Dave Cross Online has been teaching and shooting in Oklahoma and has spent the balance of the week at Adobe HQ. Dave is also auctioning off some of his Canada shirts from Photoshop TV to support St. Jude's Children's Hospital.
• Jason of Designfruit wrote about some new accounting software.
• Richard from Europe in Black and White has a nice shot called "Shadow Cross," a post on creativity and every day life, his new ACEO cards, and his free print for March.
• Michael over at eyes on the road wrote about the lunar eclipse, a shoot of architectural glass, and a profile of Steve Mulligan.
• John of John Nack on Adobe always posts an interesting array of links from the world of photography, technology, and sometimes the unusual. Of note this week is a post about converting JPEG to DNG and, related, using Lightroom and ACR to nondestructively edit jpegs, the announcement of hosted Photoshop, and some cool renditions of M.C. Escher paintings in Lego.
• Jim of PHOTOBLOG by Jim Larimer has a shot called "Rack'em Up."
• Scott of Photoshop Insider has a number of shots from his Yosemite shoot as well as a post about Adobe's Lightroom Support Center.
• Justin of Photoshop Quicktips posts a weekly podcast on handy tips and techniques in Photoshop. Last week's was all about high contrast, and this week's video is about a skin smoothing effect.
• Jon at San Miguel Photo of the Day posts images of life in Mexico. This week I really like "Huizache Chino in Bloom"
• Shooter at Serial Photographer always has great shots. My favorites this week are "Signs," "Rocket," and "Orange."
• Eduardo & Timothy of the 100 Images Project have just posted their most recent additions to the series.
• Andy from The Global Photographer has two images of the day (1,2).
• Andy of Visual Realia has some interesting shots taken with a Lensbaby and a star-shaped aperture.
• Aaron of What the Duck publishes a daily online photography comic strip. My favorite this week is "WTD 160-162"
• Martin of What the Heck Journal has 3 nice shots this week: "Melting Point," "'89 Chevy Caprice Classic II," and "Pretty in Pink."
• Ben of Where is Ben? has a post about his latest PS User article on tips for teachers.

Want to be added to The Photoshop & Photography Blogroll? Click here to find out how! Update your blogs often! I will only include links to posts added since the last P&P Weekly.

As always, if you have any suggestions or notice a discrepancy, please email me.

Condolences...

My good friend Beth just lost one of her cats, Grayer...
Sorry, Beth.

Photoshop World Guru Awards

As regular readers may recall, late last year I was considering which pieces to submit to the Photoshop User Awards. As the submission deadline approached I, in part, got cold feet and became pretty busy with work and never entered.

Now, with the upcoming Photoshop World Guru Awards in April, and being my first full Photoshop World, I decided to throw my hat in the ring. Two of the images I selected, shown below, were chosen during the past year as "Editor's Choice" (1,2) in the NAPP Member Portfolios. I revisited the photo of the clovers to add some depth and interest but left the bench shot as I had originally processed it. Also submitted was one of my photo restoration works (there are always areas you see that could be done better, but it is what it is). You can see a rollover of the before and after if you go to Ancestral Photo Restorations and click on the "Services" link.

The awards will be annouced during the opening keynote at Photoshop World on April 4th. Wish me luck!

(And Happy Birthday Mom!)

Photoshop Online

(Via here and here)

According to cnet News.com Adobe Systems is developing an online version of Photoshop for release later this year. Adobe CEO Bruce Chizen said:

"although hosted Photoshop is meant to be a low-end product, the company intends to ensure that it is of a higher quality than free alternatives...If we offered a host-based version of Photoshop that's Photoshop-branded (and is) potentially better than Picasa, you'd probably go the Photoshop route because of your belief in the Photoshop brand and the quality associated with the brand."

With revenues being generated from advertisements, Adobe is offering this version of its powerful imaging software for free. However, Chizen also notes that it will not have all of the functionality of any of the other products in the Photoshop family.

Because of their rapid growth and knowledge in the world of online apps, Adobe sees Google as their largest competitor in the market and are making a move to establish themselves as a strong force in this arena. I'll be interested in seeing what a web-based Photoshop will look like.

Lightroom Journal

Adobe's Lightroom Team has just launched a new blog called "Lightroom Journal" where they will be posting inside information, tips, and techniques for Lightroom. Their inaugural post says:

This is the place where you will find all the inside information, tips, techniques, and hidden secrets you need to help you get the most out of Lightroom, made available to you straight from the horse's mouth: the Lightroom team. Once in a while, you may also find links to web photo galleries posted here, as most of the team members are accomplished photographers in their own right. Knowing this crew, there will also be a healthy dose of random, but related posts about all things digital and photographic. But mostly it will just be a place for you to follow the inner thinking of the team, as we work our way toward making Lightroom better and better with each daily build.