Category — Meet-ups and Conventions

Let’s face it - October’s been a tough month. The world melted down financially. There’s coast-to-coast vitriol over the election. A thief decided that he needed one of my cameras and a favorite lens more than I do. Job prospects are evaporating for everyone I know.

In the midst of all this, the following came to me quite innocently. Amy received the link in an email. Call me tired. Call me emotional. The first time I watched it, goose bumps covered my arms. I’ve watched it a  dozen two dozen times since. Smiles break out whenever I show it to friends.

I’ve been lifted up and reinvigorated. Our world truly is an amazing place filled with people of all shapes, colors and sizes. I believe (again) that our current tribulations will pass. Thanks to a guy named Matt and his friends in 43 countries.

Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

If you have fast broadband, click here to watch a High-Def version.

Like many great movements, it started as a simple idea and spread like wildfire. Read the story here. If you want to download a legit personal copy for free, click here.

What’s this have to do with being a photographer? Nothing and everything at the same time.

The Strobist - David Hobby

I had the great fortune to get a seat last Sunday for David Hobby’s Strobist lighting seminar in Los Angeles. [If you're a student of lighting and just said "Stro-who?", then let me be the first to welcome you to our planet. Check out the Strobist site and we'll see you back here in a couple days.]

To say that a ticket to the Stobist workshop is a hot item is an understatement. Two days x 50 seats = 100 happy photogs. 24 hours = more time than it took for both seminars to sell out. If you’re among the legions who wished they could attend a Strobist workshop, then let me ease your pain (or pour salt on your wounds) by sharing some of the highlights of the day. [Read on, I promise you'll also find links to sources of info on virtually every concept presented during the seminar.] [Read more →]

Just a reminder that tomorrow (September 23, 2008) is the day that Adobe will reveal the newest generation of their Creative Suite software. If you’d like to be the first on your block to watch the Adobe CS4 webcast, there’s still time to sign up for the free show. Click here before you get distracted (again).

If you heard a persistent buzz coming from Las Vegas last week, it was the excitement in the Photoshop World Tech Expo. I’ve never seen a more energetic expo hall. Virtually every vendor offered non-stop presentations. In the past, you’d walk up to a counter, grab the latest catalog and move on. Now, you use your elbows to find a seat.

The breadth of topics presented in the Tech Expo rivaled the Photoshop World curriculum. When I closed my eyes, the number of voices booming from all directions was surreal. In my opinion, the Tech Expo took Photoshop World to a whole new level. [Tip for locals, if you can't afford a ticket to Photoshop World, definitely attend the Tech Expo.] Here’s a peek at a few of the Expo highlights.

Peter Reed Miller, legendary Sports Illustrated photographer, gave daily presentations in the Microsoft Expo Theater. I was fascinated with his stories from the Beijing Olympics. [Read more →]

So you’re heading to Vegas for your first Photoshop World. Don’t quite know what to expect? Here are 10 tips to help you make the most of your first Photoshop World.

1. Rest up before you go - Seriously. Even if PW was held in El Paso rather than Las Vegas, you wouldn’t get much sleep. PW crams an amazing number of classes and fun events into a handful of days. (The schedule is here.) On Friday, for example, classes start at 8:15am and run into the early evening. Then, from 7:15-9:15pm, consider the panel discussion ‘The Art of Digital Photography‘ to be a can’t-miss session. And… if you’re really a night owl, get one of the coveted 200 tickets to Midnight Madness, which follows the panel discussion. [Read more →]

Photography Book Now confirms the suspicion that on-demand printing of photo books may be considered as a future Olympic sport. There’s the Competition (deadline July 14) with a great list of awards and an equally impressive roster of jurors. After the winners are selected, Photography Book Now then turns into a social and educational roadshow with stops scheduled in San Francisco, London and New York.

Photography Book Now is presented by Blurb with a laundry list of other sponsors: Canon, Livebooks, American Photo, SmugMug, Flickr…

There is no better value among photography associations than the National Association of Photoshop Professionals. NAPP is a dynamic association for users of Adobe Photoshop – and let’s face it, in today’s photo world, who does not use Photoshop?. For $99 bucks you get a one-year subscription to Photoshop User magazine, an online portfolio and access to an amazing range of online resources. NAPP also sponsors Photoshop World twice each year - on the East Coast in the spring and in Las Vegas each September.

From the NAPP website (PhotoshopUser.com)
National Association of Photoshop Professionals: Every day, we teach creative minds from around the world how to turn ordinary into extraordinary. Whether you are a professional or hobbyist, photographer or graphic designer, or, motion graphic artist or animator, NAPP is your ultimate Photoshop training, educational and news resource.

Photo Plus will return to the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on October 23-25, 2008. Sponsored by PDN, this is a must-attend event. In addition to scores of seminars, PhotoPlus features an expo hall that is the size of an aircraft hanger. Consider this to be the Super Bowl of photo conventions for pro shooters and those who’d like to go pro.

From the PhotoPlus site:

PDN PhotoPlus continues to be on the cutting edge of what’s happening in photography and imaging. Since 1983 we’ve put on the leading show in the industry – attracting all the exhibitors you want to see, and the industry names you want to network with!

Find over 100 information-packed, idea-generating session sessions at the only conference in the country that’s 100% focused on photography and imaging.