Behind the scenes of Photoshop User TV’s Webinar

I’ve always wondered what happens behind the scenes of Photoshop user TV. Yesterday I had a great opportunity to be on the Live Webinar for the release of Photoshop CS5 and was able to see first hand what goes on.

Let me start by explaining how it happen. I’ve been behind the eight ball since I came back from “Vacation With Vanelli” in North Carolina and then Photoshop World in Orlando a week later. The back projects caught up with me and I had to take a nap. I receive a text from Terry Reinert Tuesday asking me if I saw the early show. His text was full of excitement and enthusiasm. I couldn’t believe I missed the first show. I watched the second show and called in for a question about the new painting feature.. We’ll I said the question was for a “friend” Fay Sirkis. On a side note Fay is one of today’s most sought after digital artist and she specializes in  Fine Portrait Painting. Now can you see why it was funny? During the show Alan Hess playfully harassed me and Elizabeth “Firgs” Gast started the “Hey the show is missing a Vanelli”. Scott said we are short handed tomorrow why don’t you come over and work security (another inside joke). I thought he was kidding. After  Larry Becker assured me he was serious, I asked Norm DiCrocco and Tom Clark if they could take over my karate class and I took the 163 mile drive to Tampa. It took a group of people to help make this happen and I’m very thankful!

I was greeted with the tradition “Vanelli is in the building lock down alert” from Larry Becker. I made my rounds to say hi to the NAPP staff (I love them!) before I saw the man himself, Scott Kelby. We did our usual joking and he asked if I wanted to do a tutorial. I thought I was just coming for a visit! I had a jump drive with me but no computer. Scott said no problem, we’ll get RC to get you one.  RC Concepcion is the Swiss Army Knife of NAPP. He looked for a windows 7 based machine loaded with CS5. When that was proving to be difficult, he prepared a MAC machine for me. Keep in mind he was downloading the beta, getting the computer ready, arranging for IT to have the video feed set up, ordering food, researching questions and preparing his tutorial for the show. (There’s more in a bit!). I created a few quick tutorials keeping in mind I was on a different platform and well, it’s a live show. Scott assured me if I messed up it would be OK, they would just razz me for the entire show.

We walked to the studio from the office to set up. When we got there, the video crew was ready. I gave a huge hug to Nancy “NAPP News” Masse who was preparing the whole live chat section of the show. Juan (who is also a talented Photog and Photoshop user) did my makeup and I sat down for a sound test. Jason “The Scriv” Scrivner runs a tight ship! Keep in mind, my computer still hasn’t downloaded CS5 and I’m hiding the fact I’m getting nervous. Dave Cross kept us all entertained with his humor and I was amazed at how cool and collective he was. If he were an Italian I would compare him to the king of cool, Dean Martin. Scott showed up 5 minutes before the show and the studio took on a life of its own!

Scriv gave us the count down and the guys were joking all the way down to the 5 second mark. Then BAM we were live! Did I mention I still didn’t have CS5 download…let alone installed yet? Three minutes into the show, CS5 was finally downloaded. RC must have had an internal clock, he walked over and installed it quick and padded me on the shoulder. I just laugh and took in how calm everyone was. I loaded my image and with one minute to spare, Scott had me do my tutorial! Once I completed my first tutorial, I reminded myself of lessons I learned from my years on the National Karate Circuit.  I stilled myself to soak in the memory of the event and to live in the moment.I saw how everyone was just having fun. Nancy was trying to hold in her laughs as she typed 80 words a minute organizing the live text chat. RC was working on two computers having a blast answering text questions and preparing his tutorials. Scott and Dave bounced off each other as seasoned Host and Co-host. Scoot also included everyone from us to the video crew into the show! It was an incredible experience to be with friends doing what I love.

The second show’s format was a little different. Larry Becker filled in for Scott. RC and Dave came up with a JDI (Just Do It) idea 15 minutes before the show. RC gave me my JDI and Dave pulled from his own JDI library. I’m sure when Thomas Knoll (the creator of Photoshop) watches Dave he says “Wow Photoshop can do that?”. The man knows his stuff!  With Larry being on the show, I remembered what my son Alec said before I left. I told him I was a little nervous and he said just don’t mess up and if Larry is on the show, don’t try to be funny, you can’t compete with that! Larry is the Executive Director of NAPP. One of his many job duties is to organizes great deals for NAPP members. He is a natural born speaker, motivator and teacher. His photography and Photoshop skills are amazing. With so much talent around me, could you understand why I was a little nervous?

On a side note, I now know how the gang feels when I text them during a show. After my distracting experience from Alan Hess, Mike Kubeisy, Kevin McSparron, Dawn Camp, Terry Reinert and Randy Van Duinen, I will limit my pranks. did you notice at one point Scott asked me a question and I couldn’t answer, I just laughed?  MATT KLOSKOWSKI was texting comments like…. “Dude your bombing the show. Just kidding you’re the only good one, the other guys are hacks.” He had me laughing so hard, I had to turn my phone off.  For that, I have arranged another sparring match for him with Superfoot Wallace.

I just want to thank Scott, the crew and you the viewers  for making my experience a memorable one!

Photo credit Juan Alfonso via his android phone

Scott Kelby Can Poster!

I huge thanks goes to Ross Bushong for designing the Top Ten Scott Kelby Can poster! As always Ross, great job. Many thanks to everyone that contribute their ideas and jokes. I know it meant a lot to Scott and it was a fun project for me. Also want to thank SGA for graciously supplying the prints.

Top 10 Scott Kelby Can

10 Rob H Scott Kelby doesn’t use strobes; the brilliance coming from his mind can illuminate any scenario you may encounter.

9 Rob Sylvan Scott Kelby can save JPGs with lossless compression. None of the data wants to leave the photo.

8 William Beem Scott Kelby doesn’t use VR because he shakes. Everything else around him shakes.

7  chris Scott Kelby naturally sees the world in HDR

6  Alan Hess Scott Kelby doesn’t need to set the White Balance, the light will change to whatever he needs.

5  Michael White Scott Kelby doesn’t use a memory card, the photos store directly in his brain and then are transferred to his compute through thought when he feels like it.

4  Charles Dee Rice Scott Kelby never adjusts his camera’s shutter speed. Time stands still for as long as he leaves the shutter open.

3  Jeff Tamagini Scott Kelby can wirelessly trigger the sun

2  Rebecca Fryer When Scott Kelby does a 360 Panorama he doesn’t use a tripod the world rotates around him.

1  Charles Dee Rice Scott Kelby is the only photographer capable of photographing Chuck Norris delivering a round-house kick… to the camera.

Scott Kelby can…

Ok we have all heard the funny Chuck Norris jokes. Chuck Norris always knows the EXACT location of Carmen SanDiego or Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears Chuck Norris pajamas. I thought it would be funny to start a Scott Kelby can… jokes. Like, Scott Kelby can see 48 stops of light or Scott Kelby does HDR, in the camera! Once we have them all, I will present them to him at Photoshop World in Orlando on March 24, 2010. Make them funny and leave your name to get credit for it!

Photoshop World 2010: Vanelli’s Itinerary

Photoshop World 2010
March 24–26, 2010
Orange County Convention CenterOrlando, Florida

I admit, I’m spoiled by getting to attend Photoshop World twice a year. But that still doesn’t make it easy to select my classes!

Tuesday, March 23rd

12:00p-09:00p NAPP Photo Safari with Moose Peterson & Joe McNally

Wednesday, March 24^th

01:00p-06:00p  Expo Open

08:00p-11:00p  Photoshop World After-Hours Party – BB King

09:00a-10:15a  Opening Ceremony & Keynote

10:45a-11:45a My Favorite Photoshop Tips & Techniques with Russell Brown

12:00p-01:00p  Many Uses of a White Seamless Background with Zack Arias

02:30p-03:30p  Mastering HDR Photography with Matt Kloskowski

06:15p-07:15p  The Lazarus Effect: Raising the Dead Pixel with Vincent Versace

Thursday, March 25^th

01:00p-05:00p  Expo Open

07:15p-09:15p  The Art of Digital Photography

10:00p-12:00a  Midnight Madness hosted by Scott Kelby

08:15a-09:15a  Real World Image Sharpening with Jeff Schewe

09:30a-10:30a  Photoshop for Video with Richard Harrington

10:45a-11:45a  Designing With Type 2010 with Scott Kelby

12:00p-01:00p  Photoshop Restoration with Matt Kloskowski

04:45p-05:45p  Bringing Out the Big Guns with Joe McNally

Friday, March 26^th

09:00a-01:00p  Expo Open

11:00a-12:00p  Practical B&W Conversion for the Common User with Vincent Versace

01:00p-02:00p  The Perfect Panoramic With Photomerge with Jim DiVitale

02:15p-03:15p  One Light for Real People with Jack Reznicki

03:45p-04:45p  Conference Wrap-up & Giveaways

Copyright your work

Do you have insurance for your camera… YES?  Then why don’t you have insurance for your photos? The cost of insurance to copyright your work is only $35.00.

I admit I don’t have all the answers, but I know who and where to find them. Continuing my research on the legal side of photography took me to, you guest it, kelbytraining.com. Like my other post, I write these articles as basic notes to myself and to share them with friends. I encourage you to sit through the 90 minute video class with Jack Reznicki and  Ed Greenberg.

For those who don’t have time but need the information, I’m outlining what I interpreted from the class. The benefits from watching the video enables you to hear advice from the experts and download any materials they have. Keep in mind, because you have these rights doesn’t mean you have to exercise them, but they are good to have!

To copyright your work, go to copyright.gov NOT .com

1. Why Do You Want to Register (02:54)
2. Benefits of Registration (10:54)
   • you have the rights to your image
   • when you pass on, your estate inherits your rights
   • enables you to file a claim if someone uses your image without permission
3. What Are Your Copyrights? (06:50)
   • control over reproduction of your work
   • you can license your image for use DO NOT sell them
   • right of derivative (you have the right to make changes to your work)
4. Right of Distribution (06:35)
   • you decide where your work appears example: billboards, ads
   • right of display example: only in color, black and white, cropped or uncropped
   • the right to say NO if you don’t want the image to be viewed
5. Rights with your Registration (07:56)
   • the right to sue if your rights are violated
   • compensatory damages (the amount you would have charged)
   • statutory damages (court awards an amount)
6. Rights with your Registration, Part 2 (08:58)
   • having your lawyer fees covered
   • you may order an injunction
   • leverage
7. Starting the Registration Process (02:23)
   • don’t send the full size image to the copyright office
   • resize your image to a small jpg (about 700px by 700px with 5 compression) that could be presented in court
8. Registration Process Step by Step (05:53)
   • you can send the unedited version of the image (any retouching would be covered as a derivative)
   • make sure you have your copyright information in the meta data (use lightroom or photoshop)
   • http://www.copyright.gov
9. Copyright (11:02)
   • visiting the copyright web site gives you a wealth of information
   • Firefox user need to change tab settings to accept new pages open new windows
   • Safari web browser doesn’t work
   • use the web sites back and forward buttons not the browsers
   • electronic copyright takes about 3 months to receive your certificate
   • images are recognized as copyright the day you upload them
10. Registering a New Claim (10:26)
    • register your work as visual arts
    • give a reasonable title relation to the work
    • select unpublished if it’s on your web site or has been shown then published
    • narrow your registration to the same year, month or quarter
    • copyright your photos in your name but check with your account for their opinion
11. Limits to Claim (06:13)
    • click next button don’t limit your work
    • rights and permission should be all about you
    • corespondent again should be you
    • DO NOT click anything in “special handling” unless you talk to your lawyer
12. New Claim Certification (07:54)
    • first process will take awhile once you get use to it, it should take about 5 minutes
    • review your application, once you click submit, it’s a legal document and can’t be changed
13. Registering a New Claim After your Payment (05:00)
    • accept an email confirmation
    • don’t click done until you upload your images
    • upload a zip file of your images
    • limited to 30 minutes per upload you can have more than one upload
14. Wrap Up (01:46)
    • MYTHS that are NOT true
    • • if you put your photo in an envelop and mail to yourself it’s copyrighted
      • if you change a percentage of a photograph or art it because yours
      • you can use an image as long as you don’t make a profit from it
    • copyright your work!

I hope this gave you insight on copyrighting your work. I encourage you to watch the video if not for the knowledge, but for the shear entertaining value of Jack and Ed!

What’s the difference between Lightroom & Photoshop?

Short answer: Lightroom is for photo editing and organizing your photographs. Photoshop is for image manipulation and a whole lot more!

Adobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems. It is the current market leader for commercial bitmap and image manipulation software, and is the flagship product of Adobe Systems. It has been described as “an industry standard for graphics professionals“. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is a digital darkroom for photographers. It is a simpler program that enables photographers to enhance and organize their photographs. The learning curve isn’t as steep as learning Photoshop. So why did Abode create Adobe Photoshop Lightroom? Simply put, Adobe created this for photographers!

Lightroom makes it easy to organize and edit your photographs. If you purchased Lightroom just for this feature alone, you got your money’s worth. Gone are the shoe box days of storing your precious memories.What’s even better, you are able to store your photographs into collections. With a few clicks of the mouse, you are able to show your best photographs without having to sift through all of them. Most of the powerful “photo editing” features of Photoshop are included in Lightroom. You are able to make changes to an entire image (global change) or by using adjustment brushes you can narrow it down to a select change (local change). You can even create slide shows, web galleries and print from within Lightroom!

Photoshop is the industry standard for graphics professionals. It has even more powerful tools for “image manipulation” than Lightroom. But it does come at a cost. It’s a very complicated program to learn on your own. Mastering the program takes years and even then you will barely scratch the surface. Professional graphic artist have no choice but to learn Photoshop. Professional photographer should invest in classes and training.

One Key Difference (described by Alan Hess)

One key difference between Photoshop and Lightroom is that photoshop edits the image on the pixel level and Lightroom doesn’t. You don’t actually change the image in Lightroom, you just add a instructions on how the image should be adjusted when it is either opened in Photoshop or exported from lightroom. The changes don’t actually happen until the image is exported out of Lightroom. This makes all the changes editable and non destructive, where as in Photoshop, if you tweak a pixel, then save the file and come back to it later it can;t be undone in a non destructive way.

Here is a sample using Lightroom with Photoshop. The only difference, Photoshop enabled me to remove two people from the image! Can you find them?

My suggestion

If you make your living as a professional graphic artist, you need the complete Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium edition. The Design Premium package comes with Adobe InDesign, Photoshop Extended, Illustrator, Flash Professional, Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Acrobat Pro with additional tools and services. Most, if not all companies, already have a site licenses for these products. If you are starting out on your own, the initial investment has a retail price of about $1799.00. It may seem like a lot, but starting your own business is never cheap.

If you make your living as a professional photographer, start out with Lightroom and grow into Photoshop. You’ll know when you are ready to incorporate Photoshop into your work flow. Lightroom retails for about $299.00 US and$99.00 US upgrade.

Amateur Photographers should start out with Lightroom. If you are not doing any image manipulation (example: look at a Harry Potter movie poster) then you will probably never need Photoshop.

Student Edition products are available for purchase by higher education students only. A higher education student is defined as a full- or part-time student enrolled at an accredited public or private university or college (including community, junior, or vocational college) that grants degrees requiring not less than the equivalent of two years of full-time study. Student Edition retail price is about $399.00 for the Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium edition.

If you are a kid or you don’t make money from your photography, check out Photoshop.com. Photoshop.com is a complete solution for managing, editing, storing, and sharing your photos online, with tutorials, inspiration, and more.

Classes and Training

Photoshop has grown so much over the years and has developed into an overwhelming program for beginners. I remember working with version 2.0. I must have called Adobe Tech Support three times a day. Finally one patient technician told me that their support system is for when the program didn’t work and not for learning how to do something. I asked how I was supposed to learn this stuff. He turned me on to KW Media. KW stood for… Kelby and Workman. I wish I knew the name of that technician. I’d bring flowers to the insane asylum I probably sent him to. The moral of this story is save an Adobe technician and seek training!

The best online resource for learning Abode products is  Kelby Training. Scott Kelby is a best selling author and his team has an amazing way to disseminate information. If you prefer a live seminar, they offer one day classes too. These seminars are lecture based. An instructor takes you through lessons as a group and you follow along with the class book that is yours to keep.

There are also many private and semi private classes available all over. Exposure Photographic Art Studio; that’s us, teaches hands on classes for Photography, Photoshop, Lightroom and WordPress. Our main target audience is beginners, novice and intermediate level students. If you want to take your photography or Photoshop / Lightroom skills to a new level, attend a Photoshop World Conference!

If you have time and money, train with some of the best photographers and photo editors of our era. Never in the history of photography has so many Masters of Photography taught to the general public. Take advantage of their knowledge, skills and willingness to share. Most of these classes are nestled in majestic environments. Attending some of these week long classes will have you walking away with beautiful photographs and a major understanding of photography!

My Wish List of 12 Photography Classes and Workshops

• Kevin Ames
• John Paul Caponigro
• Jack Davis
• Jim DiVitale
• Laurie Excell
• Mike Kubeisy
• Jay Maisel
• Joe McNally
• Moose Peterson
• Jack Reznicki
• Vincent Versace
• David Ziser

Extra Benefits from Photoshop World

After reading comments from the Roast Scott Kelby gave me, I was reminded why I love going to Photoshop World.

I’ve met many people over the years and have made Lifelong friends.

The very first friend was Scott Kelby himself.  We met when Scott, Rob Kerr, Jim Workman  and a few others were giving a special one day “Money Back Guarantee” seminar on Photoshop. I took the class because I just opened my own Karate studio and the budget was too tight to hire a graphic artist. I remember sitting in a class with about 30 people memorized by Kelby and Kerr. I instinctively kept raising my hand asking questions. They were very patient and answered them. The second one day seminar they made an announcement to hold all questions until the break and then come see the instructor. I was the first one there. After awhile people would ask me to ask questions for them; they were too embarrassed to ask.  Scott started to recognize my face and I could tell it was bittersweet. Happy to see a devoted fan, but dreaded the questions. During one of the breaks Scott and I started talking and the martial arts came up. He mention he helped a martial arts client; who later became his instructor, launch a magazine called NAPMA – National Association of Professional Martial Artists. Not sure how it happen, but the  next one day seminar, Scott said he didn’t realize I was a martial arts master. I told him I hated that term (there is only one master I know). I was glad Scott befriended me as Robert Vanelli not Mr. Vanelli the former champion. It was always hard knowing who your true friends are when you are in the spotlight. He was excited to announce the first Photoshop World. I’ve been attending them ever since.

A connection that landed an unexpected job.

I met Ross Bushong while attending the L.A. Photoshop World in 2002. As usual, I was lost finding the convention. I heard a voice say, “hey the convention is over here, follow me.” From that day on, Ross and I became great friends. Although Ross lives in Washington State, we manage to talk several times a week. We room together when he attends Photoshop Worlds. In 2006 our families finally met as we flew to Washington State to celebrate Thanksgiving together. A few years later Ross asked me if I was interested in working with him on a web site project for a company he worked for; Cadwell Labs. It was a rewarding experience working along side him!

Hanging out with HOLLYWOOD on the set of N.C.I.S.

For those who know Mike Kubeisy knows he is HOLLYWOOD. The number of shows Mike photographs for is too long to post. Just looking at his photo gallery will give you an idea how this man shoots Hollywood! I’ve met Mike over the years at Photoshop World and didn’t realize the extent of his skills. Mike doesn’t brag or rub his success in your face. Watching the gag C.S.I. Photoshop World opening video I commented how the set looked so real. Mike said they actually shot on the set of C.S.I.. I asked how did Kelby manage to pull that off. Mike just smiled and said Scott has friends. Later Scott told me it was Mike’s connections that enabled them to shoot on the set. Mike’s character and core spiritual values make it easy to call him a great friend. His sense of humor and practical jokes makes it easy to call him my brother! Mike phoned one day and asked if I heard what Terry White did for Scott’s birthday. Being the tech gadget-man Terry is, he flew to Scott’s home and spent the weekend connecting gadgets to more gadgets. Mike said his birthday was coming up soon and asked me what I was planning on getting him. He said if I didn’t get him anything yet, how about doing what Terry did for Scott and fly out here. We both laughed and I was on a plane to L.A. the following week. Mike paid for the trip and I had a blast setting up his web site and connecting all of his gadgets. Mike took his boys and me on the set of N.C.I.S.. Watching Mike work was an eye opener for me. The way the man’s mind thinks about the shot and waste no time getting it was a valuable lesson for me. I was just setting up the shot in my head and Mike was already done!  On that trip we also connected with Ben Willmore and did shoot with him. I also was able to meet up with the ever inspiring Vincent Versace. Mike told me after he dropped me off at the airport he text Larry Becker and told him he loved hanging with me but it’s exhausting. He later texted he was rested but he missed Vanelli!

Meet inspirational mentors at the Portfolio Review & The Art of Digital Photography.

The Who’s Who of Photoshop and Photography are the seminar instructors. The best part, they are available for you to talk to for free! Years ago, Scott introduced me to my inspirational mentor, Vincent Versace. Vinny took me aside and reviewed my projects. He was harsh. He looked at my projects and ripped them apart. He said the photography was terrible. I made the mistake of saying I wasn’t a photographer. Back then, I would hire a photographer and I would do the ad layouts. Vinny looked at me with that stern stare and said why are you wasting your time and  mine!  I didn’t know what to do. On the plane ride home, I realized he was telling me to become a photographer! So I did. The next Photoshop World, I approached him and before  I could speak he asked what are you. I replied, “I’m a photographer“. He smiled and said, great show me your stuff. The past Photoshop Worlds not everyone had the unforgettable opportunity to meet their inspirational mentor like I did. Now at Photoshop World you can attend a free portfolio review. Helene Glassman helps organize the portfolio review. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get one-on-one instructive feedback as your portfolio is reviewed by some of the most highly acclaimed professional photographers in the industry today. If you did not register ahead for the portfolio review, you can still attend The Art of Digital Photography. This is a night of pure magic. It’s where some of the world’s leading digital photographers come together, on one stage, for an evening that you’ll be talking about for years.

The Expo and Bonus Classes saved me from a costly mistake.

I love walking around the Expo seeing what’s new in the industry. Chatting with vendors and getting their advice. Many years ago; before desktop publishing became popular, I almost spent a small fortune on a printer that created printing plates. I came across a vendor that told me that technology will soon to be outdated. I thought he was just trying to sell me on his product. I asked around and found he was right. I purchased my first large format printer, an Encad, instead. I saved over $1,500.00 and the embarrassment  of making a financial blunder. Years later, I talked with Epson and HP at the Expo. I compared the two products side by side and was able to make an informative decision on which new large format printer I wanted. Also at the Expo are the bonus classes. These are free classes you can attend in between the seminar classes.

There are many extra benefits from attending Photoshop World, but I will leave you with these for now. I do want to say thank you to Scott Kelby. He has been at the heart of all the opportunities I’ve had. Scott’s unselfishness to share made it possible for me to meet with these talented people.

From Click to Print

On June 29, 2009 I had the honor to be a guest blogger for Scott Kelby. I have re posted the article here on our web site.  I want to thank Terry Reinert and Sandy Foster for their valuable input.

Before I begin I want to thank Scott for including me as one of the weekly guest bloggers on his blog. To say it’s an honor for being one of the 52 guests he has per year is an understatement! You wouldn’t really think that being a guest blogger for Scott is an intimidating task until you are given the opportunity. Only then does the truth of the matter come out! I myself, a man of many words, struggled with what I should talk about and who I should target my post for. Then I remembered the KISS method; Keep It Simple Silly. For the more complex theories and techniques, I will guide you to the experts that I pull my inspiration and knowledge from. Please don’t mistake this for name dropping for shameless plugs for my friends… As they say, “it takes a village to raise a child”. In this case the saying would be “a community of artists draws inspiration”!

Title: Creative Ways to Mass Produce a Photo Shoot

There are many different types of photo shoots that a photographer can do. Although the concept of photography in general is the same, each area within photography comes with its own set of rules that have been predetermined by photographers, editors, and clients throughout the past. It is up to each individual photographer to determine which rules to follow and which ones to break in order to achieve your goal. Our goal here is to create a template that can be reused to get the same results. I am not talking about an Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Lightroom template but a template that takes us from Click to Print. The final output from our Click to Print Template will be package printing; wallet size, 5×7, 8×10, 10×13 and 16×20, all from the same print without compromising our creativeness.

The major steps that we will complete in this project are 1) doing the mass photo shoot, 2) applying any post processing, and 3) send the images off to a lab. Yes, I said a lab. In the past I did it all which included the printing, packaging, and shipping. I wanted to learn the entire process and offer custom sizes. I also wanted the ability to fix anything I screwed up in the shot! I recommend completing a full scope project like this on your own a few times so that you can gain the insight in each area of the process so that you can mitigate any risks or problems for future projects. But I know that some people do not have the ability to create high quality prints themselves so that is what this whole post is about; giving you some of that insight to help you mitigate your risks without having to drop a ton of time and money on new equipment.

Prior to diving into the details of what I am going to explain I want to tell you a quick story that shows the usefulness of what I am going to tell you. I had an opportunity to photograph one of the most sought after high school football players, a young kid named JJ Keels. My game plan seemed pretty simple; I wanted to capture his humble demeanor but at the same time make him look like a tough college level player. Another intention of the shoot was to experiment with lighting in stages and to develop a tutorial on it. At first, I took the standard safe portrait shots. Then I had my assistant, Terry Reinert, spray JJ down with water to get that sweaty tough look. Then we took it another step further into the experimental range by spraying water in the path of the lights to create the images you see here. After the shoot, I used Adobe Photoshop to continue creating my vision and also to experiment even more. Once I had the format down, I took notes on what I would do different on the next shoot so I wouldn’t have to spend a day in Adobe Photoshop for the next one. Take note, if I took on this shoot with 60 football players waiting in line, I would have to edit 60 additional images to get the results I got. There is no way that I could have done that without having done a test shoot first and got my game plan together. The test shoot enabled me to develop a format that I can use to mass produce the same type shot in the future. I was also able to develop a predefined lighting system to use as a starting point for other shoots.

Doing the Mass Photo Shoot

Running a karate studio gives me a huge pool of talent to pull from for my photography experiments. I am never limited on subjects to try out my ideas on. I emphasize the words try out because you are doing just that; experimenting to determine what will work for your upcoming mass photo shoot. Find someone that can benefit from your time and energy for your test shoot. Explain that this is a test shoot and you are experimenting with different lighting configurations and poses. In return for their help, you can provide them with the photo package that you create or put the images on a CD for them. This practice is generally known as a TFP (Time For Prints). Use your neighbors, friends or family members but I do recommend not using children or someone who is overly shy because you will need to focus on the photography side of the experiment and you won’t want to take on the added worry of dealing with your subject. Another good source for test subjects is networking websites like Model Mayhem or One Model Place. Look for upcoming models that can’t afford to pay for a portfolio and ask them if they would like to participate in your experiment and receive portfolio pieces. Word of caution, have an assistant or an escort with you when dealing with strangers for both personal and legal reasons. It pays to be safe!

Regardless of who you use as your test subject, make sure you have them sign a model release form. Ed Greenberg and Jack Reznicki teach a class at Photoshop World called, “Everything Legal”. In this class they explain the legal aspect of photography including model release forms and copyrighting your images. You can also read their column in Photoshop User Magazine. In short, Jack gave an example of a photographer doing a free shoot for a friend’s neighbor. In exchange for the shoot, they get a set of photos and the photographer gets to use the images on his web site. He didn’t have them sign a model release form because it was a free shoot. Everything was fine until the couple divorced. After that they asked him to remove the photos from his web site. The photographer doesn’t have a leg to stand on. Another area Ed explains is why you want to copyright ALL your images. These two are a great resource for legal advice. Jack is also an incredible photographer by the way! Check out his portfolio.

So now you have your test subject and are ready to begin the photo shoot. The first thing that you have to do is keep an open mind. Have a game plan but be flexible and also be ready to change it. The next important thing that you should adhere to is to avoid the pitfall of filling the whole frame with your image. Moose Peterson just had a heart attack; did Vanelli just say NOT to fill the frame??? Moose has an incredible ability to capture what he sees without cropping. He fills the frame using every pixel the camera will allow. This is what we are suppose to do and should do except on this project. After the test shots with JJ, I was ready to try a mock shoot with Brad Holmes, one of my Black Belts. I learned from the test shoot that I had to shoot a little wide to give me room to crop the image to different aspect ratios needed to create the photo package. Keep in mind that we are losing pixels which will eventually result in loss of image quality. However, the loss in quality is not enough to make a difference on the standard package sizes. You may see a slight difference on a 24×36 print but prints that large are extremely rare for photo packages.

Finally, be consistent with the composition of the shot, the pose, and the special effects. Things like fog machines, spraying water into the path of the light, and, in the case of shooting my karate students, kicking or punching are impossible to repeat for each subject. For custom shoots you should be the artist that you are and go crazy with the creativity. For mass shoots you should be creative but also a little flexible in that you can be creative but also consistent.

Once I was happy with the results I was seeing in the camera, I acted like I had 60 people standing in line waiting for their turn in front of the camera. I put pressure on myself to get the shot and move on. This is very important especially when dealing with subjects that have limited time to be at the photo shoot.

Applying Any Post Processing

My first word of advice here is to use Adobe Lightroom! This part gets confusing to most people. If I have Adobe Photoshop, why do I need Adobe Lightroom? Think of Lightroom as a digital darkroom where you go to develop your digital photos. Photoshop’s purpose is to manipulate the image. Lightroom not only organizes your photographs and projects but it allows you to quickly and efficiently post process your photos.

I always start my Lightroom work flow by following a series of simple steps I learned from the Guru himself, Scott Kelby. His book “Lightroom 2 for Digital Photographers” has a permanent spot on my desk. When I can’t quickly find what I need, I log onto Kelby Training and watch the Lightroom videos. For this article I outlined my steps below. For a more detailed look at my work flow I created a video tutorial for you to follow along.

1)     Import all images from the shoot in DNG format.

2)     Select the keepers and delete the unusable shots.

3)     Color correct one image and, if the lighting is the same, apply it to all the images from the same shoot.

4)     Adjust the exposure.

5)     Fix the eyes.

6)     Remove any skin blemishes.

7)     Smooth the skin on females.

8)     Export image in Photoshop

9)     Add a vignette, if any, at the very end (more on this later)

Looks like a lot? It should only take about 45 seconds per image. David Ziser, best known for his outstanding wedding photography, developed a system with his employees. He is able to tell you how much each image cost him to have his employees process them. Once you get a system to work for you, use it!

On step 8 above we export to Photoshop. Now we are into the Mack Daddy of all imaging programs (sorry Rod Harlan for using your well deserved nickname but it was for a worthy cause). Photoshop has grown so much over the years and has developed into an overwhelming program for beginners. I remember working with version 2.0. I must have called Adobe Tech Support three times a day. Finally one patient technician told me that their support system is for when the program didn’t work and not for learning how to do something. I asked how I was supposed to learn this stuff. He turned me on to KW Media. KW stood for… Kelby and Workman. I wish I knew the name of that technician. I’d bring flowers to the insane asylum I probably sent him to. The moral of this story is save an Adobe technician and go to Photoshop World.

Once I import my photograph with the Lightroom adjustments, I open a template I created; merge the two files together, and save the photograph using the same name that you imported it with. Showing how I created the template is beyond this article but I do have a video that shows the process. Using this process organizes the files better in Lightroom.

Send Images Off to the Lab

The last stage in the process is to crop the images and get them off to the lab. I use a Nikon camera that has a native 2/3 ratio. This gives me an 8×12 image that, when cropped, will keep my project centered. Upload the image to your lab of choice. Use their tool for cropping the package sizes. Remember back in my work flow I left the vignette until the very end?  This is why; if you apply a vignette to the original image the outcome will not be what you are looking for when you go to crop the image. If you need to apply a vignette, use the printing lab’s tool for that. If you are printing the project yourself, start with the 8×12 print and crop from there. Each time you crop, save the image and then start with the 8×12 again. Don’t crop and then crop the crop. This will throw your ratios off. You’ll notice certain sizes crop even such as wallets (2.5×3.5) and 5×7 or 8×10 and 16×20. To make printing this package easier, use the built in picture package feature in Lightroom. If you use this feature, you don’t have to crop, the picture package will do it for you and the vignette will look consistent.

Printing is an art by itself. In my case it pays to have Miller’s Lab do my printing and packaging for me. The cost is very reasonable and the quality is impressive. I have an Epson 9800. I can print as wide as 44″ by almost any length. Although the printer can do mass printing, I use it for my proofs and for large scale one print projects. Anything in quantity, use a lab. It takes a large load off of me and allows me to spend more time doing what I would rather be doing than sitting next to my printer cutting and packaging images.

Last Word of Advice: Game Day!

You have everything set. The lights are on, battery is charged and now you are ready for the first subject. Before any participant steps in front of your camera, make sure they filled out an order form, signed model release form, and made their payment ahead of time. Your assistant can collect them one at a time. After you take the shot, record the photograph number on the subjects order form. This way you are not scrambling to put a name to a face. Play music, be pleasant, and have fun with what you are doing. If something goes wrong you will have the knowledge to fix it on the fly; that’s what the test photo shoot was for! When the day is over, follow the Lightroom and Photoshop work flow. Make sure you keep a back up of all the photos just in case something goes wrong!

I mentioned having an assistant at the shoots quite a few times. I am a firm believer that every photographer should have someone assisting them on shoots. This frees your time to be creative and the assistant will gain valuable knowledge. My assistant, Terry Reinert, is more of a colleague than an assistant. When Terry has a shoot lined up, he sometimes asks me to assist him. When I do, I keep my mouth shut and let him run the show. I only give advice when asked. I’ve developed this concept while teaching karate for the past 28 years. It turns students into instructors, helps them grow, and develops a tight bond. One of my most memorable photo shoots, using this theory, was when I was in Los Angeles visiting Mike Kubeisy. Ben Willmore heard I was in town and made a special trip to see us. How incredible it was to shoot with these two creative shooters. We took turns assisting each other on the shoot. I learned so much from keeping my mouth shut and ears open. Thanks Dad for teaching me that one!

Conclusion

So there you have it, from Click to Print. I hope that I was able to give some insight into each of the steps that will guide you in the right direction when doing a mass photo shoot. I mentioned many names in the article in the hopes you will research these talented artists and draw inspiration from them. Thank you for reading and thank you again to Scott for this great opportunity.

SK Photowalk Winner Announced

There were a lot of great images uploaded to the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk Melbourne, FL page that were taken during the annual event. Many of the attendees emailed in their selections for the best image taken and the winner of the tally was “Bike Path” taken by Scott Larson.

Congrats to Scott for a job well done! Best of luck in the finals!

Karate Templates

I had a lot of request for the template files I used in the guest blog post I did for Scott Kelby. I have uploaded several templates that you are welcome to use for any purpose. The file size is about 37 meg zip file and will include these templates. For the background images, I have included blue, green and brown backgrounds in one PDF file. Please post any questions and I will answer them as soon as I can.

Templates

Next Page »