You’ve surely learned by now that my Q&A with Dave Cross on Monday, and the subsequent discussion with Matt Kloskowski on Tuesday, had to mean that another one was coming, right? For those of you living under a rock for the past ten years, those two are but 2/3rds of the Photoshop Guys crew. The guy that started it all, Scott Kelby, has taken the time to sit down and chew the fat with us here, so to wrap up this series, I’d like to present, the Founder of NAPP, the CEO of Kelby Media, and Photoshop Guy – Mr. Scott Kelby! Continue reading “Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Scott Kelby!”
Tag: Scott Kelby
Useful Resource
In the interests of giving people enough time to participate, here is the awaited review of Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Book, Volume 3. To be eligible to win this book, simply comment on this post – you have until Friday to make a comment – the winner will be announced then. One entry only per person, and free shipping to anywhere in the US. If you live outside the US you can still participate, but shipping won’t be free. Details to follow for the winner… Good luck all and thanks to those at NAPP and Kelby Media for sending the book out (little did they know I’d be turning around and giving it away again). So, ready for the “review”? Here goes:
The relatively recent release of Scott Kelby’s latest book on photography has met well with readers and reviewers so when I got an opportunity to read through it in some detail, figured this would be a good time to give a Canon-centric rundown.
First off, the book is interestingly organized. Scott’s impressive background with Photoshop has lent itself well toward his particular writing style in that a work flow of sorts can be how reading material is organized. With photography, a “work flow” is not as easy to adhere to because things will vary from one type of environment to another. There are some basics that will be the same across the board, and given the layout of this third volume, I am guessing he found a flow for the first book or two. For this third book though, it’s not typical “Kelby-esque” style writing. Sure, the wit still comes through, and for those accustomed to his writing style, this is a welcome element. The flow aspect being different though, takes some adjusting. To that end, here’s how the book is laid out in its chapter organization:
- Flash Tips
- Studio Tips
- Lens Tips
- Product Photography
- Outdoor Photography
- Portrait Photography
- Sports Photography
- General Photo Tips
- Avoiding/Dealing with Problems
Because in previous works, I have been accustomed to reading something like a story as things easily transition from one element to the next, this was a bit more challenging at first. Once I made the shift to this new style, it became easier – so, my recommendation, read this book more as a quick reference guide. The tips, tricks, and pointers he gives on all subjects are spot on for the specific subject matter. The content shifts quickly though with each tip lasting about a page (and this includes graphics).
When all is said and done though, would I recommend this as a book to read? I can honestly say that though I’ve probably advanced past his introductory books, this is definitely a keeper. Not only are there some great tips in here, but they aren’t just cheesy ones like “Don’t forget to take your lens cap off…” These are real tips, true gristle that you can sink your teeth into. Want to know how to use mirrors? Scott tells you! How about what to do if your flash isn’t bright enough? Scott tells you! There’s even nuts and bolts info on things like how to get specific effects with your photography in all genres of work. I think what I like best is that he actually goes through some of the specifics for both Nikon (his camera gear of choice) and Canon equivalents, for camera and lighting settings. This way no one is left out (unless you shoot Pentax, but then even there, the tips for photography still apply.)
The last element I think is worth mentioning is that while this book is not complete on any given subject matter, that it is still a good choice because now you aren’t trying to get everything out of one book – you get nuggets and tricks and tools for any genre that can help you. Even if you knew everything in this book at one point in time, it would still be useful because we all need reminders every once and a while, so this is one to be sure to hold on to. Scott gives enough detail to get you started in whatever field interests you – or even enough to take you from beginner to serious hobbyist, or even to maintain your skills as a general reference guide. Is it too late? Can I retract the “Comment Contest” and keep the book? No worries – out it goes for some lucky reader.
I do feel that I should give some fair warning here though – this book is not for beginners. If you’ve got a few things down, some of the basics of gear and lighting, and known your rules of composition, then yes, jump right in, the water is warm. If the terms I just mentioned are somewhat new or you are still getting them down pat – you might want to start with his Volume 1 or Volume 2 book (or even just keep reading the blogs – I know a few good ones! 🙂 )
So, there you have it – thanks to Scott for putting out yet another must-read book (what’s he at, like 60 books now?). Thanks also to Kelby media for sending this one out – I wasn’t sure if it would come or not. And lastly, now it’s time to share your thoughts…did you like it? Did it stink? Needed more? Needed less? About right? Should he switch to Canon and leave the Nikonians behind? (Ok, just kidding on that last one…) But sound off – this is your chance to win the book for free!
Happy shooting all, and thanks in advance for all that stop in to comment – don’t forget the month long contest going on over at Flickr to win a bunch of prizes including some more stuff from NAPP. It’s in the Flickr tab up at the top, but I’ll link here again for convenience sake! We’ll see you back here again tomorrow!
Photo walks, news, and a visit from Scott Kelby
So, as many of you know, Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), Kelby Media Group, Kelby Training Live, and leader of the pack of Photoshop guys over at Photoshop User TV, was in Denver yesterday on his Adobe Photoshop Lightroom tour. He led a seminar yesterday that, despite several technical difficulties, was pretty rockin’ when it comes to establishing a work flow in Lightroom.
Scott is also known for his annual worldwide photo walks that he started last year. This year response has just been enormous to the walks, with several cities (including Denver) filling up within the first 24 hours. Well, on his blog this last Monday, he wrote a Q&A post describing the photo walks, what they are, how they work, and all that stuff. One question he snuck in though was that he would be in Denver and did anyone know of any good places to shoot in the downtown area.
Since I work downtown, (pretty close to the Convention Center I might add), I have a fairly good understanding of where things are, and what’s fun to shoot. So, I posted a comment on his blog of where he could go and what might be fun. To my astonishment, he actually wrote me back via email, asing if I’d be interested in going on a photo shoot with him to kinda show him around! Not give him a few locations, not recommend a restaurant – he invited me on a photo shoot! With him! My jaw about hit the floor, but I did respond that it’d be my pleasure to show him around the area. He sent me some info on where he’d be staying and to come on over after work on Tuesday! My jaw hit the floor again. But, regaining my composure, on Tuesday after work, I walked over to his hotel to meet him. Knocked on the door and sure enough – Mr K. himself! The maker of the Kelby Kool-Ade!
For the next 2 hours, we walked around the downtown area – talking shop, and all that stuff. I was silent for about the first 30 minutes, afraid I would say something utterly stupid to embarrass myself, but as I walked and we talked, found that he’s just a regular guy (despite his amazing base of knowledge, and…well, the fact that he’s Scott Kelby!) After a few hours of shooting, I then enjoyed an amazing dinner with him and his crew – names like Bert, Ben, Moose, Matt, Corey, etc., etc., were bandied about in the regular conversation. Needless to say, I kept quiet for most of it, trying to keep my jaw off the floor. I know, I know – they are all people too, but every time someone’s name was mentioned, I just kept thinking to myself, “Yup, I read their blog too!” Oh, and then for the next day’s seminar – he reserved a front row seat for me! It was an incredible day, and I just wanted to take a day here on the blog to give a nod to Scott for being so open and friendly, and just – so, well….cool!
My shots from the day were pretty much lousy as I totally wasn’t paying attention to my technique or anything – just trying not to look like an idiot. Nevertheless, in honor of his visit to Denver, and in hopes of his return:
Monday Minutia: Memory Management
A post over on This Week in Photography got me thinking about my memory cards and the rituals or practices I take to conserve my image data. As they suggested over at TWIP, I do format my cards in camera prior to using. This in-camera formatting optimizes the data sectors and creates folders to organize image data. However, I also occasionally format my cards on the computer for that exact reason. Since the XT only has an image counter that goes to 100, whenever I pass that 100 mark, it creates a new folder. If I were to never format the card outside of the camera, those folders would always remain there – and I would wonder if there were images in there not being copied out to my hard drive for backup.
So, I do format my memory cards in the computer. About once a month I’ll insert my cards into the card reader, plug ‘er up, and format away. On the PC, that would be: format E: /fat32 (With “E” being whatever drive letter is assigned to media once you connect it. Having said that though, once the PC format is complete, I will do another format in camera to optimize sectors for the camera prior to shooting.
The last step I take in the format process is to take a picture. My very first picture on each card is a screen shot picture from my monitor. On my monitor, I put together a Word document that gives my contact information (Name, mailing address, phone, and email address), along with a request to return the card to me (see above – naturally, the info there is more accurate, but you get the idea). That way, if I ever lose the card, hopefully some benevolent person will find it and put it in their computer or camera and find that content there. I took the shot with PrintKey (Windows only- if you are on a Mac, use CTRL+SHIFT+4 to grab the area manually yourself), and then opened in PS and saved for web settings to minimize the space it takes up on the CF card (32K). This may seem rather a p.i.t.a., but the step for me is worthwhile just as a safeguard against the possible loss of my CF cards.
One final note, in case anyone is interested, I do have a few suggestions for vendors to use: I like Sandisk and Ridata. Both have been very good to me, and with three 2 Gig cards, I am probably safe with those. Although, I do know of others (like Scott Kelby) that recommend Hoodman. For those of you that are technically inclined, and want to know all the nitty gritty details of write speeds, failure rates, etc., Rob Galbraith also has an excellent page on all that stuff if it is up your alley.
This may be a rather unique approach to memory card maintenance, but it works for me. Maybe this will give others ideas for procedures to use in their own approach to memory card management. What about everyone else though? Any other tips or tricks to suggest for managing your media? Feel free to share those in the comments.