Back from Orlando

Well I am back from a super fun week in Orlando at Photoshop World. The Project Runway inspired theme seemed go over really well. The opening movie was one of the best I have seen in years. It really came together well in the end and it got everybody excited and ready for three days of Photoshop fun. If you missed it, not to worry. You can catch us in Vegas later this year. I would like to thank everyone who showed up for the event but especially those of you who attended my sessions. I really hope you found something that you can use that may inspire you to become a better artist, designer, photographer, or whatever your passion may be.

Scott Kelby has put together a great blog post of pictures that recap the event from the keynote all the way to the wrap-up session. Click here to see what you missed!

Also don’t forget to follow me on the Planet Photoshop Facebook page. I will be posting tips, updates, and whatever here often. So come along and enjoy the ride!

April 5th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (4)

Free PSW Expo Pass!

Are you gonna be in Orlando next week for PSW? If so, then we all look forward to seeing everyone. However if you are in Orlando and for some reason not able to attend Photoshop World then maybe you can get away for just a few hours. Once again the Tech Expo floor will be open to the public the last two days of the conference, Thursday, March 31 and Friday April 1, 2011. If you have never been to PSW then this is a good opportunity to get a taste of what it is like. There are some of the biggest vendors in the industry in the expo al demoing the latest and greatest tech toys. There are also expo classes taught by several of the Photoshop World instructors. In fact, I have a couple expo sessions I will be teaching as well. Click here to find out more about the expo and see the various class schedules. Be sure to register here to get your free pass! Hope to see you there!

March 23rd, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (6)

My New Type Effects DVD is Now Available!

My newest DVD training course Adobe Photoshop CS5 Type Effects is available now. I am really excited about this course because it is a lot fun just being creative in Photoshop playing around with the new features in CS5 but it also seems like there are so few, if any, new courses on type effects that I really wanted to reignite that creative flare some of us have for text. Whether you work in print or Web, text effects are important design elements for users of every skill level. Join me for over two hours of fun and creative ways to manipulate text in Adobe® Photoshop®. You will learn where to find free fonts on the Web, sources for type-design inspiration, and how to design with smart objects, color effects, and layer styles. The last few lessons on this DVD specifically cover how to design with the 3D tools in Photoshop CS5 Extended. While these final lessons are specific to CS5 Extended, there is plenty of information in this course for every version of Photoshop from CS5 to CS2. Order your copy today over at Kelby Training. Click here for more info. Experiment. Be Creative. Have Fun!

March 18th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (4)

Catch Up on The Grid!

In case you missed the season premiere of The Grid, you can catch the rebroadcast of the live event over at the Kelby TV site. This a brand new show hosted by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski and is a talk show format that addresses the issues and stories surrounding the photography and Photoshop industries. Each week they will have a special guest on to discuss relevant issues that people are talking about or perhaps should be. Yes, I will make the occasional appearance here and there to weigh in on Photoshop topics. Oh and did I mention the show is live? It airs every Monday at 12:30 and is totally free! You can even chime in through the live chat and ask your questions right on the show. However, just in case you miss the live show you can watch the rebroadcast later over on Kelby TV.com. Click here to watch this week’s episode!

March 9th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (4)

Free Webcast Today!

Join RC Concepcion and Scott Kelby today for a free webcast where they will discuss RC’s new book, Get Your Photography on the Web: The Fastest, Easiest Way to Show and Sell Your Work. They will be discussing the content of the book as well as taking questions live from viewers during the show. The show is today, March 8 at 3PM EST and remember the show is free so click here to register now.

March 8th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (1)

Must See Seminars!

The Kelby Training Live seminar tour is in full swing boasting a few new seminars this year with the latest materials and techniques around. In fact, Matt Kloskowski will be bringing the newly updated Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Live Tour to Houston TX on March 9, 2011. Click here for details.

Also look for Dave Cross as he brings his Adobe Photoshop CS5 Power User Tour to Arlington, TX on March 18, 2011 and again on March 21, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ. Ben Willmore also has a new tour called Photography & Photoshop CS5: From Focused to Finish and he will be in San Jose, CA this Friday, February 25, 2011 then on March 23, 2011 in Los Angeles, CA and finally on March 25, 2011 in Atlanta, GA. Click here for for more info.

Lastly Scott Kelby has rolled out a new live tour based on his hugely popular Light it. Shoot it. Retouch it. DVD and online training series and it is called, appropriately enough, Light it! Shoot it! Retouch it! LIVE. Scott actually did a dress rehearsal of this tour right here in the NAPP HQ in front of a select audience of NAPP members and now the tour is coming to you. Scott will be kicking off this new tour on March 24, 2011 in Boston, MA. Then the tour will go to Minneapolis, MN on April 4; Indianapolis, IN on April 6, 2011; and then Chicago, IL on April 7, 2011. More dates will be added to the calendar soon so keep checking to see when the tour will be in a city near you. For more info or to register click here.

February 23rd, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (10)

Photography Book of the Week

This week we have a very special book selection from my friend and former Layers TV co-host RC Concepcion. The book is called Get Your Photography on the Web and we just got some of the first copies here in the office. This is the first book of its kind and covers all you need to know to get your images on the web to show or even to sell. Beginning with domain names and hosting services, RC quickly progresses to how to prepare images for the Web and uploading galleries. He also covers branding for the site–logos, identities, and messaging. RC then addresses the importance of blogging, and launches into the installation of a WordPress blog and how to customize it for a photographer’s needs with a touch of HTML and a host of plug-ins. RC rounds it all out as he covers social media, and the importance of sites like Twitter and Facebook to round out the photographer’s web presence. Finally–knowing a website with images just isn’t enough–he covers printing from sites like Mpix and Artistic Photo Canvas.

So if you are sick of waiting for that family member or friend who only dabbles in web design to finish your sit that he promised you a year ago, then this book will take you through the process quickly and easily. Whether you are just a hobbyist or working professional, this is the volume that will get your images from your camera to share with the world. Also if you order now from KelbyTraining.com, you will receive an exclusive signed copy. Click here for more info!

February 11th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (12)

NAPP Image of the Week and the Best Movie Posters of 2010

NAPP Member Portfolio Image of the Week
Got some pretty impressive images over on the NAPP Member Portfolio Page this week. I ma really liking this week’s selection for image of the week by T.C De Hovos. (Pictured here) Well done! Also chosen as the Editor’s choice this week here is a big shout out to Tom Thulen, Steve Hood, Regina Pagles, Tom Peterson, John Maynard, and T.C De Hovos. Hey, wasn’t he already mentioned? Oh it seems he has two images selected this week. Nice work! Be sure to check out the rest of T.C.’s portfolio page, as well as, all the other artists and photographers who’s work continues to inspire us all. Congrats to you all!

A Year of Movie Posters
The folks over at Graphic Design Junction have compiled a cool list of the best movie posters of 2010 and a few from 2011. It is a really inspiring collection of some of the most impressive Photoshop work around. I am always inspired by this kind of work because it encompasses so many aspects of design like photography, typography, illustration, layout, composition, and it all comes together into an overall theme. To sum up a story in a single image or generate enough curiosity to explore the movie further. Even if you never find yourself actually designing a real movie poster, do one for fun. You will be amazed at what you learn along the way that you can use in your own design work.

February 4th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (2)

Friday News Bits

New Seminars Under Way
There is a range of new seminars being offered up by the folks over at Kelby Training Live this year. Dave Cross kicked off the all-new Photoshop CS5 Power User Tour in Oklahoma City this week. His next stop will be in San Antonio, TX this Monday, January 31, 2011. Also kicking off this week is the newly updated Photoshop CS5 Tour for Photographers. Matt Kloskowski is in Covington, KY today and will be Austin, TX on February 4, 2011. Matt will also be bringing the updated Lightroom Live Tour to Houston, TX on March 9, 2011. Lastly Ben Willmore has put together a brand new seminar tour called From Focus to Finish that he will be launching in Salt Lake City, UT on February 23, 2011. For more information on these or other city dates, click here. If you do not see your city or a city near you listed keep checking back as cities are added to the schedule throughout the year. Sooner or later it will show up at a city near you.

Follow NAPP on Facebook and Twitter
Want to get the scoop on what’s happening with the National Association of Photoshop Professionals? Are you one of the 8 people in America that does not have a Facebook or Twitter account? Then come one over and follow us, like us, become a fan, or whatever they are calling it now and stay up-to-date with tips, discounts, special announcements, and just fun and interesting stories. Of course, it’s only half as fun if you are not a NAPP-member but you can fix that by clicking here. Visit the NAPP on Facebook at Facebook.com/Photoshopuser. To follow NAPP on Twitter click here.

An Intriguing Post by Scott Kelby
Today on Scott’s blog there is an interesting post about looking at your images from years ago with a new eyes. If you have been using Photoshop for a few years, your skills are no doubt much better today than they were back then. It is perhaps worth going into your old hard drives and opening what were then your favorite images and giving them an updated polishing. Ever remember working on an image and wishing there was a tool or feature that existed to help you? Well maybe that feature exist now and can breathe new life into that old image. You never know! Click here to read the full post.

January 28th, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (6)

NAPP Image of the Week

This week we have some really impressive work featured on the NAPP member portfolio site. The image of the week was awarded to Paul Bartell for his exceptional retouching and compositing work. The image selected this week is pictured here but you must also visit his gallery page and see the rest of his work. Some really creative image composites. Nice work Paul! Don’t forget to also check out the other images selected as the Editor’s Choice for this week. Bog congrats to Dennis Ramos, Tara Funk, Bill Wakeley, Trudy Hill, Esther, and Priva Samuel. Some really great work showcased here on the main portfolio page and also in each person’s individual gallery page. Just click on the image to go directly to their personal pages. There’s a lot of really inspiring images right inside this one site. All you have to do is go and look around. Have a great weekend!

January 21st, 2011 | Corey Barker | Blog | Comments (2)