Finish the Sentence...with Rich Harrington

[never mind the music, cue the video intro]
"It's time once again to ask a well-known photographer, instructor or otherwise interesting person the same 10 questions and ask them to Finish the Sentence! This week the sentences are finished by.... Rich Harrington.

Rich, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
my geotagging receiver. I love to be able to look up photos after the shoot because I have a terrible memory for names. I can now go back after the shoot and reconnect and reconstruct the story behind my pictures. I really like to be able to place my photos into context and connect memories, images, and history together. There's lots of brands out there, but jump on this train as it is such great data to have. I've been using the Blue2Can from Red Hen Systems, it works great.

I’ve learned the most from..
my wife. Together we've worked through a lot of things and grown a lot from a couple of kids in college. I've learned to be a better parent, I've learned how to put someone else first, and I've learned that life isn't always buttons and filters and sliders. It may sound sappy, but it's nice to have perspective, great kids, and someone to share life's joys and sorrows. If you've got someone, hold on and make it work.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
the Turks & Caicos Islands because they are beutiful with great scuba diving and beaches. They are one of the most "untouched" islands, in that they are not completely overrun with tourism. It's a great place to shoot photos (both above and under water). If you like warm weather, beautiful beaches, and great sights, these are some of the best islands you'll find. Personal recommendation, stop at a local grocery store, load up on fresh fruit and Junkanoo Cruzan rum... a daquiri (or three) a day really makes it easier to get into island time and the feel of the sea breeeze.

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
I've been using nIk Silver Efex alot on my photos for Black and White Conversion. I find it a very intuitive and rewarding filter that lets me get back to enjoying black and white. I use it both in Photoshop and Aperture, and I think they really nailed the controls. I like to save my own presets as starting points and just love how easy it is to bring out details for dramatic skies.

I love the fact that Photoshop
is so flexible and realtively easy to use. It encourages people to try new things and explore their images. Photoshop is very rewarding to many users who jump right in.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
is not approached with a more formal manner of study by many users. I've had the joy of teaching Photoshop at university level. It's really amazing what happens when user's take the time to build up their knowledge from a strong foundation. So many people blow past the fundamentals of layers, compositing, and channels... then struggle with the application. While it looks easy as times, digging deep into the foundation of digital imaging really pays off. I have my own strong opinions of what the "essentials" are, but it comes from years in a classroom. I tried to capture that college experience into my book, Understanding Adobe Photoshop and bring it to life in the free weekly podcast of the same name.

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I'd buy a heck of a lot of Appe and Adobe stock, file a few patents for the iPhone, and become self-employed about 3 years earlier. I'd also make more time for friends, music, and laughter.

In 10 years
I look forward to
Teaching my son how to drive a car.
Seeing my daughter's love of music develop.
Taking many family vacations.
Celebrating 20 years of marriage.
Laughing with family.
Making new friends and keeping old ones.
Continuing to help people to learn to enjoy their digital life while helping them get faster and more efficient so they can enjoy their real life more often.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
Don't go to bed angry. Try to work out the issue, you'll sleep better, you'll feel better, and the next day will be a new day instead of an old argument.

Your readers can find out more about me
www.RasterVector.com
www.PhotoshopForVideo.com
www.twitter.com/rhedpixel
www.rhedpixel.com

Ladies & Gentlemen, let's hear it for Rich Harrington!!
A certified instructor for Adobe, Apple, and Avid, Rich is a practiced expert in motion graphic design and digital video. Starting his career out in the world of broadcast journalism, Rich has always had great interest in visual communications. His producing skills were also recognized by AV Video Multimedia Producer Magazine who named him as one of the Top Producers of 2004.
Rich is a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals Instructor Dream Team, and a popular speaker on the digital video circuit. He has chaired conferences since 2003 for the National Association of Broadcasters.

Rich is an internationally published author. His book, Photoshop for Video, was the first of its kind to focus on Photoshop’s application in the world of video. He is also a contributing author for Apple’s Aperture, iLife ’09 and iWork ’09, After Effects for Flash | Flash for After Effects, Video:Made on a MAc, and Producing Video Podcasts.

A Master's Degree in Project Management fills out Rich’s broad spectrum of experience. Rich enjoys traveling and digital photography, as well as teaching his kids the joys of science fiction and comic books.