Finish the Sentence...with Mike Fulton

[cue the rockin' game show music]
"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.... Mike Fulton.

Mike, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
Without a doubt our Canon wireless flash and a Radio Popper attached to it. Since the Canon 550ex flash was developed I have been learning, playing and experimenting with wireless flash. Having a passion for an art form with NO LIMITS or BOUNDARIES why would you want a tool which limits your creativity by setting a maximum shutter speed setting of 1/250 of a second (or whatever your flash sync speed is) Truly with a simple light stick, canon flash unit and a radio popper set I can create light and an image anywhere in any lighting situation in any time of the day. Complete freedom and I simply love that!

I’ve learned the most from..
Working 12 years as a Crime Scene Investigator. Photography is so much more about taking the image, its dealing with people, understanding their problems - their concerns, relating to them. As a CSI I not only learned about how to deal with people by studying them and their habits I also learned off camera lighting, low light photography and many other tips and tricks I use today in the wedding and portrait world. As the old saying goes, I used to be a Crime Scene Investigator today I still photography dead people, they are just getting married and die over a longer period of time :)

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Korea because my better half, Suzy was born there and I would like to take her back to let her enjoy the country she knows very little about. However a close second would be back to Uganda, truly an amazing country with beautiful people. I truly enjoyed the country while there covering a wedding last year, beautiful jungles, amazing wildlife, and well all around a perfect experience.

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
TriCoast's Finding Color Action Set. Not because I am getting interviewed to pimp it out but the action set was developed WAY before TriCoast became "popular" we developed our action set to assist us in processing images, our style, our look. As with anything we do here at TriCoast we want to be Faster - More Effective - and More Efficient in our work. For me in our processing our Action set does that. Over 125 actions all designed for our style and our color and well just TriCoast.

I love the fact that Photoshop
Simplfies my workflow. To be honest I enjoy Photoshop and Bridge over Lightroom. While Lightroom has its advantages for me the way I process I can work faster and more effectively in Bridge and Photoshop. You give me Photoshop I can process anything and everything with again a Fast - Effective - and Efficient manner.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
Costs so much. While I know we make money as professionals having to purchase software which costs so much to place on so many computers in my office can really take a chunk out of the pocketbook. Of course you can get cheaper versions or other brands which process RAW images but the fact remains Photoshop is truly the industry standard for a reason, they are the best, so it costs money to use it. Of course with Photoshop comes a new computer, with more memory and everything else that comes with it.

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would have left Crime Scene Investigation and become a full time professional photographer. While I love CSI work and I miss the puzzle pieces I helped solve over those years, the job truly took its weight out on me in the form of emotions and personal loss. Being a Crime Scene Investigator one sees the worst that mankind can do to each other. Over the years you become numb to many normal emotions which one needs to experience for a healthy life. Of course I never realized this until I left the CSI world, and now with CSI in my past I feel I am a much better father to my daughter, a father figure to my niece and a companion to the love of my life, Suzy Roberts, all which make me a much happier person. Not to meantion I am getting to do my dream job, which not many people can say they get to do that.

In 10 years
I hope to still be educating, teaching, sharing and enjoying photography with other photographers. Truly sharing my knowledge with others is the key to TriCoast, it is what we live for and what makes us tick. In 10 years or 20 years or however amount of years, I hope the chance for me to share knowledge and learn in the process never goes away. Without sharing TriCoast would not be where they are today, I truly feel NO SECRETS is the key to our success in the past, today and in the future. It is why we teach our hands on workshops today and with any luck we will 10 years down the road from today.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
Be ethical, share with others in the business and learn from everyone you can, NO SECRETS. Being a photographer is easy, being a professional photographer takes work. So many young photographers in todays business look at older photographers as someone who they can not learn from due to the styles are different or "not in style" today. The reality is the photograph is one of the least important aspects of our business, being ethical, learning, and sharing are much more important. The big difference between being a a "Photograph Shooter" and a "Professional Photographer" is not based on the talent you have behind the camera but more the talent you have away from the camera. Being a Professional Photographer involves a level of commitment that I do not believe many photographers give serious thought to. Remember to be a Professional Photographer one must understand what you are commiting yourself too, a dedication to IMPROVING and ADAPTING your skills not just for you but for the PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRY as a whole. The concept of OUR should come before the concept of I. The dedication of improving your skills to the market and more important to your persional vision is always important but you must ALWAYS play well with others in the business and treat everyone with respect. Remember to place ethics above everything else and learn from those who came before you, without them you would not be where you are today.

Your readers can find out more about me
through our 2 and 3 day VERY hands on workshops in wireless flash Ettl / Ittl thoughout the country. www.TriCoastWorkshops.com . Or through our art websites of (Wedding) www.TriCoastPhoto.com (Seniors) www.TriCoastSeniors.com

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for Mike Fulton!
[much applause and whistling as the music fades out]
Mike Fulton was born and raised in Southern Brazoria County, located just south of Houston, TX on the gulf coast. Learning his love for photography by finding his father's camera as a young teenager he self taught himself and enjoyed photography as a hobby through his high school years. While studying Criminal Justice and other science fields in college, his passion for the art of photography grew and he made the switch to professional level shortly there after. Starting in the high fashion and glamour field, Mike found his work being published in many publications ranging from art magazines to calendars. After a short term in the motion picture industry having his work displayed as props in several short films and motion pictures he found his true passion in the art of wedding photography. Bringing his love for fashion and glamour styles with him, Mike uses his knowledge and artistic eye to blend these Editorial Fashion styles with the beauty of the wedding day.

Technique of the...every so often

I learned the hard way many years ago not to name something "tip of the week" or "tip of the day" unless you're willing to commit to actually posting something every week or every day. With that in mind, I'm pleased to announce a new feature on my blog: Technique of the every so often.

Here goes.....

Here's a cool way to make a quick background that has lots of possibilities.

Start by painting a gradient on the background: I used two shades of the same color. Then add a new layer above the background.
Press Q to change to Quick Mask mode. Use the Gradient tool to paint a black to white gradient. You'll see a slightly visible gradual red overlay.

From the Filter menu choose Pixelate>Color Halftone. You can experiment with the settings to come up with all kind of different results. Here's the settings I used.
Here's the results of the filter in Quick Mask:
Press Q again to return to regular mode and you'll have a selection. Fill that selection with either your foreground or background color.

If you like, experiment with different layer blend modes: here I changed the top layer to Multiply.

Quick, easy, with lots of different possibilities.

Check in next week next month every so often for another quick technique.
[edit: in the meantime, to see more tutorials, join NAPP ;)]

Finish the Sentence...with Vincent Versace

[cue the game show music]
"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.... Vincent Versace.

Vincent, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
Hoodman Loupe

I’ve learned the most from..
Tad Z. Danielensk

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
Burma because I am taken by the pictures, not taking pictures

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
the NiK software suite

I love the fact that Photoshop
makes imposable just an opinion.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
has become a verb

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would have carried a lighter camera bag

In 10 years
I want to be taking pictures more and working on them in software less

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
Remember that Photoshop is a Noun and that you as photographer is the verb..

Your readers can find out more about me
www.versacephotography.com, www.acmeeducational.com and http://flickr.com/photos/vincentversace/

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for Vincent Versace!
[much applause and whistling as the music fades out]
Vincent Versace is a recipient of the Computerworld Smithsonian Award in Media Arts & Entertainment and the Shellenberg fine art award best selling author of Welcome to Oz a Cinematic Approach Digital Still Photography with Photoshop and is a six-time nominee to the Photoshop Hall of Fame. His work is part of the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of American History.

Vincent was the original host of the Epson Print academy and is the photographer of Immediate Assistants Medical Rescue Go team and one of the members of the photographic team of Eco-Challenge. He has been commissioned by the San Francisco Presidio National Park to create a permanent collection of art for the park. He is an American Photo Magazine Mentor Trek instructor. Vincent has led photographic workshops to San Francisco, Burma, Viet Nam, India, Morocco, Costa Rica, Santa Fe, Egypt, Cambodia, Mongolia and Australia. Vincent is former member of the board of directors of Los Angeles chapter of the American Photographers Association. He is also a member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals "Instructor Dream Team" and teaches regularly at Photoshopworld as well as being a regular instructor at the Maine Photographic Workshops, Santa Fe Photographic and Palm Beach Photographic Workshops. He is currently a member of Microsoft's Digital Imaging Applications Group and founding member of the Epson Stylus Pros, Xrite Colorotti and Lexar Elite Photographers. He is the former artist in residence for Altamira Group and former consultant to the president of Kodak's Digital & Applied Imaging Group.

Vincent is able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and on the weekends is a part-time super-hero and short-order cook.

Finish the Sentence...with Dave Cross

[cue the a capella, 4-part harmony version of the Finish the Sentence game show music]
"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.... Dave Cross.

Dave, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
hmmm, tough to narrow it down to one....I'd say the Wescott Apollo Speedlite kit

I’ve learned the most from..
Trial and error. Asking "what does this do?" and "what happens if I try this instead?". Being willing to fail. Okay so that's 3 answers but it's my game show darn it all!

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
This was the toughest question for me. There's no one place that jumps out at me, so I guess I'd say somewhere beautiful with great photo opportunities, a super cushy hotel that's really inexpensive, great cheap food, no humidity or bugs, and where the exchange rate is 4:1 in favor of the US dollar. Any suggestions?

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
onOne plug-in set, especially Photo Frame

I love the fact that Photoshop
lets me create things that wouldn't be possible with my camera alone. I love taking photos while I imagine in my head how I'll pull things together with Photoshop.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
still has little things that bug me after all these versions - can't they just fix everything on my wish list?

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would have picked up the camera sooner, and written down all the the titles of the great books I've read. I hate it when I go to buy a book and I can't remember if I've read it before! And it's even worse when they change the cover artwork so I can't even go by the cover! (There should be a law against that, shouldn't there?)

In 10 years
I'll be happily retired, living off my children ;)

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
As someone once said, don't sweat the small stuff. If you feel like you need to worry about something, worry that you aren't have enough fun and love in your life.

Your readers can find out more about me
um, right here? This is my blog after all....

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for Dave Cross!
[As you might expect based on who writes this, the audience makes the most noise in the history of the show]
Dave Cross is Senior Developer, Education and Curriculum for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and is involved in all aspects of the training that is provided to NAPP members, including the content of seminars, conferences and workbooks. He also creates very popular weekly QuickTime-based tutorials that appear on the members’ website. Dave is an Adobe Certified Instructor in Photoshop CS3 and Illustrator CS3 and is a Certified Technical Trainer.
Prior to joining the NAPP, Dave lived in Canada and trained thousands of users across North America. Dave co-authored Illustrator CS2 Killer Tips and is the author of the Photoshop CS2 Help Desk Book and Photoshop Finishing Touches. Dave writes for Photoshop User magazine, teaches at the Photoshop World Conference & Expo and is the Lead Instructor for the Photoshop Seminar Tour. He is also featured on a series of DVDs, on kelby training and is one of the “Photoshop Guys” on Photoshop User TV.

Vegas Photo shoot/lesson learned

First of all, thank to all the people that wished us well on our anniversary. It's actually in August, but this Vegas trip and photo shoot is just the start of a fun-filled "anniversary year" that I have planned.

The photo shoot was a blast! Trish and Jared from Studio ATG are amazing - both as photographers and as people. We had sooooo much fun doing the photo shoot out at Nelson, the "ghost town" that offers so many amazing photo opps.

Here are a few samples that they posted on their blog

As a photographer I would highly recommend that you get your photo taken by another photographer. What an interesting experience it was to be on the other side of the camera. It reminded me of so many things, including how to give clear directions to your subject, explaining the results you're going for, how to make the subject feel at ease and how to have fun! Besides that, Trish and Jared definitely showed the importance being prepared and having a plan. We only had to wait a couple of minutes to get started and never had to wait for them to fiddle with lights, settings etc. Like I said, it was both a lot of fun and taught me a few things as well.

Thanks Trish & Jared - you guys ROCK!

[PS. The font from Monday's photos is Jellyka - Estrya's Handwriting - from dafont.com (thanks to "Wacko" for correcting me]

Finish the Sentence...with Katrin Eismann

[annoying or not, we gotta do it: cue the game show music]
"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.... Katrin Eismann.

Katrin, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
my feet - because they get me to the places I like to shoot – be it on a walk near home or on a hike in the Black Forest. One of the most important things about photography for me is that it gets me outside – to see, hear, and experience the world.

I’ve learned the most from..
teaching. I love the questions and fresh point of views the students bring to the material. They think I’m teaching them! Its the exact opposite!

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
The Serengeti Plains because I’m tired of watching those wildebeests cross the river with the crocodiles on TV! Seriously I would love to experience the vast space and light and feel very, very small.

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
Lightroom!

I love the fact that Photoshop
lets me experiment, grow, and explore ideas and imagination

I hate the fact that Photoshop
has changed how I look at images – sometimes I am so distracted by fussy details that I miss the entire point of the image. There is always something to refine, fix, change. Enough already!

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would take more calcium, learn how to conjugate French verbs, and make time for more creative opportunities. Just being busy doesn’t build strong bones.

In 10 years
I hope to be curious, creative, and open to making a lot of mistakes

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
take classes and don’t try to prove anything to anyone.

Your readers can find out more about me
at www.katrineismann.com and the project I am very proud of www.sva.edu/digitalphoto

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for Katrin Eismann
[The audience cheers & applauds wildly]

Katrin Eismann is an artist, teacher, and author on the subjects of imaging, restoration, retouching, and the impact of emerging technologies upon creative professionals. She is the author of Photoshop Restoration & Retouching and Photoshop Masking & Compositing and co-author of The Creative Digital Darkroom and Real World Digital Photography. In 2005, Katrin was inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame. Presently, Katrin is the co-founder and chair of the Masters of Professional Studies in Digital Photography at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

Finish the Sentence...with Ben Willmore

[download your own copy from iTunes: the Finish the Sentence game show music]
"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! For the first time in 2009 the sentences are finished by.... Ben Willmore.

Ben, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
ThinkTank Photo's Modulus belt-based camera bag. I can change lenses so quickly, even if I'm standing in the middle of a stream, try doing that with a backpack. You can see a video of me demonstrating the setup on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5TRLGRDv7ik

I’ve learned the most from..
being out shooting and screwing up... I take notes from each shoot to try to make sure I only screw up in new ways.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
India because it's so colorful and I love indian food!

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
Photomatix for processing my HDR images. I use this software as often as I use Adobe Camera Raw. You can check out two free 20 minute tutorials I recorded while being a guest on Bert Monroy's Pixel Perfect show

I love the fact that Photoshop
keeps improving in impressive ways without much solid competition out there.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
doesn't read my mind and do all my work while I sleep.

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would have started living a mobile lifestyle much earlier. I've been living full-time on a 40' motorcoach for over two years now. I have explored more than 25 states each year since I've started to live this way. There's always something new to shoot when you change your surroundings every week or so. To lean more about how living a mobile lifestyle has helped my photography, check out my guest blog post on Scott Kelby's blog

In 10 years
I'm sure things will be quite different, but it's hard to plan out that long. I just hope camera manufacturers stop the megapixel race (we've got enough now) and start working on expanding the dynamic range and other useful stuff... it's going to become more difficult to entice me into wanting to buy a new camera every 18 months if they don't.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
Shut off your computer, turn off the TV, put down that book, turn off your cell phone, then go outside and live your own life instead of reading/watching/talking about what everyone else is doing... blaze your own trail! Don't wait until you retire because you just might not have the energy or ability to get around compared to what you can do today. Why not keep your old cell phone, your older car and stop trying to keep up with your neighbors and spend that money on living more life more vividly right now?

Your readers can find out more about me
on my web sites: my blog at www.whereisben.com, my photography site at www.thebestofben.com and my corporate site to find out about all my books, dvds, seminars, etc. at www.digitalmastery.com

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for Ben Willmore
[The audience cheers & applauds wildly]

A senior engineer from NASA once said that this man gave the best technical seminar he ever attended. That same year a computer-phobic who had been struggling with Photoshop for years proclaimed that He takes the Boogie Man out of Photoshop! This seems to be Ben Willmore's special gift; he has an uncanny ability to connect with users of every level and mindset; whether it's first-timers taking their first sniff of Photoshop, or razor-sharp nerds and nerdettes who are on the fast track to technical illumination. The common echo that Ben leaves in his wake seems to be Aha! I finally GET Photoshop!

His award-winning, best-selling book, Adobe Photoshop Studio Techniques is said to be Arguably, one of the best Photoshop books ever written by Photoshop User's publisher, Jim Workman. He is co-author (with Jack Davis) of another best-seller, How to Wow: Photoshop for Photographers, as well as another bestseller, Up to Speed: Photoshop CS3.

His home office is on the main deck of a 40-foot touring bus, which is command central for Ben's ongoing adventures as a Photoshop nomad and digital photographer. While Ben is rolling down the road, he stays connected through his blog, www.WhereIsBen.com.