Finish the Sentence...with David Tejada

[sing along with your favorite 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.... David Tejada.

David, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
I actually have two items that are very important to me. First are my PocketWizards. I can't get lit shots like this without them.


And second, it's my tripod. A stable platform is a necessity in order to have sharp images.

I’ve learned the most from..
The Web! "Kelby Training Online" is by far the best! What a wonderful collection of talent to lean from.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
I have always wanted to visit Venice, Italy. I've traveled all over the world shooting assignments but have never made it there. I want to shoot there because of the stunning photos I've seen created there.

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
I have an action I created that allows me to produce a portrait makeover in 5 minutes. Skin softening, red-eye reduction, teeth brighting and a B/W conversion. I also like Alien Skin Exposure 2.

I love the fact that Photoshop
Has brought me into the light. No more mixing chemicals and standing for hours over trays processing prints in the dark.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
Can suck so much time away from me, it's a love hate relationship for me. It's very reminiscent of the darkroom days when I'd use all the air up in the darkroom. Photoshop allows you to create so many different variations of the same photo.

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would have bought more Adobe and Apple stock.

In 10 years
I hope to still be actively shooting and teaching workshops around the country, I love teaching.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
Do what you love and have a passion for. Life is too short to do otherwise!

Your readers can find out more about me
Your readers can find out more about me and my commercial work at www.tejadaphoto.com, I also blog at www.davidtejada.blogspot.com and to learn more about the location lighting workshops "Small Strobes, Big Results" www.smallstrobesbigresults.com.

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for David Tejada!
[much applause and whistling as the music fades stops abruptly]

David Tejada is a Colorado based corporate photographer who specializes in location work for annual reports and other business collateral material. David also teaches his popular Small Strobes, Big Results lighting workshops around the country as well as teaching location lighting at Santa Fe Photographic Workshops & Maine Media Center Workshops. David will also be conducting his first Popular Photography/American PHOTO "Mentor Series Trek" to Death Valley February 18th-22nd.

Photo shoots

When I was in Austin I had a chance to squeeze in 2 photo shoots: one with a "texas bride", complete with cowboy boots and a cowboy hat....





and the second with a great, fun couple Everdil and James, who let me take some photos of their wonderful relationship

Finish the Sentence...with RC Concepcion

[click play. start 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.... RC Concepcion.

RC, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
The Nikon SB800. Aside from my Tripod (A Giottos MT8350with a 1301 Head), I can’t think of another piece of photography gear that can take your photography to the next level. Flash and Tripod. That’s where it’s at

I’ve learned the most from..
oe McNally. I’ve been a fan since about 01 with the Faces of Ground Zero exhibit and have followed him since. It’s a given to see his photography and admire it as a body of work. Listen closer and you’ll hear a person talking about how often it takes tenacity and running into the wall over and over to find the pictures you are looking for. Through perseverance you can find your ‘moment that clicks’.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
If I could go anywhere in the world it would be Khatmandu/Bhutan. I think its one of the most beautiful places in the world – with soaring vistas and an incredible landscape. I’ve wanted to shoot a picture of The Taktshang Goemba in Bhutan for lord knows how long.

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
the Lens Vignette. I confess- im a Lens Vignette-aholic. The hardest part for me to get used to is the feather in Post-crop. Must use feather.. Must use...

I love the fact that Photoshop
has so many avenues in which you can assert yourself as a specialist. Right now, Photoshop’s being used to analyze molecules in a lab, to retouching a scene for a holywood movie, to making a texture for you to wear on a shirt. One program touches many different aspects.. That’s a great thing.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
creates such a culture of chest beating. With so many different ways to approach the same conclusion, theres been this mass evolution of Photoshop Dogmas. All of a sudden, it’s this –insert new name- technique that’s so much better than –insert passe technique name here- and everyone runs around showing off their certified black belt in the technique. As much as I love the program... It’s Photoshop .. School will be open on its birthday!

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I would have picked up the camera more. I used to live in Germany for a while and traveled all over Europe and some of South america. I have cool snapshots, no doubt, but imagine how many cool pictures I could have had.

In 10 years
I see myself still doing this: I love the fact that I get to come into work and just share with you things I think are cool. Where else could I go where talking to you about this would be a job. I’d probably teach more live workshops. I get such a rush from teaching live. The people.. That’s where it’s at.. It’s all about the people..

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
Don’t take everything that you do too seriously. You’d be surprised as to how much can change in an instant. That said- make sure you dip your toes in as many passions as you have. Wake up every morning giving thanks, and looking forward to the things you ‘get’ to do, rather than the things you ‘have’ to do.

Your readers can find out more about me
on my daily blog at www.layersmagazine.com and every week on Layers TV – The How To Podcast for Everything Adobe.

Ladies, Gentlemen, Kids, let's hear it for RC Concepcion!
[much applause. Press stop]

Rafael Concepcion (RC) is an Education and Curriculum Developer for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, and the co-host of Layers TV - The How To Podcast For Everything Adobe. An Adobe Certified Instructor in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Lightroom, he has over 10 years in the I.T. and e-commerce industry and spends his days developing content for all applications in the Adobe Creative Suite. RC has held training seminars in the U.S., Europe, and Latin America, and has recently combined his photographic and web experience to teach with famed Wildlife Photographer Moose Peterson at the You Can Do It Too workshops in Mammoth, CA. As the newest “Photoshop Guy” he writes columns for both Layers Magazine and Photoshop User Magazine.

Finish the Sentence...with Chase Jarvis

[crank up the very repetitive 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.... Chase Jarvis.

Chase, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
my curiosity and my two feet. photo gear will never replace what's possible by getting off your arse and looking around every corner, high, low, left and right. so much "work" can be accomplished in one's pictures by simply covering ground with your eyes open.

I’ve learned the most from..
listening. Especially to my wife, Kate.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
to the hammock in my backyard with a margarita, because I'm on the road almost constantly as it is. We're off to some of the most exotic place on the planet, and sure I love to travel - I'm obsessed with it - but, like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, "there's no place like home."

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
Scott, my long time friend, right hand man, and lead re-toucher. He's an amazing guy and a self-taught Photoshop wizard who really helps my images sing.

I love the fact that Photoshop
is such a robust application. Makes almost anything possible.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
is such robust application. Creates anxiety in most users.

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I'd go insane, because I don't like looking backwards. Sure, I'd be better looking, but I'd lack a lot of street smarts.

In 10 years
I'll still be creating, hustling, and feeling like a kid.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
that whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.

Your readers can find out more about me
at chasejarvis.com/blog, my facebook page, and by following me on twitter.

Ladies, Gentlemen, Children of all ages, let's hear it for Chase Jarvis!
[much applause and whistling as the music comes to an abrupt halt]

Chase Jarvis has carved out a place as an innovator and true leader in the world of photography. He is one of the only photographers in the world—and certainly the youngest ever—to have been honored both a Hasselblad and Nikon Master. He has won many other prestigious awards for his commercial campaigns, as well as his personal work and business acumen. Already an accomplished speaker, writer, and filmmaker, and having garnered the respect of his peers by winning the attention of numerous photo magazines and other industry buzz centers, Chase is quick to bring his career back to humble basics. “I’m happy that it’s mostly about creating and collaborating, meeting challenges, and keeping perspective.” Degreed with distinction in Philosophy, Biology, and Pre-Medicine, and then moving on to spend graduate school studying Philosophy of Art, Chase somehow escaped all that crap relatively unharmed. He is a lover of life and an adventurer who has traveled to work in every corner of the globe. He enjoys coffee, cars, shiny objects, and art. When he’s not on assignment, he spends time with his wife, Kate.

Finish the Sentence...with Neil van Niekerk

[cue the very repetitive 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.... Neil van Niekerk.

Neil, please Finish the Sentence..."

My favorite photography accessory (lights, modifier, bag, tripod) is
a speedlight. In fact, it is so essential to photography I wouldn't even call it an accessory. So can I say instead that a battery pack for my speedlight is my favourite accessory?

I’ve learned the most from..
devouring books and magazines and websites. Which really means that I learnt the most from other photographers.

If I could go anywhere in the world it would be_____ because….
a leisurely road trip through Italy. The romantic in me is drawn to the incredibly beautiful photos and movies I've seen of Italy. It is a country and people that seems endlessly interesting.

My most-used Photoshop add-on, plugin, action set (etc) is
The Totally Rad actions by Doug Boutwell. I use actions sparingly, but when I dip into them, it is most often these action sets.

I love the fact that Photoshop
takes a lifetime to master. There is always something new to be learnt and discovered.

I hate the fact that Photoshop
takes a lifetime to master. It's incredibly complex , and I don't see the top of this hill yet.

If I could turn back the clock 10 years
I'd be more careful, but I'd also be more bold. With hindsight I'd avoid the many mistakes I've made in my life .. but also more fearlessly attempt things which would bring success and happiness. But that's life lived in hindsight. I look forward to the future.

In 10 years
I still want to be a photographer, but with greater skill and passion undimmed.

If I could give one piece of advice it would be
to read voraciously, take it all in, and make it your own.

Your readers can find out more about me
at www.planetneil.com/tangents/

Ladies, Gentlemen, let's hear it for Neil van Niekerk!
[much applause and whistling as the music fades out]


Neil van Niekerk is a wedding and portrait photographer based in northern New Jersey. He also maintains a website - planetneil - described by Rangefinder Magazine as: “an unusual and informative web site dedicated to digital imaging.”

Technique of the...every so often

Here's an interesting technique that takes a portrait photo and turns it into a portrait made of text - editable text for that matter. This one is in video format as it would take too long to write it all out.


See the video at full resolution

Look for more variations on this idea on the NAPP members weekly videos.