After my third straight year, I think I’m finished with Photoshop World for a few years. No offense to the convention. It’s not you, NAPP, it’s me. Let me explain why.
I’ve always been very opinionated about the way people learn (and teach) photoshop. Most young designers learn photoshop first – heck, it’s a cool program, and that appeals to young computer nerds. I think Graphic Design is the Rock N Roll of the tech industry, and the lead guitar is photoshop. What young designers (myself included at one time) don’t quite grasp is that the band still needs some bass, drums and vocals. Enter Illustrator, InDesign, Color Theory, Typography, etc. Becoming a good designer comes in time – as I find out on a daily basis, as I’m not afraid to say that I still learn new things.
That said, the CS2 (2006) and CS3 (2007) versions of Photoshop World were almost identical. I say ALMOST, because the applications themeselves are almost identical – and some really classy instructors do an awesome job of (what I can only imagine is) re-hashing stuff over and over through the versions and keeping their classes interesting – namely, Scott Kelby, Deke McClelland, Bert Monroy, Moose Peterson, Dan Margulis. These guys are awesome help. I really like Julianne Kost’s seminars, too – but I didn’t see her at this one. One big complaint from some of my friends was that Photoshop World was too photography-heavy. There were lots of photo-centric seminars spread out over all different learning tracks. Lots of Lightroom stuff, too. ( I LOVE Lightroom!) I’m into it, because I shoot a lot of photography. But people that are Pre-press and production people were pretty bent about it.
My favorite class was by Moose Peterson. I have a ton of respect for Mr. Peterson, because he has a greater cause. In an AIGA speech given by Mirko Ilic, I was reminded of the concept of “what does your design do?” Man, Moose gets it. His wildlife photography is amazing, even lifesaving – and his approach is great. It makes me glad that I was able to donate hundreds of dollars in services to the Lions HealthFirst Foundation, and I did a pro-bono logo for a new church that focuses on racial diversity. Those are tough on a small, new studio – but it really does pay me in a different way.
One phenomenon I absolutely do not understand is Vincent Versace. A lot of people dig him, but I walked out of one of his seminars last year, and I even gave him a second chance this year. Pffffft. I left before the lights went down. Vincent, if you’re reading this – you do really fantastic work, but you should scale back on the ego a bit, man. Do you really need to validate yourself in a room full of hundreds of people who will admit they’re not as cool as you? We pay to learn new tips and tricks to make our jobs easier – not to hear about how many laptops you have.
The tech expo was cool, but smaller. (Alien Skin – where ya at?)Â I picked up some new 8 Gig CF cards, and I finally broke down and bought a Lensbaby on show discount rates. Can’t wait to play with it at my next product session. Samy’s Camera is great. They were slammed with people all day long, and the guys at the counter were (mostly) really cool and friendly. For that, I spent a few hunny, and I will again. B&H did very little to help me out when I received some broken lightstands a while back, and they’re pretty rotten on the phone, and they’re in NYC, so shipping is slow. 3 strikes and you’re out, B&H. Samy’s gets my buck.
Look, I don’t even dream of bashing NAPP or PhotoshopWorld. I love them both and I advise anyone who takes themselves seriously as a graphics professional to experience both. I guess the unfortunate reality is that I’ve grown a lot as a photoshop user, and I don’t feel that this year’s classes quenched my thirst – and here’s why: Photoshop is just the guitar. I’m seeking an InDesign World, Illustrator World, or a Photo Safari with someone like Moose. Only then can I truly rock out.
