Day Four (Last day...)

Well, I'm done now - will be heading to the slot machines in a bit. :)

What a great week. It's been really intense, but really great. I just have to make sure I practice what I've learned in order not to forget everything! 

There have always been areas of functionality within Photoshop that I just don't use - partly because I don't know enough about them to use them correctly, and partly because I really didn't know how they should be used. :(    Anyway, this week I've probably learned the most about channels and blending modes, which have always been a bit outside of my grasp, so it's really been rewarding. 

Some of the work the instructors do is really phenomenal. It's been an inspiration just to see their work, let alone be able to watch how they've achieved their ultimate results. Sometimes they start with what appears to be such an awful image and they manipulate the pixels with channels and blending which results in images that are simple astounding. 

Maybe there's hope for some of mine! I'm sort of looking forward to experimenting on some of the images I took in Germany - the weather was often cloudy and overcast, and I think with the newly learned techniques, I'll be able to rescue a few of them. :)

I head home in the morning, but due to time changes really show up in Minneapolis in the evening. 

See you soon!

~Janet

Day Three...

Wow... my brain is full now and I still have another day to go.
I'm heading to bed!
:)
More news tomorrow, really...
Me

Day Two!

It was a long but interesting day... :)

The morning began with the keynote speech and some awards. There are about 3000 people here. The amazing thing is the age difference/range among attendees. I think there are just as many people under 50 as over 50; probably an age range from 17 to 95.

I had three classes today, one that discussed creating a composition, another that focused on specific techniques and the last was a class about both Photoshop and Illustrator used together (sort of focusing on the stregths of Illustrator and how it supports the Photoshop work flow.) The artist was really amazing. He started as an illustrator and began using a computer in 1984. His name is Bert Monroy (visit: http://www.bertmonroy.com/fineart/text/fineart_damen.htm) to view an example of his work.

The 'Tech Exhibit" was open today as well, so now I have a new list of tech-toys and software that I want to buy. ;)

I had high hopes of getting some other things done, but after dinner just decided to call it a night and went to sleep! (tTill no money in the slot machines - maybe today's the day.)

:)
Janet

Day one is complete.

Well, it's 11:30 AM Vegas time - I think that means it's 1:30 at home and I'm just getting to my computer. Class ran late because of printing problems, and then people got into a discussion about the republican convention... anyway, here I am. (Not one word of demonstrations has made it into the national news - how are things around the Excel?)

I've been in Vegas 2 days and have yet to drop a dollar into a slot machine - I must be getting old. ;)

The day started with my thinking that heading down to register at ~10:00 would give me plenty of time to figure out where to go and such before my 12:00 class - WRONG - I waited in line for 45 minutes and then had to race back to the room to get my computer and get back to class to claim a seat. 

Once in class, I realized the 'assignment' was more involved than I had understood - we were not only supposed to have images selected, but they should have been cropped, masked and layered ready to go - I was not the only one who missed that point (which explains the delay in printing noted above.) 

The class was interesting - we were using a 3D technology similar to what the artist Agam (http://www.masterworksfineart.com/inventory/agam#1721) uses in his work - layered images that display with some depth.  Lots of talented people in the class - a little intimidating but fun!

I wound up using a couple images I had taken at the arboretum and merging them to make a composition. It didn't turn out quite right because I layered the images in the wrong order, but it still turned out kind of neat. (My bumble bees display a bit behind the flowers at an angle - sort of float in space.) You can't see the depth here, but it was still kind of neat to play with. :)

(these are the images that were merged)

   

We start tomorrow again at 8:30 - I'm heading to bed. 

Kisses to All! 

Photoshop World

Well, I made it. :)
I arrived last night around 8:00 PM Vegas time. It seems bigger and brighter than the last time I was here. Reached the The Hotel at the Mandalay Bay around 8:30. What a nice room! It's (what they call) a small suite - two rooms (2 baths!)



Once unpacked I headed down to the lobby bar, then out for a bit of a walk. Tried the street first, then found the tram - much more friendly.

Things certainly are expensive - a glass of wine is between $12.00 - $22.00. (I looked on Google maps and found a liquor store a block away...)

Back to the room about 10:30 and then started collecting images for my class. (Found out we had some homework in prep for the 3D Lenticular Imaging w/Photoshop I'm taking.)

Off to find coffee - there's NOT a coffee maker in the room... bummer. :(

~Janet