NoBs Digital Dogbowl
The NoBs Digital Dogbowl Newsletter:
Keeping you up to date and informed on the latest, coolest, and outrageous happenings inside the world of NoBS Photo Success.
Loaded with Free photography tips, Photoshop tutorials, photo reviews,
and other totally relevant essentials. Be sure to check out the whole thing!
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September 2009 Digital Dogbowl
2009 NoBS Inferno Primer
It's just around the corner. It's NoBS' main event, the Inferno, which will be held November 2 - 4, 2009 in Nashville, Tennessee. If you have not yet attended or are coming for the first time, our goal this month is to give you a sneak peek at the events and some of the speakers.
Who's Speaking?
Robert Provencher
In spite of the economic doom and gloom, Rob's studio has experienced the busiest year ever. If you want to learn the 'meat and potatoes' of marketing and shooting for success in your own portrait studio then this presentation, and the entire Inferno, is a must attend. Rob will dig deep into the strategies that he applied to build his studio well into the six-figure range. Learn what you need to do to create the 'complete studio', with a steady, reliable flow of paying clients, year after year.
Rob is Co-founder of No Bs Photo Success Inner Circle Members Forum. Writer for weekly newsletters: the Digital Dogbowl and the Profitable Studio photographers marketing newsletter. Monthly writer and contributor to Will Crockett's ShootSmarter.com, one of the leading voices and authorities in the industry today. Instructor, five years running now, five day program at Niagara School of Imaging.
James Hodgins
Get Hodgified! James Hodgins runs a successful studio photographing kick-butt weddings, dynamic advertising, commercial and industrial portraits, and other services such as babies, families, trash the dress and more. James has created a unique style that has made him an in-demand photographer. James will reveal some amazing publicity strategies, off camera flash techniques, posing rules, attitude fix guidelines, and a whole lot more. His energy and enthusiasm will leave your head spinning with ideas, and asking yourself the question: "Is this guy heavily medicated? James is the real deal, a "photographers photographer."
James is Co-founder of No Bs Photo Success Inner Circle Members Forum. Monthly writer and contributor to Will Crockett's ShootSmarter.com, one of the leading voices and authorities in the industry today. Instructor, five years running now, five day program at Niagara School of Imaging.
Mike Long
Mike, originally from just south of London now resides in the Pacific Northwest, Portland, Oregon. A professional retoucher for over 20 years and a photographer for 15, he has built a niche market around Portland Pin-Ups. Using his combined talents as a photographer and retoucher, he creates one-of-a-kind artworks that hark back to the good old days of pin-up, yet are very modern in style. When not shooting pin-ups, Mike supplies retouching expertise to wedding and portrait photographers, works with advertising agencies, is an Adobe Beta Tester, and also shoots weddings.
Mama Shan
Mama has been a digital artist, writer, Adobe Certified Expert and teacher since 1999. She and daughter Nora Canfield have co-owned a small photography studio in Nashville, Tennessee since 2003. All processing of images use some type of Mama's Actions. She released just one of them to the public in January of 2007 for $5 and the word spread like wildfire. Since then she has continued to release many more digital makeup and artistic actions to the public. She also has over 14,000 subscribers on her educational youtube.com/photoshopmama channel.
Andy Armstrong
Andy Armstrong is a three-time International award-winning photographer based in Knoxville, Tennessee. He recently placed first overall in the Portrait Category and second overall in the Editorial/Illustrative Category of WPPI's 8x10 Print Competition. In 2008, Armstrong released design house - a library of essential creative tools for the modern photographer and designer. Armstrong's software has been part of the mix for more than eight big wins in national and international competitions.
Steve and Shelley Harrington
Steve and Shelley are a husband and wife team, located in Garland, Utah. It's a small town. It's ok that you've never heard of it. They will photograph anything that moves and has money, but mainly work with high school seniors. They've won a few awards, teach at WPPI every year and at SPA (Senior Photographers Association). They would like to let everyone know that they are happy to be a part of the best forum EVER! "NoBS Inferno makes our asses burn with knowledge! See you there!"
Ok, What Are We Going To Learn?
So we've told you that this is going to be an intense, three-day workshop loaded with more information than your brain may be able to handle. Here's a small sampling of what you are in for:
Pinned Up with Mike Long and Mama Shan
Spend a morning with Mike Long and Mama Shan, as they guide you through a live pin-up model shoot and extensive Photoshop retouching methods used to create stunning pin-up portraits. The techniques shown will benefit any type of photographer and are not restricted to pin-ups.
Mike will be taking a couple of lovely models through a live, on-set shoot demonstrating two very different lighting styles, showing how he guides his pin-up clients through a typical session.
Once the shoot is over, he'll hand over the data cards to Mama Shan who will demonstrate her famous retouching techniques and will also display the amazing new pin-up themed Workflow actions and Photoshop Goodies: Pindora's Box, from Mama Shan and Portland Pin-Ups.
Post Processing Techniques with Andy Armstrong
Andy Armstrong will share his tips, tricks, and flat-out SECRETS of creative post-processing with Adobe Photoshop. Learn how to find that edge that wins competitions. Andy will also field questions and demonstrate the things you want to see, so come prepared with questions and take notes on the answers!
Senior Posing and Lighting With Steve and Shelley Harrington
Join Steve and Shelley Harrington during their Inferno presentation where they will be focusing on lighting and posing a high school senior in the studio. Nowadays with so many hobbyist photographers, you really have to 'up your game' in your studio photography. Hobbyists don't have studios or studio lights, so let's bury them! Steve and Shelley are here to help their friends at NoBS learn lighting and posing techniques that the seniors love. They will tell you what they use, and what they recommend as tools for your studio arsenal. Time to bury your competition!
And That's Just The Tip Of The Iceberg
Machine gun presentations will be given by Lisa Marie Bearden and Kris Gay. Marilyn Sholin will also be giving a mini-workshop with all new material! She will talk about how to take your work to new levels on the CANVAS. Want to learn how to paint right on the canvas with acrylic gels and paints? She will be driving to the workshop so they can pack a few paintings and also bring some wet materials to show you all how she does it.
Shootout
Want to see how a pro works under pressure? Join us for the shootout where five photographers will be selected to photograph a model under a time deadline. They will be paired up with a retoucher who will retouch their images. Afterwards, a panel of judges will determine who did the best under pressure. Come see who will become Iron Shooter Champion of the NoBS Inferno!
Open Forum
This year's Open Forum will be slightly different. There won't be a panel, but instead attendees will share their successes, etc. Also, attendees are being asked to bring along their marketing materials to share with everyone.
Print Competition
New this year will be the Inferno 2009 Print Competition. If you're not planning to attend, you (NoBS members only) can still enter this competition for a nominal fee of $10 per entry with a limit of three. For more details go to this link which has the rules, entry form, and miscellaneous information.
Fun Night
In between all the intense learning, a little fun will be in order because all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. Tuesday night will be Halloween Fun Night! Bring your best costume and get ready to party with the gang!
Achievement Awards
Also, this year, the Annual NoBS Achievement Awards will be presented. If you have a nominee in mind, please e-mail the guys at interpolatethis@nobsphotosuccess.com .
Is your head spinning or are you starved for more details? Go to the Inferno 2009 forum here where you will find an assortment of threads including ones looking for roommates.
Want to sign up to go? There is still some space available! Go to www.infernoworkshop.com.
Defog Vs. Sharpen
Here's a great little tutorial from our very own, Photoshop guru, Bill Guy. This gem was in a thread started by a NoBS member who wanted to understand the difference between defog and sharpen.
A Sharpen How and When
When many (including myself) say save Sharpen for last it is because size does matter (stop laughing girls). A large image file requires more sharpening than a smaller image file because with less pixels, less processing sharpening is needed. What sharpening is doing is finding the pixels with contrast next to smooth areas and increasing the contrast in these areas. However higher setting with fewer pixels means that Photoshop is finding more pixels to sharpen.
NoBS Member/Photo of the Month: Jason Abbott
Congrats to NoBS member, Jason Abbott, who this month takes the member of the month/photo of the month prize. Here in his own words is an update from Jason on the latest with him and his blossoming photography career:
"Being a member of the NoBS forum/family has truly altered my existence on the planet. I sometimes look back at where I was just a year ago and shake my head. I have never understood what a passion for something was until photography found me. This is the most frustrating and wonderful craft I have ever been part of.
A hearty NoBS congratulations go out to esteemed NoBS member, Mama Shan, who entered the PPA Magazine Cover competition and beat out 5000 other entries! Her image will be featured on the cover of the November issue.
You may have seen recently that NoBS moderator and Pin-Up guru Mike Long has been looking into offering pimped Vivitars (modified with a metal shoe and a sync cord permanently hotwired in). Well, Mike is ready for orders. For details
Ever wonder what James does for fun in his spare time? He tests mattresses and sometimes doesn't hit his head on the ceiling. To see the full bounce, go here.
What do you do if someone books a session and then cancels? You've probably turned other people away for that date and now you are left empty handed. In a recent thread started by James, NoBS members were asked if they took retainers for family portrait sessions. To read what your fellow NoBS members do, click here.
Recently, NoBS founders Rob Provencher and James Hodgins went to see famed children's photographer and NoBS member Sandy Puc when she came to Canada to give a seminar. Sandy and the guys really hit it off! The guys even helped celebrate Sandy's tour manager's birthday.
Success Interviews
Have you been listening to the awesome success interviews that NoBS brings to us each month? In the latest interview, Arizona photographer Kerry Allen describes the techniques he used at his last bridal show that helped him book 17 weddings from that one show!
If your site is Wordpress based, chances are you are looking for a way to back it up in the event it gets corrupted and fails. NoBS member, Kyle, addressed this concern in a thread started by another member and posted a link to a video tutorial on how to back up your Wordpress site. To see the link, click here.
NoBS member Josh Barry recently posted a thread about how a client he could not accommodate in his schedule went to a competitor and asked that the photographer replicate Josh's style. That photographer contacted him and that's where things got a little bit hairy. To read the thread, go here.
Inspired words from Jason, the big guy with the big heart from the big state of Texas. Listen to what NoBS has done for Jason in his own words.
Rob recently posted a link for anyone interested in signing up for Mitche Graf's bootcamp which will be making a stop next month in Canada. If you would like that link, go to this linky.
If you missed September's webinars, you can now go to the webinar downloads to get your double dose of Mama Shan who is doing a series on how to do vectors. Go to this NoBS link.