A learning experience

Chicago


Chicago


Chicago


Paul Elledge's assistant Jason, The Sports Bar, Chicago Hyatt Hotel


Me at The Sports Bar, Chicago Hyatt Hotel

Sunday morning, it's snowing outside my window. I just packed away my travel bags and my first lot of clothes washing is in the dryer.

It has only been 6 days and I already feel that I have a whole load of experiences to last a lifetime. I know that the whole of next week I will be in shoots. I have helped with shoot set-ups, packing, printing DVD covers, image sizing for web and preparing contacts for clients. It is nice, it feels like I have been dropped in the deep end of the pool but I am not drowning. I think that I am pulling my own weight, or at least I hope so.

I had a really nice treat yesterday. Paul kindly paid for me to attend The Epson Print Academy in Chicago!! Out of all those courses and workshops that I have seen in magazines, this was the one course that I wanted to attend. And I did. Several of the tips alone made the entire trip to Chicago from Singapore worthwhile. For example, there is very good reasons for saving images out to prophoto RGB and editing in that space. The speakers included Bruce Fraiser, whose book I was reading just before leaving Singapore, Jeff Schewe, Greg Gorman, John Paul Caponigro and Mark Holbert of Nash editions. What can I say, there is a whole load of shit to learn, but at least this workshop has given me a handle on what I need to know to create the best prints that I can. I just have to spend time on it.

Web resources to note:
Photoshopnews
General web site on Photoshop with information on the Epson Print Academy
Greg Gorman's web site
Greg Gorman's web site with a fantastic walk through on black and white conversion. It has been improved to include a fantastic mid-tone contrast increase.
John Paul Caponigro's web site
John Paul Caponigro is one scary talent with photoshop. There are some nifty tips on getting prints just the way you want it.

The above links are advanced, I kid you not. Just using some of the techniques will take time. But if you are going for fine art prints, here are resources that are free, for now.

I went to the workshop with Paul's assistant Jason. After the workshop finished at 5.30, we hung out at the bar at Chicago Hyatt hotel. The conference centre next door was hosting the Chicago Midwest Beauty Conference. 65000 beauty stylists attending, probably 90% female. Jason and I decided to have dinner in the bar and just soak in the scenery. :) This was a cultural experience for me!!

I guess that I am having a good time in Chicago. I am also sure that there will be times when things go hairy, but overall, I am sure this is going to really affect the rest of my life.