Ohhhh man.  Let me tell you, if you happened to miss June’s meeting, you missed a WHOPPER.  Yeah, i know those of you who wanted to come and couldnt hate to hear that but i gotta tell ya, AJ Woods was STELLAR!!!  June’s meeting hosted Adobe certified instructor AJ Woods as he presented Adobe’s Photoshop CS3.  Regardless of your skill level, AJ’s presentation spoke to ALL levels in such a way that it was enormously easy to understand and grasp the concepts.  Let me be the first to say that Ive been working with Photoshop for YEARS and i went into the meeting with some reservations - i thought it would cover most of what i already know.  WRONG!  While the features and functionality AJ presented certainly required one to be at least familiar with Photoshop, I can tell you that every single topic he covered taught me something.  I took away many, many new things.  What a GREAT meeting.  THANK YOU AJ!!! 

To summarize, AJ essentially taught us that there are three main approaches to working with Photoshop and was able to breakdown each of these throughout his presentation:

• The brush-based method
• The Selection-method
• The Layer method

During the meeting we were given several links that i think are VITAL tools to have in anyones bookmark list:

• Media-Cats.com - Media Cats, Inc. is an Adobe Authorized Training Partner based in Dallas, TX. Founded in 2003 by Adobe Certified Instructor, A.J. Wood, the company initially focused on small video shorts for the arts & entertainment industry. In 2006, driven by his passion for teaching A.J. created a new vision for the company; one that would focus more on training creative professionals.
• AJ Wood.com - AJ’s personal website that includes MANY wonderful tutorials, techniques and podcasts.  DEFINITELY worth the visit.
• DFWAUG.com - This group has been established to help fellow Adobe devotees within the Dallas/Fort Worth TX area have a greater understanding of current and forthcoming happenings within the graphic design and web development worlds today.  Incredible resources here.

And finally JB & DeEtte Sallee’s “I Shoot People” Tour

AJ, again thank you - and let me tell you, if i had folks that needed to be Adobe trained I can guarantee I’d be hiring you.

This article was pulled from the Digital Photography School blog:

We all have those days. Days where you know you want to do something with your camera or photographs, but the motivation tank is on Empty. I’ve been having some of those days recently and came up with a list to help pop me out of the rut and back to being productive. This list is by no means exhaustive and I’d appreciate any additions that work for you, in the comments section.

TIP #1 - Go for a walk
I know, I know. It’s one of the hardest things to do when you’re not feeling motivated. Even worse if it’s raining outside. But getting your bum off the chair or sofa and out the door is a great first step. It is a lot easier to just keep staring at the computer screen and letting your analytical mind wander, sometimes feeling like you’re accomplishing something, but getting your blood pumping and elevating your heart rate will help activate your creative mind. It doesn’t need to be a long or fast walk. Just 15 minutes will be enough to get the juices flowing.

It also helps because it removes you from an environment that is obviously not helping you become creative at the moment. I like this method because it requires no special equipment, clothes or location. Everyone has ‘outside’ out their front door. Just lace up some shoes or boots and get your heart going!

TIP #2 - 5 in a Half

5 in a Half is a challenge I give myself every time I’ve been away from the camera too long. It seems like a simple task; Take just 5 pictures within a half mile (or kilometer, no need to do the conversion math) of your home. I say it seems simple, but in this digital age, it’s sometimes *harder* to take just 5 pictures. Make each picture unique in some way, be it subject matter, camera angle, exposure settings. This task is great when following the first tip on taking a walk, as chances are you spotted something on your way back to the house that might make a good photo. The boot at left was a castaway along side the road that I’ve been meaning to shoot for a while. Nothing spectacular but it got the camera into my hand and turned on my creative mind to look for more content.

TIP # 3 - Check Past DPS Articles

Digital Photography School has already pointed out a number of ways to get motivated or feel inspired. Here’s a recap of the most useful:

• Photo Projects - Why you should participate
• Weekly Assignments Section of the DPS Forums
• 13 Fabulous Photos on a Rainy Day
• 15 Inspiring Underwater Images
• Using Visual Diaries To Find Inspiration for your Photography

TIP #4 - Be Random on Flickr

Flickr is a great place to find some inspiration with millions of photos available and thousands more being uploaded each minute. There is a place on the site which presents the most interesting things posted in the last seven days. Here you can find top notch photography as well as different perspectives on traditional subjects. Nine images are presented at a time and a reload button is presented to bring you nine more images. To be honest, it’s an amazingly good way to kill half a day as wonderful images just keep coming. There is also a monthly view located here which presents the most interesting photos from any given day.

Flickr is also the place to gain inspiration on a particular topic. Are you interested in barns, airplanes, Costa Rica, salsa dancing? The search box on every page of Flickr allows for instant transportation around the world.

TIP #5 - Fill in the Blank

Now it’s your turn! What do you do when you need some inspiration or motivation?

A.J. Woods with Media Cats-Digital Media Services will be the guest speaker for our next meeting on Thursday June 12, 2008.  A.J. is a Certified Adobe Instructor and will demonstrate the power and features of Photoshop CS3.  Within our Forum, you will find a Thread regarding suggested topics requested covering Tips and Tricks to be demonstrated at the meeting.