Best of the “Photoshop Insider” in 2010

I thought I’d kick off the first blog post of the new year with a quick look back at the most popular, and most commented-on posts of 2010, and some of the fun stuff we shared during the past year.

The Top 10 Most Commented-on Posts of 2010
Here are the posts that garnered the most comments from readers during the year, in order:

  1. How US Airways Just Lost Yet Another Customer (link)
    This was the #1 most-commented post with nearly 400 comments. This was just one of those “I have to get this off my chest” type of posts, and I never dreamed it would get that kind of response (but apparently, I wasn’t alone on this one). Here’s the rest in order.
  2. What I’d love to see in Lightroom 4 (link)
  3. HDR Quote of the week (link)
  4. Why is everybody so angry about Apple’s iPad (link)
  5. What they’re not telling you about HDR Images (link)
  6. To Correct or Not To Correct? (link)
  7. When will we finally get frames and mats for digital camera images sizes? (link)
  8. US Airways Responds (link)
    This post was a follow-up to the original post, where I reported that USAir had contacted me and said they would reinstate my miles. Within a few days, they had credited my back miles, and credited my missing miles, and the same day they hit my account I donated all the miles to the Make-A-Wish foundation.
  9. What constitutes an over-the-top HDR shot? (link)
  10. Apple’s iPad and Apple Secret Weapon (link)

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Guest Bloggers
I’m indebted to all the Guest Bloggers who shared their images, ideas and inspiration with my readers each Wednesday. Here are the top commented posts from 2010.

  1. Matt Kloskowski’s “Photoshop is not a bad word!” (link)
  2. Alex Walker’s “Parental Sports Photoshop — My Most Fantastic Voyage” (link)
  3. John McWade‘s “Design for Photographers” (link)
  4. Brad Moore’s “The Shot” (link)
  5. Jeremy Cowart’s “Perception” (link)
  6. Peter Eastway’s “What is Photographic Reality?” (link)
  7. RC Concepcion’s “How HDR saved RC’s Star Wars Celebration” (link)
  8. Andy Locascio’s “I never thought it would happen” (link)
  9. Calvin Hollywood’s “I am addicted to Photoshop” (link)
  10. Jasmine Star’s “Optimal Wedding Timeline” (link)

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My Photo Shoots
When I do a shoot, I usually post the images here within a day or so, and here are the shoots that garnered the most comments from 2010 (in order of popularity):

  1. Back from 16 days in China (link)
  2. NFL Sidelines Shoot: Bucs vs Rams (along with my sports camera settings) (link)
  3. Shooting the NBA Bulls vs. Cavs (link)
  4. NFL Sidelines Shoot: Steelers vs. Jets (link)
  5. A few shots from my week in Maine (link)
  6. Behind the scenes at a major sports shoot (link)
  7. College Football Sidelines Shoot: LSU/North Carolina (link)
  8. Shooting the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama (link)
  9. I’m back from 9 days in Barcelona, Spain (link)
  10. It’s Fashion-shoot Monday (link)
  11. My first Soccer shoot (link)

While not technically a “shoot” the post I wrote about my New Online Portfolio Design (link) got more comments any of the shoots.

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Other Milestones
This year we saw seven new books produced by Kelby Training launch here on the blog (four from me and two from some of the best in the business today.  Here they are (in no particular order);

1. David Ziser’s “Captured By The Light” book for wedding photographers.
David wrote the definitive book on the topic. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a photography book with a better review rating on Amazon.com: 67 5-star reviews, and one just that just hated it (there’s one in every crowd).

2. My Lightroom 3 Book for Digital Photographers
This one was a lot of work, and I added a new “Lightroom Killer Tips” section to each chapter, but I’m so passionate about Lightroom that it made this major rewrite a lot of fun for me.

3. The iPhone 4 Book (co authored with my good friend Terry White)
There are two things I love about this book: (1) It causes me to really learn my new phone inside and out, and (2) We split the book in two, each writing half the chapters, and I love the fact that Terry takes all the hard chapters.

4. Captured: The journal of a wildlife photographer, by Moose Peterson
Moose did something in this book that I think few people have ever accomplished with their books—he shared his most important techniques for capturing wildlife in a very straightforward way, and he captivated the reader with simply amazing photography, and weaved throughout the book is the story of his life and his career shooting nature. Brilliantly executed, and not surprisingly it’s become one of the most highly acclaimed books of the year.

5. My Photoshop CS5 for Digital Photographers
Adobe made my job really easy on this book, as CS5 was almost tailor-made for photographers, but as an author, I had to make some difficult decisions about how to develop this new version, one being my decision to remove the chapters about Adobe Bridge from the printed book and move them online (updated for the minor Bridge tweaks in CS5), and instead focus on the “Mini-Bridge” built- in to Photoshop CS5. This gave me more room to cover new features, and workflow stuff, without overly bloating the book. This decision of what to cut becomes more difficult with each new version, but I’m happy with how it came out.

6. My Photoshop Elements 9 book (co authored with my good buddy and ace Call of Duty: Black Ops teammate Matt Kloskowski)
This book is tough to do for the totally opposite reason of my CS5 book. Adobe doesn’t add a ton of new features to Elements in each rev, so what Matt and I do instead is add the new things that we have learned during the year, and we take the techniques we use in CS5 each day and try to convert them into techniques that work in Elements, and that has worked wonderfully well (based on feedback from readers).

7. My “Photo Recipes Live 2” Book/DVD Combo
This one skated in just under the wire—shipping right before the end of the year. I shot this down in Miami over a two-day period, and tried some new stuff and more ambitious lighting set-ups, along with some fun location lighting shoots, and I think it turned out even better than Photo Recipes 1 (which I guess is always the goal, right?

________________

Taking Time Off
This year I did a lot of new projects,  books, new classes, I was out on tour for both Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5, and I taught at  Photoshop World, and did workshops, and just a lot of training-related stuff this past year. Of course I want to share all my projects with my readers, so every time a book comes out, or I do a seminar, I would mention it here on my blog (after all, I want my readers to come out to my seminars, and read my books, and watch my online classes, and so on).

Well, some weeks I’d have two or three things to mention, and it starts to seem like (to me and you) that that’s all I’m talking about, so I tried to consolidate all my training and book stuff onto just one day a week—Thursday—which we now affectionately call “Pimpy Thursday.”

Thankfully, my photo assistant Brad Moore stepped up to be the person who actually compiles and writes the post each Pimpy Thursday, which gave me a break during the week I so desperately needed (thank you Brad!). This let me focus more on shooting and other fun stuff during the rest of week (though sometimes, because of timing, I still wind up having to find a mid-week pimping in, I try to wait until Thursday if at all possible).

2010 has been a year of huge growth and expansion at Kelby Media Group, and during all that, blogging four days a week was really starting to take a toll on me. I actually missed a few days of blogging during year (I called in “lame” 5 days with essentially nothing to say, or no time to say, including 2 days during Photoshop World), and I had one sick day in Jan of 2010 where I didn’t blog, but outside of that, between Brad, my Guest Bloggers and I, we pretty much kept the ship afloat all year long.

My most surprising fact about me from 2010
I went to my calendar and looked, and believe it or not, I took nearly EIGHT weeks of vacation with my family this year! (Whooo hooo!), and I didn’t work a lick on any of it (which is even better). Yet, I got quite a bit done in 2010 anyway. Maybe I should take more time off in 2011? ;-)

We Did Some Really Important Stuff, Too!
Besides all the fun stuff, and discussions, and controversy (HDR & iPad) we did some really important stuff, as the readers of this blog donated literally tens of thousands of dollars to help feed and cloth the orphans of the Springs of Hope Orphanage in Kenya (the very orphanage my readers helped to build from an empty plot of land in 2009).

You guys bought Photo Walk t-shirts, we raffled off one of my guitars (signed by all the Photoshop guys), and you guys generously gave to some wonderful, deserving kids on the other side of the world. Ya done good gang!

More 2010 highlights to come on Thursday
I’m planning on running my 2nd annual “Best of” awards on Thursday to celebrate the best of all kinds of stuff, so I hope you’ll join me then.

One more thing….
I couldn’t do any of this without wonderful readers like yourselves, who make doing all this so worthwhile. You guys are as forthcoming and helpful and sharing as an blog author could hope for from his readers, and it’s very gratifying to see the wonderful community that has grown here. I consider it a real privilege to be able to get together with you here each week and I hope you’ll continue to check back during 2011—a year that truly hope will be your best yet!

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      1. Troy, I would say that Scott’s Blog is highly addicting. I look forward to reading it everyday, I also read everyones comments also. I also am an avid Twitter and follow everyone I can that is a NAPP member on twitter or a regular commenter. I also follow about a hundred on Flickr and around 25 blogs everyday!
        I am addicted to photography in general, I love shooting and learning from all the great photogs that hang with all things Scott, i think it makes me a better photographer!
        I hope we all grow and learn as much as last year!
        KT

  1. And a big highlight for me was being made NAPP Evangelist for UK, visiting my first PSW and being made to feel ‘at home’ by all my new friends at the show (special thanks to Nancy) and finally, you taking the time to visit London and spending a ‘gloriously sunny day’* in London with myself and Glyn Dewis before doing a fantastic deminar in the Design Centre.
    Happy 2011 – here’s to more of the same !

    *some elements of this post may be “weatherly enhanced” ;)

  2. That’s quite a year Scott; amazing what can achieved in just 365 days.
    I’ll second Dave’s comments above in saying that it was great to spend time with you both when you made the trip over to ‘sunny’ London; plenty of laughs followed by a superb seminar so a BIG thank you for that.

    Wishing you all the very best that 2011 has to offer and thank you for your friendship and generosity during the past 12 months,

    Glyn

    1. Same here Glyn—-great hanging out with you guys (well, you anyway. Dave was pretty brutal, but we humored him and sent him off into foggy London town on a made-up errand, and that was the last we saw of him). ;-)

      Hope to see you guys for a drink or another sunny shoot when I’m there in May!

      Cheers to a great 2011 for you, your business, and your family! :)

      Best,

      -Scott

  3. Congrats on a great year Scott! I spent the past week setting up a new photo blog for my own work. I included a links page to provide links and short descriptions for the sites that have inspired and taught me. When it came to writing a one line description for your site, it came down to telling people that despite the name of this blog, you have so much terrific content that has nothing to do with Photoshop and I for one am glad you didn’t limit yourself in that way. Perhaps in 2011, it should just be “Scott Kelby’s Blog”?

  4. What an awesome year for you, Scott!

    My highlight of the year 2010 was meeting you in person in London’s Camera Raw/CS5 workshop – you’re the warmest yet the coolest photographic icon I’ve ever met. And you promised you’re bringing the Lightroom Tour back in Blighty, right?

    I’m sure 2011 will be a blast for your Kelby Team – just wishing you good health and God bless you, your team and your family, Mr K.

    Elmer

  5. You brushed past it with the T-Shirts… But the World Wide Photowalk itself just rocks! The energy that permeates the event seems to give me a “photographic jolt” that I can ride during the second half of the year. I’ve attended all three and they just keep getting better.

    Thanks for all you and the gang do for us poor smucks out here who are just trying to take a decent photo.

  6. It’s such a shame that I only discovered your blog last month Scott! I’ve been shooting for only 4 months now, and your blog really helped me (D-Town TV is also amazing).

    And thank you for interacting with us, fortunately your blog have a manageable number of comments, and we know you read each and every single one of them (and you answer A LOT of them, really, A LOT).

    I’m still waiting on the email I’ve sent “you” through the Kelby Media Group contact page, about a possible internship in the summer. I’ve made meeting you in person one of my resolutions for 2011 (which might be a chalenge since I’m a full time international student living in Ottawa…), you are one of my greatests inspiration in photography, alltogether with Sebastião Salgado (even if I think he’s in a higher level, sorry Scott (haha)).

    I’m sure 2011 will be a great photographic year, for all of us.

    Pedro

    1. Hi Pedro:
      Thanks for the kind words. I’m not in charge of interships (in fact, I’m not sure I’m actually in charge of anything). I’m going to email you directly, and have you resend me the email, and I’ll make sure in gets in the hands of someone that is in charge of something. I can’t make any promises, but at least I’ll make sure an actual living human gives it a good look. :)

      Best to you in 2011~

      -Scott

  7. Scott:

    Thanks for the “look back”! A lot of cool things to revisit via your links. I have forgotten about a lot of those topics. You have really had a full year (even if it was only 44 weeks after vacations!) and so much happened. I hope that 2011 is just as fulfilling to you and us, your daily readers. You’re right…a great community has developed here, one that gives a lot of different views and opinions about any subject you bring up. Always an entertaining read!

    Thanks for all the tips and tricks (down and dirty, or otherwise) that I learned this year from you blog, books, PSU TV and D-Town. Just started diving into your CS5 book and I am loving it! Can’t wait to see what’s on the docket for this year!

    –John

  8. Scott,
    there are people who don’t accomplish in a decade what you accomplish in a year!
    You know what they say, don’t you?

    “With great power there must also come great responsibility.”
    Yes, I ripped it off of ol’ uncle Ben, but I am glad to say that you use your great power and influence of Kelby Media Group very responsibly.
    I’m glad to have been with you in some way or another since Photoshop 6 Down and Dirty Tricks in 2001.
    Learned ten tons in the process and had fun too!
    Here’s to an even more stellar 2011 !!!

  9. Hey Scott,
    I’m off subject, but PUMPED!! I left work a bit ago to go home for a minute. When I checked the mail I found the Kelby Training Ad for Photoshop CS5 Power Tour with Dave Cross 4 days after my 53rd here in Oklahoma City. I signed up for it as soon as I got back and to my computer. This ain’t quite Photoshop World, but close enough to give me a fix till September.
    PS tell the guys that road construction all around the Cox Convention Center makes getting around down there a bit of a problem.
    See ya buddy, and yes like Ken said above, you and your company are Cool and Kick Butt!!
    Mike ;)

  10. Hey Scott,

    First of all, Happy New Year!! . I’m interested in getting the Photo Recipes Live 2 DVD but couldn’t find it in stock at either Borders or Barnes and Noble book stores in Cincinnati, OH. I just don’t wanna buy it online since I really don’t know what’s in it (I’m sure it is as good as Vol1. but since you don’t have it on apple store yet for 10$, I just don’t wanna spend 30$ and don’t know what I’m getting). Can you give us a summary or table of content of what’s in it? Thanks a lot

    Mo

  11. I think the numbers are slightly skewed and my guest blog shouldn’t have made the top ten because half of the comments are my responses…….lol. Anyway what an honor it was to have the chance to be a guest blogger on Photoshop Insider! Thanks again!

  12. The text “Photopshop Insider” at the top left corner is slightly misleading, I believe. Or should this text be read in conjunction with the text at the top right corner (“Daily Scoops, tips and comments pulished for the friends of Scott Kelby)? I think it should…

    And Scott, thanks for this blog and hope you you do more non-photopgraphy posts this year :D

    Happy new year to every one. x

  13. Hi Scott,
    Just saw this post, and wanted to say thanks for donating your miles to Make-A-Wish, it is a very worthwhile cause. We are in the process of getting a wish granted to my son, so I just wanted you to know your are giving back to your NAPP members in more ways than one!

    Thanks again.
    Bob

  14. Scott,

    Took your advice on pg 27 of The Digital Photography Book (Vol. 1) and ordered the Canon 500D lens (for $73) for my Nikon D5000. The online company called, said the lens was on back order, would I consider a better lens (also Canon, they said) for the same price.
    But wait…before you tell me about bait & switch…they sent me a “Digital 10x Close-Up Lens (retails thru them for $149.) Not Canon!
    Is this lens worth keeping, or should I send it back?
    Thx

  15. I always wonder how you can work so much. We do work hard too but every time I realize when blogging something this takes so much time and you do it literally every day! Thanks for all this and I’m so looking forward to hopefully meet you in Orlando in person.
    Greetings
    Ingo

  16. Well here is a lesson learned:

    I contacted New World Video Direct to return the lens. It also arrived with no info on the maufacturer or warranty. Here is their repsonse:

    “Lenses are not returnable. You recived the finest lens available. There is no Manufacturers information with specialty lenses and the warranty is 1 year. The invoice is the proof.

    Thank you”

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