Photoshop World – more than a conference!

Well hello! It’s #TravelTuesday and I, Dave Williams, am here as always to lay down some wisdom and stuff! So, did you know that Photoshop World is right around the corner? Of course you did! If you haven’t sorted out your ticket yet there’s still time, and even if you aren’t free to attend the whole (awesome!) conference, you can get yourself a one day ticket. I’m dying to meet as many of you as I can, so look for this guy at the bar: –

So, let’s talk about Photoshop World today! It’s much, much more than a conference! Today, I want to share with you some of my experiences of Photoshop World, and I have all of you in mind but this is mainly geared towards the first timers out there. The legend that is Larry Becker will run an orientation for newbies right there at the conference, so take this as more of a glimpse of the things you can take away from Photoshop World—aside from the fact that you can attend a ton of classes on a range of tracks led by the cream of the crop from the creative industry. Here’s the real deal, let’s go!

First off, you know all those names you see on the KelbyOne Facebook page? The members’ images shared on the KelbyOne Instagram page? The names you hear mentioned when the comments are read out during The Grid? The names you see commenting on your Instagram posts because you’re both members of the KelbyOne community? You get to put faces to those names! Take a look: –

So what else?! I mean, surely life-long friendships alone is a pretty good reason to look forward to the other side of Photoshop World, but what else?

I mean, the Partner Pavilion’s pretty sweet. You know that there’s a huge gathering of awesome creatives showing their wares there too, right? So, the likes of B&H Photo Video and Platypod Tripods are joined by so many other awesome companies that we all love right in one place, waiting to meet you too! That’s a pretty “mainstream” thing about Photoshop World though, and that’s not the point of this post. It’s meant to be the other things!

(Okay, my lawyer said that if you go looking for gators, it’s not my fault when you find one! Just saying!)

And then there are all the extra-curricular activities! There is a whole load of things going on in the evenings. When you hear about a party being announced or “tickets being released tomorrow morning” or anything like that, jump on it!

Peter and I were lucky enough to have been sitting around a table at the Light party in Vegas with Mike Kubeisy and Meredith Holt learning what a tater tot is (I’m British, I don’t know these things!). But, it was just the coolest thing having spent a day totally broadening my creative mind to then go party the night away and make new friends.

So, what about exploring the fact that even though it’s called Photoshop World, it’s not all about Photoshop…

So, there’s all that, there’s the T-shirt toss, there’s the shipment of the biggest pile of Krispy Kreme donuts you’ve ever seen at Midnight Madness, and I feel like I’m laying down a sales pitch now. They’re never convincing so I opened the floor, so to speak, and asked a bunch of other KelbyOne family members their take on this. Here’s what they had to say!

Whether your mojo is lost, asleep, or a little unmotivated, it will sure be recharged after being in such a creative environment. You’ll get to network with some of the best creatives in the industry. You’ll leave the conference with a bag full of new tricks that will sure improve your business. You’ll make lifetime friendships and probably have a big hangover but it will be worth it! – Gilmar Smith, Gilmar Smith Photography, 5 PSW’s

For me, I’d say the best alternative thing is meeting the community. Those people you connect with on social media. It’s a great place to develop those relationships and go off and do your own trips or photo walks. I’ve made many friends from extra curricular trips as Photoshop World. Then there’s the vendor floor, getting to talk to the people who make the stuff you use and ask them questions. The prizes for feedback forms is always worth taking notice of for the last day! Filling in those feedback forms on the Photoshop World App is really important for the instructors . Check out the expo for extra classes and demos too! There’s a community area this year so make it the trip that you make new friends and create your own experience! – Dave Clayton, KelbyOne instructor, 8 PSW’s

Where else can you get hands on and talk to the phoptpographer who wrote the books on the subject you’re reading? It’s a lot about interaction. Think of this as an investment. As a college course where you get to interact with the teachers who are leading their fields. Networking is huge in our industry and PSW is a great opportunity for you to do this. – Robert Vanelli, Vanelli and Friends, lost count of PSW’s!

Come to Photoshop World Expo Pavilion. Meet industry leaders and the people behind the products. Get your hands on some amazing equipment and accessories, try before you buy, and seek out some hot deals and discounts! – Larry Tiefenbrunn, CEO of Platypod, 3 PSW’s

As a UK based photographer who travels internationally for work, aside from the obvious inspiration and learning to be had, PSW is a huge networking event for me. In attending the conference, I’ve made some lifelong friendships and built up a number of fantastic working relationships that have resulted in me returning to the U.S. for more work. If you’re keen to go pro, then the opportunities to collaborate with other likeminded creatives can not be overstated. Simply put: You’d need a really good reason not to go, if full time photography is your goal. – Peter Treadway, Peter Treadway Photography, 2 PSW’s

Being in a building with hundreds of other brilliant creatives makes me pulse to life with inspiration and helps me push my dreams to even wilder heights. To meet people from all over the globe who are each chasing down their passions with individual fire is the greatest way to get reinvigorated and refocused on my own journey. That energy and that unparalleled artistic company is what makes Photoshop World so completely unique and so precious to me. – Kaylee Greer, KelbyOne instructor, 4 PSW’s

PSW has some of the best classes and instructors in the business. PSW has so many fun things set up to keep you in and part of the entire experience. The workbook is worth the trip alone. They have every single class in one book, so if you miss a class you don’t need to worry, it’s all right there in the book for you. One of my favourite reasons to go to PSW is to meet other great creatives in the industry. They are such a great wealth of knowledge but not only that, the inspiration I get is priceless! – JR Maddox, JR Maddox Photography, 6 PSW’s

Reason #1 – I’ll be there! Reason #2 – It’s the one place where you can learn your favourite Adobe Creative Cloud apps from the best instructors. Reason #3 – I’ll be there! Reason #4 – It’s Orlando. Reason #5 – It’s the one conference that combines learning and fun (mostly fun!) Reason #6 – It’s where all the cool kids go. Reason #7 – There’s no better place to learn Photoshop. – Terry White, KelbyOne Instructor and Adobe worldwide evangelist, All the PSW’s!

See you there!

Much love

Dave