Meet the plug-in developers

[plugsnpixels]

I spent some time at Photoshop World (just ended) making the rounds of the Tech Expo and tracking down my developer buddies.

I posted a gallery of the developer booth images here. I've also got photos of Kelby/Cross/Kloskowski, but you've already seen enough of those... ;-)

[skydog]

Plugs...thanks for the shots...

This is just a request..only if you have the time. Could you write down a brief summary of the event and any new products you'd highly recommend exploring.

[plugsnpixels]

Hey skydog, glad you liked 'em!

I'm not sure how to summarize the Tech Expo (so much going on!). I pretty much ignored the printing, studio lighting and camera hardware aspects and concentrated on software (my main area of interest).

As for upcoming items of interest, in a month or so onOne is coming out with PhotoFrame 4 which is a cool update that brings the old Extensis product to a whole new level (the frame/edge effects and overall functionality remind me a bit of Auto FX's old PhotoGraphic Edges). Mike Wong demoed it for me and it's got the Lightroom look (the latest industry interface trend!) and lots of flexibility via layers, etc. I'll add it to my site with screenshots and examples as soon as I see it.

nik software now has Sharpener 3 (there's a 15-day demo available); Graphic Authority has a bunch of new image embellishment titles that I hope to work with soon (their listings on my site are outdated). Colin Smith of PhotoshopCAFE has a few new training DVDs out including one on HDR.

Otherwise, I was familiar with the rest of the products being shown, but it's nice to renew my acquaintances and make new ones.

[skydog]

speaking of training DVD's is there a site out there that reviews, recommends and rates? So many to choose from, therefore, one must invest wisely.

[plugsnpixels]

On my Training page I link to a number of these DVDs so at least you can see screenshots and content lists. I can only speak for the ones I've personally seen, such as Total Training, Kelbytraining, Colin Smith and such, which are all top-of-the-line.

I've been trying for a couple of years to make progress with Software Cinema, lynda and others who display at Photoshop World, but getting them to follow up on my requests is another thing...

The Kelbytraining folks are great and will be sending more of their materials along soon, so I'll post those as soon as I receive them.