Acknowledgments

From a grain of sand the pearl comes.

—Confucius

One thing I have learned is that writing a book is a collaborative process after which I get all the credit. Which is cool, but...

This book simply would not be this book if it were not for the editorial diligence of Edna A. Elfont, Ph.D. When you read this book and you find that the thoughts are clear, concise, easy to understand, and make sense, that’s Edna. If while you are reading this book you find it obtuse and convoluted, and it makes you go “huh?” that’s me thinking I know better and not listening to Edna when I should have.

I would not be a photographer if it were not for CJ Elfont, and the technical, photographic accuracy of the book would also not be what it is if it were not for CJ’s intervention.

To my brother Lane: I could not have asked for and gotten a better friend than you. To my sister Eve and my mother, I really did win the relative lottery.

I would especially like to thank John Paul Caponigro and Jay Maisel for allowing me to talk them into writing the foreword and afterword of this book, though I suspect they may have done it to shut me up. AND thank you, Peter Bauer, for answering every question I had during the writing process. Peter, you truly have forgotten more than I will ever know about Photoshop. Also great thanks and gratitude go to Sandy Foster, who through no fault of her own became the audience of one. She suffered through every draft of this book. Please know that your insights made for a better book.

Thank you, Challen Cates and Steve Kearin, for all the time you spent sitting in front of my camera waiting for me to get it right. The images of you both make for a much nicer looking book.

To Dave Moser and Scott Kelby, the day you asked me to be a part of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals is the day that led to this book. I never have been more proud to belong to an organization than I am about belonging to NAPP.

To Dan Steinhardt of Epson, thank you for providing me with your unfailing support even when I was a complete pain in the ass. Because of you, a pocket of time was created in which I could create this book.

To Nancy Carr of Kodak, Vincent Park, Anthony Ruotolo of American Photo magazine, Ed Sanchez, Mike Slater of Nik Software, Peter Poremba of Dyna-Lite, Fabia Ochoa of Epson, Tadashi Nakayama, Makoto “Mike” Kimura, Naoki “Santa Claus” Tomino, Richard LoPinto, Mike Rubin, and Mike Corrado of Nikon, Liz Quinlisk of X-Rite, and Richard Rabinowitz: Without all of your faith and support over the years, I would never have had the career that I do.

To Dave Weathers of Technicolor, thank you, thank you, thank you. Where my career is now going is because of you.

Thank you, Robert H. Tourtelot, for never failing to watch out for me.

Thank you, Moose and Sharon Peterson, because of you both, I’ve been allowed to shoot and see some of the most beautiful places on the earth, which has contributed to chapters in this book.

Thank you, Steve Weiss, for seeing that I really did have a book in me when I really didn’t think so.

To Toby, Sally, Adam, and Jamie Rosenblatt: Were it not for you I would have stopped being a photographer.

Thank you to DriveSavers, specifically Jaci Cunningham, Mike Cobb, and Kristina Flanagan, I have no idea how you raised a smoking, 1-terabyte drive from the dead, but if you hadn’t in the eleventh hour, this book would never have seen the light of day.

To everyone at Peachpit Press, thank you for your hard work and efforts to make this book happen.

And lastly, to my wife, Sylvia, who has suffered through the writing of this book. You have kept me calm when I was anything but. Lucky for me you have questionable taste in men.