A Few Words about Jim DiVitale

Last night's Adobe User Group of Atlanta hosted photographer Jim DiVitale presenting on using Photoshop Creative Suite 5. We've been lucky to have Jim present at past meetings. He lives in Atlanta but travels a great deal. I could imagine that some folks who travel the world presenting might want to be left alone when they get home. Jim has been accessible to us and we're always glad he presents!

I wanted to say a few words about Jim here because I don't think his experience, know-how and presentation skills are recognized nearly enough. That's not to say he hurting for business; Jim is doing well. I, personally, feel that his name doesn't come up nearly enough in my social circles, so I wanted to put together an "elevator pitch" to those of you listening who may not know Jim DiVitale:

Jim Divitale is an Experienced Photographer. I'll be the first to admit that I know jack-diddly about real photography. I've held many expensive cameras in my hand and never really thought about the science and artistry that goes into creating a good shot. Jim has been handling a camera for more than 30 years. That means he knew what he was doing well before all this digital madness came along. His client list is extensive as are the types of work that he's done in the past. But here's the bigger deal. Jim has taken what he's learned about photography into the digital age. During his presentation last night he walked the attendees through all the things they need to consider when shooting photos for a customer --- color considerations, delivery to a computer screen, light metering, delivery to a printer. These are all things that I never think about and I have to wonder if most photographers think about it like Jim does.

Jim DiVitale has Know-How. Jim DiVitale goes beyond the camera, using Photoshop CS5 to perfect shots, improve shots, and even create images that may not be possible without his own knowledge. The shots he takes are pretty great, but when he's put into situations where he's not allowed to bring in lighting equipment or where he has no control of the environment, Jim knows what to do at the location so that his end product will be successful. It doesn't seem like lemonaide from lemons, more like impossibly great shots from chaos. Certainly, being able to experiment with camera and lighting on location along with his solid Photoshop skill, Jim has become a master.

Jim DiVitale is a Great Presenter. Jim DiVitale is popular with members of the Adobe User Group of Atlanta for many reasons, but the main reason is that people learn from him. When Jim presents, people always take notes. Whether it's how to set up lighting at a location, how to set up a computer for viewing or printing images or what the correct key combos are inside Photoshop, Jim gives his audience a lot of valuable information. This is information that can save you minutes or hours of work. It could save your whole shoot.

I look forward to seeing Jim at future user group meetings.