http://www.design-tools.com/add-ons/

As I live in the northern part of the USA, and it’s February, I have to admit that I’m really looking forward to the four conferences in Miami at the end of the month (plus GOA). But the conferences aren’t the only things happening in Miami that week! There’s all kinds of cool stuff going on around town. Here’s a quick rundown of some events, things to watch out for, and places to eat around town to get you started.

Art

If you’re flying in, check out this art at the Miami International Airport.

Then, look at the Miami Art Guide for everything else happening around town

Near the conference center, you’ll find a very wide spectrum of museums, including:

• Jewish Museum of Florida which has a number of exhibits, including the one I’m looking forward to: Zap Pow Bam – Super Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics 1938-1950
• The Wolfsonian
• World Erotic Art Museum
• Art Center
  

Music and Events

1. If you’re coming in a little early, you might (or might not) be interested in a Barry Manilow concert on Sunday. Or, here’s a list of what’s happening Monday night (or any other night that week).
2. Manheim Steamroller is playing at the Jackie Gleason (next door to the convention center) while we’re there.
3. In case you’re not spending enough time inside in the dark, the Miami International Film Festival is happening that week, too.
4. New World Symphony has some wonderful Bach and Baroque coming up at the end of the week.
5. Need a more quiet form of “wildlife”? The International Orchid Festival is going on in town, too.

Restaurants

Top Twenty Miami Beach Restaurants

If you’re a vegetarian, check out the restaurant ideas at Meatless Miami ; we’ve heard very good things about this kosher vegetarian restaurant, called Gourmet Carrot

And, if you’re interested in Kosher, here’s one of Mordy’s favorites: Tea for Two: Italian food… and sushi!

And More…

You can find even more at the Miami Visitor’s Bureau, of course.

Do you know any cool things going on in town that week? Any recommendations? Let us know below!

You can fake everything in Photoshop, but understanding a few techniques you can use behind the camera will make your life far happier and more efficient.

• How to leave the “garbage” out!
• 5 camera tricks you need to know

What do you need to know to get great prints?

• Online print options: Who to use? Who to avoid?
• Best options for desktop printing
• Maximizing color consistency

Go beyond the buzz and learn why and how Camera RAW and DNG files are the best way to go when it comes to digital camera images.

• The complete RAW workflow
• Work without destroying your data
• Maximizing quality while minimizing effort

Managing your images and ensuring that they’re optimized for great output is both an art and a science. Learn best practices for storing, enhancing, and preparing your images.

• Managing thousands of images
• Fast fixes customized for you and your camera

You know how easy it is to really screw up an image in Photoshop, but it seems like doing good work always takes a long time. Not so! Learn quick-fix tricks that will superpower your color correction and image editing.

• Making the most of CS3’s new tools
• Removing an annoying color cast in two steps.
• Recovering unusable images
• Bringing back lost details

How are you going to show your work to the world? Whether in print or on the Web, you want to make a good first impression. Learn how to build high-quality photo galleries or comp pages.

Paths will be paths, and pixels will be pixels, and never the twain shall meet. But in this indepth exposé, we pry into the hidden secrets of vectors and bitmaps, uncovering tasty morsels such as:

• How to ensure your vector artwork stays that way
• Smart object and Smart layers
• Converting pixels to paths and vice versa

Building masks (selections) is one of the most important skills in mastering Photoshop. Learn how to hide parts of your image, merge two images into each other, replace a sky with different clouds, create collages and combine Vector Masks with Layer Masks on the same layer.

• Understanding and using masks in layers
• When to use a vector (clipping) mask over a soft-edged mask
• Applying filters to a mask
• Creating complex masks (like when selecting hair)