Authors

ABOUT TREY RATCLIFF

Trey is the publisher of the #1 Travel Photography Blog in the world at StuckInCustoms.com, which receives over half a million monthly page views. Chris Anderson from TED called Trey a “pioneer of HDR photography.” HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is a new paradigm in art that allows people to create entire new sorts of photos. He has had the first HDR photograph to hang in the Smithsonian, been featured on ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, and the BBC, and his photos have accumulated more than 50 million views on Flickr and SmugMug. In addition, his best-selling book, “A World in HDR” sold out on Amazon in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

After the traditional book came out and was successful, Trey started releasing eBooks on StuckInCustoms on a variety of subjects from how to better compose photos to digital asset management. Other authors started joining the fun, so he launched flatbooks.com as a new venture to bring together curious minds of authors and readers.

ABOUT BEN WILLMORE

Ben is a professional photographer and a world renowned Photoshop guru. He has taught over 100,000 Photoshop users, authored numerous award winning books and has been inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame.

A senior engineer from NASA once said that this man gave the best technical seminar he ever attended. That same year a computer-phobic who had been struggling with Photoshop for years proclaimed that “He takes the Boogie Man out of Photoshop!” This seems to be Ben Willmore’s special gift; he has an uncanny ability to connect with users of every level and mindset; whether it’s first-timers taking their first sniff of Photoshop, or razor-sharp nerds and nerdettes who are on the fast track to technical illumination. The common echo that Ben leaves in his wake seems to be “Aha! I finally GET Photoshop!”

In early 2006, Ben radically transformed his life so that he could finally focus on his passion of photography. He sold his home and possessions in exchange for a 40 ft. touring bus and camera gear.

When he isn’t in the wilds toting his gear and looking for perfect light, he travels the globe sharing his Photoshop Knowledge. You can see Ben’s photography at thebestofben.com, follow his adventures at whereisben.com and learn about his educational products and seminars at digitalmastery.com.

ABOUT JAIME IBARRA

Jaime Ibarra was born in Spain, but grew up in Australia: it’s complicated, but it explains the funny accent. He is a Professional Portrait/Art Photographer, but also has done Editorial, Fashion, Commercial and Advertising work.

Jaime has Synaesthesia (“syn” – joined, “aethesia” – sense): a neurological condition, in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. In Jaime’s case, he hears colours, almost as-if they were musical notes. Combinations of colours are like combinations of notes, and become chords…and just as in music, some chords are dissonant, and tense…and some chords are complex and beautiful. In his work (more-or-less), he just chooses colours that make the nicest music together. Although this is considered a “condition”, he likes to think of it as a Super-Power

His ‘style’ is the visual amalgamation of over 15 years in Graphic Design, 25 years of composing & performing music, many years spent traveling around the planet, a lifetime of over-romanticizing things, insomnia, an unfaltering fascination with humans, a hyperactive imagination, and an obsessive need to create.

Jaime’s work can be found at ibarraphoto.com

ABOUT JEREMY COWART

Jeremy Cowart is a celebrity photographer, based in Los Angeles, CA. Jeremy’s skills behind the camera have allowed him to work with many clients in the entertainment industry, such as Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Sting, Clive Owen, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Imogen Heap, Courtney Cox, and Ryan Seacrest, just to name a few.

When he is not shooting portraits, he can be found working on personal projects in Africa or Haiti. He is also the founder of Help-Portrait , a global movement of photographers giving free portraits to those in need. On December 12, 2009 Help-Portrait provided free portraits for over 40,000 people in 42 Countries. Lastly, after the devastating earthquake hit Haiti in January of 2010, Jeremy responded with his “Voices of Haiti” photo essay, letting the people of Haiti express their own prayers and hopes through photography. This project was displayed prominently at the entrance of a very important gathering of world leaders at the United Nations in March of 2010. They were meeting to discuss the rebuild of Haiti and they ended up pledging ten billion dollars to the effort. On that day, Jeremy’s project “Voices of Haiti” proved that art can help make a difference.

You can find Jeremy around the web on his website at jeremycowart.com on Google + as +Jeremy Cowart and on his nonprofit site Help-Portrait.

ABOUT DAVE CROSS

For close to 25 years, Dave Cross has been helping photographers and creative professionals get the most out of their software. Starting with Adobe Illustrator classes in 1987, Dave has taught Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to thousands of users around the world. He has a Bachelor of Education, is an Adobe Certified Instructor in Photoshop CS5 and is a Certified Technical Trainer. Dave has taught at Photoshop World (21 times), written numerous articles and several books, co-hosts Photoshop User TV and has appeared in many DVDs and online courses for Kelby Training. Dave is the Lead Instructor for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, and runs his own studio/workshop space in Tampa, FL.

Over the last 12 years, Dave has taught Photoshop in every state in the United States, throughout Canada and in Europe, consistently earning rave reviews. Dave is well-known for his engaging style, his humor and his ability to make complex topics easy to understand. In 2009 Dave was inducted into the Photoshop Hall of Fame.

You kind find Dave around the web on twitter @davecross, Google+ and on his website at davecrossworkshops.com

ABOUT LISA BETTANY

Lisa Bettany is a photographer & iPhone app developer.

She is the co-creator and producer of the #1 iPhone photo app, Camera+ which has sold over 4 million copies. Bettany also stars as Agent Sophia in MacHeist & the spin-off puzzle game app, The Heist. Lisa founded Mostly365, a social photo sharing site to encourage photographers to shoot and share a photo everyday.

Lisa has hosted and appeared on a number of technology, photography, and gadget-based tv/web shows, including Mostly Photo, TWiT Live Specials, MacBreak, TWiT, and Get Connected (Spike, CTV & BNN). In addition, Lisa reported on the 2010 Winter Olympics as a featured columnist and correspondent for The Vancouver Province.

Lisa started her blog MostlyLisa.com in November 2006, posting Apple related news, reviews, and amusing videos of her adventures as a reluctant actress & model.

ABOUT FREDRICK VAN JOHNSON

Frederick Van Johnson has driven marketing for many top names in the Silicon Valley tech scene,including Apple, Adobe, and Yahoo. He’s fluent in all aspects of traditional marketing as well as next generation Internet marketing practices including Social Media, Internet buzz-marketing campaigns, SEO, and Google Adwords/Adsense, Email marketing, etc. 

He’s is founder and CEO of MediaBytes Marketing, an online marketing school for creatives.

Also a professional photographer, Frederick is the host of ”This Week in Photography,” one of the world’s most popular photography-related podcasts. He also lectures and conducts training on topics including marketing, business, and photographic technique.

Frederick began his career as a Combat Photojournalist in the United States Air Force, where he served for 8 years and was decorated many times for his photography in the field. Frederick’s unit was among the first in the military to receive digital SLR technology, and put it into daily action.

Frederick was awarded the prestigious United States Air Force Commendation medal for his key role in facilitating the transition from film-based photography to digital.

You can find out more about Fredrick on his website at frederickvan.com.

ABOUT JOE FARACE

Joe is a veteran author and photographer who has

• Written & published 33 books; his newest, “Joe Farace’s Glamour Photography,” is in bookstores now.
• Contributing writer/Photographer to Shutterbug magazine since 1999; Editor Emeritus eDigital Photo magazine.
• Has published more than 1950 magazine stories in the USA, Europe, and China.
• Awarded Photographic Craftsman’s degree by Professional Photographers of America,
• Professional member of American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Ass’n.
• For more about Joe and to see his work, check out joefarace.com

ABOUT JOSEPH LINASCHKE

Joseph Linaschke is a Photographic Storyteller, an Educator, and the ApertureExpert. He’s been shooting since he was just seven years old, teaching and presenting on stage to audiences around the globe for over 15 years, and most recently launched ApertureExpert.com in 2010. Following an eight-year tenure at Apple as the lead presenter, occasional photographer, and Technical Marketing Manager for the Professional Applications Division, he stepped out on his own in 2009 to pursue all things photography, full time. Recently he’s been speaking to schools and educators in North America and Asia on integrating photography into the classroom, is a regular co-host on TWiP (This Week in Photo) podcast, is teaching workshops on Aperture and photography around the world, and has been shooting for clients such as Seal, Apple, and the US Army.

To see a video interview of Joseph talking about his latest eBook on ThisWeekinPhoto.com, click here.

He leads multiple identities online; as photographer, visit PhotoJoseph.com and follow @travel_junkie on twitter. For Aperture; ApertureExpert.com and @ApertureExpert. Visit ThisWeekinPhoto.com for the TWiP podcast.

ABOUT BRIAN MATIASH

Brian Matiash is the Curriculum & Education Manager at onOne Software. He is responsible for creating new and compelling educational content to help spur excitement and creativity around digital photography. He is also an architecture photographer, writer, and lover of all things social media.

Brian has spent the past several years learning and mastering the use of High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging to provide his photos with a level of realism not normally captured with conventional photography. He is the author of a recurring HDR column on ProPhotoResource.com, where he shares tips, tricks, and techniques to gain the most out of HDR photography. He is also an editor of HDR Spotting, the leading gallery/resource dedicated to showcasing HDR images.

Visit Brian’s daily blog at http://brianmatiash.com/

Visit onOne Software at http://ononesoftware.com

ABOUT JAMES BRANDON

James Brandon has been a professional photographer and writer since 2009 when he decided to leave the corporate grind and pursue his dream of traveling the world and making art.

James is an author for Digital Photography School where he teaches aspiring photographers to expand their expertise and discover their own photographic niche. DPS is one of the webs largest online resources for learning digital photography, with over 3.5 million readers per month. Locally, James teaches classes on photographic techniques and works with new photographers one on one through private lessons. He is also an editor for Trey’s site HDR Spotting, the leading online showcase of HDR images.

James’ business is two-fold; being dedicated to client work such as portrait and commercial work, while also focused on traveling the world and teaching others. For more information about James, visit his website and check out his daily blog. You can also follow him on twitter (@jamesdbrandon).

ABOUT RON MARTINSEN

Ron Martinsen is a successful photography blogger and print master who enjoys visits from over 25,000 unique visitors from 127 countries per month. In addition to his work on this blog, Ron has enjoyed success with his photography transportation portfolio which has been featured in magazines around the world on topics ranging from Formula 1 and Porsche motor vehicles to images of the famous Beezerker motorcycle appearing in popular magazines like GQ, Robb Report, and more.

ABOUT DANE SANDERS

In 2010, Photo District News named Dane Sanders one of the 30 most influential living photographers of the last decade. He has been featured in numerous publications including Rangefinder & Professional Photographer and a sponsored speaker for Adobe & WHCC. Dane is the author of Fast Track Photographer: Leverage Your Unique Strengths for a More Successful Photography Business as well as The Fast Track Photographer Business Plan: Build a Successful Photography Venture from the Ground Up – both published by Random House. Dane also founded and is the host of Escalate LIVE, a conference for creative professionals that broadcasts LIVE for free worldwide. As a speaker, he has given multiple keynotes at WPPI, Imaging USA and Photo Plus Expo as well international events in Brazil, Canada and Asia. He is regularly invited to address regional groups, hosts his own traveling workshops and broadcasts a free weekly coaching session meant to help pro’s get the essential insights they need to flourish as creative-based business owners. You can also follow Dane on Twitter. Dane, along with his wife and four children, make their home in Newport Beach, California.

ABOUT JESSICA AMBATS

Jessica is an air-to-air photographer and a pilot.

She is editor of Plane & Pilot magazine and serves on the board of the International Society for Aviation Photography.

Her aviation photography has been featured internationally on magazine and book covers, and she was awarded the top designation of “Best of the Best” by Aviation Week & Space Technology. Jessica’s aerial photo adventures have included landing on the Greenland ice sheet in an LC-130, delivering emergency supplies to earthquake victims in Haiti, and flying formation aerobatics in an F/A-18 fighter jet with the Blue Angels.

When she’s not taking photos of airplanes, Jessica is flying them. She is an instrument-rated pilot with a seaplane rating and tailwheel endorsement. Jessica is a graduate of Harvard University and is from New York City.

You can view Jessica’s work at jessicaambats.com.

ABOUT ANDREW S GIBSON

Andrew is a writer specializing in photography. He specialise in writing about photography and his clients include Craft & Vision and Peachpit Press. His features have been published in Practical Photography and Better Photoshop Techniques magazines, and his photos have appeared in many more photographic publications.

Andrew is also the Technical Editor for EOS magazine and he also writes articles for Smashing Magazine and Photo Tuts+. You can find out more about Andrew and his work at www.AndrewSGibson.com.

ABOUT JIM GOLDSTEIN

Jim is a full-time professional photographer, based out of San Francisco, California who specializes in outdoor and nature photography.

Passionate about nature and the environment Jim infuses elements of the natural world into his commercial and editorial work.

A member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), Jim produces the highest quality photography for both commercial clients and fine art photography collectors. You can find Jim on twitter @jimgoldstein, on Google+ +Jim Goldstein and on his website jmg-galleries.com

ABOUT JACK HOLLINGSWORTH

Jack Hollingsworth is easily one of the industry’s most well known names in World Lifestyle, Travel, Portrait and Stock Photography.

Jack’s career in photography spans 30 years. He has licensed photos through ALL notable stock photo agencies and has also shot stock in virtually “every corner of the world”. He is one of the founding members of Blend Images – a successful multi-ethnic niche stock photo agency.

Jack has officially joined the ranks of the iPhone obsessed. On any given day (or hour), you can see him wandering the streets with his iPhone shooting what he calls ‘the most powerful work of his career’. Check out Jack’s Instagram feed right here.

You can find jack around the internet on twitter and on his website at jackhollingsworth.com

ABOUT ALEX SUAREZ

From helicopters to oceans, ghost towns to urban jungles, mountains to deserts, foreign lands to his own back yard, Alex lives for exploring the world and capturing compelling images that tell a story and emotionally move the viewer. Use of bold colors, strong graphic elements, unusual perspectives and whimsical humor are some of the tools that he employs to create images that evoke emotion or provoke thought. Alex draws upon his 30 years of photographic experience to make the most of each and every photographic opportunity he encounters.

Alex lives in the Austin hill country with his wife and two kids. He leads a monthly advanced photography interest group which is open to the public. Find out more about Alex at his website alexsuarez.com.

ABOUT DANIEL IBANEZ

Daniel is a traditionally trained oil painter who fell in love with newly emerging digital painting applications. This Colorado artist deftly bounces from soft domestic scenery and meditative landscape, to vibrant sci-fi illustration. Growing up under the tutelage of an Ex-Disney Illustrator turned Fine Arts, Daniel became a gallery artist as a teenager and has been exhibiting professionally ever since. He was featured in Southwest Art Magazine as a young man, and has displayed his work throughout the region. Today he paints both traditionally and digitally with equal ease and employs his craft in book cover illustration, mural works, figurative painting, still life, and everything in-between. While he has other creative hobbies, painting is his true and first love, filling nearly every facet of his life.

He is both an experienced art educator and artist. His years as an art educator provide him a venue to give back to his community while refining his ability to share the nuance of the visual language. It is the balance of public and private, creator and critic, artist and teacher that has given Daniel the experience to confidently share his insights on painting, art, and creative work. He loves the relationship of classroom to studio: in the sharing of his expertise Daniel finds the energy of his work derive deeper meaning. For him, it is creating that inspires sharing and sharing that fortifies creating.

Daniel is the new owner of Rendition Gallery in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is here that he helps anchor the diverse artistic vocabulary of his community while educating new artists to love the discipline that has inspired his life path. You can find Daniel and his work on Google+ and at his website danielibanez.net.

ABOUT JAY & VARINA PATEL

Varina and Jay are professional Landscape and Wilderness Photographers. They have collaborated in publishing a large collection of eBooks on topics ranging from Composition and the Gestalt Theories of Perception, to complex Photographic and Post-Processing techniques. Together, they have taught on location in National Parks across the United States, presented their work in a wide variety of forums, and traveled the world.

Varina and Jay are best known for their tandem teaching style – which combines advanced technical skills with easy-to-understand explanations, and well-thought-out examples. Their highly successful photo blog offers tips, tutorials, and inspiration for photographers at any level.

They have won many awards for their photographic work in high-profile competitions. Their images and articles have been published by National Geographic, National Parks Magazine, Unique Image Magazine, Popular Photography Magazine, Photo Art Magazine, PC Photo, and many more.

You can find Varina and Jay around the web on their websites – Jay, Varina , Google+ – +Jay, +Varina and on Facebook – Jay, Varina.

ABOUT JAN KABILI

Jan Kabili is passionate about teaching Photoshop and Lightroom. For over a decade, Jan has been helping photographers of all skill levels understand what they really need to know to get the most out of processing their digital photographs.

Jan is a prolific author of Photoshop and Lightroom training. She has recorded hundreds of tutorials for the leading online training website lynda.com, where you’ll find 20 of her full-length courses at lynda.com. She has authored and contributed to popular books, including the seminal Photoshop Wow book, Jack Davis’ How to Wow: Photoshop series, and Lynda Weinman’s Hands On Training: Photoshop for the Web. She’s written for magazines like Photoshop User and Macworld. She’s been a Photoshop beta tester for Adobe, and an author of Adobe’s Photoshop CS5 Certified Experts Exam. In her first career, Jan was an attorney who went to Stanford Law School; she says all this is way more fun.

Jan believes in teaching the why, as well as the how of processing techniques. She is a hands-on trainer, who will walk you through the steps of each technique. Whether you’re a budding digital photographer or a skilled professional, Jan’s clear explanations are guaranteed to help you improve your own photographs.

Visit Jan at lynda.com

Hang out with +Jan Kabili on Google Plus

YOU

Want to be a flatbooks author? Are you an expert in something that is popular? Check out the flatbooks authors info page here to get some information on the process and submit your idea. Here’s a testimonial from one of our authors, Joseph Linaschke:

“I absolutely love selling through flatbooks! Trey’s team has done a phenomenal job promoting my new book, and they were in constant contact with me every step of the way. As the product page developed, my change requests were fulfilled quickly, and Trey’s advice along the way helped to create a stellar launch. I know I’ll sell many more books through flatbooks than I could on my own, and am thrilled with initial sales!”