Just a little plug here for the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). For anyone who uses Photoshop for any purpose, be it professional or personal, NAPP is an indispensable resource. (By the way, I was neither paid nor prompted to write this blog about NAPP, I simply see its immense value to anyone interested in digital image manipulation.)

NAPP’s website, photoshopuser.com, is one of the best sites I’ve seen on the topic of all things Photoshop. It is chock full of helpful tutorials, tech support links, news and reviews. Members are able to post images to a portfolio gallery, and I have spent hours perusing these galleries randomly. I never cease to be impressed with the diversity of creative output shown in these portfolios. The website also has member discounts for equipment and software, and gives one access to thousands of postings in the user forums.

Other perks of NAPP membership are Newswire email newsletters and the free subscription (printed or electronic, your choice) to Photoshop User Magazine. This comes out every other month, and I love ‘flipping’ through page after page to see what’s up in the digital imaging industry. It’s inspirational.

Finally, membership in NAPP gives one a substantial discount (one which more than covers NAPP membership, by the way) to attend the world’s largest Photoshop convention, Photoshop World. There are two held each year, one on the East Coast in the spring and one at Las Vegas in the fall. For three days, attendees gain a veritable wealth of tips, tricks and training geared towards beginners and the most advanced users alike. I was absolutely blown away when I attended this convention. The sheer scale of it was incredible–thousands upon thousands of creative people like me who love everything about Photoshop. Check out more details at photoshopworld.com.