Russell Brown

We had so much fun holding live Martini Hours in Las Vegas. And the audience full of dekeOphiles who came to spend time with us were so cool and supportive! (Some of them even took their shoes off before being asked.) But it gives us a huge thrill this week to start sharing the first of several podcast episodes that we recorded during Photoshop World, live from the Eyecandy Sound Lounge in the Mandalay Bay Casino. Because, finally, we can share our frolicking with those of you who could only be there in spirit. (And revisit the fun with those of you who made it to our lounge-away-from-'Lounge in person.)

This week's show features the first of our live guests, Adobe's own Julianne Kost and Russell Brown (captured above by our chief olive wrangler Toby Malina). Russell has appeared on three previous Martini Hours. But for scheduling reasons--or so she claims!--this is Julianne's first time. Like Deke, these two Photoshop Hall of Famers are steeped in imaging wisdom. But unlike Deke, they have direct access to Photoshop's key programmers. Plus, they're slim, tall, and good looking. While looks don't mean a damn thing in an audio-only podcast, we figured it was only fitting that our guests' appearance fit the mood of the Eyecandy lounge.

Want to hear some actual live lounge love? Read more » 

You know, it occurs to me now that somewhere along the way I lost control of this show. Perhaps it was the 43:00 mark of this particular episode. But if losing control means having Deke, along with Adobe's John Nack and Russell Brown, go into a free-for-all discussion of Photoshop layers, well then control is overrated. Bring on the (subltly layered) chaos.

Yes, the theme this week is layers. And since I couldn't come up with a layered gin-based drink (do olives count as a layer?), I asked Deke to model this week's logo after the classic layered dessert Jello 1-2-3. Listen as the knowledge of our Photoshop experts separate itself into the foamy, bubbly, and jellowy (strawberry-flavored) layers of goodness.

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Roundtable madness. A bridge too far. Dogs and cats living together....

For those of you who enjoyed our previous guests Russell Brown (Episode 007) and John Nack (Episode 009), independently and on their own, I've invited total chaos into the lounge by inviting them both at once. And to discuss, of all things, Adobe Bridge—or "the Bridge" as Deke insists on calling it. But once we settle the ever-controversial definite article question, we jump right in and talk about how darn nifty this oft-ignored application is. It spans the applications, like this:

(This "the bridge" artwork might give you a sense for the general whereabouts of the top-secret dekeLounge. Hint: It's not St. Louis.) Read more » 

Although the secret location of the dekeLounge has been a long-held secret dating back centuries, I finally had to reveal the closely guarded coordinates in order to bring to you, my lounge guests in absentia, a special treat. Yes, this week we used gimlets and the lure of mysteries revealed to entice Adobe's Senior Creative Director Russell Preston Brown to join me and Deke in the lounge. If you've ever seen or heard Russell before, you know that adding him to the martini mix was a daring move on my part. But I think you'll find the conversation lively and that Russell fits right in with the anything-can-happen vibe of Martini Hour.

Here's what went down (besides gimlets) when Russell visited the lounge: Read more »