CHOPPER PROFILE 13
Well chopper fan’s, today’s chopper profilee has been around this site since 23 Aug 2003, with 62 entries and only 1 win the stats don’t show his qualities to the full. He was the male half to team discovery…well he told me he was the male half…spends more time in chat than in underwear…not a good sight…it’s the one the only king of runch time ham...
1. What is your nickname and how did you get it?
mightybeet... How did I get it... hmmmm... lets see. When I was a young kid we all would call each other stupid nicknames. Mine was just beet. mightybeet came later on, used it for various video games and Laser Quest (laser tag). People would ask, "what does mightybeet?" or come up with their own definition, some in bad taste..
2. What is your real name and age?
Real name is Bill Shackford and I’m 27 years old
3. Where are you from and what’s so great about being there?
I live in Connecticut!!..YAY CONNECTICUT!!! Haven’t you heard of CONNECTICUT???? It is SUPER AWSOME!!! We have trees that change colors during the fall, unpredictable weather patterns, no major sports team, home of WWE and various other rich people who make the cost of living here SUPER AWSOME!!! I live in New Haven where Yale is. Yale is full of smart people. I didn’t go to Yale. We have good pizza and good cannolis.
4. What do you do to keep the bills paid?
Graphic designer at Garrity Industries, Inc. Company makes flashlights, I do some packaging that sometimes makes it to the store shelf. Most of the time I’m doing concept packaging, product and printing presentation boards of concept product and packaging, photographing flashlights, blinding myself with flashlights, and then I come the annual catalogue of fun. exciting...
We make neato flashlights for all types of people. We recently were bought by DURACELL® so now were have neato flashlights AND SUPER AWSOME batteries!!!
5. What do you do in your spare time?
Usually try and spend time with wife. Other than that I have new obsession with paintball YEEEEEEEEEEEEHAAW!!!. .. draw with the old pencil and paper objects, go all out caveman. Go to NYC, mall, gym(yeah right..) .. work second job?..
6. How did you find PSC, and what do you like most about the site?
Think I found it when looking for tutorial or someone sent me a pic. Like the atmosphere. Ability to have fun with Photoshop and stuff..
7. If you could change one thing at PSC, what would it be and why?
cant think of anything .. maybe a SWF file support for entry?
Wow with all the stuff that goes on at this place and that’s all you want to change. Man that is so refreshing…but come on there must be things that tic you off here?
Hehehehe… nothing, pretty mello and non demanding… what lil demanding I do is out of boredom and sarcasm… okay okay.. I think of something… hmmm … maybe a image hosting service similar to imageshack.us? Scion posted something bout a blog, maybe a blog feature within yer profile for posting your own Photoshop discoveries that you’ve made or talk bout yer like. Something…
You know I thought you would say, that this site could do with some more ham…
8. Any other information you would like to pass on about who you are?
...I have 4 cats
well come on what’s there names?
Names?… THEY HAVE NUMBERS!!!!… well actually… Steeplechase named after the Coney Island Steeplechase ride, Fosse, named after Bob Fosse, Fogerty named after John Fogerty, and Mezze e Mezze cause she’s half-white and half-black fur.
9. Other than this site, where else do you like to surf, that is not PhotoShop orientated?
Myspace, ebay, e-mail, Google, other than that I don’t do much on the Internet anymore though someday I will make myself a website…someday…
Ok I have notice a few people here use Myspace…what is the attraction?
Meet up with old friends and stuff from long ago… ITS AWSOME!!!… plus you can POST COMMENTS!!!!!!VOMIT
Lets see... used to use Photo Paint by I think Corel. Then worked my way to Photoshop 5, 5.5, 6 then CS2 yoy!!! And illustrator... On a PC, windows XP prof. Use a generic laser mouse. Have all the other stuff but I still enjoy using the mouse. Usually just get all my images from Google.
At home I use a sager 17” laptop lap warmer with windows xp professional, Photoshop cs2, illustrator cs2, lightwave3d, flashmx and some other stuff. Use trackball, wacom tablet, and laser mouse thing ALL AT ONCE!!!.. well not really.. I just started using the wacom for illustrator. Photoshop I tend to use the regular mouse.
1. What gets your creative juices flowing, how do you create that masterpiece?
Haw… masterpiece.. Usually look at the days contest image and think of something funny, laugh a bit, drink some coffee, laugh some more... more coffee... somewhere in the middle I do something with Photoshop.
2. What do you use as inspiration?
....uh... other peoples chops I guess
Come on mate, during the teams contest you produced some of your best images, surly some thing inspired you to go that little extra?
the added stimulation of being an exhibition oriented whatsything... extra competion additive. the collaboration factor. TOTHEMAX... inspiration just randomly comes to me I guess. I see the source pic and think bout it and say "what can I make out of this..?"
3. Do you have a system? Does a chop have to be done a certain way following steps or are you a messy chopper and just go with the flow?
1. Coffee
2. Look at image
3. Think of situation
4. Find some props
5. Coffee
6. Blend everything together.
4. What style of chop do you prefer to create? )
creative kinds... the attempt to go beyond what would be easily thought at first glance of the source pic. surrealistic too.
5. Filters, brushes and techniques, what do you use and not use and why?
Try to not use that many filters. Just blurs from time to time.
Why is that? A lot of choppers say the same thing, the filters are a part of PS, why not use them?
Filter just seems like the easy way out or if ya use a filter people KNOW ya used a filter.
6. When do you know ya got it just right, or is it constant changes up untill or after you post?
Constant changes. keep looking at image and think of new things to add, change, color correction, whatnots
7. Is there a limit to what you will chop?
Not really but I try to stay away from the extreme. less shock factor, more fun potato
Every Photoshop user has their owner method of madness, heres a few tips:
When you’re done chopping, saturate the whole image before saving it for web. If your workspace is set to a different Color Profile than the output (usually sRGBiesomethin), you will notice a brighter and richer in color chop.
1. What is your favourite type of source image, and why? (Machine, people, nature, views, objects. What type do you prefer to work with.)
all of the above. Anything is good. Gives you some versatility. Any source can be good though I like the ones with people the most. Just enjoy taking them and putting them in some bizarre situation.
2. Tell us why it is your favourite type?
Gives you some versatility
3. There is always talk about how the source is used and to what extent it should be used. What are your views on all sources, outside source use and my favourite animated GIF images?
All source stuff, I think, should have a distinct change to it. Ya have to show some effort. Outside source should be used as a little helper to the finished image. Why bother use the provided source if its not going to be the hero.
Yet you use a lot of GIF’s, when you are in chat. Have you used GIF’s in a contest before?
Yeah… 2 I think… getting them to size was a pain…
Anyone who lurks about the chat room knows I enjoy playing with GIF’s. Problem is that you get stuck with either a good quality image with a large file size, which needs to be reduced to a smaller size in order to fit posting recommendations. OR a large image size with low quality and file size. If you can manage to get it somewhere in the middle then YAY!!!
4. What is your favoured site for outside source images?
GOOGLE!!!!… that or I take my own pic, which is rare.
5. When you search do you have an idea what you are looking for or is it hit and miss?
usually have an idea of what I’m looking for
1. In your opinion what makes a good chop?
Imagination and overall composition , The amount of effort, creativity, execution
2. Do you have a system to get things started? ie Music, mood setting stuff like that?
not really. once the idea pops in my head I just go full force, oh and lots a COFFEE!!!!
3. Have you ever completed a chop and then for some reason decide not to enter it in the contest, if so what were your reasons?
day 4... If it start a chop and the thrill just leaves and I get bored with the idea, I let it die. OR if someone else does the same idea.
4. After you finish your chop is it a matter of just post it or do you seek opinions of family and fellow choppers?
I like opinions from others... most of the time I just put it up for fun and try and make people laugh. I usually just post it and see what happens and wait for the shouldacouldas. I’m open to any comments to make it better.
5. If some one finds a fault in your work do you change it or stay with what you posted?
try and change it unless it doesn’t bother me that much. If it is something major like I forgot to turn off a layer and it looks really bad then I will. If it is a typo I usually leave it.
Ah the lovable typo…on of my best friends….sigh 
6. What qualities do you look for when deciding to vote on a chop?
overall output of the idea that which is produced by the "chopper" in which... oh.. uh.. I like it.. I vote. Creativity and humour. I’m not to big on critiquing other peoples work so I usually look for something that makes me laugh
for the day.
7. Some people won’t vote for pure filtered chops or animated GIF, is there any particular style/type of chop you won’t vote for?
has to be something REALLY BAD
8. Time is always a factor, how much time do you spend on a chop and how much time is too much?
try to do one during lunch... hour.. maybe hour and half?
The chops you did for the Teams contests were very good and I’m my opinion some of your best work. Were they chopped just over a lunch hour.
no they took a little longer
9. Ok we all love to get votes. Now are you a constant vote checker or do you just let it go and check once a day?
I check
10. What chop did you do and it did not do as well as you expected?
I think they fall where they fall and I’m happy with that.
1. Your best chop ever?
“unspoken secrets…”
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/95360/unspoken-secrets.html
My first win!!!! I spent a few days on this one with a spontaneous idea that popped into my head. It all developed as I went along from the actual box and the foam insides to the barcode(have a barcode scanner sittin on my desk) right up to the title. I think it went well…
“Hair clip” entry is another favourite. I actually spent time thinking and chopping on this one. Plus it’s the most votes I've gotten….hehe
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/87431/display.html
After that “A Grand Lawn” another one I spent time thinking and chopping. Fun getting the facial expressions.
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/76881/display.html
2. Your worst chop ever?
I have a few… guess you can just go through my gallery and look at the ones where I got less than 10 votes. These were usually last minute chops just that got posted on the second or third day. The REALLY bad ones were funnier in my head.
I have a couple but I'll just name one. “Pure Marble” Quick, cheesy and dumb.
Cant find a link to that one, if anyone got a copy…PM me
3. Best chopper out their today, and what makes him the best in your opinion?
Kind of rotates here…. Safe to say they are all good. Top 10… go team!!!
Ok then name your top ten choppers and why?
Would take to long and it’s more than ten. I don’t know where to start. I think there are so many of them here. I think the best chopper is someone has a variety of chops, who can do both funny and serious, who has started from the bottom and has worked their way to the top just by skill alone and not by “gimmevotes”
Look just say Blue_lurker and be done with it…. 
4. What you hate to see in a chop and why you hate it so much?
to many local juries “photography” shows where people slapped a watercolour filter and its been hung on the wall. Effort and time no longer matters. Just looks tacky to me. Over filtered image with no chopping done to it… except the TRON filter.. that is the AWSOME. Filters are fun but too much filtering can make you blind.
5. The best chop of all time?
This is a tough one... A favourite chop is by Vlad
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/94377/78-rpm.html
Just stepped right out of the box with that one. Again, there are so many out there.
Wow there is a name I have not seen for a while, good pick.
As one half of team discovery, what do you believe was the best chop you did and what was it like to be on Nancers team?
The trunk one that I did was my favourite..
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/95360/unspoken-secrets.html
fav nancer pic was the water rodeo pic
http://photoshopcontest.com/view-entry/94499/water-rodeo--yeeehaw.html
Two of my Favs as well mate. After the teams thing you sort of stopped chopping why?
I had to get back to work!!! I’m on and off with the chopping. The teams thing did give me a lil kick in the ass to get to doing personal chops rather than chopping fer work. I'll pick up again… eventually.
Ok you spend a lot of time on the site in the chat room, got no real life friends? J/K
hehehehe… I’m in their majority of the time while I’m at work, usually down time or during breaks. I do have a life… REALLY I DO!!!! I HAVE PICTURES!!!!
Hey I've seen them pictures mate and there been chopped…you aint that good looking...so Mate...
Fess up mate you and Nancers…what’s the deal there…you know sending her nude photos of firemen and all?
You got it all wrong… I sent her huge photos of fire hoses and all .
Well that’s not the rumour I’m starting…any last words
I think it’s a great community of many talented people willing to share. Need PSC-Con or something. Also keeps me using finding new things in Photoshop techniques and such.
Well thanks for your time Mate it’s been fun and a long time coming together. Next time ya in chat don’t forget to say a big hello to Mightybeet, he needs the friends. So who will be next and when will it happen, untill then remember , this is Blue_lurker and
IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CHOP.
