Thursday, February 3, 2011

Using Actions with PSE9 to make your photos really POP

Good Morning Everyone
Jodi here today sharing some of my secrets with you
on how to make your photos really POP

This is a photo that was taken by the local paper at the School Fete recently...
Its a lovely photo,
but a little dull and the background is a bit ugly.

Im a huge fan of Actions. Rather than playing with lighting, contrast and colour ourselves, we can down load free Actions, or purchase them from Photographers.


Actions....
(Actions are a set of adjustments made to photos using Photoshop or Photoshop Elements,
and they are saved as one Action. So just by clicking the button once, you can have a set of adjustments made to your photo)

So here is the original photo



I opened PSE9
and i have already a set of actions pre loaded into my program.
I purchased these actions through a photographer
that promotes his photography on FACEBOOK.
Its amaising what you can find on Facebook!

So I have loaded them up into the program
and i just click one button

You can see just a slight adjustment in this photo.
There is added contrast and the skin colour isn't as yellow...


Here is another type of action where there is a more old fashioned
finish to the photo.
This action is actually called Tombstone.... very fitting!!!


But this Black & White action is the one that i find i use the most.
It has added contrast.
The black is black and the white is white!!
I love that it really brings out the subjects in the photo and you dont even take any notice of the background.


Here is how i have used them in layouts....


I have used the same black and white action in this months kit for Scrap with V.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:
If you purchase this months kit from Scrap with V.
You can email me the photos you would like to use and i will make the colour adjustments for you using the same actions that i have used for mine....
Just email me proof of purchase and your photos here
and i will fix them up and email them back......

Here are my layouts:
"Many Faces" and "The Look"
And can be purchased here




I hope you have enjoyed this little tutorial
and i look forward to seeing your photos!!

4 comments:

ann said...

Thanks for sharing Jodi.
Love what you have done with the photo..
I have just bought elements 9
but don't understand it...lol
I had no idea what actions were so thanks....xx

Ness said...

this is great Jodi, thanks for sharing with us. Love Ness xx

Anonymous said...

Jodi! This is GREAT! You and I may become good friends b/c I got PSE9 for Christmas and its so much work to use! LOL! I LOVE that you made this offer for the customers, just awesome!
Wonderful project as well!

Valerie Bishop said...

Awesome tutorial!! TFS! I need to do this more often!!