It's a Classic

Before:

After:

The First Photo shown is a charming shot, the colors are good, the composition is interesting, the people beautiful. :) BUT the background is not particularly attractive, it's a little crooked, the shot was too wide, and takes in a lot of distracting objects, such as purses, bags, and a plug. So here's what I did to remedy the situation:

1. First I used the straightening tool in Photoshop, then cropped the photo.

Again, this is a nice photo BUT I thought I could get more out of it. So I...

2.Turned it Black and White

Very professional looking...BUT I still found the purses and plug distracting.

3. Taking the paintbrush in Photoshop I selected the color "Black" and less than 50% opacity. I went first over the purses and plug then, liking the effect chose to go all the way around the photo.

 So that's it. Three easy steps to turn a "nice" photo into a classic.

*Thanks Vaughn Family for allowing me to share these photos!

*Be Sure to Check out my Digital Scrapbooking Blog to see the page I made with these photos!

The Wonderful World of Photoshop

This is the SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) picture, which I think is a rather nice shot, but I wanted to see if I can get a little more *WOW* out of it in Photo-shop.

I thought a little soft focus (Gaussian Blur) would make a more dreamy setting, I also found the excessive reflections in the eyes to be a little distracting. If you look closely in the left eye (your left, not his) you will see my camera lens (the large circular blob), a sliver of my head sticking out above it, my elbows stuck out like I'm doing the chicken dance, Calvin's play gym (the long arcs around the pupil), the blue sky behind that, and oh look, I can even see some clouds. This is what I would call, too much detail. So, I took the paintbrush, set it to black, dissolve, and an opacity less than 50% and brushed over certain areas; eliminating the "excessive" detail, but still leaving enough to incite interest.

While I was at it, I also enhanced the colors by minor tweaks here and there.

Now, I truly love this rendering but I also wanted to see what else I could do with it. So, I tried Black & White (84%).

Now, what about a full Black & White make-over?

Breath-taking...but what about Sephia? (less than 50 %)

What about a little more? (84%)

Oooh...love that vintage look.

Now what if...instead of softening the eyes I sharpen them using a tip I learned off The Pioneer Woman?

Interesting...which one is your favorite?

Baby Photography

"There's a baby in our house..."

Cute New Baby=Endless Photo Opportunities

Here are some tips I've learned over the last couple of weeks:

1. As much as possible try to avoid using the flash (unless you have an exterior flash that you can bounce off of another object) use natural light instead.

2. Try Black and White, it's more forgiving, and adds such a gentle touch.

3. Try Photographing them in a car-seat or stroller so they are in an upright position.

4. Be ready to catch those ever-changing expressions.

6. Use colorful blankets as backdrops.

7. Get Close.

8. Be Creative. A baby's face is not the only subject worth noticing.

8. Someone holding the baby? Great, even better.

9. Remember, they don't have to be awake.

10. Think, Contrast. Cute outfits do help. :)

Now go find a cute baby...sorry this one's already taken. :)

Gone Fish'n

Texas Dandelions

If you wonder at the large amount of photos in this post -just know that these were the top 26 photos out of 900! No that is not a typo, I really meant 900. I spent several hours photographing these interesting little flowers and these are the ones that made the cut.

The Texas Dandelion, unlike other dandelions have a longer blooming season and open only in the morning. As I study the amazing detail of these seemingly small and insignificant flowers it causes me to once again lift my praise to the Creator who instilled these flowers with such beauty, symmetry, and complexity.

Do you notice the dried dandelion between the two open ones?
See how they draw your eye away from the main subject?

Now, look again after some simple Photoshop editing.
(Edit, Guided, Guided Activities, Touch up scratches, blemishes, or tear marks.)

Isn't it amazing the beauty and complexity of a single drop of water?

How about a hundred?

Look carefully, these following photos are the product of a long time spent chasing around this little bee from flower to flower. Never again will I flippantly utter the phrase "as busy as a bee".