Works for Me Wednesday: Using photo editing!
Yesterday I went with my niece and MIL to take some pictures at our local tulip festival. I'm by no means a great photographer, and often really don't know what I'm doing. Sure I have a really nice camera, but I don't really know how to use it to its full capacity. I almost always shoot on auto mode! I'd love to visit some of the authors of blogs I read and be their shadow and learn to take amazing pictures like they do.
I took several pictures and put them on my computer when I arrived back home. However I noticed that several of the pictures weren't the best and in one picture that I felt was a better one, there was a pillow and jacket in the background.
In situations like these it's nice to be familiar with your photo editing program. I have two. Photoshop Elements 7, and iphoto. I haven't truly mastered Elements yet. I have no clue really how to navigate around it. With iphoto (which is a mac program), I simply click edit, then effects and I can change to B & W, Sepia, blur the edges, etc..very quick and very easy. Here are a few pictures that weren't the best, but I personally think that by adding a little effect it made a huge difference. That's why Photo editing works for me.
Here were before and afters, or actually after and before! I couldn't get my cut and paste to work correctly. The before was one that I look at and say "man, she wasn't looking at me". When I added a bit of an effect, I think it made a much prettier picture.
Same with the above picture and the one below it. The above was to me, just
so-so, but adding a softening effect, made it pretty
I loved this one, but when I got home, noticed that there was a pillow and blanket in the way...bummer, so in Elements, I used the clone tool and cloned the dirt, then set my brush to a big enough size and covered up the annoying background. Professional? No, but it works for me!
Hop on over to We Are That Family for more great ideas!!
I am just learning to play with my photos a little bit. It's fun, but I could spend hours doing it!
ReplyDeleteYour pictures look great!
ReplyDeleteI am a photoshop nut! That an lightroom. Together they are amazing. I can't seem to do a darn thing with iphoto, but maybe it's because photoshop is all I have ever known. I think your pictures are great, and you did a very good job getting rid of the pillow and the blanket.
ReplyDeleteI was going to suggest you check out pioneer woman, but I see you already have her listed on your page. I love reading her stuff.