Photoshop Fun!

*not for WB :)

I'm taking a Photoshop class right now & to say that I am obsessed is putting it mildly :D From the basic tools alone, I'd have to say that clone-stamping is my favorite thing to do. The clone stamp tool allows you to copy one portion of the image and repeatedly "paint" over unwanted things in the picture. I have some examples below, but I've used it to completely remove things from the backgrounds of pictures, to cleaning up clutter on a bed, etc.

The one thing that makes me sad about our wedding day is that there isn't ONE professional picture of Ted and I, standing up, looking in the camera in a "normal", posed wedding shot way. & there really weren't many guest pics like this, either! I have no idea how I let this happen, as I actually LOVE posed shots, but I can't dwell on it.

Luckily, my sister Jennifer took a picture with her point & shoot of us standing on the pier at sunset. The lighting isn't great & there is a ton of "junk" in the background. However, with my handy dandy clone stamping tool, I was able to wipe away all of that clutter!

Click to enlarge the original picture (THANK YOU NEN!!!):


After Clone Stamping & fixing shine on our faces, etc:


While the color is still a little dark, this picture looks 100% better than the original.

Here I tweaked the curves to allow in a little more light & color:


Still not great, but getting closer!

We don't use these in class, but now that I own Totally Rad Actions, my love for photography has gone through the roof! Taking the original clone stamped image, I "played" various actions on the pictures to achieve various looks. Actions are great because you can use as much or as little as you want of them by utilizing layer masks. This may sound foreign to those not familiar with Photoshop, but trust me...Totally Rad actions are TOTALLY freakin' rad!

Here are some of my favorites:






grungy, grainy & awesome ;)




Totally Rad Actions are also great to spruce up color on landscapes. This first image is one my mom took while zip-lining through the Jamaican mountains. Pretty, right?



Well, check out what applying an action can do to really make these colors POP! I believe the action I used had the word Green in the title, but I can't remember.




I keep bragging about my mad photoshop skillz to anyone who will listen, so I intend on making this a series of sorts to show off. :)