Been Playing in Photoshop

My friend Martha called me with a find worthy of sharing with everyone I know...at least everyone who has Photoshop. It's http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/. She has some killer free actions for Photoshop and some easy to follow tutorials. Her actions are #5 on her most popular list on the right side of her main blog and the tutorials are all over the place in her photo section.

I've considered myself a student of Photoshop for years, especially the past three or four since I have been doing cards and invitations for people. But just recently have I really immersed myself with its photo editing capabilities, and I am still only scratching the surface. My mom is my best tutor and critic, and my brother shoots a trick my way when he can, and I think I am getting pretty comfortable with the program. These actions rock though...people sell this stuff for hundreds of dollars and while there is usually a little tweaking to do, the photos generally look great instantly. Here are some samples from a picture I swiped from my sister's blog.

Here's our little crabby cake giving me his goofy face. Jon actually prefers the original with its softness. I could go either way, depending on how it looks printed. And here's her black and white and I messed around with the opacity of the bw layer to bring back a little color - so fun! And one last one of precious Ivy. This is the vintage action then a little "boost." Gotta love that smile!