Totally Rad Photoshop Actions Tue. April 29, 2008 gossip
Last week, I talked a bit about Kevin Kubota's actions and what I use those for. Today, I want to tell you about the other part of my post-processing,
I've said this a few times, and you wouldn't know it based on my sharing two sets of actions in the past week or so that I use, but I normally do not use many actions. Most of what I do is tweaks in curves & levels, however, when I really want to make a particular photo stand out, the TOTALLY RAD actions are where I go for that. I have no idea what I did without them!
My absolute, 100% favorite action that they have is called Super Old Skool fast. It's one of two actions in the set that are worth the price of the actions alone. Here's a few photos processed with it:
This one was shot in BW with Super Old Skool Fast run on it at about 80%:
This one was shot in color with Super Old Skool Fast run on it at about 45%:
The Pro Retouch action is probably the most killer retouching action available on the market. Even if you don't like any of the other actions (because you are nuts), getting this action is so important to your workflow if you want your clients to have beautifully retouched, but not overdone faces.
I will demonstrate on this photo of the drop dead gorgeous Serena & Jeremy, who look great straight out of camera anyway! This one really shows how pro retouch can make face retouching look SO good. NOTHING has been done to this photo but Pro Retouch (and magic sharp in the blog resizing, but it was done to both the before and after):
My most used Totally Rad action though, is one that you wouldn't even notice normally but it makes my photos look so much better. The action is called Yin/Yang, and it basically is an easy method for lightening and darkening different areas of a photo to make it more balanced. I use Yin/Yang as the first thing I do to an image, before I do the rest of my work. It makes a HUGE difference because when you have a more balanced photo, when you do actions after it, they look better on your image. Ladies, it's kind of like wearing foundation :)
Here's an example below. This one is from Lauren & Jon's awesome shoot that I can't wait to blog and will be sharing with you in the next couple of days:
I decided to add one more. I get the question often about how to get those brilliant blue skies, and the answer is the Totally Rad Big Blue action. This one was processed using it as well as the Green action on the grass to get a super charged look. I don't do this often because it is a bit too much on too many photos, but when you've got a killer scene like this, why not make it pop?!:
Anyway, that said, the Totally Rad Actions are, well, Totally Rad! There are 46 Ass-Kicking actions included in the set, and I have kicked ass with all of them at one point or another.
Click the Banner below to pick them up today--at their $149 price tag, they really are a steal and a serious weapon to add to your PS arsenal.
When I got the call about this a few weeks ago, I answered the phone and immediately thought it was my cousin Kenny or Steven prank calling me as per usual, but it turned out that it was completely legit. American Photo has released their list of the 10 best in the world, and I am honored to be among them! This is seriously so cool and exciting, unexpected, and awesome! It's also great because, well, just look at the other people on the list--every one of them is really unbelievable and it's cool to even be mentioned in the same paragraph as any of them.
In any case, I'll be celebrating with some champagne tonight, and hopefully a big piece of chocolate something!
Hello all! I'm so sorry it's been a slow blogging week! I've had tons going on this week, but practically none of it, oddly, has included shooting, but don't you worry. There will be more than enough shooting, traveling, cavorting, and canoodling in the next several weeks, so don't think it's permanent :)
I thought that maybe today, I'd give a little bit of an update on what's going on in my world!
First of all, I have really stepped up my commitment to getting a skinny, hot bod and have been working out EVERY DAY (except the weekends) with my friend Candice. The workout plan includes four things and each morning we do two of them. The four things are:
swimming (laps and kickboard laps)
walk/jog
weights
abs video
They are ranked above in order of my favorite from best to worst. I'm very surprised that I like swimming so much--I'm not very good at it, but I'm getting better! The only thing I do not like about it at all is that it forces me to blow dry my hair more often, which is a bummer. I have received some new workout outfits, and this is what I wear mostly when I'm walking. It makes me feel like I am more in shape if I look cuter while working out (sorry for the pixelation, I wear it, not shoot it):
Anyway, I haven't seen a difference in myself yet, but I'm hoping soon.
I have been playing a lot of poker lately and working on my game! Earlier this week, I put some of the winnings from my big cash out in to a private lesson with Crispin and Jules Leyser who are awesome! We knew them from the boot camp we did earlier in the year. I worked mostly with Jules this time which was SO helpful and so much fun. I'll do this again once a month until July to get ready for the WSOP!
I'll be doing some traveling in the next couple of weeks to Chicago, NYC, and North Carolina--very excited! I have at least two unbelievably amazing shoots planned that are VERY different which I will hopefully get to share with you when that happens.
Last thing--Don't you think it's time that we stopped using pennies as part of our currency?! They're just more annoying than helpful! Think how nice things would be if everything ended in a multiple of 5. Personally I think we should get rid of nickels and dimes too and put the 50 cent piece into heavy circulation. Who is with me?!
Why my photos are all crispy and sharp Mon. April 21, 2008 photographers
There are a few questions I get pretty frequently about my photography, but one of the most prevalent is "How do you get your photos so sharp?".
The answer is simple: Kevin Kubota (give it a sec to load).
There are a couple of action sets, I like, namely, Kevin Kubota's actions, and the Totally Rad actions by the Boutwells, which I will feature in a future before/after post. For today, I'm going to focus on Kevin.
I've been using the Kubota actions for quite a few years now. I have found that with actions, it's best to keep things simple and not do too much at one time--Photoshop isn't a license to try to turn a bad image isn't a good one. It can, however, turn a good image into a great one.
One of my favorite actions is Magic Sharp, which I believe is in the Production set (the yellow icon if you go to the store in the link above). Check out the before/after:
Another one I've been using for a long time is the KevXprocess Combo. Here you see the before/after with it faded to about 60% (with magic sharp added to both the before/after):
One more I like a lot is the Fuji Snappit, which boosts the color. The after shot (the one on the bottom) has both that and the 81K warming filter on it to bump it up a bit:
The difference is subtle but snappy! Anyway, if you are looking for some good actions, you should try out Kubota's. His actions are just so good for basic things. I would recommend just getting the whole big pack of them if you can, but if you can't, the Artistic Tools and Production Tools are great.
**GET 'EM HERE**! (don't forget to give it a second or two to load). I also hear his digital bootcamp is amazing, which you can also sign up for there on page 2 of the cart.
Next week, I'll be sharing how I incorporate the Totally Rad actions into my post production style!
Christina & Joe's Engagement Fri. April 18, 2008 will you
This week, I got to shoot Christina and Joe's engagement session. When Christina and I were on the phone before the session, she asked if someone else could come along. Normally, I prefer when it's just the couple alone because someone else watching can sometimes make things uncomfortable, but then Christina mentioned that the other person that would be there wasn't actually a person at all, he was their dog, Rocco!
I probably should have stuck to my original guns about nobody else coming though, because Rocco really was more like a third person at the shoot. Come to think of it, maybe I should have un-invited Christina and Joe to Rocco's shoot!
He is pretty cute though, huh?
Rocco is definitely their baby, the apple of their eyes:
Look what a smart boy he is! (still talking about Rocco)
They do make an adorable little family:
Ew, mom and dad are kissing!
See how good I am?
Tell me he's not a firstborn child all the way:
Joe and his love:
Luckly, Joe's sister also came along to hang with Rocco while we shot a few with the couple alone. They were more affectionate without the kid around:
We had to go through a lot to get into this spot, but the light was so gorgeous!
I promised it would be worth the treck, and I still think I was right:
My favorite of the day:
Another beautiful couple:
I just adore Joe and Christina! They are so friendly and likable, and I love that they are knowledgeable about all things delicious. I can't wait for their wedding which will be coordinated by the ever fabulous Brooke of Details Details!
.gif)
gossip
