Free Frames, and two Tutorials

I've been having fun with frames recently, and with my new SoulGlow Light Layers as well :)  I thought it was time for a new freebie and a for new tutorial.

Let's start with the tutorials first, we'll see how to use the SoulGlow Light Layers in the first steps and then we'll use our newly edited photo and make it fit and clip it inside a frame.

What I did looks like this, but this tutorial for Light Layers applies to whatever photo you intend to work with and whatever Light Layer you select.

1.  Open your photo and the Light Layer you want to use (I chose two). I chose "After the Storm" for it's colder tones, my photo having already a lot of blue in it.  Then I thought I would balance the overall tones and skin tone by adding "Misty Dawn".  You chose what you think fits the original photo you plan to work on :)

2.  Drag your Light Layer on top of your photo, resize to fit with the marquee tool.  

3.  Blend the Light Layer using "Soft Light" mode,  I left it at 100%.

4. Drag your second Light Layer (if needed) on top of the previous one.

 5. Blend using "Soft Light" mode again, but this time you may need to reduce the opacity around 75%  to avoid areas that look burned. 

6. Go to Layer > Merge Visible, we need to merge our layers because we are gonna add this photo into our frame next.

That's it!  A couple of fast and easy steps with the SoulGlow Light Layers and your image gained light and more zip.  It's like an instant makeover and I'm really addicted to those new Light Layers, I always start my editing with them now.  Some of them have a subtle texture as well, so I can choose to have light and texture at the same time!

Now let's move on to the framing tutorial.

1. Open the frame you wish to use.  In this case I selected the "Brown Paper frame".

2. Go back to your image.  Image needs to be 6 in X 4 in @ 300 dpi to fit nicely into those frames, so I now need to resize.  I could go to Image > Image size and enter manually the dimensions or I can simply use the frame resizing action already created to give me a 6X4 or a 4X6 if I wanted a vertical layout.  Oh!  I didn't mention, the Frame resizing action is free and included in the following Free Frames Set.  How cool is that?

 3. Now that you have played the resizing action your image is smaller :) 

4. Drag it on top of your frame, image has to be on the top layer, above the clipping mask.

5. This particular frame has a tilted angle, if you wish to give the same angle to your photo, go to Edit > Transform > Rotate.  Rotate slightly your image by one of the corner anchor points until it has the same alignment than your frame,  Click on the check icon when done.

6.  All we need to do now is clip our image in the frame.  If you are not used to clipping masks, this may be new for you but it's really simple.  Move your mouse pointer until it's right on the line separating the clipping mask and your image (little red arrow).  Hold the Alt key with your mouse pointer still on the line, you will see a little clipping icon appear, (two little circles), when you see this icon, click your mouse.  The photo is now clipped to the frame.  Voilà!  You see the little arrow pointing to the layer below?  That confirms your image has been clipped.  If you wish to Unclip, same steps as for clipping.

  If you are still wondering exactly what is a clipping mask, well it masks all parts of the image on the above layer with the shape of the layer it's clipped to.  That's how you can get your images in  fancy cut-out frames or templates.

I hope this two-part tutorial was helpful, now I think we're ready to frame these images :)

And if you wish to add some SoulGlow to them, the Light Layers have just been released in the Boutique.

Framing is nice, but it's easier with pretty frames, so here are some frames I designed for you.  Six different frames in the set, the resizing actions for PSE5&6, PSE 7&up and CS.  If you are new to actions, please go to the Install Actions tab at the top and there you'll find all the infos you need to install them in your editing software.

Download your Free Frames set and Resizing action HERE

Installing actions in Photoshop Elements

I had a lot of questions lately regarding the installation of actions in Elements.  So I think it's time for a little tutorial.  I provide an install .txt or .pdf file with every action set, but since it's only a boring document, (which I admit to not reading myself when I download stuff ) the info gets lost in cyber space :)

Install actions created in Photoshop:

The Action Player in the Automated Actions guided edit can play actions created in Photoshop. Keep in mind that you can only play actions that use features supported in Photoshop Elements. So make sure you select the files listed for _pse in my sets.

Copy the .atn file to the one of the following locations:

Windows XP

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\8.0\Locale\en_US\Workflow Panels\actions

Vista

C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\8.0\Locale\en_US\Workflow Panels\actions

The next time you start Photoshop Elements, the action will appear in the Automated Actions guided edit menu.  Note that here the path is for Elements 8.0, like highlighted, but the same path applies for 6.0 & 7.0

When that is done you should see the name of the set in the SET box and under it in the ACTION box you should have a drop down menu with all of the actions included in the set. You select the action you want to play and press play.

Just like in this screenshot

However, if you decide you want to use the Photo Effects folder method to store your actions, I do not provide at this time the thumbnails for them.  You will see a dark thumbnail, but the action will run.  Though I am not sure you will get all the actions in the sets, since all of my actions are organized in sets.  In order to run all of the actions in the set, you need to use the ACTION PLAYER.  You will only get the first action from the set if you use the Photo Effects folder. 

So, if you had trouble so far getting all of your actions from the sets, try deleting them fom the Photo Effects folder and re-upload them to the "Actions" folder.  Remember to have a copy of the original sets you downloaded somewhere on your hard drive and work via a copy of it instead of moving the files into Elements, this way you are making sure whatever bug happens in Elements, you keep a copy of your actions.

**  If you are an Elements 5 or 6 user and don't have the Action Player feature, I am working on uploading every action and it's thumbnail individually.  As soon as most of them are available online, I'll post the download link.**

Have fun playing!

Understanding the Exclusion blending mode - Or getting a Retro or Vintage haze on your images

Many of you probably know by now that adding a solid blue color adjustment layer and blend it in exclusion mode to around 40% will give you a vintage haze layer over your image. It's very useful, you can pick any kind of dark blue and see the difference in the resulting tint. But do you know how it works?


What the exclusion mode does is inverting the base color values.
I don't know if you are familiar with the color spectrum and the complementary colors, so here is some basic info. The "true" primary colors are Yellow, Red and Blue (RYB). And the secondary ones a mix of those, so Orange, Green and Violet. That's how I learned my colors when I studied arts. That is when you consider the colors for mixing purposes. BUT our cameras and software have another set of primary colors, the RGB ones, where the mixing of colors in based on how light affects our vision of color.  So for Photoshop purposes, let's stick to the RGB ones :)


So if you look closely at the color spectrum in your software, you'll see that the primary colors are Red, Green and Blue (RGB).  The secondary colors are the colors created by a mix of those primary colors, resulting in Cyan, Magenta, Yellow (CMYK) (remember, we are talking about mixing light, otherwise Red mixed with Green would not produce Yellow...).  The K stands for black. In theory if mixed perfectly Cyan, Magenta,and Yellow should produce Black. In theory, if you have pure colors.  Two colors are called complementary if, when mixed in the proper proportion, they produce a neutral color (grey, white, or black).

The complementary colors are opposite each other in the spectrum. So pure Blue has pure Yellow as opposite, so complementary. Green is complementary to Magenta, and Red to Cyan. Anywhere in between will give a derivative from these colors. I won't go further in naming the tertiary colors and so on... I think you get the point.

We're a long way from where we started, but this info will come in handy in your editing process.

When you select a color in your spectrum in Photoshop, and blend it on Exclusion mode, it will tint your image with it's complementary color. So depending on where you pick your blue, the coloring will go from yellow to orange, just select the tint that pleases you most and reduce opacity. You now have a vintage haze layer.

You can do the same if you want to have a Retro tint. Pick a purple (Magenta) color, and blend it using Exclusion mode, you will get a Greenish tint. Reduce opacity and you get the retro finish.

When you've done it a couple of times, you will know where to pick the Blue or Magenta that suits your images. It's a fast an easy way to get a moody haze on your photo.

Do you love red?

How do you manage your red exposure without losing detail and keep the vibrant, true red color?


You have two options, either you do it "in camera" or afterwards in your editing software.

If you choose to do it "in camera" then you have to select the RGB histogram and watch that red channel, make sure it's balanced.
It's an easy method. The luminosity histogram will tell you if the exposure in general is correct, but you won't see the balanced colors.
It may come in handy if you know you have a red subject to shoot.

If you decided not to bother with "in camera" settings, and find your reds have lost detail or look washed out, or too warm, then your editing software will correct the final look of your image. BUT, if there is too much clipping, you will still end up with a loss in detail.

Use the Selective Color command and select the red color, then adjust until the histogram in your software shows the reds to be balanced, or when you are pleased with the final look of it.

Here are three photos I took of a red subject. I decided that exposing the reds wasn't enough of a challenge so I added white china, what was I thinking? :)

The first one was taken outside, natural light, in the shade. The red is just a little too pink for me. Watch that sun, it warms up the reds a lot!
The two following were done in controlled lighting conditions (studio). I find the reds being more true to their original colors. The white china shows a burnt spot where the light hits the rim, but I can live with that. Those shots are basically SOOC, raw to jpeg conversion and resized for web only.


So, go out and shoot those red tulips and poppies! Red is calling you!

Getting the best results out of your Photoshop actions

I had a couple a questions recently about how to load and use actions in Photoshop or Elements, so I thought it was time for a brief tutorial...  Many of my new followers or FB fans are new to actions or editing software, so this is for you :)


Loading the actions :


For loading your actions, if you use Photoshop CS go to your action panel and select "load action"
browse through your files and select the action set, it will be installed instantly.
You then open your photo, and select the set you wish to use in the actions palette. The set will open
and you will see the actions inside the set, select the one you want, then click "Play" at the bottom of
the action panel, and the action will run.


If you are using Photoshop Elements 7, here are the guidelines:
To install the actions into the Action Player, put the .atn file into this folder:


Windows XP
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\7.0\Locale\en_US\
Workflow Panels\actions


Vista 32 or 64 bit
C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\7.0\Locale\en_US\Workflow Panels\actions


For older versions of Elements, if you don't already know how to load them,
please read these infos first:


http://graphicssoft.about.com/od/pselements/qt/actions.htm

Note that it is always safer to save your actions on your drive and load them from there than just adding them to Photoshop.  This way you will always have a backup if something happens with your software.


Editing with the actions:
To get the best results out of the actions, it is recommended that you adjust the action to suit your image exposure or color.  In CS: You can adjust every layer the actions individually, by simply using the opacity slider. Or you can adjust the opacity of the whole group of layers at once, by changing the opacity of the group layer. This way it gives you all the control you need over your editing.  (this applies to my actions, for I know the layers are grouped in a folder, and the layers are never flattened.  For some of the other actions, well, the best designed ones will give you control over your layers, the others, I can't help you with...)  

In Elements: The layers won't be grouped, so you will have to work one layer at a time, but that is not a problem, since it really is the best way to edit your images.

Click on the image to get a larger view

You will notice on the image above, there is the Group of layers, if you play with the opacity slider on this Group layer, you will act on ALL the layers at once.
You can notice there is also a layer mask on the Group layer, using this mask will also apply changes to ALL the layers.

If you work on the Individual layers, your changes will apply to this one and only layer. Adjust opacity or blending modes to your liking.  Sometimes playing with the blending mode is useful too, and don't worry if you messed up and don't remember the original settings, just delete the whole group and play the action again, your image will still be just like before you ran the action.  There are layer masks on most of the individual layers too, it's just another tool to refine your editing, use them if you need, to remove tint or lighting on some particular spot on the image.


Adjusting every layer will really make sure the action suits your image's exposure or saturation.  Sometimes if you run the action and leave it as it is, you might not like what you get, some tint might be too much, the light might not be enough...  It's all part of the fun!  Actions are tested on a lot of photos to make sure they fit most subjects, but as a designer, you never know what image the user will start with.  Actions are designed to make your editing more creative by adding the designer's vision to your photos.  But that doesn't mean it's always a faster way of editing.  It's a different way of editing.  Yes, it might be faster sometimes, the action might just be perfect without adjustment, but don't take it for granted.  Most importantly, you have to add your personal touch to the finished photo, so it keeps your own vision as well.


Have fun playing :)

3 Steps Pop Tutorial

I will share with you one of the easiest way to make a portrait pop, by darkening the background and drawing attention to the face.  3 steps.  That's all there is.  You could use a pop action, but as much as I love actions, sometimes our photos just don't work with them and adjusting every step of the action can take more time than these simple steps.

Open your your photo in Photoshop (CS or Elements, same process)

1-Copy your background layer, blend it using "Multiply", an opacity between 50 to 70% will do.  Add a layer mask and paint with a black brush over the face or subject you want to bring out.  Multiply mode darkens your photo, so you will see the background becoming darker.

2- Copy the layer you just worked on, blend it using "Multiply" again, this time  around 20-30% opacity.
The layer will already have it's layer mask painted, so no need to do it again, just adjust opacity to your liking.

3- Merge layers if you wish to edit your photo further.

That's it!  You can do the same thing for brightening a photo using "Screen" mode or "Soft light" mode.
It really works better than playing with exposure and risking adding noise to a photo.
On the layout below you will see from original to last step, subtle and natural darkening, just enough to bring attention.
Have fun playing with your software!

How to add a flash header to your blog for Blogger

Did you know that Photobucket offers a new flash slideshow feature, that runs in Blogger?

I have been trying for weeks to add a flash header to my blog, and played with the html code over and over again.

Now, all you have to do is upload the photos you want for your slideshow to your Photobucket album (or create an account first). Click on "Create a slideshow", choose the style and transition effects you like, and save. Et voilà!

Next you click on "Share" and get the html code for Blogger, and copy this code into an "add a gadget" (html/javascript) spot.

Things to remember before creating your header:

->Create your slides first, with your editing software and give them the size you will want them to have on your blog header. (Mine is 930px by 210px). depending on the final look you want for your blog and your template you will need to find these two html codes :

The outer-wrapper gives you the entire width of your blog. If you don't find it, because not all templates are designed the same, you may look for #body.

The main wrapper is the bigger section where you post.

You may want to have a header that spreads the entire width of your blog, or to have it cover the width of the post section. It all depends if you have a one, two or three columns template. If you want it to spread the entire width of the blog, give the slides the same width than the outer-wrapper section (as seen on the code above). If you want it to cover the width of the post section, go with the main width (as seen in the code above).

->Make sure your header is moveable and can be replaced by a widget. In most of the templates the header is locked and you can't add widgets in the header section. in order to do so check for this code in your html:

->Another thing you might like to know, when copying the Photobucket code, tabs appear under the slideshow. To get rid of them, erase part of the code like this:

This is the original code from Photobucket.

This is what's left after removing the annoying tabs...

Notice that I also changed the values of the width and height in the Photobucket code, to make it fit my header section. If you don't do it, you will get the default values.



->The last but not the least, before doing any changes to your template's html, make sure you did a backup of your template, it may come in handy! Go to Layout -> Edit html ->Download Full Template. Also, before saving any changes to your html, always Preview your blog first to see how it looks like...

A good idea might be creating a new blog, they're free after all, and try all your templates fixes on it! When it looks good, copy the html into the main blog.

This was just to help you out setting your new flash header, remember, I am not a programmer.

I just wanted to share this info with you because some people were interested in knowing how to do it. I hope this helps.

Cool tips for using your textures...

You may not know but all the textures you use can be easily modified to suit your photos. How often have you liked the look of one texture, but the coloring when added to your own photo's color doesn't give the best results? It happens to me often, and I always end up using the same technique.
-First, open your texture, and desaturate it. You may add lightness if you wish so it fades even more.
-Then add a new layer, Go to Edit->Fill Fill it with a color that matches your background (or subject) by using the color picker tool.
- Adjust the blending mode and opacity to your liking, and you have a new texture that fits your photo.

When I designed my set, I kept this trick in mind, because I use it often. That's why a couple of textures are subtle enough to be easily converted to a whole new color range.

Try it, be creative!