Photoshop for dummies...and the impatient.

Last year for my birthday my husband got me the gift I had been drooling over for several years...a Nikon d5000 DSLR camera!  And let me tell you, I am in love with this thing!  It is an amazing camera.  One reason I love it is because, though it has all the "professional" features you could ask for, it has a ton of settings that are easy for beginners to use, and that make our pictures turn out great!

When I got the camera I started reading up on photography on the internet and quickly discovered that Adobe Photoshop would be something I would want to invest in.  I decided on Photoshop Elements 9 (the less expensive version with less features...after all I'm not a professional.)

Photoshop is an amazing program that can really transform ordinary pictures into extraordinary ones.  It is, however, pretty difficult to get the hang of.  There are a hundred books out there that can help teach you the ropes, and I am currently researching which one is the best (which I will share with you) but, to be honest, I am an immediate gratification kinda gal, and wanted to be able to use it immediately!

I have discovered a way to do just that....Photoshop actions!  Basically other people (who know what the heck they are doing) "record" all the steps they take to get their pictures from drab to fab.  Then all you have to do is download the action, and with the push of a button, you get the same results!  For a total novice, this discovery has let me enjoy my camera and Photoshop without spending a ton of time or money.  Just the kind of thing a mom is looking for!!

I have found several awesome sites that have FREE action downloads, which I am going to post on my Photography page. Now, I am going to be honest, its not all butterflies and roses.  The actions can be somewhat hard to get downloaded and saved in the right spot, and sometimes I do everything right and STILL can't get them to work, but I am hoping that we will be able to help each other with this.   I mean, we should be able to get these to work as a team, right?  Either way, don't get discouraged, because it is totally worth the time in the end!  If you have any questions or if you find a site with some great action downloads, please leave a comment and I will be sure to respond.

Until then, here are some before and after pics to give you an idea of what actions can do for you!


Before:

 After.  Now I could do much more, namely getting rid of my husband and dad in this pic (which you can do with PSE) but I just love how the boost brought out the green grass and the sunlight through the trees

 SOC (straight out of camera)

 After. Not totally happy with the color but I thought it was a great example of how these actions can boost an "ok" original

SOC.  Cousins. Aren't they just so darn cute????

 After. I love this result.  I know there is a way to get rid of some of the green tint to her hair, but I haven't taken the time.  I still think its pretty awesome!

 SOC.  So photogenic!

 After.
One of my favorite actions (from the pioneer woman) I just love how this turned out.

If you have any version of Photoshop, I highly recommend you give actions a try.