Talking Photography

A few of you have asked for photography posts. Sigh. The reason I've put it off is because I don't really have anything to say! I am a 'feeler' photographer rather than a 'technical' photographer. This means that I don't have any nifty 'how to' ideas other than..... feel the shot. Pretty helpful, huh?

I haven't read my camera manual. I don't read all the technical info on photography sites. What camera do they use? No clue. What lens? No clue. What ISO? What is an ISO? Do I recommend this sort of ignorance? Absolutely not.

Would it be helpful if I told you what photoshop actions I used on a photo? Only if you have photoshop and the particular actions I use. Plus, I usually use a combination at varying strengths, and I just do it until it feels right. I rarely remember what I did after the fact.

However, if you've already read my first list of photography hints (posted almost a year ago!), and you still want to hear me talk photography, this post is for you.

Since posting a year ago, I have fallen in love with photoshop actions. I have downloaded Pioneer Woman's free actions (both sets) as well as purchased Totally Rad Actions (both sets). Those two collections are pretty much the extent of my photoshop usage. My favorite tool is the opacity slider. Often an action is too much at full strength, so I reduce the opacity percentage until the effect is just right.

While it is so easy to spend/waste a ridiculous amount of time trying various actions on each photo, it is often the case that I fall in love with one particular action (or combination of actions) for a complete photo shoot (or occasion, etc.). For example, the beach photos above and below were taken on the same beach. The above photos were taken last September on a bright day. The colors were already saturated, and I just punched them up a bit (probably with Technicolor Dream World from TRA). The photos below were taken in February on a gray day. I used Bullet Tooth (also TRA), which bleached out the gray and added interesting contrast to the boys and their clothing. I loved the way they turned out!

SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera):

Bullet Tooth:

I suppose now would be a terrific time to mention my latest and best (and FREE!!!) time-waster, picnik.com. If you haven't discovered it yet, I'll let you in on the secret. If I didn't already own photoshop and the actions, I would no longer be dying to own them. Picnik.com is a (FREE!!) online photo editing program. It has an amazing number of features, all super easy to use. I can't even tell you how awesome it is. I've always wanted to do frames and text on my photos. Snap. Collages. No problem. Remove blemishes. Done. Adjust the strength and width of vignettes. Ta-da! Soften everything but the face in a portrait. Easy as pie. Adjust the horizon. Yep. I realize I could do all that in photoshop, but I haven't figured it out yet. And have I mentioned that picnik.com is EASY? There you go. My best tip of the day.

More Bullet Tooth:

Add a little vignette:

In the mood for more color? Same shot, different action:

More Bullet Tooth:


In the mood for less color? How about B&W. Always timeless.

And one last tip, this one for photo composition. When I want a portrait, particularly of children, I often stand on something and have them look up at me. It really helps them to open their eyes and connect with the camera!

Alrighty, any specific questions for me (keeping in mind that I am a complete amateur)?