Actions....

One email question I get asked quite a bit is about using actions. Do I use them? Which ones do I like? Etc. 

I do use actions. I have a few different ones that I use quite a bit. I use actions to make my editing time less...not to "fix" any single image. Using actions can be a very powerful editing tool if you know how to use them properly. Every action I use I know how to do manually by myself...so I fully understand what the action is doing and how to use them to enhance an image. It is also necessary to understand how the action can be manipulated and changed once it is done running on an image. Most actions (at least the really good ones) can be customized and you can go in and change the opacity of the different layers. This is critical knowledge to using actions properly. 

On the image above the only actions used were skin softening lowered to 16% opacity and a web resize action. Everything else was done using curves, hue and saturation layers, etc. I used the dodge tool to lighten the white background and the unsharp mask to sharpen for web. 

Once I have my final edit done on the image...that is usually when I have some fun with actions! I used my favorite black and white action for the photo above. 

It is a free action that you can download HERE

"Bitchin' Black and White" is the name of the action...and I think the name says it all. I love it. 

"Totally Rad Actions" has some great stuff! I haven't splurged and bought the full sets...just yet. But I plan to.  

For the image above, I used an action called "Details Pastels" from an action set from HERE

I absolutely love MCP actions. Jodi has incredible customer service and her video tutorials are some of the best I have seen. She has some amazing online classes that help you learn to use photoshop. I highly recommend learning how to use the essential tools of photoshop before investing too much money in actions. They are an amazing tool when editing...but it is so important to understand what they do. 

With that being said...I LOVE using actions and feel like they are worth purchasing! 

My favorite image of the day!

This is my new ADORABLE niece! What a perfect dream this little 8 day old was today! She was super sleepy, curly and loved getting her pictures taken!

I used my studio lighting today. I usually do natural light, but I have found it difficult lately with the very overcast days...so I decided to start practicing with my alien bees! I haven't LOVED them, but I haven't really known how to use them either! Until yesterday! Listen up UTAH photographers....I went to a FREE lighting demo class yesterday. I purchased a new camera and lens a few weeks ago at a store in Salt Lake City. Pictureline has FREE classes ALL. The. Time!

Here is a link for the upcoming classes...

http://www.pictureline.com/localevents/classes.php

You can sign up online...and don't forget, they are FREE, FREE, FREE!!!!!

The staff at Pictureline is very knowledgeable and will definitely help you get what is best for you. They have tons of stock, meaning they will most likely have exactly what you are looking for. I highly recommend this store! I also rented a few things for this photo shoot and was very impressed with their rental prices. I love supporting local business, and this store is one I will be visiting a lot. They also just opened up a store in Draper...(which is closer to me, but they do not rent things at that specific store quite yet.)

This session was so fun today...I will be sharing more images soon!