Picture Actions

[shades of bliss]

I know there are some most excellent scrappers here so...

What kind of actions do you run on your pictures to get them to look so unique? Do they run on PSE?

[crystalbella77]

I usually just fiddle with my levels and boost saturations. :) You can go to atn central (http://www.atncentral.com/download.htm) and find some for free. :) I thought that there used to be a PSE link, but I can't find it. I know that some of the ones I have do work in PSE though.

[Jule]

Most of the time I just play around with the lightning and the levels. Or if I want to have a b/w pic I use my own action...

[kristenrice]

I use Lightroom by Adobe for my pictures and it's totally fantastic!!!!!!!! I LOVE it! :)

[dst212 (Daniela)]

Well, not that I qualify as excelent scrapper, but I've been using this one in several LOs lately and I love it. It prompts for curves adjustment, so you don't have to do that beforehand. It's a freebie, mind you!

Coffee Shop Tea Selections (http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-coffeeshop-b-actions.html)

[trinad]

I'm with Kristen!!! We just upgraded to Lightroom 2!!!! If you have never used Lightroom you should give it a try. Adobe has a 1 month free trial!! It's fabulous!!! :bow


I use Lightroom by Adobe for my pictures and it's totally fantastic!!!!!!!! I LOVE it! :)

[Chris Turnbull]

For me I use a few things....most of the time I fiddle with the photo with levels, saturation etc etc and blend modes. I also use photo actions and have a few faves there. Natasha Whiteley, Totally Rad and Virtual Photographer. :)

[shades of bliss]

Thanks for all the input. I really need to go shopping. I would love to get LR but I would love Photoshop too. Unfortunately neither can be on the shopping list right now. (Although my boys keep digging for oil in the back yard, they haven't struck anything yet!! LOL)

I went to the coffee-tea one's (they look very cool) and I couldn't seem to get the download to work in File Buffer (oh I'm helpless, I know!!). Crystal I loved the ones at ATN (although I actually haven't tried them out yet). Two questions - Do you put it into the folder that you normally put actions? And Which are your favorite?

Thanks again for the help.

I would love to hear more...

[Amy H]

I also recommend Lightroom! I don't know how I ever survived without it before. I use it to edit and organize all my photos. Edits are just a click away, and there are a TON of free presets out there! :)

[trinad]

Yup, Yup, Yup....I ditto what Amy said. It's fabulous!! :clap

[crystalbella77]

I can't wait until I can afford Lightroom! I have heard so many awesome things about it! :D

[ina]

Right now I'm totally loving the sample pack of actions from Totally Rad Actions. I'm trying to justify the cost of the whole set of actions though!

Before that, I used a free plugin called Virtual Photographer (http://www.optikvervelabs.com/) a lot. The results are usually a bit dramatic though, so I would just change the blend mode and opacity on the layer to get a more in-between look to the image.

[rebeccah]

Well, not that I qualify as excelent scrapper, but I've been using this one in several LOs lately and I love it. It prompts for curves adjustment, so you don't have to do that beforehand. It's a freebie, mind you!

Coffee Shop Tea Selections (http://coffeeteaphotography.blogspot.com/2008/04/free-coffeeshop-b-actions.html)

wow, thanks daniela for the link! i've had a rough time finding good photo actions that work in PSE, and i am fresh out of extra spending $$ to buy a new program, as much as I would love lightroom!

[1girl1boy (leslie)]

i've learned a lot just playing around but i also bought natasha whiteley's action set a loooonnggg time ago and still use it regularly.

[dst212 (Daniela)]

wow, thanks daniela for the link! i've had a rough time finding good photo actions that work in PSE, and i am fresh out of extra spending $$ to buy a new program, as much as I would love lightroom!

Yay! Glad it was helpful! Make sure you look through the blog, there's more good stuff there, but the Tea Selections are my favorites.

[shades of bliss]

How did you download them? I couldn't figure it out!! Did it just download when you clicked on the button?

[Peppermint]

I know there are some most excellent scrappers here so...

What kind of actions do you run on your pictures to get them to look so unique? Do they run on PSE?

I use Kubota Artistic Tools, which are ... spendy. But I also have Totally Rad, Itty Bitty Actions, and then a bunch of free actions (from Pioneer Woman and deviantart.com). So I'm equal opportunity! But .. Kubota Tools definitely have my heart. And lately I've been using Lightroom more and more, especially for batch exposure/white balance adjustments.

Deviantart is a great place to go browse for free actions, though. A lot of them are very artsy, drastic changes - but mixed in amongst those are some really nice portrait workflow-type actions.

[charline1976]

i use adobe lightroom and it is fantastic, you can do so many action:clap

[Jule]

Oh and I also love the ones by Natasha Whitely...they are free and can be found HERE (http://www.digitalscrapbooking.co.za/blog/?cat=19)

[dst212 (Daniela)]

How did you download them? I couldn't figure it out!! Did it just download when you clicked on the button?

I guess so, it's been a while... I think when I downloaded she had the file hosted somewhere else. I can't check filebuffer from here, but I'll take a look tonight when I get home.

[Johubb]

I used pse6 before upgrading to CS3. ATN favs of mine are ethereal glow by dave beaman and dave jaseck duotone dream. Alys vintage is great and so is amandas vignette. I would start with these. You can put them into the action file along with the things that came with pse.

I would love to get LR2. I have never used it, but love cs3 and am sure LR is fab.

[dst212 (Daniela)]

How did you download them? I couldn't figure it out!! Did it just download when you clicked on the button?

I guess so, it's been a while... I think when I downloaded she had the file hosted somewhere else. I can't check filebuffer from here, but I'll take a look tonight when I get home.

So, I tested it just now and when I click the download button, the download comes up almost immediately. That's with filebuffer, with mediafire it took me a while to get the download link, but it worked too.

[shades of bliss]

Thank you for checking on this Daniela. Your a peach!!

And thank you for the recommendations Joanne.

[gandcsmama]

I love Lightroom and use a lot of personally tweaked presets from Kelsey Smith (http://kelseysmith.typepad.com/my_weblog/lightroom/).

[joscie]

Hey Claire! :)
I have some actions on my pse set up that I got from Photo Blast....
but truthfully, i usually use levels, saturation and blending modes...

[shades of bliss]

Oh Joscie-

If I only took pictures like you, I wouldn't need the actions. LOL

(Seriously you all,..if you haven't checked out Joscie's blog, you so should!!)