One more . . .

How cool is this?!!

This was actually pretty easy to do. You simply create a duplicate layer, erase everything but the flower, go back to the first layer and make it black and white then merge/flatten the image and this is what you have!!

Photoshop Elements 5 (PSE5)

I'm learning SO MUCH about this program by just jumping in and fiddling around. I've worked on some more of Katie's photos and have printed them out onto glossy 4x6 prints and have them spread out on the living room floor for analyzing.

I'm about to kick the yellow ink cartridge, so I MUST get to Staples for more in the next 48 hours. I'm also using the Staples glossy photo plus 4x6 paper and must say that I'm quite pleased. It will work well for home prints and proofs for friends/family.

So what have I learned?

-to erase "blemishes"

-how to use the dodge and burn tools

-how to crop and angle a photo

-how to make my black and white backgrounds clean

-to to make black and white photos pop

Here are some applied examples of what I have learned (final product only):

Photo Shoot with the Lovely KATIE JO!

My GORGEOUS 16 year old neice, Katie Jo, is here with me until tomorrow - so OF COURSE, we had to have a photo shoot.

She was a trooper - even climbing up into a tree for me! We used the back yard, tried the cemetery (didn't work out so well), the high school and the park. We had so much fun!! A lot of these look like senior pictures to me, but some are just funky! We took literally 100's of pictures, but I was only able to process a couple so I could post them here for her mom to see. Now that I'm looking at them again, I can see that some need additional processing!

Introducing . . . Miss Katie Jo!!

A Bradley "Friends" LO

I really should be packing/shipping right now, but . . .

Credits: Paper from Weeds & Wildflowers Summer Brights Paper Pack. Friends definition from K. Pertiet Defining Friends Pack. Arrow from Little Dreamer Designs Dingy Boy Kit. Glitter from Christina Renee's Lil'Fan Fair kit. Scroll stamp from Cinzia Loosemore's Beauty Element Pack.

Wow - Post Processing Makes a BIG Difference!

Here the before/actual photos taken and at the bottom are the processed pictures that I was able to produce. I did these for a friend today, the BEAUTIFUL two year old is her grandson Reese.

BEFORE:

After:

Last One - I Promise!!

I'm excited about this, can't you tell?!!

Before/After:

Another Enhancement Example

From Jamie's shoot the other day:

Before/After

Photo Enhancement

Ok - I know that without a polarizer, my sky and grass will be washed out when taken during full light like today. So I turned to PSE5 for some assistance in recreating what I actually saw when taking this photo.

Before/After: (Pretty cool 'eh!)