Before & After

Before & after photos with Pixel Perfect today!  So, I tried to be original this week and try something I've never done before where my editing abilities are concerned and it was a big fat FAIL.  So I fell back on old faithful - layers.  I love layers and blending and they hardly ever steer me wrong.  Gonna have to do some practicing in PSE to be original next time.

Here is my SOOC shot, using my Canon Rebel T1i, 18-55mm lens:

I just love seeing the layers of the rose petals, but the color is a little bright and heavy on the eyes.  So I wanted to do something about that.

My edited shot:

So I really didn't do too much - added a black/white layer, added a another layer and played with the blending mode (can't remember which I used just now) and then a heavy vignette and rounded corners.  Subtle, but I think it softened the shot and makes it a little dreamier.  I used Photoshop Elements 8 for my edits.  

To see more before & after pics or to link up one of your own, head over to Pixel Perfect now by clicking the following logo:

Before & After

I've been posting lots of flower pics. I love taking pictures of flowers and editing them are quite fun also. I tried to mix it up this week a bit. I need more practice with the brush tools in PSE so I tried to pick something that allowed me to use them.  As I was editing this pic, I realized I've done one quite similar to this as well.  I digress.  At least I got some practice.  Here is my SOOC shot:

Presley and Keegan played in the huge puddles after a monstrous rain storm here in TN - right before the Nashville flood happened actually.  I had just gotten my big girl Canon Rebel T1i and made my husband all kinds of nervous snapping pictures of the kids in the water with that camera.

Here is my edited version:

I changed everything to black & white and then because I needed some practice brushing, I brushed the color back on the boots only using the brush tool.  There's also a vignette and would you believe I forgot my rounded corners???  That's what happens when you're playing in Photoshop Elements 8 late at night, people.  I was just too tired to open it all back up and add them.  So square will have to do this week.

To see more before & after pics or to link up one of your own, head over to Monica's blog, Pixel Perfect now by clicking the following logo:

Before & After

It's Thursday - if you can believe that. I'm desperately trying to figure out where this week/month/year is going. Time is passing me by so quickly.  Anyhow, Thursdays bring before and after pics and if you're into photography or photo editing, it can be a real treat.  It's fun to see how someone can take a picture and create a totally different work of art with editing software.  

Here is my SOOC shot taken with my Canon Rebel T1i:

I love the bright colors but the sun is just a tad too harsh and you lose a little detail in the flower.  So I tried to clean that up a bit.  

Here is my edited version:

First thing I did was to darken the pic up a bit.  You still see the bright  yellow but now you see much more of the detail in the flower.  Then I cropped it down and added a vintage layer but pulled the opacity back a bit.  Next, I added a gaussian blur, the vignette and my rounded corners.  VIOLA!  Now you can see the detail of the flower, the leaves and our little friend that stopped by for a visit and your eyes aren't burning from all the harsh sunlight.  I used Photoshop Elements 8 for all my editing.  

To see more before and after pics or to link up one of your own, head over to Monica's blog, Pixel Perfect by clicking the logo above.  

Toodles!

Before & After

It's time for another edition of Before & After! I love Thursdays. It means I get to see some great pics and the weekend is just around the corner. Off we go!

I shot this picture in Kentucky over the weekend with my Canon Rebel T1i. My great-grandmother has a major green thumb and I always love to see what beautiful things she has growing every time I go home to visit. She is something else.

SOOC (straight out of camera):

Edited version:

The flower is the poetry of reproduction.  It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life.  ~Jean Giraudoux

I bumped up the color a little by adding a soft light layer and then added the texture layer.  I then added my two obsessions - rounded corners & vignette.  I did all my edits in Photoshop Elements 8.  

To see more before & after shots or to link up one of your own, head over to Pixel Perfect by clicking the logo above.  

Hope y'all have a great day!

New Camera Play

Are you sick of hearing about my new camera yet?  I hope not.  I've been playing around with it a lot some and just had to share.  These are a SOOC shots (straight out of camera).  I did zero editing.  I didn't even watermark them so you wouldn't think I cheated.  Being a newbie to the DSLR world, I didn't think they were too terrible.  I still have lots to learn, I know.   And when you're stuck in doors with 2 sick kiddos, you're limited to the subject matter of my children and things sitting around my house.

I am having fun experimenting with the settings on this phat camera.  So fun!  I can't wait to go for a walk with it around the neighborhood with this baby.

Thanks for humoring me yet again.  Have a great week!