Taking pictures is a lot of fun. Editing them can be addictive. I’m going to let you in on a little secret. There are some basics you need to know to take great photos…no doubt about it. But…and here’s the secret…Photoshop helps make your photos great. I don’t know one photographer out there who doesn’t manipulate their photos with Photoshop…not one! I’m self-taught in Photoshop and I don’t mind admitting that there is still plenty for me to learn, but I thought I’d pass on some of the things I’ve picked up along the way.
The first thing I discovered with Photoshop is actions. These are preset shortcuts to certain “looks.” There are lots of vendors out there. I really enjoy Totally Rad Actions and MCP Actions. I’ve purchased other actions…but don’t use them much. These are my go-tos (though I use Cheryl Muhr‘s actions she gave me at her Dallas workshop too…they are wonderful!)
Here are a couple samples of how an action can change the look of your photos, with just a click of a button. No real Photoshop knowledge required.
I really like to naturally edit…not use actions that are too fake. I don’t love textures either. I basically like to bump my photo to the next level…not overkill it. The bottom right is an example of what I consider too much editing.
Which look do you prefer?
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