Photo Editing - Just a Touch

A lot of the colors in my photos turn out just right, but maybe one single bead or charm is way too bright, which can be misleading to potential customers.

Basic editing programs will usually only allow simple retouching or not allow you to pinpoint exactly the item you want to tone down, so the effect is a blanket filter that effects the tonal value of everything in the photo.

pretty, but the color pink is much brighter than the actual item

So, I use Picnik. You can buy a membership for extra features, but this feature is free and easy and an invaluable tool for helping edit your photos.

First, go to "create" on the top tab bar, then "effects",  then choose "sepia" on the left hand menu column.

click on photos to enlarge

Then a pop up box will appear and hit the "reverse" box. All you have to do is select the hardness of the edge, strength and size of your brush to shade in the item with your sepia tone, then slide the sepia bar to the degree of fading you need to adjust the color to the correct tone you need.  I like to keep the fade level at 0% when I am coloring the item so that I can see if I miss anything. After it is fully colored in, then I adjust the colored levels.

once fully colored, adjust the fade to get your desired tone

Afterwards, you can adjust the photo however you need, add a signature or have fun trying out different effects, just remember, for online selling, try and keep the colors as close to the original item. I have another example tutorial for fixing products here, here (using photoscape) and here (editing faces) and some good posts on photography, here, here, and decor8's amazing post on product staging.  I also have a simple little tutorial on making heart bokeh here. Necklace in photos is one of my Jeweled Ambrosia handmade designs.

This post is included Kimba's DIY Day.

I Heart Faces

This is the original, unedited photo.

I Heart Faces is a site dedicated to photography of people and editing styles. While I am not a photographer, nor a trained editor by any means, I do love playing around with my simple little program, Picnik on photos. (click on photos to enlarge)

edit 1

First, I cropped the photo just a bit taking out the negative space on the left side. I minimized a few little baby blemish spots and softened those areas. Then, I whitened the eyes just a bit and added a hint of peach blush to the apples of the cheeks. I used a 'gritty' filter, then boosted the color a bit and used the lomo filter.

edit 2

For the second edit, I cropped the photo a bit, added blue tint to lightened eyes, brightened the whites and emphasized the lash and lid lines and added peach blush to the cheeks. Then, I filtered the photo with a little boost of orton-ish and a bit of  a cross process.

edit 3

For the third edit, I added more exposure and color contrast. I very lightly airbrushed the chapped skin and added just a hint of peach blush.I whitened the eyes a touch and went over the lashes, lid lines, smile marks and other facial features with "mascara" to bring out any features faded in the exposure. I used a tiny amount of lomo-ish filter and a soft gray matte vignette. Very soft and bright.

edit 4

I used edit 3 for the base. I added a black and white filter, but took it just to the point where the slightest color is left. A hint is seen in his lips, cheeks and blue shirt. I then added a softened black frame and a focal blur, keeping the face in tact and softening out the rest of the photo.

I wanted to keep the baby real and sweet looking, with a vintage, dreamy feel, and I think I captured that. Which of the 4 edits is your favorite? Feel free to check out the links of what everyone else has done to this adorable photo!

Oh Cherry Very Happy (giveaway)

 

cherry love michelle

A box of no-bake cherry cheesecake called out to me from the grocery store aisle. I quickly became disoriented, "where am I?" "how did I end up in the baking section?" "why are boxes talking to me?" I must have been hungry, which is a big no-no whilst grocery shopping. I am a rule breaker.

Before I knew it (okay, 2 days later as a bribe to get my eldest to poo in the toilet), I was at home making this sweet thing. My son wanted to help, but was scared, nay angry at the beaters, choosing to plug his ears as if we were attending a monster truck rally.

I eased him in to it, by letting him put his hand on top of mine as I used the beaters. Eventually, he was able to handle it and took over. Oh, what fun he had! This is what I penned, "blender elation, a montage"...

Now, I am no cook (hence the boxed dessert), I have no huge foodery imagination, though my parents always "let" me decorate the fruit/cheese/cracker/vegetable trays b/c I did one heck of a job on those beasts.... but I did something a little special to this cake of not actual cheese but cheesecake none-the-less.

I melted about a half cup of semi sweet (my fav) chocolate chips. After the cheesecake was spooned into the crust, I topped it with a thin layer of melted chocolate.

stolen moments cooking

After it set for an hour or so, I topped it with the cherry topping. The thin chocolate layer had hardened a tad, but it was soooo good, not too hard as to make a crunch, but enough for a crisp taste.

Cynthia Barcomi

{My heavens, I hope I don't sound like Conan O'Brien's major foodie associate producer, Jordan Schlansky. Their skits are hilarious, view some here. And this guy's hobby is bullwhips. BULLWHIPS. my friend. And he is perma serious. Though he is pretentious, eccentric, passionate, vulcan, I like him!}

But we are serious too. Serious on inhaling every morsel of cherry that we can, even if it means smearing our faces into it as to absorb the sweetness through osmosis. As if our entrance into heaven depended on our plates being licked clean. Then licked again, just to be on the safe side.

Since virtual cheesecake does little more than cause a bit of mouth watering, I decided to host a giveaway, here, today, right now... it is my gift of sweetness to you ! So, dig out some old (or new) photos of yourself or (someone you know who may need a pick me up) that you wish to glamorize and have it ready for the giveaway. To enter for the glamour touch up, just leave a message on why you  need it!

I will choose one winner randomly, and another winner who I think needs it :)  (my before/after preview below):