aaaaaannnd action.

I just couldn't stand looking at that hideous big nosed glasses wearing picture at the top of my last post so I am hoping to bury it a little bit with this post. If you have no interest in photography or Photoshop, just stop reading now and don't waist your time, or you can go check out my new favorite time waster Taste Spotting. I have had a lot of people ask me about Photoshop actions. What are they? Which are your favorite? and how do I get me some? Actions are the best thing to happen to photography since, since....well they are just really awesome! In photoshop there are different things you can do to your pictures, adjust contrast, adjust the saturation add sharpening to name just a few. There is also a feature in photoshop that lets you take all of these different steps you take and "record" them in to what is called an action. After you record your action you just press play and photoshop does all the work for you. I love me some actions!! I have tons. Some I have written myself with the help of my fabulous photography teacher Wendy, some I have downloaded for free and some I have bought. Here are a few of my favorites.

1. This picture is sooc (straight out of the camera) not a bad shot if I do say so myself but lets see if we can't give it a bit of a boost!
2. This is an action I call Kristin's Crisp Color Boost (Wendy taught me this one!) Nice But I'd like to smooth out her skin a bit.
3. Magic Skin by MCP Actions this is a action I use on almost all of my portraits it just make the skin glow and look perfect. I also used Pioneer Womans sharpen this action on her eyes to make them pop! Just a tip Pioneer Woman has all of her actions for download FOR FREE! I will use this shot as my base for all the rest of my examples.
4. Pioneer Woman's Seventies action, quite possibly my favorite action, I never use it at it's full power, I adjust the opacity of it down to about 50-60%. It give that soft creamy vintagey look!
5. Over Exposed Vintagy WOW! by Itty Bitty Actions. It's a fun one, looks kinda funny by these others but trust me if it was by itself you would think it was cool!!
6. Old School also by Itty Bitty Actions
7. Urban by Brenda Acuncius
8. This is a vignette action also taught to my by the fabulous Wendy, it just makes your subject really pop.
9. This is actually a free action and I can't remember where I got it but it helps you put a texture on your picture, kinda like my header. The texture is actually one I bought from Brenda Acuncius.
10. And Finally my FAVORITE Black and white action. I have downloaded, bought and made a ton of black and white actions but none of them even come close to this on!! I Pink Puffy Heart IT!!





So tell me which one is your favorite??

that is it in a nutshell, if I have left something out and you are totally confused and think I may be speaking a different language shoot me an e-mail and I'll see if I can't help clear it up for ya!!