I am a big fan of Photoshop! I use the program almost everyday for photo editing and manipulation as well as some graphic design work (I rely on Illustrator for most of my graphic design). Yes the program is pricey but if you're in the design world, it's a must and definitely a worthwhile investment (my opinion of course).
Although I consider myself adequately skilled in the program and able to do photo adjustments on my own, it is always great to find pre-set Photoshop actions that will do the work for you. For those that don't know about actions (prepare yourself because they are amazing!), they are basically a recipe for a picture. A specific action may increase the contrast by a certain amount while also doing color correction or making the image brighter. The actions are set so you can make all of your images have the same look and feel to them. For photographers, actions are great because they can make processing a lot quicker. And they are also fun because they can give your otherwise bland pictures, some fun color effects.
I have seen actions for sale around the web before but because I am not a professional photographer, I cannot justify the price tag. The other day I came across some free actions and I am over-the-moon excited about them. And the expression over-the-moon is appropriate because the blog where I found the actions is called Paint the Moon, a blog by photographer Annie Manning. Here you can not only see Annie's gorgeous photographs but also buy all kinds of great action sets (for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements!!). Paint the Moon also offers some free actions and I think this is a great way to test them out before buying. I am definitely considering a few other action sets myself because so many of these are spectacular but I'm glad that I have the free ones for now. It is so much fun to mix and match them and see what you can come up with.
I downloaded two different sets from Paint the Moon, one called The Bee's Knees and the other called Sweet Treats. So you can see these sets in action (see the actions in action!), I've used them to process two of my own images. First I'll show you the SOOC images (for non-camera geeks, SOOC stands for Straight-Out-Of-Camera, meaning I haven't processed it in anyway yet) and then I'll show you the different action effects. Both pictures were taken during my time in Paris a few years ago. Oh, Paris, how I love you!
So this is the SOOC image. I haven't done anything to it yet. Aren't those flowers beautiful? Yikes, this post is going to make me crave Paris more than I already do.
Now here is the image with the actions (the name of the specific action will appear below the photograph):
Vanilla Pop, Sunny Days, and Sea Delight are all part of The Bee's Knees action set. Sunny Days is really simple, it just makes your image brighter and the colors more vibrant. Both Vanilla Pop and Sea Delight dull the colors a bit and give the image an almost misty feel. Sea Delight also gives it a bluish tint. I have definitely used Vanilla Pop a lot.
Misty Sunset, Sugar Cookies, Strawberries & Cream, and Lemon & Honey are all a part of the Sweet Treats action set. I don't really like Lemon & Honey that much because it is too much contrast for my taste. Misty Sunset and Sugar Cookies give this vintage vibe to the pictures which I'm really loving. Strawberries & Cream is pretty subtle but with a pinkish tint which I like. You can also mix and match these action sets (as well as increase/decrease their opacities) so the possibilities are endless.
Here is another picture I used the actions on. This picture was taken along the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris.
Do you prefer one action to another? Or are you lovin' them all like me?
Friday, March 23, 2012 at 10:03AM 
