Apr 12, 2008
posted by Shelley
How do you make your photos POP? I’ve had that question posed to me twice just this past week, so here’s a Photoshop tip for you to try.
- Start off with a good image with correct exposure. (So many times people want to begin with a photo that isn’t that great — and turn it into a masterpiece within Photoshop — while Photoshop can take your photos to the next level, it helps if the image is good right out of the camera.)
- Go to the layers palette and copy your background layer.
- Click on the drop down menu at the top of the layers palette (where it probably says ‘normal’)
- Go down to ‘soft light’ and click it.
- Play around with the opacity of the new layer to give it get the right amount.
- Flatten the image and save the results.
That’s it! Soft light layers allow you to add both contrast and saturation to your image without making it look too over-processed.
Apr 10, 2008
posted by Shelley
In a recent post, I supplied a few pointers on how to photograph 4-legged subjects. Now lemme tell ya — there are those human type subjects who pose an even greater challenge!
Every photographer has had a difficult subject at one time or another. C’mon — you know you have! No matter what you do, you simply can’t get a normal shot. You can’t get a shot that is candid — once you haul out the camera, they are on guard with an arsenal of ridiculous faces. You can’t get a posed shot — they are armed and REALLY prepared for those.
If you are patient (just as with pets…it ain’t easy), and keep at it long enough, you may just get one photo that the minute you see it, you know you nailed it. The photo that without a doubt is exactly what you hoped to capture…
Apr 10, 2008
posted by Shelley
In a previous post, I talked about clarity and the necessity of practicing silence each day to reflect and narrow focus – taking time to look at the big picture and not just filling hours with clutter and busy work. Today I’m going to encourage you to do something more.
Sit down and make a list of all the different areas in your business or your personal life that you’re currently giving focus and energy to. Spend some time reflecting on all of these different areas and think about those activities that are most fulfilling to you (or profitable) and move those activities to the top of your list. Take out a sheet of paper and write down the top 5.
Spend a few minutes each morning before you start work looking at your tasks for the day and compare that to the 5 activities that are most fulfilling. Take a hard look at how they fit into your overall focus. Let’s face it – at some point, we need to realize there are only certain number of hours in a day, so tasks that are going to further your focus should be done first.
By comparing these lists each morning to remind yourself of the big picture, you’ll really be testing to see where you’re at in the process of developing focus. So what exactly are you supposed to do about the tasks on your daily to-do list that don’t fit within the scope of your focus? I’ll talk about that in a future post…
Apr 9, 2008
posted by Shelley
Funny — I love people photos but most every photo that I have posted on this blog is either of the brown fat girl, (Libby), my horse neighbors or outdoor landscape/floral shots. That’s a sign that I’m working way too many hours — and no one wants to see a photo of the back of someone’s bald head. If you have a loved one/family member that just happens to have 4 legs, here are a few tips for photographing them…
- Be patient — it ain’t easy.
- Get on your pet’s level; that’s where you’ll get the best results.
- Use natural sunlight when possible — a flash causes red or green eyes and distorts the true coloring/shading of your pet.
- Try to capture their personality — if they are generally happy, get a smile!
Apr 9, 2008
posted by Shelley
While spring’s warm sunshine has me energized, it doesn’t have the same effect on the subject in the photo below.
Curled up like a baby, our neighbor catches a snooze in warm rays.
