Saturday, June 30, 2007

Killer Contest!!!

So.. You've been hanging out, grumbling about the fact that I SAID there would be a contest, but have been putting off posting it? Well quit yer complaining.. Here it is!!

the phaunt actions Super-Duper-Uber-Awesome-OMG-I-have-to-Win-CONTEST!

As a Mom, I know that for many of us, the reason we started photography was because we loved capturing those special moments with our kids. Whether it was the moments of pure joy, or the childhood disasters of losing your ice cream on the sidewalk. These everyday moments are the things that we, as photographers, seek to capture for our clients, and our own families.



So, for this contest, I want to see YOUR moments.. No client photos.. I want to see YOUR kids/family, raw and real. The emotion and chaos that is family life/kids/childhood. I'm leaving the theme broad so that you put your own spin on it.

The photo can be b/w, color, textured, vintage, whatever you want, but the main focus should be the moment!

No storyboards for this one, just one photo please!

A few stipulations:

1. The contest is open to everyone.. whether you've bought phaunt actions or not.. So tell your friends!

2. While you don't have to buy/have bought the actions to win, you can get a discount on the actions simply by entering the contest! Instead of $35 you can snag the FULL set for only $30!! If you send me an entry for the contest, and would like to purchase the new actions, let me know in the email and I'll send you a link to buy.

3. One entry per person please.. uh duh :p




The specifics:

The contest will be open from today (6/30) until 7/7 at midnight. At that time the contest will be closed and the top 5 will be chosen. On 7/8, the top 5 will be posted and voting will begin, so the winners will be chosen by YOU :)

Oh yeah........ The PRIZE!!!

How about a gift certificate? To BH Photo Video for $50??

Not Enough?? How about I throw in a membership to one of the stinkin coolest photography forums around.... Beyond Just Images?

Still not enough? Man, you drive a hard bargain...

Okay, what if I ALSO throw in a $15 Itunes credit so you can have some rockin music to listen to while perusing your new forum and deciding what to buy at BH photo?

*Phew* Now you all better enter, or I'll be cranky!!



So.. to RECAP..

Send me your best (websized) photo of YOUR KIDS capturing the chaos/emotion/joy that is family life/childhood. Entries must be sent between 6/30 and 7/7 to qualify. Send your entry to actions@kyliebanks.com with the subject line CONTEST

In your email include:

Name:
Where you found phaunt actions:
website/blog:

That's it.. I reserve the right to change the rules a bit to make it easier to enter, or add any stipulations that I may have forgotten (I tend to do that).. So get snapping and send me those photos!!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Thank you!!

It's late, and I have 2 cranky kids hanging on me right now needing to get into bed, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of you for the awesome response to the new actions. Everyone who purchased the set today should have their actions now, so check your email and let me know if you don't have it.

Also, I want to send a BIG THANK YOU out to the following people who sent in spelling/grammar/web errors and helped me spiff up the webpage:

Keri
Tracy
Elma
Cami
Erica
Ginny
Yanelis
Sharon
Kelley
June

You all get the action set of your choice. I'll be emailing you back shortly, or if you send me an email indicating which set you want, I'll send it out tomorrow morning!

Also.. the contest is going to kick off some time tomorrow, so be sure to check back and see what's in store.. It's good, I proooomise!

They're HERE!!!!!

Drum Roll Please............

Introducing.. The NEW phaunt actions!!!!!

I know I've said it a million times already, but these new actions are awesome. I have wanted to release them earlier, but I had to make sure they were thoroughly tested and ready for everyone. Now that they seem to be perfect (hah!), they're ready!

So.. what's the skinny on the new actions??

Well, to see the full descriptions and see example images, you gotta go check out the new website.. Designed by the super talented..... ME

HERE

Oh.. okay wait, I know the website is a far cry from stellar, but it's what you get when you have an obsessively controlling person who likes to do things from scratch (me).

So go.. go Loook.. Go see how awesome the new actions are.. then come back. I'll wait..
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Did you look? No Really.. You better go look.. Don't hurt my feelings...
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Seriously? You read really fast!
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Okay.. I believe you.

So.. What kind of fun things will I be doing to kick off the new actions? There's a few things you should look for in the next week or so:

1. If you have previously purchased the actions (prior to 6/28), you will be recieving an email from me in the next few days on how to to get your FREE set of upgraded actions

2. I'm going to be launching a contest in the next couple days (probably Friday), so be sure to check back and enter.. you do NOT have to have purchased any actions to be able to enter.

3. If you're a spelling/grammar/web coding genius, take a look at the website. I'm admitedly spelling/grammar impaired (just ask my husband). Find a spelling/grammar/web coding error, I'll give you a free action set (b/w or color). Email me with the error (and a good talking to on which spelling/grammar rule I forgot) and I'll promptly correct it...and send you the action set of your choice.

4. As a kickoff to the new actions, I'll be offering group buys at a SPECIAL price of $30 for 10 people, $25 for 15 or more! If you're interested in conducting a group buy , please email me at actions@kyliebanks.com for more details.


I think that's about it. It's 3:30am and I'm kinda loopy, so forgive me if I've left anything out. I can't wait to get these actions into your hands and see what awesome stuff everyone will come up with!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Sooooo Close...

Okay, Countdown to the NEW ACTIONS launch.

Results are in.. The new actions are ready to go. The website is ALMOST finished and uploaded (did I mention how much I HATE web designing?)..

As long as children cooperate and I can put the finishing touches on everything, I'll be launching the website and announcing the kick off contest tonite. That means you have about 6 hours left to purchase the actions at the current price, before they go up to $35 for the full set. Remember, if you purchase them now, you are eligible for a free upgrade, so if you're on the fence better jump on in.. trust me, the waters' fine!

I'm totally stoked about the new set (can you tell), and I can't wait to see what awesome edits everyone comes up with using it.

I also have 2 tutorials in the works (mapped out, just not recorded yet), so those should be going up soon too.

Here's a cutie from this morning's session. Turning 2 in just a few weeks! She kept us on our toes, refusing to sit down the whole session!





Congrats to Kristy and Tracy for paying attention, you both snagged a free action set of your choice.. Check your email!

Monday, June 25, 2007

Just Because...

I love this pic.. Reminds me of my brothers, who used to be huge He-Man fans.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Last Hurrah

They are finished!!! Everyone jump up and down!!

Finally, the new actions are finished and almost ready to be released. I've sent them to my testers, and as long as no major bugs are found (keep your fingers crossed) they will be ready to go by Wednesday!!

So that means you have 3 days left to grab the actions at the current price of $25. After Wed they will be going up to $35 for the full set (color, b/w, and Extras). Anyone who has bought the action set before 6/27 WILL be eligible for a free upgrade to the new set, so buy them now and get the new fabulous actions for free!

I know I may be biased, but I am in LOVE with these new actions. I'm proofing a wedding from this Friday and have been using them on every picture. They're customizable and work for every situation. I'm confident that you will love them too!

Here's just a few shots from the wedding I did on Friday. I loved the colors of the flowers and decorations, the whole wedding was beautiful. All of these were processed with the new color workflow set.





Oh, and I couldn't help but throw this one in..... Can you guess why she was so happy?



....She was sitting on her sister and thought it was hilarious.... What a dork!

Monday, June 18, 2007

Another Hit and Run Post

Been insanely busy this last week, so much so that I haven't been able to finish the actions up or the website. I'm thinking it may be next week before they're done. Which is actually GOOD news for you, that gives you another week to get them at the old prices before the price goes up!

I wanted to throw out a few cool links for you to look at, just random things that have made it into my blogline/bookmark folder lately

For the Love of Creating Ashley is an extremely talented graphic designer who just launched her new blog. She's got tons of cool info there, and her style is awesome. She's on my wish list of people to design something for me.

Habby Chic- Check out these ultra cute lens pouches! I want one!

Photo Attorney- Not as fun, but just as important.. Check out the info on copyright.. something to think about!

Photographer Vendors Review- I have linked them before, but it's worth repeating. Great site!


**For those of you who sent an email about being a beta tester, the spots have been filled, if you recieved an email from me about helping test, please return it asap.. Thanks everyone who offered to help!**


Don't worry, I'll be doing a huge kick off/contest as soon as the actions are ready, so check back!

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Busy Week!

Ever have a "To Do" list that makes you stressed just looking at it? That's me this week. I'm getting ready to do a display booth at a fair this weekend, as well as trying to make a new website for the actions.

Did I every say that I am NOT a web designer? Because I'm not. Kudos to those of you who do it and do it well. I'm just trying to make a simple HTML page (using Dreamweaver nonetheless) and I'm going batty!

Anyway, enough of my whining... The webpage is about 1/4 finished so far.. you can see it HERE (eventually it will have it's own domain). Let me know what you think.. any trouble loading?

I do have to share a few pics from yesterday.. I rented a 70-200mm 2.8 IS lens from RentGlass for a wedding I'm doing on the 22nd. That Sucker is HEAVY! I'm going to work my biceps lugging it around. I also realized how wobbly my grip is, I couldn't keep it straight for more than a half second or so. Good thing I'm not a sniper. :p

Here's a few from me testing it out yesterday at the park..and yes, I did get stared at.. I'm sure people were wondering who the crazy paparazzi mom was!



Sunday, June 10, 2007

A few Updates

A few posts ago I announced that I'll be raising the prices on the actions. I'm actually going to extend the deadline for a bit so that I can get some things finished. I'm working on a new website for the actions, so I'd like to have that finished before I change up anything else.

Also, I'm going to be introducing some new actions into the sets that I'm really stoked about. An update to the popular "Sunshine in your Hand" action.. this one (still not set on a name yet) is EVEN BETTER.. if that's possible.

I'll also be adding some upgraded burning/color burning actions to really get the most out of your color. The Clorix actions will be updated, along with a cool Clorix/Color action that does great things to your color.

The B/W set will have a few new tones, and if I get it done in time, I may have a "lighter" conversion added.

The Extras set will have some new sharpening actions, as well as a fill flash, resizer, and watermarking action.

So, until these upgrades are all completed, I'm leaving the prices where they are. I expect to have the upgrades finished by the end of next week, and I'll be doing a contest to kick it all off.

Those of you who have purchased the actions prior to the upgrades WILL be eligible to get the upgrades for FREE! So don't wait for the new sets to come out before you buy.. Buy now and save the $10!

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Masking Basics


Click to Play

Ever hear someone refer to masking in Photoshop and wonder what the heck they were talking about?

Well Never again! Today I'm going to show you the basics of masking in simple terms (we like simple around here). I'm also going to show you a quick way to use masking to whiten up and sharpen eyes.

Sharpening Freebie

I've had a few people say they were bummed about the Sharpening Tutorial because they don't have CS2, so can't use Smart Sharpen.

Never fear! I love all you Elements and PS7 users too! Until I upgraded to CS2, I used this USM/High Pass Combo sharpening (which I did NOT invent, I got the process from searching various books/forums) that I had tweaked to my liking. I had forgotten all about the action, but found it in my PS folder (my huge monster folder of forgotten downloads). I thought I'd post it for everyone who doesn't have Smart Sharpen.

Have fun, Let me know how it works!


Grab it HERE

Early Morning Fun

So.. what do you do when your 9 month old decides to wake up at 4:30am?

You waste time making a Meez



That's pretty much me. No fashion sense to speak of, and not wearing any shoes. Sign up and make your own.. put my name (phaunt) on the referred space and you'll get a free 5 credits!

If you make one, post it on your blog and link me, I wanna see it!

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

A few Awesome Blogs to Check out

Almost finished with the tutorial.. It's a bit lengthier than my other 2, covering the basics of masking. I'm hoping to get it up tomorrow.

I thought I'd link a few of my favorite photography related blogs. I recently discovered the fun of bloglines, so am slowly adding people to mine.

Here's just a few of the ones I visit regularly:

and so on...--Mands Haynes blog.. An awesome gal that I've met in the course of the last month. She's a generous and talented woman, with killer design skills. She also co-owns an awesome photography forum that I am SO glad to be a part of.

Angela Calderon Photography Blog-- An incredibly funny and talented photographer in CA. Her style is so different from mine, but her photos always make me smile, and her commentary is fresh and funny.

Photos by Tara- Love her fresh colors and action shots.

Aperture Priority-- Katherine has been on my blog list for going on 2 years now. I found her way back when I started blogging (or should I say she found me?)..She is insightful and hilarious.

A Bullfrog's Vision- Jeremi (who I interviewed on the blog a month or so ago) is an awesome mom and a total sweetheart.


Okay.. that's just a few, I have tons more, but I gotta go watch Top Chef!


Oh yeah.. If you have a blog (photography related or otherwise) Leave a comment or drop me a note.. I'd love to add you to my bloglines.. I promise I'll comment.. I'm cool like that ;)

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

The time has come..

One of the things that I have wanted to do with my actions is keep them affordable. I know there is a lot of action sets out there, and in the end, actions are never fool proof or cure-alls. I understand what it's like to buy an action set and then be dissapointed that it doesn't measure up to what you were hoping. The sting can be particulalry great if you spent a lot of money for the actions.

In order to continue selling my actions at an affordable price, and still be able to keep them updated and working well, I've decided to change a few things. The extras set will not be available for separate purchase anymore, only as an "extra" when buying the full set.

As of next Monday (June 11th), the price per set will go up to $20 each on the Color and B/W sets. The combo deal (with the extras included) will go up to $35 as well.

I've hemmed and hawed about this, but I really want to be able to continue to offer the sets separatly for those who want only one or the other, and also be able to introduce some new actions into the sets as well as upgrades to the current actions.

But don't worry, with the new prices you will be getting some new actions to go along with it, and those of you who have bought sets prior to the price raise, you WILL be able to get the upgrades for free.

So, long story short, On June 11th the following changes will take place: Color and B/W sets will go up to $20 each. The Whole Shebang will be $35 (extras included). If you set up a group buy after the 11th, the price for the group (10 people or more) will be $30, for a group 30 or more it will be $25.


So, in order to allow everyone fair time to snatch up the actions at their current price, I'm giving you until next Monday. Better get yours while the getting's good!!

I'm in a tutorial mood, so I may be adding one later today... Check back!

Monday, June 4, 2007

Didja Know?

Quick Tip for today (well, tonite, as it's 12:47 am as I'm writing this)..

If you find that the photo you're working with is just a wee bit on the reddish side in the skin tones; which often happens if you are doing color pop/saturation changes to portraits. A quick fix can be made with the Hue/Saturation adjustment.

Create a Hue/Saturation Layer (go to Layer-New Adjustment Layer-Hue/Saturation) and instead of affecting Hue/Saturation Globally (on all colors in the image), chose a single color instead.



Now pull down the saturation until the oversaturated color looks right. If you have other areas in the photo with Red (or whatever color you are desaturating) in it, you can always make a layer mask that only affects the skin tones that had a problem.

Group Buys!

Hey! Know a few people that might be interested in actions? Well.. Gather them up! If you have a group of 10 people or more that want to buy the actions (full set only), I'll give you all $5 off! It's good to have friends!

Group buys are available for private groups, and for message board forums. If you are interested in conducting a group buy, please contact me at actions@kyliebanks.com, and I will set up a special paypal link for your group.

Friday, June 1, 2007

Creating an Action and Sharpening


Click to Play
Second tutorial (finally) an easy way to do better sharpening (using Smart Sharpen) and how to create actions for your own use.