Phaunt Actions- Affordable Actions for Photoshop 7 and Up

NEW BLOG!!

2007-11-16T12:46:00.001-08:00

We're LIVE On the new blog!!!

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR BOOKMARKS!

Ohhhh yeah......

2007-11-12T15:27:00.001-08:00

Almost forgot about today!

I am so excited, I have a very talented web designer who is making a rockin new template for the blog. I'll be transitioning over to wordpress when it is finished, so that the blog can be hosted on my own webspace. She's also matching the store to the blog, so it will be a seamless transition between the two. I can't wait to see it!

I also had Trish (Blue Fire Multimedia) design a few more blog/graphics for me, I just LOVE them! (She created the current blog header/graphics as well)

Here's a sneak of what the new blog header will look like for Fall:

Ahhhhhhhhhh the cuteness is too much!!

Anyway, I just needed to share my excitement. I'm hoping that will all be done this week, we'll see. So.. how bout I share a few pics? Okay, good idea :)

First two are just some client pictures I was proofing this week. Just to show that I DO use these actions in my day to day workflow. That's how I started making the actions. I created them for myself, then figured I might as well see if anyone else could use them!

This picture was taken by Bonnie (Once Remembered Action Templates), it's her gorgeous 13 year old Daughter. I'm always bugging Bonnie on IM, so snagged this pic and messed with it.

And in case you aren't on any of the photography boards I frequent and missed this freebie, I put up a Softy Bleach action over the weekend just for fun. I uploaded it to the store (go to STORE and Freebies)

The Bleach will just be up this week, so don't miss it. There's also still the Choco Coco Mocho (what was I thinking when I named that one??), the S-Curve, and the Artist Fave Brush in the Freebies section.

Oh, and before I forget, this weekend's winner......... Kaosong!

Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize :)

And last thing, I promise.. Wanted to share this cool link:

I got up to about 1500 grains before my brain gave out. I can't seem to keep my vocab level above 34 though.

Go play and let me know what your score/level is! :)

Freebie Friday 11/9 S-Curves Made Easy

2007-11-09T12:52:00.001-08:00

Today I'm doing a quick tutorial (under 5 minutes, that's gotta be a record!) on how to create an S-Curve. You may have heard of this referenced before, it's a pretty basic and essential technique for manipulation in photoshop, so you've gotta get this down and know how to do it yourself!

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

It's a short one, I promise!

After watching the video, go to the STORE and download the quick S-Curve action from the Freebie's section.

I'm also going to leave up the Choco Coco Mocho action, because I've gotten a lot of feedback on it and it's such a basic action I'd like to leave it up for anyone to grab if they want. So be sure to snag that one too if you haven't gotten it already.

Remember to leave me a comment.. this week's winner will get a $35 gift certificate to the store!! Have a good weekend!

Tuesdaylicious

2007-11-06T13:40:00.001-08:00

Happy Tuesday! How about a great coupon?

Use the code: tday1 in the store now thru Thursday and you can get $15 off any action set :)

Meggan sent me this great Before/After from her new Beautifiers set.. I love to see the set used to enhance natural beauty.. this girl was already gorgeous, the actions just helped put the finishing touches on the photo. Thanks for sharing Meggan!

I really love sharing pics that you guys are using the actions on, it shows that you don't have to be a PS guru to use them effectively. Honestly I usually end up liking your examples much better than mine!

A few links today.. This one is a personal friend of mine, Melanie. I've known her for going on 5 years now from the "Mommy Board" days, she has a son that is just a day younger than Lilly! She has a great blog about saving money and being thrifty.

The Adventures of Frugal Girl

Check her out and save a few bucks!

And ProPhotogs is having a great special right now on membership, only $50!! Usually the membership is $150! It's a great forum for info and inspiration if you're looking to learn more about photography and the business side of it.

Cold Monday

2007-11-05T17:37:00.001-08:00

I'm late on this, I know, sorry about that! I have been so stinking busy these last few weeks. We are going to the inlaws for Thanksgiving and I'm hoping to be done with portrait clients before then, so after Thanksgiving things will calm down a bit and I can do a few things I've been putting off on the blog. I've got some great things in the works though, I can't wait to get it all done and going.

Anyway, on a personal note, Sam and I went to the 232nd Marine Corps Ball on Saturday. The Marine Corps birthday is actually on November 10th, but they have a Veteran's Day parade they had scheduling conflicts with so we got to go a week early. I always look forward to the ball because it's the one time a year I get to get a purty dress and get all dolled up. I'm pretty much the anti-thesis of anything "girly", but I secretly do enjoy doing it every once in awhile.

This year I actually went and had my hair "did" by my hair dresser, I haven't had it done since my wedding, can you believe it? I'm a very low maintenance person, my #1 requirement for a haircut is that it is easy to fix and will take me a maximum of 3 minutes to do.

Anyway, I wanted to share a few pics from Saturday..

Me with my done Did hair:

Me and my Marine :)

Sam was on sword detail, and I wanted to get some pics of it, but the light in the room was horrible. I didn't bring a flash, and already felt like a bit of a dork with my monster camera and huge lens, so I just made do with what I had. Cranked the ISO up to 1600 and kept it at 1/30th, and just prayed I got a few shots!

So, that's where I was this weekend. Sorry to those who I didn't return emails, I'm trying to take the weekend off from working. I have a bad habit of working ALL THE TIME, and it's been driving my family crazy, so I have self-imposed work hours now that I'm trying to stick to.. we'll see how that goes. LoL

Oh yeah, winner of the Actions?

I'm picking at random today.. and since my favorite number is 4, the 4th commenter wins it.. and that's Carla.. Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize :)

Tomorrow I'll be doing a post with a few quick tips and maybe a coupon or two, so be sure to check tomorrow.. Hope your week is starting out great! :)

Freebie Friday 11/1

2007-11-02T09:18:00.001-07:00

Can you believe it's November already? I swear I'm still not ready for it to be FALL, let alone Winter!

Before Freebie Friday, lets do yesterday's winners! The winner of the $25 gift certificate is... Erica! :) (email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize)

And the winner of the $35 to Pink Ink Studios (I'm a bit jealous, I'd rather just use the $35 myself )

GEORGIA GOEKEN!

Congrats Gals.. Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize!!

Don't forget to visit Pink Ink studios today, they've got some great Blog Mixer fun going on every friday!

So.. On to Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeebie Friday!!

Today I'm going to be showing you how to quickly and easily apply a Brown tone to your B/W images. This method is easily adjustable, so that you can apply as much or as little as you want. Today's tutorial is really quick, so I'm just going to do it via Screen Shots..

First off, convert your image to B/W. I’m going to do a quick Channel Mixer conversion (see THIS tutorial if you don’t know how to do that). You can use whatever b/w conversion method that you want. Just leave a little LESS contrast than you would normally do, we’ll add a bit with our brown tone, so we don’t want it to be too over the top.

So, we have our B/W image that looks like this:

We’ve done a quick B/W conversion and then flattened our layers. Next step is to create a NEW layer and fill it with the brown color that we want.

So go to LAYER-->NEW FILL LAYER --> SOLID COLOR

Press Okay on the next dialogue box, then pick a Brown tone, a darker one will work best. I chose this one, but you can play with the tone to find one that you like the best.

Press OK, and you will now have a brown filled layer covering up your image. To apply that brown tone to the image we have to change the blending mode of the fill layer.

Do that by going to your Layers palette and clicking the fly down menu and choosing one of the Blending modes:

For adding a tone, usually the OVERLAY or SOFT LIGHT blending modes work best, but you can experiment with them to find what you like. Basically what Photoshop is doing is going to take the Hue/Saturation/Lumination of the Fill layer and depending on what blending mode you pick it will apply it differently to the underlying layer (our image).

I’ve chosen Overlay for this image, but you can pick what looks best for yours. Then all you need to do is lower the opacity of the fill color layer to intensify/lower the effect. I’ve brought my opacity down to about 60%..

And.... VOILA!

It’s that easy!! All you have to do now is merge layers and maybe do some burning/dodging to bring the color out more. Remember, this works with any color, so don’t stick with browns, go crazy, try some purple, blue, red, whatever! Change your blending modes and opacity to get varied effects.

So this week's freebie is a quick B/W conversion action that will add a Brown tone to your image at the end. Also included is an action that will let you intensify/burn/deepen the color after it's applied.

Go to the Freebie's Section of the Store to get the Action!

Remember.. the freebie is only up for a week, so grab it now! And Leave me a comment, Will ya? Cus This weekend's comments winner will get the NEW Procrastination Pak as a prize!! Have a great weekend everyone!

Short and Sweet!

2007-11-01T08:05:00.001-07:00

Busy busy day today.. so I gotta keep this one short!

Comments winner from yesterday.. Toni, for pointing out the fact that it wouldn't be very fun to have to have a visitor in the bathroom for a year. LoL!

(email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize)

Here's a pic that Tiz (scrapolla) sent to show before/after using her new Beautifier set.. Thanks for letting me share Tiz! :)

The thing I like about the new Beautifiers set is that it's easy to do heavy and light retouching. This is a great example of how the set can be used to do subtle retouches.

The winner for the template set of their choice from Tina Parker is

Tonya Nicel!!

Congrats Tonya! Email me to claim your prize :)

Last day of winning.. Last prize we're giving away is a SUPER Gift certificate for $35 to Pink Ink Studios

They have adorable templates, very customizable, and some awesome photo mask borders as well. Be sure to check out the blog on Fridays when they have their mixers!

Good Luck everyone!

Would you Rather??

2007-10-31T09:01:00.001-07:00

Interesting title for today's post... I'll get to that in a second. First, wanted to share a cute pic of Katie and Jed. I used the Old School Hand Tinted Colorizer for the Vintagey look. The Border is from Jessica Ditmer (who I want to be like when I grow up).. and the Font is from Little Dreamer Designs.

And on to the important stuff... the WINNERS!..

The $25 gift certificate goes to........ ktinnco7 (Katie) because she's right.. she does have a cool name :)

And the Certificate to Little Dreamer Designs goes to

Amanda Hansen!!

Amanda and Katie, email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prizes :)

Tomorrow the winner will be getting a set of THEIR CHOICE from Tina Parker at My Lil Creations. The cards are SO amazing, I just sent a bunch off to be printed for my own clients.. Here's a few that I made in about 30 seconds using Tina's templates:

Remember, to get qualified to win one of Tina's Awesome template sets, all you have to do is to buy something in the store (I'm picking from the entire week's purchases, you don't have to have bought something today, don't worry).

GOOD LUCK! And THANK YOU TINA for your awesome templates :)

So.. for today's comment winner I thought I'd try something different. One thing about me that my family knows all too well is my tendency to ask weird questions, namely ones that are a choice between 2 things that no normal person would think about in the first place.

So when I saw this game

At Target a few weeks ago, I HAD to get it.. I've been driving my husband crazy asking him the questions from it.

So.. For today's comments winner.. You have to answer THIS question:

Would you rather Be completely alone with nobody in the vicinity for one year OR never be alone even one minute for one year?

Whichever answer is the best gets the $25! Good Luck!! :)

Ooops!

2007-10-30T15:14:00.000-07:00

Sorry about that, I left the S off the email in the last post, it's fixed now.. The email is info@phauntactions.com..

Thanks for letting me know Patricia :)

Winners!!

2007-10-30T10:02:00.001-07:00

Lets just get to the good stuff, right? The WINNERS!!

First off, I was reminded that I forgot to pick winners from a post back on 10/16 that I said I'd give away 2 of the new Extras (Procrastination Pak)... So those winners are Meggan (for reminding me, thanks!) and Beth Feigner (for being an awesome blog reader and posting regularly to the flickr group.. Thank you!)

Beth and Meggan, email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize :)

And the $25 gift certificate for the store from yesterday's comments goes to: Patricia Stuever.. Good luck at your show this weekend! :) Email me to claim your prize :)

And the Winner of the Latest issue of Design Aglow is....

Jeanette!! (Jema Images)

(Email me and I'll tell you how to claim your prize :) )

So, with that out of the way.. what's the great prize for tomorrow?? Remember, someone still gets a $25 gift certificate from TODAY'S comments, so remember to leave me one!

And tomorrow I'll be giving away a $10 Gift certificate to Little Dreamer Designs!

They're mainly a store for scrapbookers, but Oh my GOSH they have the cutest stuff! Their designs are just amazing, and I LOOOOOOOOOOOOVE the style. The vintagey/old/grunged look is SO my style. GREAT Prices too, and you can buy seperately, so you get exactly what you want. I just bought THIS CARD and some fonts.. every time I go there I end up getting something new! Thanks to Michelle for the gift certificate.. you guys rock! :)

Oh.. had to add a picture of the girls from Sunday.. Kate is at the Don't-touch-me-I've-got-things-to-do stage, and will not sit still for more than 2 seconds. She was busy eating dirt and pumpkin innards (we were carving pumpkins), and didn't want to be bothered to sit for a picture. On a side note, don't you love Lilly's outfit? She gets her fashion sense from me (poor thing).

Contest Kick Off!

2007-10-29T08:13:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a Relaxing weekend! I took the weekend off (mostly) to rest from driving myself crazy... now I'm back and ready for more!

First off, THANK YOU for the awesome response to the new set! I've had a lot of positive feedback, I'm so glad people are liking them! If you've purchased the set and have ANY problems, let me know, there may be a few bugs in there that didn't get worked out, if you find one, I want to know so I can fix it asap!

The PS7/CS versions are in the works, I just have to find the time to get them finished. I'll be sure to post when they're done, don't worry!

Wanted to add a few more examples of some pics I edited using the new Pro Pak, everything in the pack CAN be done by yourself, but it literally takes me maybe 1/8th the time when I use the actions. The actions were all created because I was trying to save myself time, so each one is usefull, and not put in there just to beef up the set or take up space. I use literally EVERY action (not on every picture though, that may be overkill! LoL).

One of Katie that I took last week:

Used the Easy Texture Adder, Heavy Canvas Texture, Grunge it Up, and Grunge Border Adder (all from the Special Effects Set).

And a few more Beautifiers examples from people that have sent in pics to be glamourized:

I don't necessarily use the beautifiers this heavy on my retouching. I usually only use the makeup actions when clients request it.. or on my own photos. I wouldn't recommend using it unless the people KNOW you will be doing it. The Flawless actions get used a LOT though. If used lightly they really can help freshen up the face and get rid of skin imperfections. Your Client's will thank you for it, believe me ;)

Oh.. the winners, right? For comments on Friday, I'm giving out 2 $25 gift certificates... So angbrimwill and scrapolla... Shoot me an email at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize!

And Today's cool prize (besides another $25 Gift Cert) will be

THE LATEST ISSUE OF DESIGN AGLOW!!!!

From the Design Aglow Website:

"Design Aglow is an online resource for information and products directed at professional wedding and portrait photographers. This site was created to inform, to teach, and to inspire.
We are an online collection of resources, including articles, Photoshop actions, templates, marketing ideas, interviews, and seminars for the boutique wedding and portrait studio. We consider ourselves a hybrid of design and photography and how they relate to each other.
We are completely reader supported, meaning we run no ads, accept no sponsors, and are not paid to endorse products. The products that we recommend are based strictly on unbiased experiences and research. There are plenty of places out there to look at ads - this is not one of them.
We are dedicated to an "art only" format. No technical stuff here! We are about artistic approach, photo enhancement, album design, marketing, branding, and creative technique.
We aim our resource collections at established photographers, already familiar with the professional portrait and wedding industry, who want to refine their skills and further their knowledge.
We are constantly looking for new ideas, writers, and talent. You do not have to be experienced to contribute to Design Aglow - only have fresh new ideas and an interesting take on your own business.
We are real. We listen and evolve. Our goal is to constantly grow and to create a place where talented photographers can come and be inspired. "

I have the latest issue myself, and it is amazing! There's a great article by Andrea Joki in there about texturing photos. She goes into detail about what is the best kind of textures to use for what photo, and how to decide how strong of texture you want with your photos.

I personally LOVED the article about Laura Novak and how she designed/opened her photography studio. Her style is amazing, and I was inspired that she didn't break the bank decorating her new space!

To win the latest issue of Design Aglow, all you have to do is buy something in the phaunt actions store! Remember, the coupon for the new Procrastination Pak is: propakintro

It gets you an extra $10 off!

That's IT! I'll announce the winner tomorrow morning (along with the Gift Certificate winner). So check back! Have a great day!!

Have a photo that needs some Glamourizing?

2007-10-26T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to find some more photos that I could use to demonstrate the new beautifiers set... Have a shot with not so perfect skin or that you forgot your makeup? If you send it to me (and I can use it) I will give you a $30 gift certificate to the PA store.

If you have a photo that you'd like glamourized, send it to info@phauntactions.com with the subject BEAUTIFIERS. Please note that by sending the photo you agree that I can use it on the website as an example before/after.. I will not take credit for the photo, however, you can put a watermark on it (small please and not on the face) if you wish. Please sent full resolution files!

If you want, will also send the photo back to you full resolution (and edited) so that you can use it as you wish. Thanks!

D-O-N-E Done Done DONE!!!

2007-10-26T14:21:00.001-07:00

They're Here! They're done!! I may just be going insane but I'm FINISHED!

INTRODUCING THE NEW phaunt PROCRASTINATION PAK!!!

Finally, they're HERE!! The newest action pack designed to help you put all those finishing touches and special effects on your photos. Broken up into 3 seperate action sets, there is 72 ACTIONS total!!

phaunt Beautifiers- The last set you'll need to glamorize your photos and retouch portraits. Included is 2 SKIN RETOUCHING actions, as well as 4 actions to give your photos a high contrast/glamour/fashion effect. Next, there is the MAKEUP actions. Amazing actions that let you put the makeup on IN PHOTOSHOP. Be heavy handed or just add a light touch, it's up to you! Next are all the variations of soft focus effects that you'll ever need, perfect for every type of photo!

phaunt Special Effects- This set lets you jump into the world of Grunging/texturing with guns blazing! An action that allows you to add any texture you want (there are a few of my own personal textures included in the set as well), as well as 7 simple textures that you can use to put the finishing touches on your textured images. Next, an action that makes grunging up your photos easy and simple. Use any grunge brushes, and with the few clicks of a button, you have a perfectly "grunged" picture! Ever wanted to try selective color, but didn't know how to do it? Now you can just use the 3 selective coloring actions to easily and quickly selectivly color your photo! And lastly in this set, forget about making borders on your photos manually, the border creaters included in this set will do it for you! Simple White/black borders, as well as grunge borders, and the new Fuzzy Wuzzy borders can be created easily.

phaunt Details- The last set in the bunch, this set does the final exposure tweaks and color shifts that you need. Have photo that needs a warmer or cooler tint? Just use one of the 6 variations of color shifting included! Or, if you're feeling adventurous, go for a Golden Sheen and change the entire look of your photo! Your photo just about perfect, but needs that last little oomph? Use the exposure bumps to get it perfect! Burning and dodging driving you crazy lately? Use the action that will quickly help you do your dodging and burning in a few brush strokes.

With 72 actions included in this set, you'll have all you need to take your photos from fine to fabulous! Included is detailed instructions on how to use each action, as well as links to video tutorials that will help you visualize how to use them.

There is also included 4 of my own textures that I use every day to create textured images, as well as a set of Grunge brushes you can use on your own photos.

Last but certainly not least, for a limited time, everyone who purchases the Procrastination Pak gets a FREE template action set from Once Remembered Actions .. You can't get these template actions anywhere else!

I have got to say THANK YOU to a few great people for helping me test and retest, and listen to me stress out and whine!! Bonnie Creevy, Jodi Freidman, Kim Lobato, Denise Skelton, Elma, Deanna Hall, Jeremi Broadhurst, and ALL OF YOU for being such great readers and sharing the love! :)

So....... the new set.. Regular price will be $75, but for a limited time, to introduce the set, it will be just $60!!

And, this week ONLY for the first 50 people if you buy the new Procrastination Pak, you can get an extra $10 off, so get the whole thing for just $50!!.. you must use the code: propakintro at the checkout to get the $10 off

Want to see more before/afters on the shots? Go HERE to see more examples!

If you were one of the winners that got the Extras paK as a prize in the last few weeks, please email me and I"ll send it to you ;)

Because I've been trying to get these finished I've not got any freebies/tutorials up this week, so I'm leaving last weeks up for another week (brushes). But I've got something even better in store for this coming week!!

I've been forunate enough to have some AWESOME donations from some of the great online store that sell stuff to us photographers.. and I'm going to be doing a contest all next week. The prizes will be given out every day, here's what you have a chance to win:

Gift Certificates to:

Pink Ink Studios

Little Dreamer Designs

My Lil Creations

The latest issue of Design Aglow

And every day I'll pick a winner that will get a $25 gift certificate for the phaunt actions store.

To be eligible for the $25 gift certificate all you need to do is leave a comment on the blog that day. BUT to be eligible to win one of the gift certificates to the other sponsors, you have to make a purchase at the phaunt actions store. It doesn't have to be the new actions, it could be anything!

So.. that's it.... If you only knew the stress and insanity these actions have put me through (and my poor husband), you'd know why I'm SO glad to have them finally released. I can't wait to see all the stuff that you all will do with them. If you have ANY questions or problems, send me an email (info@phauntactions.com)! Have a GREAT weekend!!

*note.. the $25 gift certificate give aways starts TODAY, so leave me a comment!.. The other contest does not start until Monday, so you have all weekend to buy something at the store and get qualified!*

Sneak Peeks

2007-10-24T14:37:00.001-07:00

Wanna see some sneak peeks of what is included in ONE of the action sets with the new extras? Here's a few of the demo videos that are INCLUDED in the extras.. These are all from the "Beautifiers" set, all you need for retouching and glamorizing your photos:

Thanks to Bonnie for the example photo. Note: I normally DON'T do this heavy of retouching on portraits, but just want to demonstrate what is possible with the actions. :)

Flawless Actions-

Note: The videos may take a bit longer than normal to load, I'm leaving them larger size so that they are better quality. It's best to click the link, let them load totally, then play, or it may be kind of jumpy. I usually don't make the files this big, but I wanted you to be able to really see the retouching in action.

Makeup Actions

And a few more sneaks just for fun :) It's funny to see myself with that much makeup on, since I hardly ever wear it IRL.

And you better be ready..when these are launched I'm going to be doing a huge giveaway/contest week. I haven't got all the details worked out, but there's going to be a ton of great stuff to be won!

Attention!! Your Help Needed!

2007-10-23T14:37:00.001-07:00

The new Extras sets are done! Can you freaking believe it???? Now all that is needed is to have one more round of testing.

I have all my testers I need now.. Thanks so much for the quick response! If you don't receive an email back from me, thank you for offering to help anyway. Everyone who responded will be getting a discount on the new sets (or anything they wish) for their generosity and I'll keep you first in line for any future testing I need.

Thanks again.. I have the best blog readers!

Warning!!

2007-10-22T16:48:00.001-07:00

This is a Public Service Announcement:

DO not, I repeat, Do NOT give Fun Dip to a 4 year old and leave the room.

You will find it not only GONE within 5 minutes, but it will also have been fed to the DOG.

I now have a hyper 4 year old child and a hyper 2 year old English Bulldog. Not a good mix. I would try to get a picture of it to illustrate, but she isn't sitting still long enough for me to even focus the camera.

Didja Know?

2007-10-22T10:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope your weekend was great!

First off, this weekend's winner is Jen D! Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize!

Today I wanted to start a new feature called "Didja Know".. sharing quick tips that make PS a little bit easier. They may be elementary for some, but they're essential to using PS to it's fullest.

First off, a shortcut:

CTRL+Z will undo your last step. Press it again to undo the Undo (that make sense?) So pressing CTRL+Z repeatedly will let you go back and forth between the last step you made so you can quickly see before/after without clicking in your History Palette.

CTRL+ALT+Z Undo, but you can keep going back as far as you want. Similar to clicking backwards on the History pallete, but you don't have to click, just keep pressing until you get to where you want!

And another Didja Know: Did you know you can create Snapshots in your History Palette that allow you to "save" the state of your photos (with layers intact!) and go back to it at any time! THis allows you to save a state and do detailed tweaks. If you don't like it, you can always go back to your snapshot! Here's a few visuals:

You can make as many snapshots as you want, so can save a picture at a bunch of different states, then click through the snapshots to figure out which you like best.

Be SURE to save any changes you made though, saving your image (even as a PSD) does NOT save your snapshots.

Oh, and because I'm feeling giving today.. You can use the code: mondayrules TODAY ONLY to get $5 off anything in the store. Have fun :)

Oh, and don't forget to take the new poll :)

Freebie Friday 10/19 Brushes!

2007-10-19T11:57:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

Today's tutorial is going to be teaching you how to make your own brushes. I covered it a bit in the grunge brush tutorial, but this is quicker and more specific for if you're trying to isolate specific things for a brush. Lilly even jumps in and helps me in the end!

Go HERE to view the tutorial.

And today's Freebie is, of course, a set of brushes. I have a ton of things from my grandma's house that I have collected and wanted to use to create brushes, and finally started scanning them in in the last week. I'm putting them up for you to grab this week. I only ask that you use them on your personal work, not for resale on anything. Isn't the photographer lady awesome?!

Go to THE STORE and to the Freebies section to grab the brushes. Remember they're only up for this week, so get them now!

And I have ANOTHER freebie that will only be up TODAY.. I'm testing out some old photo borders that I created from scanning and manipulating old photos. I've tested and retested myself, but want to see how they work for other people. SO today only you can grab the old Photo border #1 in the store. It looks like this (minus the people):

The folder comes with a PNG file that has the border, as well as an action that will help you add it and tone your photo and give it an antique look. You do not have to use the action, you can just have the border if you want, but I personally like the action.

I'd really appreciate any feedback on this one that you have. I've never created anything like this so am a bit out of my element.

The photo border is in the store under freebies as well. Remember it's only up TODAY.

And don't forget to leave me a comment... this week I'll pick a person from THIS POST to win the SIYH Pak. But you really just want to leave me a comment because you love me.. Right?

Have a great weekend everyone!

I should be Working.....

2007-10-16T08:48:00.001-07:00

Instead I'm uploading new things into the store...

A few requests for this freebie to be available again:

Artist Fave Brush Freebie

Need a jumpstart on grunge brushes, or don't want to spend the time to make your own?? Grab the ones that I PERSONALLY use on my own photos to create that Grunged up look:

phaunt Grunge Brushes

*shhhhhhh* If anyone asks, I've been working, not messing around on the store!

DoH!!

2007-10-16T07:59:00.001-07:00

So what do you get when you combine the busy photography season with a scatterbrained photographer? Things get forgotten really easily... as in the post for yesterday. I swear I had it on my "TO DO" list, but that only works if I actually READ it, right?

Oh well, my mistake is your gain! As I promised a few weeks ago, if I miss Monday's post you get $5 off the action bundle. So if you've been holding out on getting the color/B&W actions, today is a good day to spring for them you get $5 off! (see the store).

Wanted to share this pic of Lilly I took over the weekend:

No particular reason to share, I just like the picture. The pose is so HER right now, all about the attitude.

THANK YOU to everyone for the AWESOME response to the new SIYH pak and the new store. After the launch at 3pm on Friday, I've had almost 7500 hits on the store!! It's crazy.. I'm coming up on my 6 months mark for the launch of phaunt actions.. I had no idea things would take off like they have. I should plan something to celebrate.. Any ideas?

Oh.. the winner for this last week? I'm going to wait till the new extras set is released and I'm going to pick 2 winners then. So comment if you want to be in the running for one of the NEW extras set (over 50 actions!).

Thanks again everyone! :)

Freebie Friday 10/12 ------ IT's HERE!!!

2007-10-12T14:42:00.001-07:00

Today I'm a bit slow on the freebie.. I've been trying to finish getting the new store up and ready. First off I have to say THANK YOU to Natasha Whiteley for helping me get the store going. You rock Tash! :)

But today is the GRAND OPENING of the new phaunt actions Store!! Click on the link to the left to go browse the store and see the new setup. The cool new things about the store:

INSTANTLY download your actions as soon as you buy them.. No more waiting for me to email them to you!!
Create an account so you can easily buy things again (and you know you want to!)
By signing up you get access to the newsletter that will have freebies and goodies
It's way easier for me to add new products/goodies, so I'll be adding indivdual actions for fun, the freebies will be even easier to snag!

So, to kick off the new store, I'm releasing the new Sunshine in your Hand Pak early. I am still working on all the instructions/videos for the new Extras set, so it's not available yet, but the new Sunshine actions are READY TO GO!! And these are ROCKING!

If you have the Original Sunshine action and love it.. you'll love this set even more. It has all the power of the Original, but even MORE flexibility and no color shifts. PLUS this set has 2 NEW actions that will give warmth or cool down an image. So you have all your exposure tweak AND your color temp tweak in one. Included in this set are:

Original Sunshine in your Hand
Revisited Sunshine in your Hand
Golden Sunshine in your Hand (same as revisited, but with a warm color tweak)
Chilly Sunshine in your Hand (same as revisited, but with a cool color tweak)
Soft Twilight
Blow Me Down

Here's just a few examples of what this action can do.. and keep in mind, this was done in a matter of seconds, by pressing play on the action and tweaking the opacity of a few layers... It doesn't get much easier than that!

I honestly can say I am so stinking proud of this action.. It took me tons of tweaking and revising, but I've finally got what I had envisioned in the beginning.

To kick off this action set I am going to be giving $5 off the regular price of $35.. The intro price will only be good for a limited time, so you better snag them now! To get your set Click on the store (on the left).. You'll be able to buy and download right away! Be sure to select which version of PS you need (either CS2/CS3 or Ps7/CS)... Can't wait to see some examples of what people can do with the action!!

Oh yeah.. the freebie for this week?? How could I forget? Well, Since I have been working like a mad woman to get this stuff done I haven't had time to do a new tutorial. BUT I did get some a few freebies up and available in the shop. All you have to do is go to the store (on the left... duh.....) and go to the Photoshop Freebies section. There is a NEW freebie there that will only be available for this week, and I also have put another Freebie up again that I've had a few requests for.. the Beginner B/W. Both will be gone after next week, so don't miss them!

Also.. because I Love my PA readers.. For this weekend ONLY, if you use the discount cod: SIYHINTRO when you are buying the new SIYH Pak, you get ANOTHER $5 off.... So you get the whole stinkin thing for just $25.. Can't beat that!

Okay.. I think I'm done now.. that was a really long post. Oh.. and don't forget to leave me a comment on the blog.. I will still be drawing a winner on Monday.. they will win their choice of either the color, B/w, or the soon to be released extras set.

*phew* someone stop me before I blather on more........

Have a great weekend everyone... remember if you have any problems or questions, feel free to email me at info@phauntactions.com!

Very Cool Place for Bloggers

2007-10-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Just found this cool website last nite called Blog Rush. Look on the left sidebar at the Blog Rushed thing, you'll see what I'm talking about. You sign up and submit your blog and put what catagory of blog you have (I chose photography). Then you put the Blog Rush widget on your blog and it will put links to 5 different blogs that have the same catagory of posts as yours. Cool for your readers, but then it also will put YOUR BLOG onto other people's blogs so they can find you!

Then if people click on the blog rush thing and sign up from your blog you get referrals from them. Go to the link and watch their little video, it explains it much better. Be sure to sign up through my blog so I get the credit thingies :p

Just wanted to share my find.. back to your regularly scheduled programs :)

Made it!

2007-10-08T17:46:00.000-07:00

This weeks' winner was SO hard to chose, I had so many cute photos sent, and so many of you did awesome things with elephants and/or purple and/or Dr. Pepper. I had to have Lilly pick the winning entry because it was way too hard for me to chose one.

She chose the great purple elephant by Tiffany Haynes:

Tiffany, email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize :)

Seriously, you guys can't make it that hard every week to pick a winner!

So, the fact that I am in over my head right now is making it harder for me to get things done. The extras set is finished (I just have to quit adding things to it), and now I just have to get all the instructions and videos for it done.

Oh, did I fail to mention that there is a NEW Sunshine in your Hand action?? Silly me.. how could I forget that?? This will be a separate set, sold apart from the color/bw or extras set. I am totally in love with it, if you thought the SIYH action was great, you are going to flip for this one. It does everything the old action does, but with more control, and does not cause any color shifts in your image. I'm also including 2 versions, one to give some warmth to the image, one to cool it down, depending on what you need. There's also 2 more actions in there.

The Sunshine in your Hand Pak will be released the same time the new extras set is.. yes coming soon, as soon as I can get it done and ready! If you haven't noticed yet, I am a bit perfectionist about things, so I have to make sure they're tested and retested and tested again before I release them.

Here's just one example of what the new SIYH Pak will be able to do.

Thanks for bearing with me, I promise all the new actions will be worth the wait.

Freebie Friday 10/5

2007-10-05T11:48:00.001-07:00

Today's tutorial/freebie is one that comes with a disclaimer/warning. I'm going to be showing you how to Selectively color a photograph (leave some things in color). While this is a cool method, and very good at focusing attention, please please PLEASE don't over use it. There's nothing worse than a B/W photo with a random object in color that has nothing to do with the photo. This is a technique that should NOT be used just because you know how to do it. I take no responsiblity for badly selectively colored photos that may result from watching this tutorial. Use at your own risk!

With that out of the way.. On to the tutorial:

Go HERE to watch

After watching the tutorial you can snag an action that does the steps

HERE

Also, remember to leave me a comment, hello, suggestion, whatever in the comments and you may win your choice of action sets (Winner will be posted on Monday, so check back then!)

And THIS week's winner will win a set of the brand spankin' new phaunt EXTRAS set.. still yet to be released. I'm still finishing up the set, but this weeks winner will not only get their choice of color or b/w , but they'll get to have the new extras set before it's available for purchase.. how cool is that?

Remember, I LOVE to see examples of what you're doing with the tutorials, so if you leave me one that just might help your chances of winning..... also.. Remember that I LOVE elephants, the color purple, and Dr. Pepper.. any one of those things (or a combination of them) may also help your chances.. Just giving some ideas ;)

I am Sooooooooooo close to releasing the new extras sets.. just have to finish up stuff.. Keep your eyes on the blog, I'll be giving away stuff to kick off the new sets, you don't want to miss them!

Have a great Weekend everyone!!

No time... Same old story

2007-10-03T20:49:00.000-07:00

Not much time for posts today or tomorrow, I'm busy plugging away at the new extras sets. I'm also getting set up with a new ecommerce site, which means no waiting for your actions to be emailed to you, you'll be able to buy and download right away.. how cool is that?

I'll launch the new store and the new actions at the same time, hoping for no more than 12 days from now. Keep your eyes peeled for a contest and some give aways in the near future.

To keep you busy today and tomorrow, Bonnie (OR Action Templates) has a freebie and tutorial on her blog.. check it out:

HERE

***Rclarkphotography.. I haven't recieved your email.. I tried to find your email to email you, but I couldn't find it. Email me again (info@phauntactions.com).. Sorry!!!***

Taking a trip to Kim Town!

2007-10-02T08:37:00.001-07:00

I told you we'd have a great interview today.. None other than Kim Townsend, the creative muscle behind Simply Splash, as well as a fabulous photographer!

Kim did my splash page (which I adore), as well as TONS of other photog's pages. If you're ever in the market for a rockin splash page, look no further!

Name/Location:

Kim Townsend/Simply Splash Virginia Beach (you know where)

How did you get into Photography and Web Design?

I started photography with a pinhole camera in high school. It was one of those “elective” classes I had to take. I thought it would be easy and I could breeze right through it. Little did I know black and white photography would become my passion. I’m sure my children think that my face is a Nikon since that’s what’s always in front of it!! My husband was deployed to Iraq this summer and it’s very hard to go on shoots when you have three kids. I decided to put my photography life on hold and help out some photographers with web design. I knew a little html when I started and just continued to teach myself something new every day. After a few great splash pages, I decided to help the masses. Word of mouth got around and Simply Splash was born. I find it hard sometimes to balance my work and life but I always make sure that my family and my clients are happy.

Describe your Style in 3 words: Fun, Fresh, Relaxed

Your favorite Subject to Photograph:

Kids, hands down. They don’t worry about their hair or make-up or even if their clothes match. They just run around and have fun, which is what capturing the moment is all about.

When you need to get inspired what do you do?

I watch my children. They have so much life and vision in their own little minds! If I need inspiration on what to do next, they help me out.

Would you rather have one eye in the middle of your forehead that has 20/20 vision OR have 2 eyes in the normal places but be blind?

Oh give me one good eye! (I already have two in the back of my head ya know) I would never want to forego the beauty of this world, for the sake of my own personal beauty.

Favorite Website to waste time on:

HA! That’s easy…prophotogs.com or ebay.com

Favorite Photoshop Tool or tip:

For my photography it’s the little paperclip that you can click on to keep your transform tool to a fixed….um what’s the word (so it doesn’t go all wonky and distort your images) LOL!! For my design, it’s definiately the Slice tool.

Fave Action in the Set:

If it’s phaunt then I know my fav is the GLAM IT!!!

Your latest endeavor with Simply Splash?

The Jessica Dittmer line!!

Jessica Dittmer is now designing splash pages exclusively for Simply Splash! (It’s on the blog)

Tell us a little bit about what you do for photographers and how did you get to be so stinking awesome?

LOL!! I design splash pages for photographers of all skill levels. A Splash Page is basically the first page you see when you visit someones site. It’s an html page that allows different links to the various places in your online world. They can have images, elements, links and banners! They are also very helpful in getting you search-able if you have a flash based website. Of course there is lots of info on the site about it J

Famous Kim quote:

I’m not sure who said it, but it’s “When in deep water, become a diver” I love this quote so much because in all aspects of our life sometimes we get in over our heads and think there is no way out. There is always a way out. There is always a way to make your situation better than it is right now; even if it’s good, it can be GREAT.

Kim's parting words:

"Just some more info you can add cause I like to talk LOL!!: Of course, I live by the Golden Rule also in my photography world and design world. I treat my clients as if they are my ONLY client. I try my hardest to make everyone feel like they are just as important to me as any other client. Afterall, that is how I would want to be taken care of. My clients are the heart of my business and without them I would not have a business. I think sometimes we all need to take a step back and remember that your clients are PEOPLE too. "

I couldn't agree more, Kim!

Be sure to check out all of Kim's designs at Simply Splash, tell her Kylie sent you :)

So, I did say I may have a freebie in honor of the always cool Kim. Since the Glam It Action is her fave, I guess I'll put that up for FREE for you to snag today ONLY.. after that it's going into the extras set and will only be available via purchase.

Grab it here.. :)

Mondays Rock.

2007-10-01T13:57:00.001-07:00

Well, at least around here they do :)

First off, the winner for last weeks comments is

Lori B who sent me a great pick me up! But it did make me hungry :p

Lori wins her choice of the B/W or Color sets AND one of the new extras set (as soon as it's finished). Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize :)

I am soooooooooo close to finishing the new extras set it's not even funny. My perfectionistic nature is coming through though, and I have to make sure I get all the good stuff in there that I wanted to get. Plus I have to test and retest before I'm satisfied.

But... I will say that there will most likely be 3 seperate sets, as I'm having too much to put in one. Same price, but I want to keep them seperated a bit more. AND.. there is going to be an awesome update to the famous Sunshine in your Hand action. Think you love that action? wait till you see the new one! It seriously rocks :)

Oh, and don't miss tomorrow, I'm going to be doing an interview with a very super cool awesome person. And I may just throw up a freebie to honor her dropping by the blog :)

Hope your week is starting off great!

Freebie Friday 9/28

2007-09-28T10:39:00.001-07:00

Heya PA readers!

Ready for another Freebie Friday?

I've got TWO.. yes TWO tutorials for you today. I really didn't plan it that way, but I ended up with a really long one, and wanted to split it in two in case some of you didn't want to listen to me for 20 minutes (though I can't imagine why ;) )

So.. today we're finishing up our "series" on texturing/grunging. I'm going to show you a neat method to make easy grunge borders like this one:

So.. to start off.. this tutorial will show you how to make basic grunge borders:

GO HERE

After that Tutorial you'll go on to this one to learn how to personalize the borders and add your own special touches: (It may not be available yet, it's still uploading, so be patient)

HERE FOR PART 2

And as always, there's a freebie. This weeks freebie is going to make the displacement maps (watch the tutorial to see what I'm talking about) and then after you save those you can use the action to make your own borders easily and on any size photo.

SNAG THIS WEEKS FREEBIE

Also, remember to leave me a comment, hello, suggestion, whatever in the comments and you may win your choice of action sets (Winner will be posted on Monday, so check back then!)

Remember, I LOVE to see examples of what you're doing with the tutorials, so if you leave me one that just might help your chances of winning. And who knows, I may give away more than one set this week.. You never know ;)

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Take Action on Cancer Awareness

2007-09-25T11:32:00.001-07:00

A fellow Photoshop lover/action creator and online friend, Jodi Friedman, has made an amazing action to promote cancer awareness. Here she explains what prompted her to create the action:

"As many of you know from a post a few months back, my father in law has cancer. They originally thought it was lung cancer, but jumped the gun. It is Lymphoma. He has mantle cell lymphoma and it requires extensive chemo (inpatient chemo - hospital 5 days in a row), then out two weeks where he has no energy and feels terrible. Then back in again to do it all again. They expect 10-12 cycles like this, and then if they can get the cancer to shrink, to then do a Bone Marrow Transplant (likely in Texas) - we live in Michigan. They would be gone for many months for the transplant.

As you can tell, life is very uncertain for us. I wanted to make something, just to get more prayers going and hopefully bring awareness too. Most people have been affected by cancer, whether it hits them, a friend, a relative, etc. I just needed to do something... So for now that was making an action.

This action will convert your photo to black and white and then give you 14 different overlays (plus optional defog layer and contrast layer) to choose from. It is simple and fully adjustable. You can combine layer colors for more looks, and adjust the opacity.

To download it, click on the photo below to go to the page on my site where you can directly download. Please tell others to go there and get it to. It will remain posted and free. Thanks!!!

THIS LINK will take you to her blog to download the action. Please take a second to pray for Jodi's Father in Law, and if you are able, make donation to support cancer awareness. Every little bit matters. Jodi is making this action free for anyone who wants it, she only asks that you raise awareness, and donate if you have the resources/ability.

Here's Lilly with a yellow ribbon for bone cancer (we recently lost a family friend to it).

Hoo-Ray Mon-Day

2007-09-24T10:00:00.001-07:00

Hellooooooo (done in my Seinfeld voice)

How's your Monday going? Good I hope. I'm freezing my fingers off.. for some reason the weather decided it was done with Summer and now is full fledged into Fall. My toes are screaming for some socks, but I'm too lazy to go down in the basement and get them.

I'm totally thrilled with all the comments and visits we got over the weekend. I'm so glad that you all can identify with my teaching style (which is admittedly a bit erratic and rambling), and that you love the elephant helper (ain't he cute?).

This week's comments winner is Jenny! Thanks for taking the time to share an example.. I LOVE that :) Email me at info@phaunt actions to claim your prize.

I'm really excited with the direction phaunt actions is taking.. I've got big things in store for the coming weeks and then a BIG announcement/development for early 2008. I'll be letting more slip as it gets closer, but I've got to iron out all the details first (and find the time to do it!).

One cool new development though, The new extras set is ALMOST finished. I'm trying to jam pack it with awesome stuff, and keep adding to it. Right now there's 30+ actions, and growing. I'm hoping to have it ready by the end of the month, so be SURE to check back. I think I may give away a set for this next weeks freebie comments, you don't want to miss that!

Here's an example of some of the actions that will be in the next extras set; Some easy color changers, to add warm or cool tones to your image. As always, they'll come with EASY adjustable layers and masks to let you tweak to your heart's delight. . I just finished them up today:

Have a GREAT week everyone!

Freebie Friday 9/21

2007-09-21T17:09:00.001-07:00

Later in the day, I know, but it's all good :)

Today we're going to jump in to B/W conversions. A beginners quick tutorial on using the channel mixer to do B/W conversions. If you've ever seen the vast array of methods people use to make B/W and wondered where the heck to start, hopefully this will give you a good base of how to use one adjustment layer to achieve a bunch of different looks.

I am having way too much fun with the new tutorial video recording software, I know I'm a total dork, but don't hold it against me okay?

I'm hosting the video on my own webserver for now, hopefully it can handle it.. keep your fingers crossed! PLEASE let me know asap if you have any problems viewing the video. It should be full screen, all sorts of goodness.

GO HERE TO VIEW THE TUTORIAL

After you view the Tutorial you can grab the Week's freebie.. A quick set of B/W conversions using the channel mixer and an S curve boost. Again, I'm demonstrating what I'm doing in the tutorial, so watch it before you snag the actions.. I'll know, I've got special action tracers that will track you if you don't view it......... For real, I do :)

Grab the freebies HERE

Now keep in mind.. these are just a starting off point for your conversions.. Feel free to add/subtract/butcher/etc the actions.. Make them your own. Let me know if you have any problems or questions

Also, remember to leave me a comment, hello, suggestion, whatever in the comments and you may win your choice of action sets (Winner will be posted on Monday, so check back then!)

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Day Late.. Dollar Short

2007-09-18T09:42:00.001-07:00

So I forgot to post the winner for last weekend's comments.... I swear I had it on my TO DO list (which is way too long btw), but it got overlooked.

So.. because I'm sure you were all glued to your computer refereshing every 10 minutes, dying to see who won, I'm going to give a special ONE DAY ONLY discount on the full action set.

Today ONLY you can get the full set for $5 off the regular price.. Only $30!! This will be a regular thing.. If I don't get the winner from the weekend posted by Monday evening, watch Tuesday for a discount. Hopefully I can keep myself in line this way! :p

So, without further Ado.. Last weekends winner is: rclarkephotography!! How could I NOT give you the actions when you're a Marine wife AND have such good taste in baby names to boot? Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize. :)

Oh.. and because I'm feeling giving today.. Here's a brush you all can snag (see the upper left corner of the pic)

Artist Fave Brush

I haven't used it myself, but have seen people use these for blog sneak peeks. Have fun :)

Oh.. And because I want to.. A pic of Lilly from last week that I Love :)

Have a good Tuesday everyone!

Monday Madness

2007-09-17T11:06:00.001-07:00

Good Monday everyone! Hope your weekend went well!

This monday I'm going to take some time out to answer questions that I've had over the last few days/weeks via email and/or comments. I've recieved a few repeats, so I'm hoping I'll answer all the questions, but if you have one that I missed or just wanted to ask me a question.. feel free to leave it in the comments :)

What kind of textures work best for texturing photographs?

This one is kind of tough to answer. It's really a matter of trial and error. There are some tried and true things that really seem to work most of the time, but every once in awhile you'll find something random that just works well. For instance, on this picture of Katie, I used a picture of a bunch of ivy to texture, which I haven't had luck with in the past, but it just worked here:

Some things that seem to work well though are peeling paint, wooden fences (you get the wood texture, plus the lines of the slats in the fence), rust, Scratched surfaces, Brick, even sidewalks. If I get a chance later today I'll throw up a few textures of my own that I use often.

What font did you use in the storyboard?

I believe I snagged that one from the Two Peas website. I am NOT a scrapbooker, but browse the site/galleries from time to time because the women there are so incredibly talented and I wish I could be like them.

The font is HERE along with a bunch of others.. I believe it's the first one listed.

HI! I just found your blog info on twopeasinabucket.com but when I was reviewing your AWESOME info I noticed the picture of your husband and baby- My husband is in the Marine Corps as well-- joined in 1991. Where are you stationed and is he home stateside?

Sam is reserves, so we're not stationed on a base. We live in Oregon, but his duty station is in Boise, Idaho (we live about an hour away). He was deployed Jan-October 2005, we actually just got word that he's due to deploy again in Fall of 2008. We're HOPING something changes between now and then, so we'll see. Good to see another Marine wife, you know what they say, it's the hardest job in the Corps ;)

And a big WELCOME to any two peas members that have found their way here.. Get Cozy, stay awhile! :)

I'd love to have a word by word (or key tip by key tip) written version too, something to refer back to.

Great Idea! I'll try to do that starting next week, for those who like to have something they could print out/save on the computer :)

if you could please, please, puhlease do a tutorial showing how to use your wonderful actions to make someone's clothing/surroundings saturated with color and skin NOT saturated. Does this make sense? I have asked around and everyone says "inverse mask" but I don't know how!?

First off, you might want to watch the Masking Tutorial I did a few months ago. In a nutshell, what Masking is is taking certain parts of a layer (in this case, a layer that is boosting saturation) and telling Photoshop which parts of the layer to apply. This way you can make layers that ONLY apply in certain areas, and then "mask off" the areas you don't want it to apply to (i.e. the skin). When people say to "invert the mask" they are probably telling you to take the mask layer (the white or black box that is to the right of an adjustment layer in the layers palette) and press Ctrl+I to reverse the color. A totally WHITE layer mask means that all the effects of that layer are visible (meaning it is applying the entire layer to everywhere. A totally BLACK layer mask means it's not applying ANY of the layer. When you paint on a layer mask with either black or white (or a shade of grey) you're going to reveal or conceal parts of that layer. Confused? Watch the tutorial, it will all make sense. :)

Kylie, you are awesome! How do you find the time?

Well Thanks! And the time? I gave up sleeping a long time ago.. That's an extra 8 hours a day I can get stuff done! ;)

I missed last week's Freebie, can you rehost it/send it to me?

As much as I hate telling people No, it wouldn't be fair to the people who are making it a point to come back and get each weeks' freebies! You gotta check back ever week and download that week's freebie. But don't worry, I'm working on a brand new extras set that will have all the previous freebies included in it, so if you missed a few you can always grab a full set of actions (and get some super cool new ones too) and have them all in one place :)

I think that's all the questions that I could answer on the blog (the others via email should have replies).. If you needed something else answered, let me know :)

I'll make a post in a bit about this weekend's winner on comments, and since I'm feeling giving today, you may just see a special sale pop up today. Don't miss it! :)

Freebie Friday 9/14

2007-09-14T12:02:00.001-07:00

It's Freebie Time again! Don't you just love Friday?

As promised, I'm starting the first in a series of tutorials about the blending modes. I really think this is an essential tool to master, as it has so many different applications. Today I'm going to focus on getting a basic overview of what blending modes are, and then how the dissolve blending mode works.

FINALLY! We have a video! I had to re-record it with entirely different software (which works much better anyway)but I think I may have it figured out (for now LoL) PLEASE let me know if you have any problems or suggestions

Click To Play

Then after you watch the tutorial, you can download the actions I demonstrate here. Remember, they're only available for this week, so grab them now!

Also, I've got ANOTHER freebie for you this week!!

My friend and fellow photographer Bonnie has been hard at work making some awesome storyboard/collage/mat templates that run as actions in Photoshop. If you're lazy like me and hate opening templates and all that, these are PERFECT.

I love that you can really get a million different looks from each template, and the file sizes aren't HUGE!

Here's her blog, where she's got some awesome Freebies you can download and try yourself!

Once Remembered Action Templates

Here's a storyboard I made really quick using one of the templates, just so you can see an example:

Also, remember to leave me a comment, hello, suggestion, whatever in the comments and you may win your choice of action sets (Winner will be posted on Monday, so check back then!)

Elements Actions

2007-09-13T12:06:00.000-07:00

Okay.. so I know a few of you have been faithfully waiting for Elements versions of the actions. After much thinking and testing, I've decided that I really can't, in good conscience, do elements actions. The actions I have made use a lot of the more advanced features of PS, and I really can't duplicate them in Elements without degrading the quality of the actions. I don't want to sell a watered down version of the actions just to make a quick buck, when I'm not really happy with the results that I was able to get with them.

The other issue is that my whole philosophy behind doing these actions was/is to help people LEARN photoshop and speed up their own workflow. The way that elements actions work, you are not able to really deconstruct the action and see what is happening, so it's really more of a click and go thing. Since most people using Elements are very beginners in Photoshop, I'd rather not put out actions that are going to hinder them from learning how to work it.

That said, I feel bad not giving SOMETHING to those of you that have been asking or watching for elements actions. I have recorded a version of the "Sunshine in your Hand" action that is so popular, and am going to make that available for those of you using elements. There is also a copy of the flashlight action that I shared from last week freebie.

Here's a tutorial on how to load the actions into your elements, but there is also a copy of the video included in the download file.

Click To Play

To download the actions for elements GO HERE

Sorry, didn't make it clear.. If you're downloading the Elements version you'll have to also have Winrar (free program) to unzip the file. I keep forgetting to zip it as a normal zip!

I'm sorry to disappoint anyone, but I would rather put out actions that I'm proud of than just throw something together to make a some $$. In the future I may make some more actions available to elements users, but I will also be showing you HOW to achieve the same thing without the action. Remember, the only way you can really learn photoshop is by doing it, not by letting an action do it for you!

Oh.. for those PS7 and up Users, so you don't feel left out.. Here's the Sunshine (and a few more) actions for you, just in case you don't have a copy.

HERE

So.. That said.. Be sure to check back tomorrow for Freebie Friday.. I"m going to be starting my tutorials on Blend Modes and the effects you can achieve with them.

Tagged!

2007-09-10T21:26:00.001-07:00

Winner first for Friday's comments: ZOI! (Manuella) How fun to see an old friend! I had no idea that you had two cuties now! Email me at info@phauntactions.com to let me know which action set you want. And let me see some pics of your cuties while you're at it! ;)

I see the Tagged thing has been going around blog world again... I got tagged a few times by various people, so I figure I better comply. Is it like those chain letters, I'll be walking down the street and be hit by a bus if I don't pass it on? :p

Okay.. so 8 random facts about me that you may not know...

1. My last name is NOT Phaunt. I actually have had a few people ask me, and I didn't even really realize that it may have been confusing. My last name is BANKS (hence the name Kylie BANKS photography). The phaunt thing came about because I have been an elephant lover for as long as I can remember, and have collected elephant statues/etc. Back when I was pregnant with Lilly I got on the "mommy boards" and needed a username. I wanted to use something having to do with elephants, but didn't think that "elephantgirl" sounded so pleasant, so I made it "sillyphaunt".. after some revisions it went down to just "phaunt". Now it's my username on most everything I sign up on. So, that's where phaunt actions gets its name.

2. I shop at a specific grocery store not because they have the best prices or selection, but because if you go shopping after 7pm they play great 90s music (Think Wilson Phillips). I love to cruise for groceries while singing " I know that there is pain, but cha, hold on for one more day... and ya, Break free from the painnnnnn..."

3. I have one tatoo, on the top of my right foot:

4. I almost died when I was 5 years old, run over by a truck. I have vague memories of right after it happened, standing up and trying to walk, seeing my aunt come out of her house and start running towards me, then passing out. I came to again in the hospital hallway, then I remember waking up when they were re-inflating my lung. That's about all. I also remember getting a bunch of cool presents and thinking that it was fun to be in the hospital!

5. My husband is a United States Marine. He joined right out of highschool (graduated in 1999). He was deployed to Iraq Jan-October 2005. Besides being a wonderful husband and father, he is also my personal hero. I couldn't explain how proud I am to be a Marine wife and support him as he serves our country.

This picture is from the day he was deployed, Jan 4th, 2005. Horrible quality (and I didn't really know how to work the camera at that point either), but it still holds a special place in my heart. That's Lilly he's holding (only 1 1/2 years old then!)

6. I secretly want to be a dancer, any type of dancer really, I love watching dancing, especially ballet, but I know I could never do it. My body is totally the wrong shape, and my coordination isn't so great either.

7. I hate talking on cell phones. If I can avoid it, I will. I only use mine to make calls when I'm out of the house and have to get ahold of someone. If I'm anywhere I can use a normal phone I do. I also lose my cell phone at least once a month, most of the time it stays lost for a week or so, or I have to get a new one (thank God for the equipment replacement policy on our cell phone bill).

8. I love the Backstreet Boys. A hold over from my highschool days I guess. I love their music, still listen to it regularly. I have all their CDs, and can't wait till they come out with something new.

So there you have it.. I fulfilled my end of the tagging. I'm going to be a rebel and not tag 8 more people, because I think most everyone has been tagged already, and I'm really too lazy to go find 8 that haven't.

Tomorrow (if I have some time), I'm hoping to make an announcement regarding elements actions, and answer some questions that keep popping up. So check back. Hope your week is starting out good! :)

Freebie Friday 9/7

2007-09-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's Freebie Friday.. and I've got our Freebie up before 12! Go me!

Today's Tutorial is a QUICK one.. I had to reign myself in and not ramble.. I tend to do that..I'm going to show you a quick way to mimic fill flash in Photoshop. We're going to start using blend modes, which are REALLY important, so hopefully you'll get a taste of what they can do, and I hope to do more on them later. So.. here's your tutorial

Go Here to view in Full Screen

After viewing the tutorial, you can download an action (doing the same thing I just showed in the tutorial) Here:

Snag it before it's Gone!

Remember, the freebie will only be up this week, so snag it while you can.

Also, remember to leave me a comment, hello, suggestion, whatever in the comments and you may win your choice of action sets (Winner will be posted on Monday, so check back then!)

Also, Some time next week I'll be announcing a couple things regarding PS Elements actions, so if you're an elements user be sure to check back then to see what's up! But remember, even if you're not using CS2 you can still use most of the tips/steps in the tutorials.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Birthday Fun!

2007-09-04T10:59:00.001-07:00

First off, the winner for Freebie Friday Comments... Monica Guerra Leiria! Thanks for the comment and sharing some of your PS knowledge! Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize :)

Now.. today is a very special day... My little Katie turns 1 today!! Of course I have to share pics.... Here's a few from her actual "birthday" (forgive the not so great quality of some of the pics.. taken with P&S)

Our beautiful Katherine Grace.. I'm amazed how quickly you've grown, it seems like just yesterday we brought you home! You remind me of your sister, but you are so unique. Your feisty and adventurous spirit, your infectious giggle and huge grin, my little naked bug who will eat anything and everything and still yell for more

Daddy's girl with beautiful blue eyes....

Happy Birthday my precious Kate, we are so fortunate to be able to have you as our little girl, I can't wait to watch you grow up!

This week I'm working on a brand new action that will be a companion to the "Sunshine in your Hand" action.. Keep a look out for it on Freebie Friday, you may get a chance to download it!

As always, if you have any questions, shoot me an email at info@phauntactions.com! Have a good day!

8/31 Freebie Friday!

2007-08-31T21:19:00.001-07:00

I know it's a bit late in the day, but here is Freebie Friday #2!!

Today is a double good Friday, you get a tutorial AND a super Freebie download!

First up, the tutorial! Last time I showed you how to texture a photo. Now I'm taking that a step further and will be showing you how to make your own grunge brushes and use them on your photos! It's a bit longer of a tutorial (I guess I tend to ramble, huh), but there's a bunch of good info in there!

Click here to go to Full Screen.

After watching the tutorial, you can go HERE to download an action that speeds up the grunging process (using the same steps I show in the tutorial), as well as a set of grunge brushes I use all the time on my own photos. It's a zipped file (includes the action and the brush set), so you'll have to unzip it to install.

Remember, the freebie will only be up this week, so snag it while you can.

Also, remember to leave me a comment, hello, suggestion, whatever in the comments and you may win your choice of action sets (Winner will be posted on Monday, so check back then!).

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Linky Day

2007-08-28T17:10:00.001-07:00

Today is Link day.... because I don't have time to do much else!

A list of great places to visit..

Photo Packaging for Photographers... Great blog with information and ideas regarding packaging your prints/services

Tara Whitney's Blog- Phenomenal Family photographer.. Very popular, and for good reason. How can you not want to hire her after reading her blog and website?

Pink Ink Studios- Great new Design resource.. Blog Mixer on Friday too!

Free Photoshop Brushes- Very great stuff!

That's it for today, sorry to post and run. We're going to try and finish the floor tonite, we'll see how that goes.

And so that you're not left without a picture (I know I always love pictures with every blog post).. Here's a random shot from a bit ago..

Happy Monday!!

2007-08-27T10:07:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Thanks for all the comments and downloads on the Freebie, I'm glad people are enjoying it. Our winner for the comments is BREEZY.. just because I LOVE your name. Email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize.

Keep your eyes peeled Friday for our next freebie (which means I better get it ready!

If you are a member of ProPs be sure to check out the group buy forum, there is a group going on right now for the actions.

Want to see what my living room floor looks like right now?

Yeah.. not so great huh? We FINALLY decided to rip up the carpet to the hardwood underneath, so Sam spent yesterday doing that (while I got to go to dinner with my photog friends, what a great guy, huh?). We're going to sand/strip and refinish it, but as of now all of the furniture is in my office (the door between the canvas of the girls and the TV. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do with the girls all day, maybe hang out in the bathroom/kitchen?

Lilly and I are having fun yelling in the room and hearing the echo though. That's the kind of dorks we are.

New tutorial coming up some time this week, I'll be showing you how to make your own grunge brushes and use them on a picture effectively. Hope your week is starting out great!

Freebie Friday Begins!

2007-08-24T21:51:00.001-07:00

Thank you everyone for the kind words on Lilly's tutorial. I told her she can only do one a week, but she already has tons of ideas for the next one. We may have to make it a regular thing, she's sure cute huh?

(Here she is eating lunch yesterday at our favorite local burger joint, Burger West)

So if you haven't figured it out yet, I love giving things away. In the spirit of that, I decided to start a Freebie Friday. I'm going to be giving away something right here on the blog every Friday. It may be an action, a texture, or maybe even a gift card. But every Friday you'll be finding something here just for phaunt action blog visitors.

The freebie will ONLY be available for a week, so once the next week's freebie is put up it will be gone. You're going to have to check back every week to make sure you snag that week's freebie.

ALSO, if you snag the freebie and leave me a comment letting me know how cool I am, how much you like the blog, a suggestion, or just to say Hi, you're in the a drawing to win a free action set. So Snag the freebie, leave a comment, and you may win! Just be sure to check back to see if you won, I'll be announcing it on the blog and you'll have to email me to claim your prize.

So.. Lets get going!! Today's freebie is a new action I've been messing around with. I got the initial idea from this month's RangeFinder Magazine. This action gives an edgy high contrast look to your photos. Here's a few examples

Thank you to Bonnie for the great example images BTW.. I get to meet up with her on Sunday for dinner (along with Tiffany Hix and Kam Taylor), how cool is that? I love hanging out with other photographers :)

Download the Action HERE!

So Snag the action and leave me a comment! Or better yet, send me an email/link to some pics using the action, I'd love to see examples!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Super Tutorial

2007-08-23T11:03:00.001-07:00

Today you all have the privilege of viewing a super special tutorial made just for phaunt actions blog viewers. This is coming from an up and coming photographer/photoshop nerd, who I know is going to take the photography world by storm (as soon as she learns how to read).

None other than Miss Lilly!

Determined to not let me be the only family member with a "wep-Site" and doing "Gutorials", Lilly has been practicing her tutorial and drawing skills. Finally, after much begging and pleading, we recorded one for her to share with everyone. So those of you who have been wanting to learn how to draw an elephant-giraffe-abstract art in Photoshop, here's the tutorial for you!

Go here to view full Screen

If you have the time, Lilly would love it if you left her a comment or suggestion for her next tutorial, she's already thinking up ideas of what she could share next time! Thanks for watching ;)

Testing 1-2-3

2007-08-22T14:44:00.001-07:00

I'm trying out Windows Live Writer for the first time, so we'll see how this goes! I may eventually switch the blog over to typepad, because I've heard great things about it, but for now I'm going to try this.

My NEW Splash page for my photography business is up! Kim at Simply Splash did a GREAT job, I'm so thrilled about it. Go check it out!!

My Coolio New Splash Page

Now I'm going to have to get a new website. I really like Blu's templates, but I've heard way too many bad reviews about their customer service. I am SUCH a stickler for good CS. My dad has owned his own company since I was little, and is VERY customer oriented, so I've seen first hand what treating your customers right can do. I remember when my dad and his partner started their company, they had to borrow money from relatives to get started, and there were times when they didn't know if they were going to make it. Now they have 7 stores in our area with 60+ employees and going strong. Even with their success, my dad will still take the time to go work on the sales floor and get to know individual customers. He has always treated EVERYONE with the same respect and consideration, no matter if they're a "big" client or not. I guess that's where I get my ideas about customer service.

Anyway, that's my ramble/soap box for the day.... so I think I'm going to go with Flash Palette instead. Any other good template companies out there that I should look at?

And I'm not bragging, but the texturing tutorial has had over 1700 views since I posted it! The action has had 500+ downloads as well. I'm a bit overwhelmed, I didn't know there were so many people viewing/linking to the blog. I guess I better start paying attention to what I say huh? :p

I've got a bunch of pictures that I've been messing around with, having fun with texturing. These are from the Malheur County Fair a few weeks ago. I'm using textures as well as some grunge techniques. Stay tuned on the blog, I'm going to be showing how to make your own grunge brushes and use them effectively on your pictures! Until next time! :)

Texturing Tutorial

2007-08-17T16:10:00.000-07:00

Click to go to Full Screen

Finally, a tutorial!! The idea for this one came from Patti, who gets a FREE full set of phaunt actions.. Congrats Patti, email me at info@phauntactions.com to claim your prize! :)

If you have an idea for a tutorial you'd like to see, leave me a comment, if I chose your tutorial suggestion you get your own set of phaunt actions for free.

This tutorial will show you how to apply textures to your images. Quick and easy! I'm going to do a tutorial next about how to create/use grunge brushes on your photos that will go along with this tutorial, so watch for that.

I'm also putting up an easy texture adding action that is simply the steps that I'm using in the tutorial, but speeds things up. The download will only be up for 7 days, so snag it now!

Snag it here!

As always, I love to hear any comments or questions, let me hear how these tutorials are working for you!

Random Post of the Week

2007-08-12T18:03:00.000-07:00

A few random things I'm thinking about today...

1. Tivo/DVR.. How did I EVER live without it? We got it a month or so ago, and I am already hooked. I LOVE not having to be watching a show at a certain time. I usually don't have "free" tv time until after the girls are in bed, so being able to watch my shows without being interupted is awesome.

I didn't used to watch anything regularly, because I never seem to have the time, but now I'm actually watching shows on a consistent basis.. It's amazing.. almost like it was pre-kids! Imagine that!

So, my DVR list, in no particular order is:

Top Chef- Love this one.. I am pulling for Casey or CJ to win this season!

The Dog Whisperer- Both Sam and I like this one. I personally love how Cesar does imitations of the dogs when he's talking.

Lets Make a Deal!- I adore Monty Hall. I only wish I lived in the 70s so that I could have been on the show. I also find it hilarious how excited and twitterpated people on the show get when they win a dishwasher!

Rescue Me- Actually Sam's show, but we usually watch it together.. I secretly have a crush on Dennis Leary

Bridezillas- Why Oh Why to I watch this show? It just makes me realize how normal my family/life is in comparison to some of these insane people out there.

What do you Tivo every week? I need a new show to watch!

2. LOVE these shoes.

We got some for Katie in Jackson Hole, WY when we were on our way home. They are adorable, not a bad price either!

3. Have you ever seen Leah's Blog? If not you're missing out.. she has some amazing shots there.

4. I love ketchup, I put it on almost everything, I have since I was little.

Thats all the randomness I have in my head right now. Back to your regularly scheduled program!

Home again, Jiggity Jig

2007-08-12T00:20:00.000-07:00

We got home last nite from the wedding, and I have so many pictures to go through, but I couldn't resist playing with this one of Lilly. She was such a great flower girl. The necklace she is wearing was my grandmother's who passed away this time last year. What a great wedding and such a wonderful time for our family.

Alicia, who was second shooting with me already has some awesome images up on her blog, check them out! I had such a great time hanging out with Alicia and shooting with her, if you're ever in the MT area and need a photographer, you'll be missing out if you don't give her a call, a great photog and a total sweetheart to boot! Thanks so much for the help Alicia!

Everyone who sent emails/purchases/questions/etc should have an answer email by now, so if you sent something to me and haven't recieved anything back yet, resend it or yell at me so I find your email!

I've got a bunch of tutorials in the works, I'm stoked about it. Just give me a few days to sort out stuff here and we'll be up and going. Hope everyone is having a good weekend! :)

This Week

2007-08-06T11:33:00.000-07:00

going to be MIA this week.....

My Little brother is getting married on Wednesday in Bozeman, MT.

(here he is with his beautiful fiance, Andrea)

So we're taking off Tues. in the AM to head there. I'm going to be shooting the wedding, but I was lucky enough to snag Alica Caine to help out with the photos, I can't wait to meet her!

Tutorials are in the works, as always. I'm actually surprised that about half of you would rather have a print screen/written tutorial. Since I'm lazy and would rather be able to just watch a video, I assumed everyone else would too! I'm going to try and keep the video tutorials for the more detailed stuff, but start doing written tutorials as well. Thank you all for the suggestions and votes, keep em coming, I'll be picking a new tutorial every week (or so) and that person will get free actions! ;)

Important: If you purchase any actions between 8/7 and 8/10, they will NOT Be emailed to you until 8/11 in the AM. I will not have access to the internet, so will not be able to mail anything out. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience! Any and all emails/questions sent during this time will be answered asap when I get back. Thanks for the understanding!

phaunt actions needs YOU!

2007-08-02T11:58:00.000-07:00

There is so many different photoshop sites out there, many with great tutorials, but I know a lot of them intimidated me, especially in the beginning, and many of them aren't really geared towards portrait/kids photography. I'm working on making tutorials that are specific for photographers and what we typically use photoshop for. I'd love to eventually build a website just for tutorials that could be a resource for photographers to learn about photoshop.

I'm obviously still in the beginning stages of learning how to make good tutorials, so I'm certainly no pro, but I do love doing them and hearing that I've helped some people figure out something in PS, it makes my day!

I really want to hear some feedback on what type of tutorials you like best.. Video or Print Screen/written? Do you like very detailed or more to the point?

I have a long list of things I'd like to do tutorials on, but wanted to get a better idea of what most people would prefer before I did them.

Also, I'd love it if people would throw out ideas on what they'd like to see tutorials on. I'd rather do ones that everyone wants. Any ideas/feedback would be awesome.

Please take the poll on the left and leave a comment about a tutorial you'd like to see. The person whose suggestion I choose will get the Whole Shebang set FREE, just for letting me know what tutorial they'd like.. you get the tutorial and the actions for free, what could be better than that?

Thanks everyone for helping me make phaunt actions a place that can be used by everyone, I really hope to make this project into something that can help the photography community grow together!

As always, if you need to contact me directly, email me at actions@kyliebanks.com or info@phauntactions.com

Thanks!

Creating a Custom Watermarking Action

2007-07-30T02:12:00.000-07:00

TO VIEW FULL SCREEN GO HERE And click on FULL SCREEN

I finally got this to work! Using a different server/hosting site.. If you want to view fullsize, be sure to click (easier to see that way).

Included.. How to make a CUSTOM watermarking action that can be used on a batch of photos or single photos, regardless of the orientation or size of the photo. Use your logo, or create a quick text watermark!

Also included, how to type around a shape layer.

Thanks everyone for bearing with me, Hopefully I've got this figured out and will be able to do it quicker from now on!

Assigning Function Keys to Actions

2007-07-27T22:27:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Super quick tutorial on how to assign a function key to an action.. I'm hoping I figured out the problem with my recording software.. Let me know if you cannot view this.. Keeping my fingers crossed!!

Okay.. It's working for me.. I'm HOPING it works. If you can view it, please let me know. I'm going to leave it up tonite and hopefully I'll have some feedback on whether it's working or not tomorrow. If so I'll get a few more up for the weekend. I'm going to be hiding some "goodies" in the tutorials (chances to win stuff), so be sure to check back and watch!

Frustration

2007-07-27T09:03:00.001-07:00

I've got 3 video tutorials sitting here waiting to be uploaded and shared, but I just can't get blip (the service I was using) to work.. If anyone has a better site to upload videos to or a good idea, let me know. I've tried Youtube, etc, but they don't let the video be larger than 400 px or so, which doesn't really work. I'm researching other options right now, so sit tight. Maybe Blip will decide to cooperate for me in th meantime.

To tide you over, here's a quick tutorial on making rounded edges on a photo :)

Posted this on another board, so thought I'd share here as well.. This is to make rounded edges on a photo.

But if you want to make rounded rectangle for individual file (size would change) you can do it quickly this way.. pick the rounded rectangle tool..

1. Pick the Path selection tool (this way you're making a selection, not an actual shape

2. Change the radius (how rounded/large your edges will be).. I use anywhere from 20-40, depending on what I want

3. Select on your photo. If you want it to be the same distance from the edge on all sides you can put guides on (Under View, and new Guide), or just freehand it if you're in a hurry.

When you get your rectangle made, right click on it and select Make selection (lfor a softer edge you can have the feather on 1 or 2 and keep anti-aliasing on, or put it at 0 and no anti aliasing for a defined edge). It will select for you.

From here, just invert the selection and cut everything off ( Press Shift+Ctrl+I and then Ctrl+x).. so it will look like this:

If you wanted to make a border you could do that easily (like 5x7 or 8x10 size)
Here's a quick white rounded frame as an example.. It's up for 7 days if anyone wants it.

Frame

Fun New Stuff

2007-07-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great day.. I finally got my Wacom Intuos3 Tablet that I ordered last week. I ripped open the box and immediately jumped into Photoshop, giddy with excitement.

I knew there would be a learning curve, but I was determined to make it work. I had visions of beautiful brushes I'd make, and the gorgeous fonts I'd create. I just knew that I'd be pumping out works of art in no time.

But my dreams were crushed when I realized that if you don't have any artistic/drawing ability IRL, you won't have any when using a tablet on the computer either. Uh yeah, really novel concept, right? But somehow that fact escaped me, and it was a bummer when I realized that since I have horrible handwriting and no drawing ability whatsoever, I probably won't be the next digital Picasso.

Just another dream shot down before it had time to fully blossom; much like my dream of becoming a famous ball dancer.. my husband keeps trying to convince me it's never going to happen, but I just know there's gotta be SOME dancing ability in me somewhere, I just need to coax it out somehow.

Anyway, after I got done crying over my lost drawing career, I'm really liking the tablet. A bit to get used to, but I can see how it will definitely be a plus when doing detailed edits.

Speaking of New and exciting things, phaunt actions is teaming up with Michele at Pinkle Toes for Photographers to be a grand opening sponsor in her new endeavor!

From the PT4P blog:

What exactly is PT4P?
PT4P (Pinkle Toes 4 Photographers) will be an ever-evolving marketing and resource website and forum for professional portrait photographers--those who are experienced and those just starting out. The ultimate goal is to become the one-stop shop where you can find tools, resources, and ideas to keep your business fresh, fun, and growing all the time.

I wanna shop! What can I get at PT4P?
PT4P will operate on a membership basis for one year from the date of the site launch. To start, this membership will get you:
- A business materials starter kit (too many to list them all, but examples include business card templates, invoices, pricing info, promo cards, etc.)
- Coordinating book, announcement, canvas, and card templates (some with matching brush sets). Design tools to help you create displays for clients.
- A set of basic proofing actions I use all the time.
- Membership to an online forum for mad marketing and photography brainstorming.

Then, throughout the year, you'll receive:
- Ideas and templates for seasonal promotions.
- Holiday promotion plans and card templates.
- Opportunities to request design materials to be distributed to the group.
- Any new action or template that I create during the year.
- And there are even more things in the works that I can't even tell you about yet!

I haven't been able to see all the goodies yet either, so I'm just as stoked as everyone else for Michele to unveil everything. Hope to see you there!

phaunt is back.. Contest results and more!

2007-07-23T11:54:00.001-07:00

Well, it's been a very stressful and harrowing last few weeks, but I am glad to say that we have made it through. Little Luke's funeral was last Thursday, and we spent a week together as a family to help and support each other and Luke's parents. While wounds are certainly not healed entirely, the process is beginning. Thank you again to everyone who has sent emails/pms/comments/prayers/support during this time. I hope that some day I can repay the kindness and generosity I have been shown.

One person/company in particular that I wanted to single out to thank specifically is Roxanne and CB at Pixel 2 Canvas. When I contacted P2C asking if it would be possible to get some large canvases for display at the funeral they immediately emailed me back and got the canvases printed and shipped. They were here within days and were breathtaking. Roxanne and CB have such a giving heart and generous spirit (they already give 5% of each order to a charity of your choice), they are a vendor that goes above and beyond. Not only do they take care of their customers on orders, but also in times of need and as a support. I can't recommend them enough, their products are fantastic, and they have the integrity to back up their company. Thanks again Roxanne and CB!

I also wanted to publicly thank everyone at ILP, ProPs, and the Beyond forums for all of the support. I feel honored to have so many online friends.

Now.. On to a few things at phaunt actions that have been neglected.

First and foremost.. Our Contest ended and a winner was chosen, but because of the events last week, she never got a proper announcement!

So, without further ado, and with a big apology and thank you for putting up with me, I'm announcing the winner.. Vicki Byerley.. with her heart tugging photograph:

Vicki wrote this about her entry:

This is my daughter and my 92 year old grandma. My grandma has fairly advanced Alzheimer's and my daughter loves helping her and taking care of her. They are best friends. My daughter is the only one my grandma recognizes 100% of the time. They also love to kiss all the time. It's so cute. I have several images of them kissing but I thought this one fit the contest a little more. I've done a few complete sessions with these two because I know the end is near for my grandma. I am so glad that I have done so. I will have these images to remember their love forever.

I don't know if it could be said better than that. Thank you Vicki for your amazing photograph, and thank you to all the finalists/entries..

Last but not least.. There is new things coming at phaunt actions..In the works soon:

-Elements Compatible actions!! I've a ton of requests that the actions be made available to elements users, and I've heard your cry! I am working on converting the actions to elements, they will be available soon! Sign up on the newsletter to be the first to know when they are available!

-New Tutorials... For anyone and everyone, help speed up your workflow and learn things about Photoshop that you never knew!

-Tutorials for phaunt actions users... Tutorials specifically made to help you use your phaunt actions to the fullest.. I'll break it down phaunt style and show you how *I* use the actions!

-Much More! There's a few more things in the works, but you'll have to check back to see!

Happy Birthday Little Luke

2007-07-16T09:05:00.001-07:00

I have posted a bit about our nephew, Luke, who was in an accident a few weeks ago. Last Wednesday, Little Luke passed away and went to be with Jesus. We mourn the loss of such a sweet child, a kid who had an amazing soul. Lucas would have celebrated his 12th birthday today, such a bittersweet day for all of us.

His memorial service is this Thursday, and we will all be able to say goodbye to him, but I wanted to post something today for those of you who have emailed prayers/support or may have been wondering.

While we are devastated and heartbroken over the loss, we also trust God that he is in control, and will guide us and carry us through this time. We know that Luke is in a better place, free from pain or sadness, and that some day we will see him again.

Luke's death, while tragic, has already helped others. His parents decided to have him be an organ donor, and we already know that his heart went to a 7 year old boy in California, while his pancreas and kidneys went to 2 adults in the CO area. His femur also went to a young girl suffering from cancer. In the future we may be able to meet the donor recipients, but just knowing that in this small part, Luke will live on and be a blessing to others, is comforting. I am also comforted in the fact that Luke's story has prompted other parents to be vigilant about having their children wear helmets while riding their bicycles. In Luke's case we don't know if wearing a helmet could have prevented this tragedy, but it certainly has made apparent the importance of making sure that your children always have their helmets on while riding bikes.

I put together a slideshow that was played at Luke's memorial service in CO and will be played at the funeral here on Thursday. If you'd like to view it, you view it here:

Slideshow

If that link doesn't work, try this one (you'll have to either save or run the slide on this one)

HERE

I only ask that you would send prayers/thoughts to Luke's parents in this sad time and hug your little ones a bit tighter today in remembrance of Luke and the awesome kid he was. He will live on in our hearts and memory, and I hope that by sharing this with everyone that he will touch other lives as well.

Thank you.

**The contest results/winner will be posted tomorrow, thank you for being patient, we have a winner and she has been notified, check back tomorrow to see!**

Interview with the Lovely and Talented Deanna Hall!

2007-07-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

Our 2nd interview here at phaunt actions.. (see our first with Jeremi Broadhurst here)..

Today we're sitting down with Deanna Hall (aka Cynnder). Lets get to it!

Name: Deanna Hall
Location: Red Deer Alberta, Canada

K: So, Deanna, How did you get into Photography?
D: I have always loved the camera…but once I started to have children, my appreciation really soared. My husband went quadding with our little point and shoot, and he rolled it into a tree, ad smashed the LCD on the back…He had to replace it. And I chose a rebel XT… (Insert evil grin here)

K: How would you describe your Style in 3 words:
D: Fresh Fun Funky

K: Your favorite Subject to Photograph:
D: just One? Hmmn this is tough…I would have to say children, I love the challenge of chasing them down, Although, I think I may have recently been bitten by the wedding bug….

K: When you need to get inspired what do you do?
D: Browse magazines, Flickr, I have a book with a bunch of cut out images in it, that I keep in a secret spot...for just this reason.

K: You have $5000 to spend on a vacation, where would you go and who would you take?
D: Hmmn… I really want to go to St Lucia… I have no idea if $5000 would even get me there? My husband of course, we just celebrated our 5th anniversary, and we haven’t been anywhere since our honeymoon!

K: Favorite Website(s) to waste time on: D: Flickr and Props

K: Favorite Photoshop Tool or tip:
D: OHHH I just learned this one!! I have recently assigned all my most regularly used action a keystroke. So I just can hit F2 (or whatever key I assign) and viola…action is done...

To do it. Click the fly out arrow on your actions tab. then go to action options...from there you can assign a key to run the action…so so so much faster!

An image from your latest Session:

K: Fave Action in the Set:
D: Sunshine in your hands! Hee hee HANDS DOWN! No wait…CHLORIX!

You can check out more of Deanna's work on her website www.deannahallphotography.com or her Blog

And be sure to keep an eye on her, I have a feeling that Deanna will be rocking the wedding photography world soon with her fun style...I won't be surprised when she's a rockstar famous wedding photographer.. and I'll be able to say I interviewed her first!

Don't forget to get your votes in for the Contest, it closes tonite! Winner will be announced tomorrow. Thanks! :)

This is your phaunt on drugs

2007-07-12T15:45:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone!! I'm back and fully medicated. It's odd, I usually respond pretty well to surgery, but for some reason my face decided to swell up like a balloon, so I look like an odd chipmunk. My husband thinks that it's pretty funny, but Lilly keeps asking me if I'm going to be stuck this way. Would it be mean if I told her I was?

I wanted to thank you all again for being patient with me. I have tried to keep up with emails/purchases, and I think I have gotten back to everyone, but if you haven't gotten an email/purchase, please email me and I'll look into it.

So, what's in the works for the next few days? Well we have an interview with the super talented and totally awesome Deanna Hall coming up tomorrow, don't miss it!

Also, the voting for the contest will be closed tomorrow at midnite, so be sure to get your votes in now!

I wanted to share a few pics from a recent newborn session. The ever popular teacup, actually requested by the mom! Yeah, it's been done before, but you can't deny how cute it is!

And one that I wanted.. I love wrapped pics, I'm still trying to perfect my wrap.. some day...

And on the freaking awesome bed.. I wanted this bedroom set.. soooo massively cool.

2007-07-11T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, I wanted to say a few things.

First off, thanks for all the votes so far for the contest, it's a close race, I think all the entries are wonderful, I can't wait to see who pulls out the winner!

Secondly, I will be unavailable all day tomorrow. I am getting 3 wisdom teeth pulled, so will be doped up and kept away from the computer. You've seen what a dork I am already, can you imagine what I'm going to be like when I'm soaring on codeine?? Any emails or purchases made from now until Thursday will be returned/sent Thursday morning/afternoon. If you have purchased actions before Wed and have yet to receive them, first check your inbox/spam box (email hasn't been liking me lately, more people finding their actions put there than normal). If you didn't recieve them, PLEASE email me and I'll look into it ASAP.

Thirdly, I have been overwhelmed by the support and prayers that have been emailed to me and communicated on different online forums for our nephew, Luke. Sadly, his situation has worsened, and they will be taking him off life support tomorrow. At this point only a miracle could make a difference, and while we hope for that, we aren't expecting it. We are coming to terms with the fact that Lucas was too sweet a soul for this world, and he's now in heaven with our savior.

I personally cannot comprehend the whole thing, I know the grief process is long and I'm just beginning it, but some things just don't seem fair. Please hug your little ones tight and remember that there is no guarantees that we have them forever, so make the most of these days you have.

I will update as I get news, but I wanted to post something for those of you who have asked/emailed. Thank you for each and every email, I have read each one, and will try to respond. If you don't get a response, please know that your support is appreciated, more than you'll ever know.

The Finalists!!

2007-07-08T22:59:00.001-07:00

This was so hard to narrow down. Seriously, every entry was just awesome, I feel so bad leaving people out, I wanted to have everyone as a finalist... I finally did pick the top 5 though, but thank you all for entering!!

Here they are, in random order.. the top 5!!

#1

#2

#3

#4

#5

Now it's up to you who wins!! The poll will be up until 7/13.. Use the poll on the left to vote. PLEASE BE HONEST and vote only once....

Contest Ended!

2007-07-07T22:56:00.000-07:00

Time's up!!

I have over 50 entries, this is going to be so tough to choose!

Be watching, I will post our 5 finalists tomorrow and the voting will begin. Someone is going to have to stop me from running a contest every week, I've been having way too much fun seeing all these great photographs, and am blown away by all the talent!

On a side note, Thank you everyone for the thoughts, comments and prayers for Luke. As of right now he is still in a deep coma. They are doing some testing over the next 24 hours to determine brain functioning, and they will proceed from there. I will update as I have information available. Please keep him and his family in your prayers, we are hoping and believing for a miracle.

Prayers needed

2007-07-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

I'd like to ask for prayers for our nephew, Luke. He is a sweet 7th grade boy, full of life and curiosity. Here he is (on the left) with his brother, Noah.

Today, while riding his bicycle, he lost control (was going down a hill) and hit a light pole. He lost consciousness, and had to be life flighted to a nearby hospital (they live in CO). As of right now he is in a deep coma, they were able to relieve pressure on his brain by opening up his skull. Now we just have to wait to see when he will regain consciousness. Many bones in his face are broken, and they're not sure what brain damage has been done.

Please keep him (and his family) in your prayers and thoughts, and if you have children, please please please have them wear their helmets when riding their bikes, you never know when they may need them.

Thank you.

Keep em Coming!

2007-07-02T16:20:00.000-07:00

I've gotten a bunch of awesome entries for the contest already, It's going to be so hard to pick a winner!

I had to share this one from Kelly Bennet. Since she's one of the moderators/owners of the Beyond forum, she's not eligible to win the prize, but she sent me the photo anyway. Now THIS is capturing life as it really is. LoL

Thanks for letting me share the photo Kelly!Check out more of Kelly's work Here

Keep the awesome entries coming, I'm LOVING seeing everyone's gorgeous families! Also, new tutorials to be coming in the next few days.. Be sure to sign up on the newsletter (on the left) to get updates on tutorials and get some deals on the actions that you can't get any other way, also be the first to know about new actions.

Killer Contest!!!

2007-06-30T10:43:00.001-07:00

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!!

Thank you!!

2007-06-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

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!!!!!

2007-06-28T02:10:00.001-07:00

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!

Sooooo Close...

2007-06-27T18:04:00.001-07:00

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!

Just Because...

2007-06-25T10:23:00.000-07:00

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

Last Hurrah

2007-06-24T19:31:00.000-07:00

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!

Another Hit and Run Post

2007-06-18T20:28:00.001-07:00

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!

Busy Week!

2007-06-12T17:02:00.000-07:00

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!

A few Updates

2007-06-10T13:50:00.000-07:00

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!

Masking Basics

2007-06-09T16:51:00.001-07:00

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

2007-06-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

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

2007-06-09T04:44:00.001-07:00

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!

A few Awesome Blogs to Check out

2007-06-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

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 ;)

The time has come..

2007-06-05T09:02:00.000-07:00

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!

Didja Know?

2007-06-04T23:39:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-06-04T10:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Creating an Action and Sharpening

2007-06-01T11:54:00.001-07:00

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.

Inspiration

2007-05-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

My mom is a collector of many things (books, journals, pens, collages) so whenever I'm in need of a good book to read, I go to her house. I was browsing her shelves recently and saw this book.

afterimage

I am a sucker for old B/W prints, so the image on the front immediatly drew me in. After starting the book, I'm hooked. The book is loosely based on the work of Julia Margaret Cameron, whom I'd admittedly never heard of before.

I have to say, I am totally inspired and in love with her work.

I'm on a quest now to read more about her (after I finish the book). Have you ever read a book/quote or seen a photograph that just invigorates you and reminds you of why you picked up this crazy hobby? I love that. Sometimes in the day to day routine of taking pictures and doing client orders, you forget about the love of photography that got you started in the first place. Things like this always bring be back full circle to where I started and remind me of the most important things.

I'd love to hear of books/quotes/photographers that inspire you... drop me a line, comment, whatever!

Here's a few quotes of hers that I loved:

Perfectionism is not a quest for the best. It is a pursuit of the worst in ourselves, the part that tells us that nothing we do will ever be good enough - that we should try harder.
Julia Margaret Cameron (1815 - 1879)

The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention.
Julia Margaret Cameron

When we are angry or depressed in our creativity, we have misplaced our power. We have allowed someone else to determine our worth, and then we are angry at being undervalued.
Julia Margaret Cameron

What a fun Day!

2007-05-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

If you didn't catch it, I was interviewed by Mai from the Pay it Forward Blog today. Although I 'd hardly put myself "on par" with the other people that have been interviewed, it was fun to pretend to be famous for a day. I'm hoping everyone enjoys the actions and remembers to Pay it Forward in your own way! If you missed the download, they're still there.. Have fun!

I'm still recovering from the camping trip, trying to get life in line again.. But I thought I'd share the link to this program:

Hello

Jeremi introduced me to the program a few months ago, and I'm hooked. It's seriously the best IM program if you're a photographer or just like to share photos. Now I just have to get all my MSN and Yahoo chat buddies to switch over!

Hey, if you download it and need a friend to add, add me! My username is (duh) phaunt.

Home!!!

2007-05-28T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! We are home from the camping trip!

Let me tell you, camping with an 8 month old is hard work... Let alone an 8 month old who JUST started crawling and is determined to eat anything and everything she can get her hands on.

We had a wonderful time, but I am all camped out. Thank GOD for toilets, showers, refrigerators, and CLEAN FLOORS (okay, so my floors aren't that clean, but they're better than dirt!).

I'll be updating soon with some pics and a new tutorial, just wanted to say hello. I'll be answering emails tonite, so just hold on a few more hours!

Also, notice anything different? Aren't you jealous of my adorable new graphic? I had it custom drawn for me. I'm so so stoked about it. I haven't figured out exactly how to upload it without it getting pixely, so it doesn't look perfect yet, but I wanted to put it up because I'm so happy about it. I'll be changing around the look of the blog soon, so don't be surprised if things move around a bit.

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Weekend Fun

2007-05-25T09:35:00.001-07:00

Okay, so the tutorial is going to be next week. I just realized that I don't have any editing software for tutorials. So unless you want to hear a bunch of "ums" and Lilly coming in to ask for juice.. I'll have to redo the tutorial. I definitely don't have a career in video productions, that's for sure!

But, to tide you over, I wanted to share a link to an AWESOME new photography blog:

Pay It Forward

The premise is: "This is a FREE only blog, no money will be made from this, everything is free for you to use for your photography buisness, but is not for RESALE. We call it pay it forward because it feels good to give it away"

How cool is that? The goodies posted there should keep you busy for the weekend, and then I promise to post something early next week. Also, keep your eyes peeled for some phauntly action on the Pay it Forward blog.... You may see an interview of yours truly! :)

Had to share this picture of Lilly... She decided that she needed a new haircut yesterday..

Pre hair cut:

After Lilly's lovely new styling

She loved her handiwork so much that she even offered to cut my hair for free! She's convinced that she is going to be a "Hair cutter girl". Watch out Paul Mitchell!!

We're headed up camping for the weekend, and I will be back to answer emails and send out actions on Monday evening. Have a GREAT weekend everyone, be safe and enjoy it!

Halfway through the Week!

2007-05-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone is having a good week! I had another tutorial in the works for today, but haven't gotten it edited yet to post, so I'll have to wait until tomorrow.

In the meantime I thought I'd post some pics thatGerri our contest winner sent me. I absolutly LOVE seeing examples of how people are using the actions. It's awesome to see how everyone uses them differently.

Here's a few that she sent me:

Thank you Gerri for letting me share your amazing photography!

Okay, I have to make a confession here... I am an infomercial junky. In the wee hours of the morning you can often find me watching cheesy infomercials and drooling over the products they are selling.

I don't know if it's the change-your-life promises they make, or just the fact that they get so darn excited about the products that make me want them. My husband think's I'm crazy, but I'm almost convinced that I NEED this:

AeroGrow Garden

I mean CMON! Plants grow in AIR and water!.. No Gardening skill NEEDED!

Someone tell me they've bought this and loved it? Please? Or at least pretend ;)

How to Load an Action into Photoshop

2007-05-21T10:39:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

The first of many (hopefully) tutorials on how to use photoshop. First up: How to Load actions into Photoshop. A bit elementary, I know, but I wanted to see if this works.. if it does there will be more to come. Even if you know how to load actions, test it out, just to hear my lovely voice ;) The tutorial will pop open in a new window so that you can actually see what is happening. If you have pop blockers turned on you might have to disable them to see it.

Enjoy!
Â

Our Grand Prize Winner!!!

2007-05-18T23:50:00.000-07:00

Well, All good things must end, right? I've had fun doing the contest this week, though. I have a few other things in mind for contests.

Our Grand prize winner is...................

Gerri Weatherbee!!!

Gerri gets the FULL set, plus an Amazon gift certificate!

I've loved giving away all these actions and hearing thoughts and comments from so many people.

So.. what's next? Well something *is* happening this week that I'm really excited about. I can't say what yet, but I can't wait to reveal it.

Also.. A few people reported having some problems with the Soul Searcher action and running it with more than one photo opened. I HAVE gotten this glitch worked out, and will be emailing all those who mentioned it to me with an updated action. But if you've had this problem, please email me (actions@kyliebanks.com) and I can send out a new Color set that will fix the problem.

Also.. if you're wanting to try out a few actions, or see some more examples of the actions in use.. be sure to visit the new flicrk group.. photos are being added daily!

http://www.flickr.com/groups/phauntactions/

Have a great weekend everyone!

Contest Day #7

2007-05-17T20:40:00.000-07:00

And today's winner is....... Cheyenne!! I have to admit, I picked Cheyenne because her website is so darn cute... Congrats Cheyenne!

For those of you who Flickr.. I've started a Flickr group to share photos editing with phaunt actions. If you've bought the actions, or even are just thinking about it.. Check it out! A great way to see the actions IN action, and find some new Flickr Friends:

phaunt actions Flickr Group!

I'll also be giving away another teaser action there.. you can only get it if you join up.. I know, I know.. I'm so stingy huh?

Last day to enter the contest.. You have until 5pm tomorrow, the winner will be posted tomorrow evening.. Don't miss out.. all the cool kids are doing it!

I had to share this pic of my two girlies....Lilly said that having a sister is better than ice cream! Who can argue with that?

Contest Day #6

2007-05-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

A bit late announcing yesterday's winner.. but our winner was CYNDI KAY! Congrats Cyndi!!

I'll be announcing Thursday's winner later today, and then tommorow will be the grand prize drawing!!

Have you checked out What the Duck?? If not, you're missing a hilarious online comic..How true is this?

Only one day to get your entries in.. Don't wait! Have a great Thursday.. the weekend is almost here!

Contest Day #5

2007-05-15T20:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday already? Our winner for today is Becky Breedlove! Congrats Becky!

I don't have much time for a long post today (we have a teething, cranky 8 month old!), but wanted to share this video.. Ahhhh the wonders of Photoshop!

(CAUTION, may not be WORK or KID safe!)
Weight Loss With Photoshop!

If only they had the liquify tool available for every day usage!

Till Tomorrow.. Only 3 days left to enter the contest, don't miss out!!

Contest Day #4

2007-05-14T21:47:00.000-07:00

Well whaddya know, I got the contest results up on the same day.. How about that? Our winner for Day #4 is...... Cindy Yen! Congrats Cindy! You get your pick of the B/W or Color Set.

A quick note.. If you have purchased ANY actions from me and have not recieved them within 24 hours, PLEASE email me. I get the sets out as soon as I get the notification, so you should be getting them in less than 24 hours. I have had a few problems with Yahoo! mail marking the emails as spam, so especially if you are using a Yahoo address, please please let me know if you haven't gotten your action. And check your SPAM folder too!

I cannot believe it's already the 15th of May.. The year is just flying by. I thought I'd share a few shots I took of Katie, my youngest (8 1/2 months old) today in our living room. She's usually pretty cooperative, but as you can see, she decided she'd had enough by the end of the shoot.

Only 3 more days of winning left, be sure to get your entries in!

Contest Day #3

2007-05-14T06:13:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Mother's Day! Our winner for day #3 is Chrissie Raysor!! Congrats Chrissie! You win your choice of the B/W or Color Workflow Set!

I'm an avid googler, and am constantly looking for new blogs and/or tutorial websites for Photoshop related questions. One of the amazing things about Photoshop is that it has a million different ways to tackle each problem, all depending on the person using the program! Just a few links that I have saved to my "Photoshop Stuff" folder are:

Scott Kelby's Blog
Photoshop Quick Tips
Brusheezy

And I promised some kind of "special" today didn't I? Well, today only, I'm offering $5 off the Whole Shebang (Color, B/W, extras). To get the deal you have to purchase by sending a paypal for the $20 to actions@kyliebanks.com. Be sure to put "Blog Contest sale" in the email so I know what it's for. This is ONLY good for today (May 14th) so better jump on it!

Happy Late Mother's Day.. have a great week! :)

Contest Day #2

2007-05-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

First off, our winner for Saturday is: Jessica Calvillo!!! Congrats Jessica! You win your choice of the color or B/W sets.

Sorry for being a bit late on the announcement, we had a long day yesterday and I forgot to post the winner. I'll make another post tonite with the winner for Sunday.

In the meantime, I'm contemplating getting this shirt:

Link Here

How big of a photoshop nerd would I be if I did? I know I'm a geek, but I wonder if I'm ready for the rest of the normal world to know?

Somehow I feel like that's just one step away from attending Star Trek conventions and dressing up as photoshop tools for Halloween. I'll keep you updated on whether I get the shirt or not. I just find it hilarious for some reason.

Keep those entries coming.. We still have 5 days left of winning to go!!

Props Group Buy

2007-05-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

For those on Props..

First Day of the Contest

2007-05-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

The first day of the contest, and we're off with a bang! I loved getting all the entries today, I felt so popular with my inbox getting new messages. If you could only see me, checking it every 10 minutes, cursing the email gods when no new messages appeared..

Our first winner, chosen at random (actually, Lilly picked the number 9 and we counted down that many emails on the current list).. The winner is.. *DRUM ROLL PLEASE* Dum Da Da Dum.....

Leah Savage!!!!

She gets her choice of either the Color or B/W actions.... and is still in the pot for the grand prize. Congrats Leah!!!!

Remember, no matter when you entered, you will be eligible for the grand prize (oh that sounds so special.. Grand prize!!), as well as the daily prizes, so just because you didn't win today doesn't mean you won't win tommorrow! But if you want to enter again just to make sure I keep getting emails, you can do that ;)

I had to include an image with this post... On this day (May 12th) 4 years ago, our little Lilly bug was born:

And here she is, blowing out the candles on her cake at her party:

My little Lilly Bug, you light up my life, I'm so lucky to have you as a daughter. Happy Birthday my beautiful girl!!

Keep those entries coming...thanks everyone for participating!

As Promised.......phaunt's Contest!!!

2007-05-10T16:58:00.000-07:00

A crazy week this week, but I've finally gotten around to posting. Our first contest/giveaway!

I thought long and hard (okay maybe not so long, but definitely hard) about what to give away, and I wanted to make it fun, but keep it simple so people get the hang of it. Besides, I just love giving things away.. ask my husband, he's always getting his Christmas and birthday presents early because I can't wait to give them to him!

So.. Here's the rules. I decided to keep our first contest simple, you don't have to do anything to win.. just enter!

To enter, you must email me at actions@kyliebanks.com with CONTEST in the subject line. You DO NOT have to have purchased any of my actions to enter.. Anyone is free to enter! The only thing you need to include in your email is your Name, where you heard of the site/actions, and a link to your blog or business website/portfolio. So.. Copy paste this into your email, fill it out, and you're ready to go:

If you're lazy like me and don't want to open up your outlook to create an email.. Use this link and fill out the form to send me an email HERE Just make sure you put contest in the subject line.

Name:
Blog/Business site:
Where you heard of phaunt Actions:

At the end of the week, one person will be chosen at random to win not only The Whole SheBang (both the color and B/w sets, plus extras), but ALSO a $20 gift certificate to Amazon.com, where you can buy anything you want! I was going to chose a photography related book, but I decided to let you decide for yourself! If the winner has already purchased the actions, you will still get the gift certificate, and will have a credit with me for any future set you want.

But WAIT.. there's more! Just for entering, I'll send you a FREE action teaser! I'm working on a NEW bleach action that I'm really excited about.. here's a few examples of what it does:

(click photos to view larger)

To really kick things off with a bang, I'm going to be giving away one of the action sets to one entrant PER DAY! So you not only get a FREE action just for entering, and a chance for the big prize, but you also could get one of the action sets! I'm choosing one entrant per day from the entire pool, so you don't need to enter every day to be eligible for the daily drawing.

So that's the skinny.. Don't just stand there, ENTER... You never know, you may win! Check back to see our daily winners.. and there MAY just be a few specials posted on the blog *hint* *hint*.. you never know :)

((The contest is starting May 11th, first single set winner will be picked Friday evening, but you can enter any time between now and then. Contest ends Thursday the 17th at midnite.. the GRAND PRIZE winner will be announced Friday, May 18th))

Our First Showcase!

2007-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

I had this super cool idea to showcase other photographers and some of their work, to see how they use the actions, and to get to know them better. Also I like to have an excuse to ask people anything I want.

So our fist victim...er.. I mean Volunteer is the uber talented Jeremi Broadhurst, from Logan, UT.

So.. we'll just envision that Jeremi and I just sat down for a cup of Starbucks.. Me with my Grande Java Chip Frappucino and a huge chocolate chip cookie (all mine!).... I'll let you listen in to our conversation..

Kylie: Sooooo Jeremi, how did you get into photography?

Jeremi: My Grandfather and my Dad were always hobbyist’s and so they had camera’s laying around. Of course my little hands found them and used up quite a bit of film. My favorite was the Polaroid since I got near instant results. Maybe that is why I am so drawn to digital. I didn’t get serious about it until after my children were born and then I wanted to capture beautiful images of them doing the things they do everyday, hence my slogan: Life….as it happens!

K: Describe your Style in 3 words:
J: Fresh
Relaxed
Real

K: What is your favorite Subject to Photograph?

J: My girls!

K :When you need to get inspired what do you do?

J: Check out other photographer’s work! I especially love going to the library to check out the old books with black and white photography in them from years ago. The images are truly timeless and emotional.

K: You have a whole day to yourself, no kids, work, or any other chores to do, what do you do?

J: Well my day wouldn’t be complete without checking my daily blogline of other photographers. I also love to read and take hot baths so you’d probably find me in a hot bath reading a novel or a photography magazine, lol.

K: What are your fave websites to waste time on?
J: Props & Lime Light Photography

K: What's your favorite Photoshop Tool or tip?
J: I seem to be good friends with the burn tool for some reason!

K: What is your favorite phaunt Action?
J: Oooh this is a tough one! I love to use the Sunshine in your hand in combination with Beastly color for the color pop! But the contrasty Whole Lotta Soul is right up my alley as well.

Links to Jeremi's Sites:

Business
Blog

Thanks Jeremi for being the first brave soul.. I hope to feature other awesome photographers periodically....

Also.. The next post WILL Feature a contest/give away of some sort, so be watching.. you don't wanna miss it..

Till next time....

Engagement

2007-05-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

I really didn't think that I'd like doing anything other than children's portraits when I started out, but I've found that engagement photos are a lot of fun. I think the fact that the subjects actually LISTEN to you and take direction well (some kids do, but lets face it, most don't!), as well as how much fun it is to see two people in love! It's fun to remember how new love feels, those giddy months before the wedding. Here's a few shots from my latest engagement shoot. We went to an awesome orchard, I wish I could take some kids there, but it's full of bees right now so I'm afraid one of them would get stung!

(CLICK PHOTOS TO SEE THEM LARGER)

We also headed to a park and took a few pics on a bridge...

Then headed downtown to get those urban/grunge/brick shots. ;)

Later this week I'll be posting our first "showcase"... with the talented Jeremi Broadhurst so be sure to check back and see her awesome images and learn a little bit about her!

Also.. I have a contest in the works.. more details to come.. :)

Awesome Product

2007-05-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

One of the BEST things I ever have done to speed up my photoshop workflow was to learn the shortcuts! PS has a ton of handy keyboard shortcuts built in that really do save you time. I think the figure was that you can shave 40% off your workflow time by using shortcuts!

This site: Editor Keys

has some awesome stickers for your keyboard that have the shortcuts on them.

I've always wanted one of the neato Photoshop keyboards, but couldn't drop $60 on one. These are on sale for only $13!

I got mine a few days ago and already have learned a bunch of new shortcuts.

See what Others are Saying!

2007-04-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

What a few people that have bought the actions had to say about them:

Check out MORE reviews (or leave one of your own) HERE

"The sunshine in my hands is a fantastic action! I find most of them add a lot of personality to the photo~Also the snap actions is great... use it in my workflow~"- EmmaS.

"The main advantage is they don’t seem to turn the skins red or yellow as I find a lot of colour ones do, but if they go a bit unnatural, it’s so easy to just ease them back with the brush set to 50%. I love the combination of “beastly colour” and “sunshine in your hand”." - Kate

"Very straight forward and great step by step instructions...The effects are customizable and don’t blow my whites. I’m so excited that you’ve created actions I can actually USE!" Donamari

"Just wanted to let you know that I love love love your actions. I have heaps and have spent a fear few dollars on actions but none have produced the skin tones that yours do.. Thank you for making this easier and achieveable J Looking forward to “more”" -Michelle T.

"Love them!...Your actions are great, and I appreciate that they aren't
through the roof expensive!"- Kelly

A few Quick Things

2007-04-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a new setup for buying the actions.. Something with a shopping cart. For now you can still use paypal (see the link on the side with more details on how to pay).

Remember, if you have any questions or problems paying or with the actions, just shoot me an email (actions@kyliebanks.com). I'm usually around and can answer pretty quickly.

Also, if you've purchased the actions and are interested in helping me test further versions/actions let me know.

Also wanted to share this email answer I got from the NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). I've been curious as to what is the best method of applying sharpness/noise reduction to RAW files in Adobe. I'm a pretty good Googler, but could never find much info on the best way to do it. I shot a quick email to NAPP and got the answer in less than 6 hours!

Hi Kylie,
There are a number of god books on the market about using the Camera Raw plug-in. But here's the nutshell:

I would suggest that you open one of your typical shots in Camera Raw, turn off the auto adjust feature (Control-U/Command-U), adjust the sliders manually (including those in the Detail tab), then use the command Save New Camera Defaults from the menu to the right of the Settings pop-up. Your images then preview and open with adjustments more appropriate for your shots.

In the Detail tab, here's what I suggest:

--Zoom in to 500% on an area of shadow.

--Drag all three sliders all the way to the left.

--Drag the Color Noise Reduction slider to the right until the red/green/blue specks disappear.

--Drag the Luminance Smoothing slider to the right until the light splotches disappear.

--Leave the Sharpness slider at zero and sharpen in Photoshop, where you have more control.

Thanks for the question & best of luck!

Pete

NAPP Help Desk

If you've looked at joining NAPP and weren't sure if it was worth it, I'd really recommend it. They have a TON Of information there, as well as discounts and forums. The pricetag isn't too bad either, just $99 for a year!

NAPP