PhotoShop Vintage, Actions, and Texture

I used the directions on iheartfaces.com for getting a vintage photo, then added a few more steps.

First I added a red photofilter and dropped the opacity to my liking.  I then used the eyebright action from

Coffee Shop blog  to brighten the eyes a little.  I then added a texture from

Deviant Art and put it on overlay 20%,

flattened the image...done:)

How to make the eyes brighter in Photoshop

1. Make a duplicate layer under the layers tab.
2. Burn: move down to 10% under shadows and burn the dark part of the outside ring around the eye.
3. Dodge: the color part of the eye.
4. Select the eye and under filters hit "sharpen more" once
5. under image, go to adjustments, replace color, select the color of the eye that you want to enhance and increase the saturation.
6. Adjust opacity on the layer to your liking and flatten image.

New Softbox

I recently got a Westcott Apollo Speedlight kit softbox *throws hands in the air and starts doing the happy dance*.  I Love Love Love it!  It is easy to set up and I love how it changes the lighting on my photographs.  Here is my first attempt using the softbox...

I was using a smaller lumiquest softbox that attached directly to the speedlight, but that would create a harsh light.  I would also use my umbrella which is nice but when doing a portrait it would sometimes tend to flood the room with too much light.  So the new softbox is a great mix between my old softbox and my umbrella :)

About Me

First of all, let me say that I fully embrace the digital world of photography and the creativity it makes possible.  I eagerly embrace any tool or technique, digital or otherwise, that can contribute to achieving my artistic vision. I want to catch that expression that hopefully speaks to people.  Photography isn't just a hobby for me, it is my passion and I hope to share that with everyone I come into contact with.