Some of my favorite Photoshop photo tricks

I have a crummy little camera. The only remedy for a crummy camera is to learn a few Photoshop tricks (often even that is not an adequate solution). I've been saving my pennies for a nice digital SLR for months & months. As soon as I decide exactly what I want I'll remedy the camera situation. In the meantime, I'll share some tricks.

Every picture I take in my house ends up with a yellowish tint, like this:

Here's a quick fix (using Photoshop CS2):
Click Image, adjustments, photo filter, use the drop down menu to select one of the cooling filters. You can play around with some of the other filters for a cool effect too.

Doesn't that look better?

Most of my pictures end up underexposed. I have two favorite tricks to fix that.

Trick #1

With your photo layer active, click image, adjustment, shadow/highlight. I use the slider to adjust the shadow by 20-30%, then click okay. Here's the result.

Trick #2

Duplicate the photo by right clicking the photo layer in your layer pallet. Click on the new duplicate layer, then click the drop down menu for the blending modes (this is at the top left of your layers palette). Select "screen". You can then adjust the brightness of the duplicated layer by adjusting the opacity slider (at the top right of your layers palette). After this step I usually flatten the image by right clicking either layer in the layers palette and selecting "flatten image". Here's the result.

Sometimes if I want so soften the colors in a picture, I'll do the following:
Duplicate the photo by right clicking the photo layer in your layer pallet and clicking duplicate. Next you want to desaturate this photo, which can be done several ways, but this is my favorite: click image, adjustments, channel layer. Click the little box that says monochrome. You can adjust the brightness of the black & white image by adjusting the bottom slider labeled "constant."Click okay. Back in your layers palette (at the top right), adjust the opacity of the black and white layer to let some of the colored layer show through. Sometimes I flatten the image after this step, sometimes I don't. Here's the new result.

New Job

Richard started a new job today! He's working in the department that manages the BYU-Idaho website. It's a student position, and naturally doesn't pay very well, but it will be great experience. He'll continue doing rings part time and going to school part time this semester. Then, he'll be a full time student in the fall. It's going to be an adjustment for all of us. He's worked from home for the last almost 5 years. I asked him which of us he thought might have the most difficulty adjusting. He thinks it'll be Jessica. I don't know, it might be me; especially when a new baby comes along. He's just so good with our babies!

Today

Jessica is sleeping in her big bed for the second night in a row! Yea! Success!

I'm cleaning out junk. Nesting I suppose. I like seeing my useful junk walk away and cash in my hand. BYU-Idaho starts a new semester on Tuesday. It was a good weekend for selling a used queen mattress. I should have asked a higher price.

We still can't agree on a name for the baby. Amber calls him Joe. She thinks she's so funny.

And I guess I'll quit avoiding my bed now. Good night.

piano festival

My students had piano festival today. It's always a relief when it's over. Amber participated for her 2nd time, Kate for her 1st. They both received perfect scores! I'm proud of them. Amber played in the foyer after playing for her judge. Kate was just a little too intimidated.

from the mouth of babes

I was explaining to Kate tonight that when I was a kid babies wore cloth diapers and they had to be washed out. She asked me if we spoke another language. Then she asked if that was the olden days.

Richard agreed to bathe the girls tonight, since some things are difficult to do with a prego belly. (I know, it's true love). Rich was talking to me mid-bath when a nakey Jessica approached us and clearly told us something in pure gibberish. I laughed and laughed out loud because she was so cute! Upon discovering two naked girls out of the tub and poop floating in the tub Richard accused me of laughing because I had fully understood the situation. I proclaim my innocence.

After bath time Jessica pointed out a picture of Swiper the Fox from Dora, in one of her books and said, "O man!" Again, I had to laugh. I love this stage of language acquisition. It's adorable!

Easter photos and a video too

Jessica is in the cutest stage ever! She's learning new words every day. Her latest today is "look". She's learned to spontaneously say, "I wuv you mom" and "I wuv you dad". She's a puzzle-addict. She has to get her daily puzzle-fix. She does 24 piece puzzles by herself. Her favorite lately is a 63 piece Strawberry Shortcake puzzle. She talks about the shoes, dog, cat, hat, etc. as she matches the correct pieces. She can only do about half of it by herself so far. The binkie transition went well, but she has yet to fall asleep in a big bed. We'll work through that.

Gethsemane

Happy Easter. I hope you enjoy this little clip as much as my family did. It's a great reminder of the miracle of Easter. I know Jesus Christ is our Savior, that he can save us from our sins and weaknesses and enable us to become more than we can become on our own. What happiness His message and example bring.