Ready, Set, Action

I think I said in the previous post that I am now editing all of my photos on my Apple. No more freezing up in the middle, no more waiting for it to act on my commands and no more small screen. One of the advantages is now I can use "actions" on my photos. Actions are steps that are used to get the photo from one place to another. For example taking a photo from color to black & white. Someone has taken the steps used and recorded them. Then with the press of one button the steps run automatically. They are a huge time saver and easy for someone like me who doesn't want to figure out all the steps on their own.

One of my favorite blogs is Pioneer Woman. She loves photography and has many actions on her photography site free for the taking. I have loaded them in and they work. I never could get them to work on my PC. Could have been the computer, could have been user error. Well, they work now and I thought I would try them out. These are her Set One-Updated Actions.

First is the picture I decided to use SOOC, straight out of the camera. Well, kind of. I did crop it. Now you know what my pictures really look like.




As you can see it is alright. I have to say the exposure was good but it needs some pop. Here is what I would have done to the photo left to my own devices.




Actually I like it but let's see what PW can do to this picture.

Here is her action Lovely & Ethereal. Is it lovely & ethereal? You decide.




This is her vintage action. I have to say at 100% I could barely see Katie. So I turned the opacity down (yes, I know how to do that!) to 50%. I don't think this is the photo for this kind of action but it is interesting.




This is her Black & White Beauty. It is somewhat different than the way I have been converting pictures to black and white. I have a couple more black and white actions to try so I'm not sure if this is the one I will be using for day to day use.




Boost. It does exactly what it says.




This is her Quick Edge Burn. If you look you can see that the edges have been darkened. If I remember it darkened the photo more than I cared for so I lightened the it up a little. A lot of photographers burn the edges of their photos. It just isn't something that I do a lot.




Being Pioneer Woman she had to make an action called Old West. I'm not sure this is the photo to use this on. It could be interesting with the right picture.




The last one is called Define & Sharpen.




So which is your favorite? I think I like Lovely & Ethereal the best for this photo but you may like another one better. It will be interesting to see your comments. More actions to come.