Action Recipes, tips and elements secrets

A couple people have asked me about the actions/presets I have been using on my photos. As a fellow elements user, it is really difficult trying to create those "photoshopped" looks you can really only get from actual Photoshop. Well look no more my friends. Here are 2 websites that will change your life forever....

The Pioneer Woman has just released actions for Photoshop Elements this week!!! And even better, they're absolutely FREE!!!!!

I love a good hearted person-so I thought I'd share the wealth.

Look at all the crazy things you can do with these? Aren't they fabulous?

GO here. It will change your life.

Second, I also really love Coffee Shop Photography. For all of you elements users, this is also a fun, friendly way of giving your photos that edge you've been looking for. Rita is also a kind and generous soul who opts to give her photoshop actions out for FREE! Isn't life good?

Go here. This will also change your life.

As for my own recipes, this is what I do to go from bleek, to chic.

Here is a photo straight-out-of-the-camera from my most recent photo session.

Here it is again post processing. Pretty nifty huh?

For this particular photo- I first edited and retouched the face and eyes and enhanced the surrounding colors (using the vivid color brush) using coffee shop action "perfect portrait."

I then added a sun flare up in the left corner for added effect.

After that, I added coffee shop action butterscotch vintage at about 50% opacity. You can adjust the effect to taste.

Then I added Pioneer Woman Action/preset boost to give it a little pop and took the "zing" down to about 50% as well.

And that about sums it up! These presets are amazing and even better, they're free!

Enjoy!

Maternity Shoot: San Juan Capistrano Photographer

Here is my model/photography partner in crime/mother-to-be/bestest friend in the universe. She opted to let me shoot a few photos of her the other day in this stellar new location we found! So happy she is not only so willing to share her fun photo ideas with me, but also be a part of them. I love this girl. Isn't she brilliant?

I can't decide what I like better..black and white or color? What do you think?

Love you girl-you are the most beautiful pregnant lady from here to outerspace.

xoxo

Senior Pictures: Montage-Laguna Beach Photographer

Ohhhh I feel like I have been working on these photos forever for some reason. This girl just looks so stunning in so many pictures that I would sit and work on one photo and get caught up in it and I just took my dandy old time! It was so fun for me to work with this client because she is relatives with a dear friend of mine and it meant so much to have a referral from someone I care so much about. Needless to say, it was a fun photo shoot-despite the grimey fog and lack of sand, we came out pretty darn good.

Thank you for playing in the sand (and the water) with me! Hope you love them-you look stunning! xoxo

Orange County Family Photographer: Train Depot San Juan Capistrano

This family was amazing. I hardly had to do A THING! They were so fun loving and easy going, they just played together and had a great time and it was my honor to catch those moments for them. I hope I can enjoy the fun and the love that family brings like these guys do. I totally loved it.

Baby just wasn't loving sitting in the grass so mom whipped out and easy remedy! The Elmo song on her IPhone! Don't you love technology these days? He hushed right up and was happy as a clam after that! Thank heavens for Elmo :-)

He was tuckered out after that :-)

Thanks for letting me capture your family moments! I hope you love them.

Family Photography: San Juan Capistrano

These pictures get better and better every time I look at them. I keep falling in love with them when I come back and that is a great feeling. I loved photographing this family. Isn't this little man scrumptious?? Those curls, and chocolate brown eyes?? I wanted to take him home with me!

Thanks you guys! Hope you come back!

Maternity Photo Shoot: Strawberry Farms Golf Course

This photo shoot was just an absolute dream come true. This girl was SO photogenic and so personable and just made taking pictures the greatest thing in the world. Can you believe she already has 3 kids???? She looks stunning. I want to be her when I grow up.

Since she and her husband have decided to keep baby #4's gender a surprise, we mixed it up a little bit-hope you love them Stephanie! I'm totally obsessed :-)

Thanks so much for letting me capture this special time in your life! I hope the hubby enjoys them ;-)

Maternity Photo Shoot: Laguna Beach Photographer

I am still giggling to myself about this photo shoot. Everything seemed to be going wrong and I couldn't BELIEVE what a trooper this girl was being!! We had planned to go to the Montage, only to find that it was MISSING!!! I don't know what happened but the sand had dropped so far down, we had to climb down a cement mountain, cliff walk on a small slippery ledge and pray we wouldn't get washed away in the ocean tide. Needless to say, we got some beauties because of it! Isn't she lovely??

Thank you guys for being such good sports!!! I can't believe all that hiking didn't induce labor!

Good luck to you two...

all my love,

Tiffany