Photoshop Fun - Layers

To get the look of the top photo you have to layer a "normal" colored photo on top of a sepia layered photo. (See sidebar for the last Photoshop Fun lesson on Super Sepia.)
The amazing thing about Photoshop is that you can stack as many layers on top of one another as you like. Imagine each layer as being a transparency.
So pick a photo you like and go to Layer>Duplicate Layer> OK
Now in the Layer palette you will see two versions of the same photo. highlight one of these layers and make it sepia by hitting Control U on your keyboard. Your photo should immediately change. You can also play with the Opacity in the upper right of the Layer palette. In this manner you can decrease the intensity a bit.
I think that it gives my upper photo a nostalgic 70's feel. I put up the regular colored photo beneath it for comparison.
Have fun trying it out!

Last sign of Spring!

It's hard to believe that there is a water lily still blooming in my parents' fish pond in late September.

Sheer Joy

I love the expression on Alexi's face - it's just sheer joy from swinging his heart out! (Slides come second in his book.) Happy Monday everyone.

Photoshop Fun - Super Sepia!

This Photoshop lesson is all about converting your color photos into sepia.
First convert your color photo into black and white. Follow the instructions to the right under PHOTOSHOP FUN!
Then, here comes the easy part, hit Control U and checkmark the box that says Colorize. Your image should be automatically sepia. You can further play around with Hue, Saturation and Lightness.
As you can see in my example it gives a nostalgic air to the photo of Alexi eating the cookie he just dipped into yiayia's Greek coffee.

My little Model!

For these photos I think that Alexi knew he was being photographed and he was posing.

Lawnmower Boy

Helping to cut the grass - a chore that Alexi just loves to do.

Photoshop Fun - Black and White Conversions

Theodore looking cute and drooly as ever.
Alexi trying to show us that he isn't REALLY jealous of Theodore.

The following is for my Photoshop Geeky friends. (PS rules!)

There are a ton of ways to convert a photo into black and white but I will focus on the Lab method. (as seen in the above photos)

For this method you have to work on a flattened image.

Go to Image>Mode>Lab Color

Window>Channels

Click on the lightness channel, image should change to Black and White.

Now this sounds weird but you have to drag the "a" channel into the trash.

Go to Window>Layers again.

Then go to Image>Mode >Grayscale

Then go to Image>Mode>RGB (which means Red, Green Blue)

Do some more adjusting of your photo using levels
(Image>Adjustments>Levels) Move the sliders around until it looks good.

Write if you have any trouble doing this.

Photoshop Fun!

I'm going to add a section for Digital Photoshop people like me. It will be made up of little tidbits and hints to make cool digital photo designs.
I'm going back to the first one I gave on May 5, 2006. So click here for it or retrieve it from the PHOTOSHOP FUN sidebar to the right.

Alexi is all into putting his hands in his pockets. He's becoming a regular little man.

FLICKR

I'm starting an account on Flickr, which is a photography-based web community. I am really getting into photography more and more and would like to receive constructive criticism and feedback. I think that this forum will provide that. So click on FLICKR to your right.

This blog will continue as usual.
If anyone out there would like to comment on this blog please do so. Remember, you don't have to be a blogger to leave a comment. It's nice to see the Stat Counter go up every day but it's also nice to make contact with you.
Thanks, Eleni

Theodore actually rolled over for the first time in Alaska!
And I know what everyone is thinking - "Can his eyes be any bigger?"

In the Detroit airport.

The Alaska photos are done but I'm ending with the beginning when we were in the airport leaving for Alaska. It's a little backwards but oh well.

This is the fountain taken from above.
Ditto for this one.

Theodore was awake at this point so he got to be in the photos.

Just a scenic lookout that we stopped at. You can't beat that combination of water and mountains.

Bye bye rental van. We can't say that we'll miss you.

We also drove to Wasilla and Palmer. I love the thick forests of birch trees.
We got lucky and saw a rainbow.

The pink fireweed flowers are everywhere.Yet another bear "warning".
And my wonderful brother-in-law pretending that his wife is a bear.
(ha! ha!)

This is Alexi with his godsister, who along with her family were our very wonderful hosts during our stay in Alaska.
And here is our goddaughter with her beloved Rocky.

I really like this shot of Rocky with his owner, opps, "pet-care provider".
Rocky was awesome with Alexi as Alexi loved to feed him his breakfast. But Alexi would then continue to often feed him "nothing" thereby effectively teasing Rocky, who thankfully did not retaliate.



Yes, he is the most spoiled chihuahua in the entire state of Alaska.

Russian River Continued!

I thought that the flowers in the galoshes were a creative touch!
What a cute family photo out in nature, right in front of the Russian River.



Heading back to Anchorage in the infamous van.