Action Addict

A few sneak peaks from Studio Calico's March kit. I've been  playing with the kit this week. Working on new ideas and concepts. Pulling out my hair. Staring at blank canvases. Yes, the mojo I had last weekend is already gone. Laugh. It never sticks around very long. Actually, kits require a little extra effort. I have to think outside of the box when using a kit. As you all know, I'm an embellishment addict. I love lots of product on my pages. When I'm using a kit, I'm limited to the product provided within the kit and usually it's a lot less than I'm used to having at my disposal . I think it's good exercise for me though. It pushes me creatively and encourages me to be flexible with my work. When it's all done, I have new photos and stories I get to add to my albums and new ideas to use on my own personal layouts. The March kit will be available the 28th of February. For more sneak peaks of next month's kit, head over to Studio Calico.

These last few days I've been playing around with photography and photoshop books. I want to learn more about photography. It seems to be the going trend in the industry right now. I'm doing it because I want to take better photos. It's also something that is fresh and new for me. I've owned my SLR for over a year now and I want to learn more about it. I've been researching various subjects on this matter. One biggie is exposure. I'm clueless in this arena. Lighting is one of those things that frustrates me. I don't know how to read it or use it. I also want to learn more about storage options (RAW vs. JPEG). I took a few shots in RAW today (the above photos) and played around with them in photoshop. Loved it. I'm realizing I may need a bigger memory card if I want to continue to play around with RAW. I would luv some memory card recommendations if you work in RAW (ummm...Krysten?). I also want to learn more about lenses. I don't feel I have a good grasp on this subject. There seems to be a ton of options and it  gets pretty darn overwhelming. I would love a new lens..I'm sort of craving one. One of those handy-dandy L Series Canon lenses. It's a big investment, but it's the kind of thing you use forever. I'm also wanting sharper, crisper images..L Series provides just that.

 

PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS. Did that get your attention? I think all of us are looking for convenient, quick ways to alter our photos. It seems like every  blog I visit, the photos are always beautiful. I'm inspired by the photos I see and the people who take them. I have a number of favorites blogs I visit on a regular basis (gorgeous photos), but I won't get into that just yet. What I do want to share with you though are the actions I use on a daily basis. I have quite a few. I don't have a lot of extra time to alter photos. I usually have projects waiting for me on my desk and that means I need photo's for those projects. I don't want to have to spend hours on photoshop altering photos..it's way to easy to do. I often loose track of time when I'm toying around with photoshop. So, I buy actions. Now, let me forewarn you, actions shouldn't be used "as is". You should be able to modify them. They won't always work miracles for you, but they're convenient and work well if you're careful. The above two photos were altered using a few different actions. That's another plus, you can use multiple actions on one photo (just be careful). One is a high contrast B & W and the other is a "color pop" image that I further enhanced with a color warming action. Here's where I purchased them:

• Kubota Actions - These actions are designed for photo professionals. They're some of the best and they're by far my favorite.
• MiaBella Actions - These are a lot of fun. I picked up a couple of her sets and love them.
• Itty Bitty Actions - These are by far some of the most popular actions used by scrapbookers. They're a little spendy, but you get a lot for your $.
• Actions by Brenda -New!
• Flourish Actions - I used these with Photoshop Elements and they worked really well. The website is a little hard to navigate, but the actions are pretty good.
• WordSmith - A cool blog by Joyce Smith for the photography enthusiast.

If you have actions that you use and enjoy, post your recommendation in the comment area.  A little more later! Take care everyone!

Comments

[jill]

Great sneaks! I cna't wait to get my hands on the next kit :)

I love love actions! We have a lot of the same favorites. I'm still learning the "modifying" process of using actions. That goes back to having so much to learn with using PS.

Constantly learning to take better photos :)

[Laura]

Good morning Christine. Love the photo of Ethan :). Can't wait to see the rest of your SC pages :) Like so many of us, I am also on the quest to learn more about my camera, taking better photos, photoshop... lighting you name it. So far, the most I've learned regarding my camera, exposure lighting etc has come from Karen Russell. She does some excellent and free :) teaching on her blog and she is supposed to begin online photography classes soon. She breaks things down so a slow camera learner like me "gets it". The 2nd thing I did was take a $99 online photoshop course from Ed2go.com. It was an 8 week class and I learned a TON. Very very worth it. Good luck in your endeavors.
Have a good day!!!! hugs - Laura

[mia]

morning Christine
so happy to have something to read of from you today... About photography i think i am even a step behind you and none the less i have a advice we have schools her night schools that isnt realy comunity collage etc that actully have pretty desent photo classes the meet once a week for a while and not to long perhaps you could get help with Ethan so you could go for a few weeks?

The second advice are buy a lose memory for your computer if you starts saving RAW images you computer is soon going to be filled also if you think of the risk of losing them dvd going bad or computer crash etc. today extra memories isnt that expensive i bought a brand called buffalo recomended by my husband i use it to save art work photos and back up ...

I guess you are really asking about memory card for the camera and honestly dont buy the moste expensive cause they all do break after a while at least that is what i been told.

hope you have a great day
mia

[Sarah]

Thanks for providing links and info/your insight on photography & photo actions..it's something I've been reading and thinking ALOT about lately.
The glimpses of your Studio Calico pages leave me wanting more, I gotta tell ya! ;)
~Sarah

[krysten]

Hi Christine. Well, since you asked... :)

I mainly use SanDisk 2 GB Extreme III CompactFlash Cards and typically buy then through Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007G6RZE). I use 2GB cards. Your camera and the settings you're shooting on (ISO) will determine how many images you'll fit on the card. For me, with the Nikon D200 shooting RAW compressed files, I get about 200+ on a 2GB card. This is a nice amount so that I'm not changing cards all the time, but I'm also not putting all my eggs in one basket. For you, maybe several 1GB cards may be a better fit (?). I personally like to rotate the use of my cards (when possible) – so I have a bunch on hand. Lexar is another popular brand – I just don't personally have any experience with them.

When shooting RAW, storage space definitely becomes an issue! I back-up everything on DVD and I just recently had to purchase and move things to an external hard drive. Still have plenty to learn.

One more thing when thinking about the large file sizes, the type of card reader/connection speed will make a difference in the amount of time it takes for you to transfer your images from the card to the computer.

Let me know if you have other questions – you know I love talking about this stuff!

[Ashley]

I know this has nothing to do with subject of your post and for that I am sorry but I am absolutely in love with the black and white polka dot bedspread your little guy is sitting on. Do you remember where you purchased that? I am a polka dot fanatic and would love to find something like that!

Thanks!

[Joyce Smith]

Thank you so much for mentioning WordSmith on the blog! :)

[Susan]

Christine, try totallyradactions.com. Very cool. Susan

[Melodie]

Dear Christine,
Thank you for your comment on my blog. I read your blog tonight, from this month back through December. I cried. I haven't cried in a long time (definition of "long time" is relative in the grief world). I am crying with you tonight.
You are an incredibly creative person, remarkable with the scrapbooking but maybe even more impressive with the camera.
Your son Ethan is beautiful. He is just a few months older than Reece.
I would be happy to talk or write with you any time. We are no strangers to grief, so I think we are no strangers to each other.
I have been a widow for just over a year now. It is a reluctant title that I now wear with pride of what I have been through and survived.
If I could tell myself one year ago just one thing, I would say that it will get better. It won't be every day, but you will look back from a vantage point in the not so distant future and feel the healing. I thought I had died on the inside one year ago. I thought life was an infinite ocean of pain. But I was still alive, and I am not in pain. It is amazing how much you can heal in one year. I promise. First, you will be ok, and then one day you will be happy. I promise.
Much love and respect,
Melodie in California

[Cara]

I wanted to recommend a book to you. It is called Understanding Exposure. I cannot think of the author right now (little guy hanging on my leg!!) but I am currently reading it and I love it. He gives you little assignments throughout te book to help you understand what he is teaching. The language is easy to understand as well. I am a part of some on line photography groups and this book comes highly recommended. Have a great day.

[Penny]

Thanks for the action links. Love them. I shoot RAW 100% (unless I shoot LOs, then revert to JPEG). I use ScanDisk UltraII 4.0GB. My camera is 12.3 MP, and I have it set to the highest RAW setting. I get 151 photos. I have two of the 4GBs with me at all times. I think there are larger GB disks, not sure. Hope you're having a good day!

[Natasha]

Hi Christine,

I know you can't get out much (me either with four young children) that's why I love www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com, they have online classes and have an advanced photography class starting soon. The class is called "Art that happens to be your life".