Fix-It Friday #89 | Dana Suggs’s Tutorial

This week, I had the honor of editing a photo of my oldest son, Austin! He isn’t one to do photos, but every once in awhile, I persuade bribe him into letting me do a photo shoot with him! I took him on a fun little jaunt to the neighboring little town to scout out some new places for sessions. I wanted to try somewhere I haven’t seen the entire 50-mile-radius-of-photographers using. It was an amazing area!

My problem with this photo: I was worried that I hadn’t posed him well. In my head, all I could think was that it looked like he was squatting on a potty. OK, it may just be me…..but that was my concern with the photo! Also, the reason I did not use this particular photo.

Here is the original photo:

For my first edit:

–I used Florabella’s action “Smitten” from her Luxe II collection. (Might I add that I LOVE LOVE LOVE this collection!!! Dreamy….)
–I adjusted the shadows and midtones in levels
–adjusted the colors in color balance
–reduced the yellow in hue and saturation
–cloned any blemishes (you’re welcome Austin)
–used a high pass filter
–ran unsharp mask set to 80/2/0
–then as an after thought, I made a new layer and used the dodge tool to lighten his undereye circles.

For my second edit (and definitely my favorite!):

–I used Essential Kits, Marta loves color’s “desaturated metalic feel” and loved that urban feel it gave the photo!
–I made a new layer and dodged the under eye circles
–adjusted midtones and shadows in levels
–ran a high pass filter then an unsharp mask set at 80/2/0
–I did a vertical 5×7 crop for something different
–then used MCP action “burnt edges I hi res”
–then, finally, I used a Simplicity texture (they are GENIUSES with textures!!) to give it a little more old, urban feel.
–then on a whim, I used Florabella’s overlay “scratched vintage” from her Texture II set. Lowered the opacity and erased in his face.

Then, for my last edit:

–used Florabella’s “BW film” action from her Luxe II collection
–adjusted midtones and shadows in levels to boost the contrast
–ran a high pass filter over the image
–USM at 80/2/0
–did a square crop (I am learning to be a little unconventional to what I would normally do)
–and then finally added a cement texture I found on Flickr (free to use)

I did want to add, if have lasted through this entire tutorial: I did NOT edit or adjust the eyes in ANY way! Whatever I did to the entire photo, is what was done to the eyes. I did not select them and adjust the hue or saturation, I did not sharpen them separately at all. I left them completely alone except what was done to the entire photo. I’m seeing so often, the overdoing of the eyes. If I can teach you ONE thing at all: leave them alone. Let them be natural. Don’t oversharpen them and don’t try to make them look a brighter color than what they are. Pretty please with sugar on top?

And there are my edits for this week! Thank you for following with me!

Dana-From Chaos to Grace

My photographic journey began in July in 2007 where I assumed I would purchase the expensive camera, and all my photos would be breathtaking, and I’d make a kajillion dollars. People would throw their wallets at me….I’d be famous and stuff….

I learned very quickly the error in my thinking. It meant late late nights studying all I could and practice practice PRACTICE!

I’m not the best. I’m not the worst. I am learning, and I think it’s pretty acceptable to camp out there for awhile….maybe the rest of my life. For when I have reached perfection, what more is there to do?

Dana’s Photography Facebook fanpage (Feel free to LIKE me! I’d be honored! And a little giddy….I might do a little dance of joy!)

Dana’s website: Dana’s Photography (Click on that a few times so my ratings will go up! LOL Wait…..does that work?)

Tagged as: Dana Suggs, fix-it friday