Totally Rad Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets

Creating many different looks from one image.

Sometimes I get a very strong feeling about an image, that it should be cropped just so, it should be color/b&w/sepia, it should have a border effect etc. In those instances I am brave, strong, courageous and decisive. Other times I can’t make up my mind to save my life, with endless fields of possibility streaming out. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t…..oooh, that was lame. Anyway, those are the times I am content to play around with all the various and sundry toys in my box.

Totally Rad Photoshop Actions

Some of my favorite toys are Photoshop Actions and Lightroom Presets. They’re quick and easy ways to manipulate images, and if you don’t like something, just drag and drop a layer into the trash or hit the ‘undo’ button. You can also use them as a foundation and then make small adjustments to your liking.[…]

Totally Rad Black Friday Sale

24 hour record low prices for Totally Rad Actions! Nothing in the store over $109!

Totally Rad Actions Black Friday Sale

Doug Boutwell over at Totally Rad Actions is throwing an absolute BLOW OUT sale for one brief, shining 24 hour period. Nothing in the store will be more than $109, but you better put your bunny shoes on and be prepared to hop fast – the sale runs for one day only – Friday November 26, 2010 (midnight to midnight, PST.)

I LOVE Totally Rad Actions and Lightroom Presets. My ‘favorite’ Totally Rad Action of ALL TIME is Boutwell Magic Glasses, which I use on my images at least 75% of the time. Take a look at the difference it made in this image I shot for a commercial client:

Totally Rad Actions Black Friday Sale

After cropping and basic retouching I ran the Boutwell Magic Glasses action and BAM! Detail so sharp and crisp it looks practically 3D. To fully appreciate the detail click on the image below to enlarge:

Totally Rad Actions Black Friday Sale

You can read about my fantastic high flying adventure to get this shot which involved a ride in a state-of-the-art cherry picker equipped truck and blocked off traffic right in the middle of downtown on Peachtree Street.

Check out my reviews for all of Doug Boutwell’s Totally Rad Lightroom Presets:

Review: New Lightroom Presets From Totally Rad Really Deliver

Review: Totally Rad Lightroom Black & White Presets Produce Glorious Images

Review: New Totally Rad Lightroom ‘Effects’ Presets Add Visual Interest to Photographs

Review: Totally Rad Lightroom Presets Total Package

My Daughter As Marie Antoinette

Or, How to Help Your Family Time Travel

My daughter just celebrated her September birthday and I wanted to give her something very special.  She has a fascination with all things Marie Antoinette.  I have a fascination with all things ART and thought it would be a good opportunity to continue working on my digital mastery and eventual conquest of the world.  Not too mention I thought ‘J’ might enjoy BEING Marie Antoinette!  How often DOES a young, modern woman get to see herself in French court attire?

JAsMarieFinal

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The Oracle Consults Her Muse

Or, Another Step Closer to Figuring Some Crap Out

Or, Before Enlightenment, Chop Wood and Carry Water.

Or, After Enlightenment, Chop Wood and Carry Water.

This piece of artwork has kept me busy, on and off, for the better part of the past two months. I mentioned in an earlier post how much I love Maggie Taylor’s art. I’ve set about teaching myself an entire other way of doing/seeing/being. Oh dear. Hmmmm. I suppose I should also mention I have begun a new personal practice of The Dance of Shiva. Insights and breakthroughs could happen. Yeah, I know….better watch it with the airy-fairy stuff.

TheOracleConsultsHerMuse

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Black & White Conversions Using Lightroom and Photoshop – Tutorial

In the digital age, getting really stunning black & white images is often a struggle for many people.  Like anything involving either digital photography or various software applications, the field of possibilities is endless.[…]

Totally Rad Actions RULE!

Elevate Your Portraits to Art with Photoshop Actions

This post is for those of you who would like to elevate your portraits out of the mundane and into the sublime. You would like to make art, but are possibly either a tad intimidated by Photoshop or simply don’t have a million hours to devote to learning it.

In my opinion, Adobe Photoshop is quite possibly the most phenomenal software ever created. Yet even I will admit the learning curve can be so steep you actually have to lean back to take it all in. I am quite proficient at Photoshop, capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound. However, I figure if someone else has already invented the wheel, why not just buy it from them? I mean, working with all that rubber is hot and sticky. What do wheels and rubber have to do with photography and Photoshop, you wonder? Not a darned thing, unless you substitute the word ‘actions’ for wheel. Now you begin to see what I’m talking about, no? No.

Totally Rad Photoshop Actions

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