What Are Photoshop Actions?

If you are somebody that takes a lot of images, you are going to be very aware of Photoshop. This is one of the most popular editing software programs you can get and it can transform the style and power of your images. Of course, it can take a while to learn how to operate Photoshop. Sometimes, it can feel like it takes ages just to edit a few shots.

But, the good news is that it does not have to be this way. There is one thing, in particular, that is going to make your life a lot easier. Introducing Photoshop Actions. Simply, this is a series of editing instructions. When this operates, it is going to make changes for you. This saves you a lot of time and hassle. You can program Photoshop actions to perform whatever you want. This means that you can run the same editing task on each of your images. Think about it as a process you can create in Photoshop and it does the work for you.

What Are Their Benefits?

Why should you use Photoshop Actions? Well, this automation of tasks is going to make editing quick and fun again. You can forget the days that you spent manually editing images and it takes away hours of your life. With Photoshop Actions, you can choose the editing processes you want to take place and the program will run itself. This allows you to edit a lot of images quickly and efficiently.

There can be a lot of time and effort going into editing so any process that is going to make this easier is appreciated. For instance, you may want to do visual effects and really work on the images you have taken. So, Photoshop Actions is really going to help if you have a deadline or you are pushed for time. Alternatively, templates can help you with your projects. There are some available if you use DaVinci Resolve.

What’s more, another great thing about Photoshop Actions is that you are going to lower the risk of error. When you are editing manually and after hours of work, you can make mistakes. But, this does not happen with Photoshop Actions. Since this process is dealt with for you and in the same format, this creates consistent results. You can enjoy peace of mind when you use this and this is particularly true if you are editing a lot of important shots.

Where Do I Find Photoshop Actions?

If you want to use Photoshop Actions, you probably want to know how to get started. Well, there are a few ways you can do this. Let’s start with the menu. From here, you are going to click on ‘window’ and then ‘actions.’  There are also some other things you can try. For example, if you would prefer to use a keyboard shortcut, you can simply use Alt + F9. This is going to allow you to access Photoshop Actions. Another way is to look for the Play Button. This should be located in the toolbar on your computer.

Then, the next step is going to be choosing the action you want the program to run. All you have to do is click the right one and this is going to tick the box. For instance, you could select cast shadow, wood frame or water reflection. The next thing you have to do is select the ‘play selections’ button. This is represented by a triangle. Now, your image should be edited the way you want it to be and you do not have to do any of the hard work.

What we love about Photoshop Actions is how easy it is to get started. It only takes you a few minutes to access and you can select the editing you want. Once you have done it once, you will feel comfortable using it and creating different settings. If you have not tried Photoshop Actions yet, we recommend giving it a try. If you have a lot of photos you want to edit but do not have the time, this could be the answer you have been looking for. You do not have to manually go through all of the images and make the changes. Instead, this is going to edit the photo the way you want to.

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Photo editing helps web designers enhance the content provided by their clients to make it a perfect fit for their projects. Because humans have visual orientation, both your clients and their audiences need to wow at the photos and visual content on the website you’re designing. These seven photo editing tips will help you do that.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 1. Blurring

No matter what your client sells, blurring will be a really important tool in your photo editing journey. Knowing how to remove background noise and enhance the focal point of whatever the photo shows are paramount to both you and your client. It’s important to know how to use blurring tools. Sometimes a blur will be used to bring visual interest, sometimes, it’s to make something specific in the photo stand out. In the example below, taken from the portfolio website of the Livefront design studio, you can see how tactical blurring gives the impression of a specific store, but the focus is on the new app.

The blur allows you to give background information and feelings without detracting from the main idea. One great lesser-known tool for blurring is Canva. The web app allows you to select what type of blur you’d like to apply to your photo as well as a range of how much to blur a specific photo. This grants a good deal of control and helps you add just the right touch to your client’s website.

2. Cropping

Cropping is one of those understated yet all-important rules that every web designer should know how to use. There are two main use cases for cropping. The first Is to apply the rule of thirds, which allows you to use human psychology to present an image that is visually appealing and interesting. Design Webkit’s Max Therry notes that “Placing items of interest on the thirds of an image is more pleasing to the eye than centering or other more symmetrical approaches.” You can use the rule of thirds to help guide viewers to a specific item you want to draw attention to. Eye movement is not random. Here’s a diagram to show how to use the rule of thirds to direct a browser’s attention.

The other use case for cropping, as known and celebrated by influencers everywhere, is to simply cut out unwanted elements from your photos. Sometimes you have an unwanted photo bomber, sometimes the aspect just isn’t quite right. There are a lot of instances where a handy crop will allow you to create a better photo for your website.

3. Highlights and Shadows

Highlights are a simple and unobtrusive way to make an element pop out, while shadows add richness and depth. Playing with the color balance of an image’s highlights and shadows can be especially helpful when your client has given you a photo that maybe didn’t capture the full tonal range in a scene. In the below example from Digicam Help, you can see two versions of a photo that is too exposed and too dark, respectively.

Your eyes can detect 10000 levels of light, from complete darkness to utter light. A digital camera can only do about half of that. That’s why you’ll often get a picture that is washed out, or the subject is too dark. Luckily, many tools offer the ability to edit the highlights and shadows of a photo. One that is simple and straightforward to use is Snapseed, which is free. Google owns it, so it’s a powerful little app that gives you a lot of control in the palm of your hand. With Snapseed, you can easily fix the shadows and darkness of a photo to bring your vision to life.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 4. Pre-set Filters

No matter what kind of client you have, they will want to be consistent in their imagery and branding. This may feel like a bit of a pain, but it’s actually good news for you. Technology has become advanced enough to allow filters to move beyond the basic photo editing tools that Instagram offered to photo editing tools that are powerful enough to use professionally.

One quick way to ensure that you’re giving your clients content consistent branding is by using preset filters. These filters can be created once and then applied again and again, ensuring that all of the photos for your client’s website look and feel the same while saving you time and energy. Filtertune is one example of an app that allows you to create your own filters and browse existing filters for inspiration.

5. Saturation

Most photo editors know how important it is to increase the saturation of photos. Casual Instagrammers know that bringing saturation adds a level of intensity, warmth, and color to a photo. However, web designers know that saturation plays an important role in both directions. Sometimes adding saturation is necessary. Sometimes removing it is more important. Either way, the saturation levels of a photo affect the mood and energy the photo brings to a client’s website.

Applying saturated colors can be excellent for accents. Removing the saturation from backgrounds can help redirect focus where it should go.

Aspects of Photo Editing – 6. Color Theory

Color theory is remarkably important to web designers. Using color to evoke feelings and emotions plays a vital role in web design, whether selecting a background color or editing the photos that appear on the client’s website. There are a few examples of how to edit photos to play with color theory. The first is the most obvious – using a dominant color to tell a story. For example, you might use the color yellow to indicate warmth and happiness. A web designer can use that knowledge to add a cohesive narrative to the content a client provides.

The second is subtler, but no less important: color harmony. There are certain color combinations that are more pleasing to the human eye. As web designers know, it’s important to balance grabbing a viewer’s attention without fatiguing their eyes. Relying on color harmony to edit photos can help maximize that balance. Above, Amaury Descours of Photo Video Creative shares the same shot with two different color harmony schemes applied, exemplifying how the mood shifts as a result.

7. Remove Backgrounds

Blurring is one option to address the focus of an image. For a starker approach, every web designer should know how and when to remove the background altogether. Removing the background gives web designers more options – for example, the ability to add a new background altogether or whether to focus on the white space. White space (or negative space) in web design helps balance the different elements of a page and gives users a navigation guide for the website.

TouchRetouch is a great tool focused on background removal. It gives a lot of options, not just removing the whole background. It’s possible to remove single elements (think telephone wires and the like) or remove the background altogether.

Web Designers Who Know Aspects of Photo Editing Will Be in High Demand

Web designers understand that photos play an important role for their clients. High-quality photography matters, but it’s just the start of the intersection of art and psychology that web designers master in order to design a website their clients will love. Knowing how and when to edit the content their clients provide for the website is what separates a good web designer from a great one. Hopefully, these seven tips will be useful to bring web design to the next level.

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Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop Using Actions

Using Photoshop actions, you can easily turn any photo into a professional pencil sketch in just a few seconds. Some actions create a black and white drawing while others allow you to colorize the finished work. At the same time, they can be applied to different types of photographs, not only to portraits.

The tools will automatically apply all the necessary adjustments. All you need to do is download the Sketch Photoshop Actions Bundle and install them in the program. After that, you will get a set of settings, brushes, and patterns. 

Furthermore, the tools work with JPG and RAW files, can be installed in all versions of Ps, starting with CS3. 

Step 1. Add Actions in Photoshop

First, launch the download and note down which folder the ATN file was saved to. In the software, find the Actions panel. If it is not immediately visible in your workplace, go to the top Window tab and you will find it in the drop-down list. Alternatively, press the Alt+F9 key combination. 

In the upper right corner of the separate Actions window that just appeared, find the tiny button marked with an inverted triangle next to three horizontal lines. The drop-down menu is where you can load new actions. Recollect where that ATN file is stored and open it to start the upload. 

Step 2. Add Patterns in Photoshop

Add patterns to Photoshop if needed. To do this, select Edit – Presets – Preset Manager. In the last section, select Preset Type – Patterns and click the Load button.

Step 3. Import Brushes

To add new brushes, first select this tool as a working tool. After that click on the triangle near to the active brush image. After that, you need to select the import brushes item and specify the path to the files.

Step 4. Apply Actions to the Photo

Proceed with opening an image you were planning to alter and applying the newly added action to it. The latter action will be performed after you click on the special button at the bottom of the same window that’s shaped like a triangle on aside. 

Step 5. Adjust the Received Effect

The intensity of the effect is standardized but you can make alterations. Those can either be applied to the entire group of layers compiling that action or to the specific ones within it. If you want to work with the group, activate it by clicking the folder button it’s marked with. After that action, you can work on the proper levels of effect intensity and overall layer opacity.

Turn Photo into Sketch in Photoshop – Next Method

The next method will take more time. However, you will have absolute control over each step with the ability to adjust the necessary parameters as you’re setting them. This method allows you to have the fine pencil strokes defining the shapes as well as some smoother shading that is characteristic of a pencil drawing. In case you do not have Photoshop on your PC, we advise you to use the free online sketching photo editor which supports all the following steps of the tutorial. 

Step 1. Open a Photo and Create a Duplicate

Launch the program and open the necessary image in the workplace. You will find the “Open…”  command in the “File” tab. Start with creating a duplicate layer using the Ctrl/Cmd+J key combination.

Step 2. Create a Black & White Layer

That new layer should now be turned monochrome. To do this, use the Ctl/Cmd+Shift+U command. After that repeat the duplicating step from above for this new layer.

Step 3. Apply Inverting

For the top B&W layer, you should apply inversion by calling this action in the Adjustments section of the Image tab. It can be activated faster with the Ctrl/Cmd+I keyboard shortcut.

Step 4. Change the Blending Mode

We advise Color Dodge which is hidden under the default Normal mode, still in the window for layers. The list can be expanded by simply clicking on that name. This will turn everything white but that is the correct part of the process.

Step 5. Use Blur

Going back to the top tabs, select the Blur line of the Filter tab and click on the Gaussian mode there. Wiggle the slider around to find where you start getting those nice thin outlines. That is the main part done.

Step 6. Add Pencil Strokes

After providing you with an outline, many tutorials explaining the ways to convert photo to sketch in Photoshop stop. However, if you want to have that shading which is particular of pencil drawing techniques, group those monochrome layers by pressing Ctrl/Cmd+G while they are all selected. After that, duplicate the resulting group using the command you already know.

Step 7. Apply Blurring

Apply the Gaussian Blur to the primary layer in our freshly made group similar to the way you did it earlier. The shading can be softened or made more intense.

Step 8. Blend Layers in the Group

Working with the whole group, pick the Darken mode to blend the layers. After that, move the opacity slider to get a good effect and make one more duplicate of the group.  Now, activate the top layer in our copy, and cast Gaussian Blur over it again. Keep pulling the slider until the final shading becomes satisfactory.

Step 9. Masking the Effect

Add a black mask by holding the Alt/Option key while you’re clicking on the dedicated mask layer button. 

Now get a brush by pressing the B key, make its edges soft and make sure to paint with pure white but only at 30% of the opacity. Now you can indulge in a fun process of personally adding the shading where the program didn’t. 

Step 10. Sharpen the Pencil Strokes

This step requires a composite layer that can be generated by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E (Windows) Cmd+Option+Shift+E (Mac) while the top layer selected. 

You should blend it with the rest using the Overlay mode. 

Go to the Filter tab and within the Other sub-item find High Pass. Don’t hesitate to tweak it to obtain the most appealing effect. 

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Many Photoshop photo filters are in fact Photoshop actions. If this word means nothing to you the explanation is very simple: an action is a set of pre-recorded steps used to apply a certain effect in photo editing. What makes an action great is that if you have one you don’t need to fulfill all these steps. The action does everything instead of you on a single click. Great, isn’t it?

Photoshop photo filters are very useful not only for the beginners but also for the professionals. It is true, that being familiar with Photoshop you can easily create an action with the help of the Photoshop action panel. But the question price is your valuable time. If it is possible to save it and get the same result why should you reinvent the wheel? One more advantage of using Photoshop photo filters is that they can become a fascinating source of new ideas and to boost your creativity. This is a good reason to buy Photoshop actions, don’t you agree?

One of the most popular spheres of photography is making portraits. Most people like being photographed. A photo session quite often becomes a very special event not only for young women and children but also for serious men, business ladies, and elderly people. Photography is an awesome art which is able to change the people’s self-esteem and to make them look at themselves or at their friends or relatives from a completely different point of view. Here are some gorgeous Photoshop portrait actions which will stimulate your imagination for sure and help you in the creation of unforgettable portraits.

Coolest Photoshop Photo Filters at your Disposal

50 DISTRESSED Texture Overlays

Change the texture of your pictures by applying one of these Photoshop photo filters and enjoy the extraordinary effect. There are 50 different textures to choose from, so feel free to experiment!

GRANITE Ambient Photoshop Actions Set

If you want to add dark and dreamlike tones to your work, this set is exactly what you need. This set includes 8 Ambient Photoshop photo filters, 6 Film Grain Presets, 3 Vignette Blur Methods, and 3 Photo Sharpening Actions

20 Retro Matte Filters

Use any of the 20 quality Photoshop photo filters of this set to add a mesmerizing touch of the past to your portraits.

Digital Art – Photoshop Action

Turn your picture into a marvelous watercolor painting with a touch of this filter. There are 64 unique watercolor brushes to help you. The results will charm you for sure.

Fire Effect – Photoshop Action

This fantastic action enables you to use the main fire generating action as well as an action to change the flames. There is also a brushes pack which consists of 40 unique flames.

Space Photoshop Action

Create an intense space effect on your subject with this breathtaking Photoshop photo filter. Besides that, you have lots of layer control after the action has finished adjusting the design according to your wish.

Smoke Photoshop Action

This Photoshop photo filter adds professional smoke effects to your photos in an easy way! The action works on an area of the image you define by brushing. You also can use advanced customization possibilities: blending modes, adjustment layers, and layer masks.

Light Effect – Photoshop Action

Make your pictures look ephemeral with the help of this Light Effect Photoshop action. Besides the main generating effect you get a “Light Brushes.abr” brushes pack which consists of 36 unique light rays.

Bohemia Photoshop Actions

This set of boho-style Photoshop portrait actions is great for the creation of blog imagery, ads, and travel photography. Achieve the best results and form your own authentic style!

Pro Oil Paint Photoshop Action

Make your portraits look irresistible and realistic by applying this Pro Oil Paint Photoshop photo filter. Take into consideration that your pictures stay easy edible and you can continue playing with different effects.

HDR FX – Photoshop Action

HDR FX transforms your photos into artwork. Use this Photoshop photo filter for creating crisper pictures, change the tonality and extract details from every corner of your photo. There are 32 Color Styles which you can adjust to 3 levels Local Contrast FX and 4 Levels Sharpness to make your photos fantastically clear.

Dark Photography Photoshop Actions

This is an amazing collection of 10 professional Photoshop photo filters that can be used for portrait, nature and travel photography. They will give a touch of an adventure mood and vintage style to your work.

Duotone Photoshop Actions

This actions set includes 30 Fully editable ATN actions alongside with 5 kinds of Textures. It is incredibly easy to change colors according to your needs and taste to give your pictures a unique style.

Hope Photo Action

This striking Photoshop photo filter recreates the President Obama’s Hope poster used during his presidential campaign in 2008. This is one of the most recognizable pieces of street art of all time. Transform your portrait into such an amazing poster with one click using this action.

12 Matte Pastel Photoshop Actions

Matte Pastels is a set of film-like Photoshop photo filters inspired by the style of Masashi Wakui, a famous Japanese photographer. The set consists of 12 awesome matte pastels effects to add a touch of an enigma to your works.

“BARE” Neutral Colored Filters

Enjoy the gentle softness produced by the Photoshop photo filters of this set. There are 7 different filters to choose from. All actions are tucked in a folder for an organized look. Edit any picture effortlessly and stay creative

Peony Photoshop Action

Peony is an admirable way to give your photography rich natural toning for, fashion and fine-art. It will help to get rid of dull greens and florals you are tired of. This Photoshop portrait action is a perfect solution which will add volume and color depth.

UNIQUE Photoshop Actions

UNIQUE is a bundle of High-End Photoshop Photo Filters which guaranty you professional results and speeding up of your workflow. These 40 actions are created for portraits, fashion photography, editorial, lifestyle, and everything in between.

20 Pop Art Photoshop Actions

This wonderful set of 20 Photoshop portrait actions will provide you with beautiful Instant Pop Art. Every layer is editable, so you can tweak nearly everything. The original image will remain unchanged. Get inspired and experiment.

Reddish Pro Photoshop Action

Reddish Photoshop Action offers you a subtle film-like processing and saturated colors in the shadows. Its natural toning is ideal for portrait and fashion photography because it allows achieving Perfect fresh skin tones.

As you see, there are many stunning Photoshop photo filters which are worth your attention. Buy Photoshop actions and boost your creativity right now!

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Good authentic-looking art stock photos, which don’t make you laugh at them and which can, with your effort, become an authentic art piece, are out there. Here are some strategies for finding images that can become real art in the future.

Unconventional Approach to Art Stock Photos

They say that to make your wish come true, you need to formulate it right. The same goes for choosing pics at stock platforms! Start with the most accurate search requests and use filters. For example, Depositphotos can give you an opportunity to browse through the Best Choice, Newest Files, and files never downloaded before. Filtering, according to the narrowest topic possible, will show you only images that suit your request completely. Besides, applying the non-stocky filters, which enable excluding too trivial images, can also be very helpful for art creators. This way, you will get access to so-called less stocky art stock photos in no time.

One more thing before starting your art project is to make up your mind on the palette and colors. In most of the stock galleries, filters allow you to pick not only photo orientation but also prevailing colors, including monochrome and black-and-white images. By choosing colors that coincide with your color palette, the pictures picked will seamlessly blend into your layout.

If you decided to create an art composition, you should start by selecting several art stock photos or images as a basis for the future thing. Always choose a few ‘spare’ pictures for the project as creating something is a very unexpected process, and if any of the previously selected images don’t fit, you can always use the fall-backs.

Find the Inspiration

If you haven’t defined your topic clearly or if your muse has left you along the way, the shortest way out is to search for the ideas online. Google the most powerful stock photography trends and art tendencies. Look through the portfolios of other authors, browse art stock photos, watch movies about art and artists, visit social network profiles of some creative freaks, and more. It does not mean that you need to copy other artists’ works. The thing you should do is to draw inspiration and then develop your style.

Don’t limit yourself with the traditional rules – change the prospective, create strange objects and things, move elements, put them in the unique positions, and mix them individually. You can even combine art objects or images from different styles and epochs to emphasize their contrast or similarity. Space is not the final frontier!

Then try to imagine your audience. What people is this artwork aimed at? Who are its viewers? Moreover, consider the purpose of your project and the message you would like to convey using it. The more different target audience you can attract with your artwork, the more customers will be interested in buying it or using it. Afterward, select that tools which will facilitate achieving this goal.

Pick The Right Tools for Art Stock Photos

We all know those fantastic stories about the guys who create their genial artworks with some simple painting or even non-painting apps. However, if you chose the most appropriate and convenient tool for your work and suitable art stock photos, you are already halfway through.

One of the most well-known tools for both professionals and amateurs is Photoshop. Using it, you can easily create an image from scratch or mix as many pictures as you wish. Work with layers, apply filters, and special effects to different elements of your image, use various Photoshop brushes and overlay modes.

One more popular tool, which suits the art purpose perfectly, is GIMP. This one is free. It also has a set of instruments for color-correct, filters, masks, and layers. Although the number of tools is limited, you can still make collages, images, and even videos with the help of it.

The next contestant is the right choice for those who prefer online photo editing without downloading special apps to your PC or tablet. Crello is an online editor that enables creating beautiful images with the help of pre-defined and pre-designed layouts and templates. They are also adaptable and open to modifications. So, this tool will work for you even if you are a newbie in the world of digital art.

Other famous Photoshop analogs are Photo Pos Pro, Photoshop Online, Krira, Paint.NET, ChocoFlop, Cinepaint, Pixia, Pixen, Splashup, Picnic, and many more. Most of them are a bit less functional and powerful, then leading Photoshop and GIMP, though each of them has its unique features and tricks. So each of them is worth trying!

Unity and Harmony

The first step is to choose the main or the core image out of your bunch of art stock photos. The artwork combination starts from it. Select the picture which attracts your attention and begin to build new layers around it. If the first variant doesn’t look harmonious enough, change the location, size, and rotation of different elements. Try out adding new exclusive details, though still be moderate. Don’t overload the final art item with too many details. In the end, your artworks should form a cohesive whole.

The next stage is working out the composition. Here you will need the rules from traditional art. Probably, the most well-known of them is the rule of thirds that claims that the point of interest must lie in the intersection of the lines, which can hypothetically divide the image into three equal parts horizontally and vertically.

The golden ratio is another traditional composition rule, known due to the ancient Greeks and Leonardo da Vinci. They say that the golden ratio was applied during the building of the Parthenon and other famous Greek architectural constructions, paintings, and sculptures. The guides help align objects and develop a connection between them. One can also apply them to create a complex graphic composition.

Choosing Art Stock Photos for a Masterpiece

Picking art stock photos doesn’t have to be a complicated process. However, it requires more effort, attention, and significant consideration than just a random download. Formulate your artwork’s aim and the message you want to convey. Then choose high-quality images from a reputable stock gallery and make sure they all suit the core image. Use various filters and ways of formulating your request to select the less stocky ones.

If you implement these tips while choosing your art stock photos or images and making artworks out of them, then you’re sure to achieve your goal.

The post How to Choose Art Stock Photos One Can Turn into Artworks appeared first on DesignWebKit.

But before you decide to take that trip down memory lane, take a quick look at these common photography trends and techniques “Then and Now” to decide if you are really ready to give up that DSLR.

Color Correction and Effects

Concept photo of Adobe Photoshop workspace

Photoshop, or other post-processing software, make a color correction or adding color effects to images as easy as moving sliders in dedicated windows. Adjusting color in film processing is a complex set of steps that include using filters over-developed images to determine the exact color and strength of the cast to adjust (or add), and then adding the correct amount of chemicals in the color filtration enlarger to achieve the desired results. Usually through lots of trial and error.

In both cases, filters can be added to the front of the lens BEFORE the shot is taken to achieve the desired cast. Which means, of course, that you must own and carry the said filters at all times just in case you need them.

Dodge and Burn

Historical photographic enlarger and vintage camera, darkroom equipment, sepia tone

The process of dodging (lightening areas of a photo) or burning (darkening areas of the photo) is again easily achieved using tools from the toolbar in your favorite post-processing software.

In the film, this is done in the darkroom by covering (dodging) or exposing (burning) the area of the image to be affected for longer periods during the print paper exposure. This also means processing the image, identifying the area to adjust, and then creating the exact template to place over the print while exposing the new image.

Exposure in Photography

Speaking of exposure, this is an area today that we often find ourselves using those handy sliders in post-processing (seeing a trend here?). That is, of course, if you didn’t use the histogram display on your DSLR to correct the exposure settings in real-time.

Film cameras don’t come with a histogram. Film shooting means taking readings with a light meter and using the results to manually set shutter speed and aperture. And if you don’t get it correct in-camera, there is always the old doge and burn method described above.

Composites in Photography

Compositing elements in post-processing can be an outlet of creative thinking for so many. And while this takes more advanced post-processing skills, there really is nothing you can’t isolate, copy, overlay, duplicate, remove, or double expose in the finished image if you so choose.

In the film, you have two choices. You can double expose a frame in-camera – with little control over the resulting image, or you can learn to work in the darkroom with tiny cutouts. Basically, it is a matter of cutting out the area of an image you want in the final result, overlaying that template on the print area exposed to the area of the image to expose, and repeating with each element you want in the image – making sure that you correctly control the layering, exposure, and opacity of each object. And if you make a mistake, you start all over again.

Removing Elements

Who hasn’t learned to love Content-Aware Fill in Photoshop? Simply lasso the area to be removed, and then tweak the tool to control how to magically remove it from the image. In the film, the process of composting is done in reverse. A template of the area to remove must be produced and used to hide the element in the final print and then the inverse used to include what you want to be in its place.

White Balance in Photography

Detailed close-up of an old film strip

The correct way to control white balance today is to choose the right setting in the camera, but we don’t always remember to do that. That’s when those white balance adjustment sliders, or even that handy eyedropper control, makes adjusting white balance snap-in post-processing.

In the film, white balance is controlled by the film you use. Film rolls come in daylight balanced or tungsten balance. Using the wrong one will result in the color cast issue mentioned above. You can “trick” daylight film into looking correct by using a daylight-balanced flash for the image, or you can get really familiar with the chemical compounds used in darkroom developing.

Number of Images

Today memory cards are larger and cheaper than ever before. I carry 64GB, 128GB and even 256GB cards on every shoot. Being able to quickly switch cards when traveling, even backing up to portable hard drives and reusing cards, means never running out of capacity for capturing images.

The film comes in 24-36 shots. That’s what a roll of the film gives you. Need more than that, then carry lots, and lots, and lots of rolls of film at all times. Especially if you are taking pictures on an extended trip.

Traveling Photography

Speaking of traveling, a digital camera owner will never think about an x-ray machine. They just do not affect memory cards. Film camera owners must think about x-ray machines. X-ray machines can damage sensitive film by causing all your beautiful images to develop a fog. The airport authority will tell you that anything up to ISO 800 film should be safe going through the machine. But do you want to take the chance? The best bet is to pack (all) your rolls of film in lead-lined film bags just to be safe.

That’s not to say that going old fashioned is always a bad thing, and photography trends are out of the question. Making ourselves slow down, think about all the aspects that go into a shot, and knowing we only have a limited number of attempts to get it right can help to challenge our creativity. And quite possibly make us better photographers – no matter what type of camera we use.

Images copyright Dreamtime Stock Photos.

The post Now vs. Then – A Look at Photography Before the Digital Age appeared first on DesignWebKit.

Fortunately enough I came across PhotoWorks, which is simple and easy-to-use software that provides all the features a professional photo-editing tool provides.

Here is what I felt like after using PhotoWorks and discovering how to make an image background transparent.

PhotoWorks Review

PhotoWorks is easy-to-use software and can be downloaded free of cost for a trial version. You can get the feel of the software during the trial period and then if you are impressed with its features, can order the full version.

Is it For Everyone?

I believe there are more people out there like me who are on the lookout for professional photo-editing software that is easy to use and in web design trends. Amazingly, PhotoWorks makes it ridiculously easy for you to create images with transparent backgrounds and perform other photo-editing tasks with just a few clicks. Its simple interface and easy-to-use functions can help you become a photo-editing Pro in no time.

Functions

PhotoWorks offers a range of professional photo editing functions from color adjustments to removing blemishes and setting the tone of the image. But what truly makes it such great software is the AI-assisted editing. PhotoWorks’ AI is very powerful as it can understand your requirements and prove exquisite results thereafter.

Here are a few other features that PhotoWorks has to offer.

Simple and Minimalistic Interface

Most of the professional photo-editing software have a complex interface that is flooded with tabs and options and give a difficult-to-use feel to beginners. In comparison, PhotoWorks has a very simple interface where you can find options easily and work your way around.

Easy Photo Retouching Options Available

The AI-powered photo retouching options make it easy for anyone to use. As such, photo retouching becomes extremely easy and you can create “magic” in no time with your memorable images.

One of the most impressive features of the photo-retouching tools was the “healing brush function”. It gives you the amazing power to correct small blemishes and make your image appear perfect. Amazingly, AI picks up the background of the area and creates a wonderful “heal” as if the blemish had never existed.

Image Editing Becomes Very Easy with PhotoWorks

PhotoWorks offers all the basic and advanced photo-editing features in a simple and easy-to-use way. In addition to the basic editing features, it also offers the “change background” option that is to create wonderful transparent image backgrounds in just 3 simple steps (more on this below).

Video Tutorials Are Available For Every Function

Although the functions and features of the software are extremely easy to use, still, a video tutorial is available for you to help you out in case you don’t know the way out.

The tutorials are easy to understand and explain the PhotoWorks features in a simple and engaging manner.

Price

PhotoWorks offers a 5-day trial period after which you will have to purchase a package to use the software.

You will get a surprise to find out that PhotoWorks offers all these professional features at a much lower price than any of its competitors. Where other professional photo-editing software of the same category and functionality charge you a hefty amount, PhotoWorks is available for a mere $19.25.

Though, if you want to explore the advanced features of the software you can get the deluxe and pro versions at a slightly higher price than the standard version.

3 Packages and Their Features

The explanation of these 3 packages and their features are below:

Pros

• Offers professional features for photo-editing
• Extremely economical
• Simple and professional user interface
• Easy to use
• Quick turn-around time for scans

Cons

• MAC variant is not available as yet
• Only the 5-day trial period is available

Verdict

Keeping in view our experience with PhotoWorks we would give it a double thumbs-up for offering professional photo-editing options that are extremely easy to work through, at an extremely affordable price.

How to Make an Image Background Transparent

Making an image background transparent is perhaps the most used feature of photo-editing software. Thus, we will be comparing a few available options that you can use on your PC to edit the pictures and create images with transparent backgrounds.

Currently, there are many possible ways on how to make an image background transparent including free software like Ms. Paint and professional ones like Adobe Photoshop. Here is the review for each of these software’s background removal process, quality of results and the ease with which you can work through the software.

Using PhotoWorks

PhotoWorks offers an easy option to make image background transparent by just a few clicks and mouse drag. Amazingly the resulting snippet is of high quality and no-one can tell that the photo has been edited.

Here is how you can make an image background transparent on PhotoWorks in just 3 simple steps.

Step 1 – Select Change Background Option

Select the “tools” option from the quick bar or the dropdown menu at the top and select the change background tab from the available options.

Step 2 – Mark the Image and the Background

Next up you will have to segregate the “background” from the “objects” for AI. One can do it easily by using the green and red markers in the toolbar. The green marker is for the indication of the objects that you want to keep. And the red marker is for marking the background that has to be edited.

Step 3 – Make the Final Adjustments

Once you have finished segregating the objects from the background you will have to make small fine-tuning edits to the picture. For this, you can adjust the size of the “background” and “object” brushes and make the fine changes that might have been left over during the 2nd step. Once you have finished the fine-tuning, click the next button and you will have a transparent background image at your disposal.

Using PowerPoint

PowerPoint is another famous tool from the Microsoft Office Suite used to remove image backgrounds. The easiest way to do so is by adding the image to the slide and the option will available on the toolbar regarding the removal of the background. Although the method is easy for background image removal the results are not so great. Also, the edited image suits the PowerPoint requirements and moving it around to other platforms can become a tricky affair.

Using Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is perhaps the most popular tool by professionals to edit images. Again, Photoshop is a very powerful tool when it comes to removing the background image but it requires a considerable amount of skill level to do so. Also, you will have to purchase Photoshop license before you can use the software, which can cost you a bit.

As such, Photoshop is indeed a very powerful photo-editing tool but requires certain expertise level and a cost that makes it a professional yet not-so-easy option to use for beginners and laymen.

Using Microsoft Paint

Ms. Paint is the oldest and perhaps the easiest way to make the background image transparent. The snipping option of the software offers an easy drag-over snipping function to make the edit. Unfortunately, the result is of extremely poor quality and the blurred edges of the snipped picture along with the leftovers of the background can still be observed.

As such we observed that PhotoWorks provides extremely professional results for making an image background transparent and that too in an easy and economical manner.

Conclusion

Summing up, PhotoWorks is extremely easy-to-use software that will give you all the basic professional features of photo-editing software. Having such simple yet powerful photo-editing software at your disposal will surely turn you into a photo-editing pro.

What do you think about the PhotoWorks? Share your views and experiences here with us and let us know more about this amazing software.

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