A New Challenge

This picture was a challenge for me. It looks simple enough but I am so used to relying on outside actions, plugins, filters, etc. to edit my pictures such as Adobe Lightroom 4, Topaz Labs, and others, all of which I have paid for over the years. I decided I wanted to create an image completely in PSE without using anything that had to be paid for which, by the way, is how I did it for a long time when I first stared four and a half years ago. It’s makes me laugh when I think of April 2008 and how excited I was to get PSE. The only problem was I didn’t know where to start or even how to open an image much less clone or anything else!!

This image was done completely in PSE with the addition of Rita’s  Coffee Shop S-Curve Pop Action which is FREE and Shadowhouse Creations Aged Canvas Texture (ACT8) which is also FREE. In the  next week or so I will also post this same image edited with some of the above mentioned filters etc. Check back to see the differences!!

I shot this with my iPhone 4S.

Original

PostProcessed in PSE9

Workflow

1. Duplicate image and do your normal edits.

2. I ran Rita’s Coffee Shop S-Curve Pop Action.

3. I adjusted the contrast slightly with a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer.

4. I did a slight Levels Adjustment.

5. I added the Aged Canvas Texture (ACT8) and used the Soft Light Blend Mode with the Opacity at 100%.

6. I used the Dodge Tool to highlight some of the areas on the building.

7.  I created a composite layer ~  CMD + option + shift + E on a Mac or CTL + ALT + shift + E on a PC.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Enjoy!!

As always please remember if you choose to use any of the links or tutorials on this blog that you give credit to the author.

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