This Blueprint was sent in by Jessica Crawford, an MCP Actions customer.  She explains below how she has saved time using our products and she shared an example of how she adds color and depth to her photos while using our products.

“I’ve been a huge fan of MCP Actions ever since I first discovered them. I use the Fusion Photoshop Actions on almost all my images. As much as I love using photoshop in my digital darkroom, as a mother of two small kids, I love finding shortcuts to make my workflow more efficient. I’ve found that with the Fusion Photoshop Actions Set, it can take me from start to finish with a click of a button and a few opacity adjustments. This set has truly improved my images by 100% and cut my editing time in half. I’d like to share this before and after shot I did and my blueprint on how I created vibrant color and add depth to a flat imagine using MCP’s photoshop actions.”

BEFORE:

 To achieve this look, I used MCP’s Fusion Set, MCP’s Eye Doctor, and MCP’s Free Photoshop action: Touch of Light and Touch of Dark.

1. Ran “Eye Doctor” to lighten the iris, enhanced the catch lights, and sharpened with sharp as a tack.
2. Ran “Fixed overexposed” under the Fusion set at 13% opacity.
3. Ran “Color Fusion Mix and Match” under the “Fusion” set and  I left “One Click Color” at its 75% default while making these adjustments:  turned off “Brighten it,” and “Spot Light It” because the image was bright enough already, raised “Richen It”  to 55% opacity, “Edge It” to 100%, and used “Sentimental” on all of the background at 45% opacity.
4. Ran “Magic Marker” and used a white soft brush at 100% and painted color over the graffiti wall. I adjusted the overall opacity to 40%.
5. Ran “Touch of Dark” at 66% opacity over parts of the track and 10% over his face and hair (I still felt like he was a little overexposed.) I used “Touch of Light” to dodge parts of the track and his clothes at 10%.
6. Ran “Golden” from the Fusion set at 5% to warm him up a bit.
7. Finished by running “High Def Sharpening” from the fusion set at 100% opacity.

AFTER:

This Blueprint was created by Jessica Crawford at Jessica Crawford Photography and Framedweddings.com is based out of Raleigh, NC, specializing in Newborns, Children, Families, Engagements and Weddings.

In a recent Facebook post, I asked photographers just like you what stops them from setting goals, and their quick responses were surprising.  It seems we all have places we want to go with our businesses, but obstacles in our way.   So, we had a great little online conversation and here is what they feel are major obstacles:

1. Don’t know how or where to start

The best way to start is just putting pen to paper, write down what you want out of your business, and revisit those goals often! There is a technical side of goal setting, but you can get to that later. Just give yourself 5 minutes and write it down!

2. Lack of confidence

Sometimes we wish we could buy confidence. I would feed it to my kids for breakfast!  Confidence comes with achieving small baby steps, so your goals are the same way, start with small goals, small achievements, and build up your ability to see yourself for what you really are!  Take a deep breath and put yourself out there a little more today than you did yesterday!

3. Thinking negatively – as in, the glass is “half empty”

Have you ever heard of a gratitude journal? It really helps you change that mind set over time! We all know that we choose our thoughts, but that doesn’t make having positive thoughts as easy as flipping a light switch.  It is a habit that changes over time.

4. I’m not good at thinking far ahead and want quick results, so I have a hard time spreading things apart

What about taking your short goals and adding them up to a year? That way you have a long term vision, but staying focused on your immediate goals will be what gets you there.

5. Not patient enough, I want the end result to be now not later

I am the same way! I have found that allowing myself small celebrations helps! I go out to dinner when I have reached a small goal, or treat myself to a pedicure. Then I work really hard to get to my goal faster…LOL!!

6. Time is also an issue…juggling a full-time job, two kids, and trying to do photography. However, I know I’m not the only one in this boat so I know it’s possible just wish I could get the energy/motivation

I know EXACTLY how you feel! I learned that you can’t chase 2 rabbits, because you won’t catch either one. But for a while it is necessary! It really is baby steps. Set small goals, and then celebrate them so it builds your confidence! Your ceilings will become your floors, and you will get there!

7. Time. I have 2 kids. One in kind that needs help before and after school and one 10 month old that needs me all the time and don’t forget the hubby who always needs something, lol

I can relate. I have 4 kids, a husband, and my dog is about to deliver puppies any hour! Haha!!   If this is important enough for you, then implementing some time management will really help you squeeze this into the nooks and crannies of your life. I have a really great podcast about that and working with kids at home, it’s all I know how to do!

8. Lack of funds!

That is the very reason to set goals!! When the pain of remaining the same is great enough, then the pain of change won’t matter! My husband is a school teacher, and I do photography to help  put food on our table, so I totally hear ya!  Just take it a day at a time, prioritize your expenses, and look for ways to do free marketing that will bring in the funds to help build your business! Social Media is a great source for that.

Thank you to the wonderful contributors to my Facebook page!  I have a couple simple goal setting tips to get you on your way, and help those obstacles turn into stepping stones.

1. Write down a specific goal with a date.  Don’t be general.
2. Create a vision in your mind of what that goal will look like when achieved.
3. Revisit that goal and vision often.  Two or three times daily.
4. Figure out your “why” and attach that to your goal.  What is it that drives you to do this?

Amy Fraughton is the founder of Photo Business Tools, an online site offering business resources for photographers through blog posts, podcasts and downloadable forms.

Are you in compliance with United States Tax Laws?  Are you even aware what to look for?  Let us help you with this informative guide.

Disclaimer:  This guide is written based on United States tax law.  Laws may vary from state to state as not all state tax laws are based on federal tax laws.  This article is meant to serve as an informational guide.  United States readers should consult with a registered tax return preparer to obtain tax and accounting advice.  International readers should consult with their local tax authority for clarification on tax laws.

Hobby vs. Business

The first important consideration when deciding how to organize your documents for tax time is: Are you a hobby or a business?  The Internal Revenue Service defines the difference by declaring a business has a “profit motive.”  The IRS allows you to make the determination for yourself. However, they will consider making the choice for you if you are claiming business deductions on your taxes and are not turning a profit in at least three of the prior five tax years.

As a photographer, when deciding whether you are running a business or have a hobby for tax purposes, ask yourself some questions.

1. Am I devoting a substantial amount of time to my work?  Occasionally photographing family functions and selling your prints may not convince the IRS you have a profit motive.
2. Am I knowledgeable enough to run a successful business?  Running a photography business does not solely revolve around knowledge of a camera and editing software.  If you are not knowledgeable about aspects of a photography business, you are less likely to pull in profit and more likely to be considered a hobby.
3. Am I improving my methods of operation so I can profit?  This is very relevant to the photography business.  Photography is always advancing.  New equipment comes out, new products come out, new styles become popular, prices change.  If you aren’t keeping up, you may be losing business to photographers that are keeping up, which may put a strain on your profit.

For further reading on hobby vs. business, refer to IRS article: http://www.irs.gov/irs/article/0,,id=186056,00.html

State Laws

State laws that cover income tax, corporate tax, and sales tax may vary depending on the state.  Some states may require photographers to withhold sales tax on prints and products only, while other states may require photographers to withhold sales tax on digital transfers.  Some states require a license for photographers to operate while others may not.  Before you file taxes for your business, make sure you are complying with your state laws.  If you have trouble understanding the laws of the state, many states have Small Business/Corporate tax hotlines that allow you to speak with someone that can explain your responsibilities. You also may wish to contact an tax attorney.

Income and Expenses

According to the U.S. Tax Code, we must report all income, unless it is specified to be nontaxable, and we are expected (and in some cases required) to take deductions for reasonable business expenses.  How do we ensure we are following these rules?  Start with keeping all receipts.  Keep a log of your jobs and the income you receive for them.  Many photographers use software to manage their income and expenses.

In all United States businesses, expenses listed on tax returns must be “ordinary and necessary.”  You must remember to separate your business expenses from your personal expenses.  You can deduct prints you order from a lab to provide a client but you cannot deduct prints you order from a lab for your personal use.  If possible, try to make business purchases and personal purchases separately.  Most business owners find it helpful to get a separate business checking account and credit card.  If you make purchases together, put a note with that receipt reminding yourself that part of the purchase was personal.

Depreciation

We are all excited when we purchase a new camera or lens or computer.  It’s something new to learn, experiment with, work with, and a big deduction for that year, right?  Not necessarily.  Any asset you purchase for your business that is expected to last more than one year is “depreciable.”  The full cost is not regularly deducted that year.  Instead, the asset is assigned a “class life” and the cost is recovered over the course of the life.

Let’s use a computer for an example.  You just bought that $1,500 computer since your old computer was not keeping up with your editing speed.  A computer has a 5-year class life.  The $1,500 is actually deducted over six years, using percentages from depreciation tables.

Does anyone really expect to own a computer for five years before the need for technology upgrades kick in?  There are different options when you are depreciating assets.  Some assets may be eligible for different types of depreciation.  Talk to a registered tax return preparer, preferably one who has experience in business, to find out the different options pertaining to depreciation.  Do keep in mind, once you begin to depreciate an asset, you may be subject to tax on selling a business asset if it is sold.

Listed Property and Maintaining Records

One tax law that is extremely important to photographers:  Photographic equipment and computers are considered “listed property” and are subject to special rules and limits.  Why?  Listed property is property that has potential to be used for business purposes and personal purposes.

If you purchase equipment that is deemed as listed property, part of your requirement in order to use it as a business expense is keeping records.  This probably does not sound like fun to anyone.  Who needs another record to keep up with?  It may prove vital if the business use of your equipment is ever questioned.

How should you maintain a record?  One simple solution is to make a spreadsheet listing all of your equipment, piece by piece, and each occasion you used any of the equipment.  Include the time you spent using the equipment and the number of shots taken.  Check off which equipment was used on that particular occasion.  For substantial proof of use, load those digital negatives on DVDs, label them, and keep them with your records.  You will be happy you did.

Business Use of Home

How many photography businesses operate out of an area in the owner’s home?  There are perks to those photographers that have opted out of renting a separate office space for their work.  If you are working out of your home, you may be entitled to claim business use of home.  This is available to renters and homeowners.

How do you know if you can claim business use of your home?  In order to have an in-home office or work area, darkroom or studio, that meets tax requirements, the office space must be used regularly and exclusively for business purposes.  You’ll need to know the square footage of your office space and the square footage of the total living area in order to determine your business use percentage.

Okay, you have a business area set up.  What can you deduct?  There are direct and indirect expenses when you have business use of home.  Direct are expenses that apply to the work space only.  Did you paint that room so your editing could be completed accurately?  If the room was the only room you painted, you have a direct expense, which is fully deductible.

Indirect expenses are expenses that applied to the entire living area.  Rent or mortgage interest may be used.  Utilities may be used.  Tenant or homeowner’s insurance may be used.  Indirect expenses are multiplied by business percentage to calculate the deductible portion.  To clarify, if your business space accounts for 15% of your total living space, you pay $1,000 a month for rent, $150 per month is deductible for each month you have the business area.

Self-Employment Taxes

Let’s look at paying taxes.  Your business made $15,000 this year after expenses.  [Note: This applies to sole proprietor photographers, not corporations.]  Now, you have a self-employment tax of $1,842.  Why do you have to pay all this additional money at the end of the year just because you are self-employed?

Self-employment tax is the employee and employer’s portions of Social Security and Medicare taxes.  When you are an employee, your employer withholds your share and pays their share of those taxes.  When you are self-employed, there is no one to withhold taxes or pay the employer’s share. It becomes your responsibility to pay the entire amount of Social Security and Medicare taxes.

How can you avoid having to pay taxes in a lump sum at the end of the year?  Make estimated tax payments.  These payments are made four times a year.  They are a convenient way of paying taxes with an income that can be flexible.  When self-employment taxes increase as a business grows, many business owners consider the benefits of incorporation.

Tax Tips Specific to Photographers

Some additional tips on expenses that might help your business:

1. Sponsor a dance group, sports team, or other organization that will put your business name out there for others.  It is an advertising expense!
2. If you pay someone to assist you for a project, the amount you pay them may be a contract labor expense.  This does not include amounts paid to regular employees.  You may be required to issue a 1099 form to any individual you pay $600 or more in one year.
3. If you pay for insurance to protect your equipment or business investment, these expenses are deductible.
4. Buying or renting a studio or office space is a business expense.
5. Attorney and accounting fees for your business are business expenses.
6. Don’t forget to keep the receipts for paper you use for contracts and business documents!  Include the costs of blank CDs for digital transfers, printer ink if you print your client’s images, postage for shipping products, and any other office related expenses you have for your business.
7. Photographers have equipment repaired and maintained!  Save those receipts.  If you don’t keep your equipment in good condition, you can’t produce income.  It’s an important expense!
8. Here is where you include your props, your spare batteries, your memory cards, your carrying bags, your backdrops, your MCP Actions, and other editing tools.
9. If you are required to have a business license, you are allowed to deduct the cost of the license.
10. Keep mileage logs while driving between business destinations.  Vehicle expenses are best supported by mileage logs.  Mileage logs should contain the date, distance, and purpose of the trip in the very least.
11. For the destination photographer, keep your receipts for the following expenses while away from home: airfare, car rentals/taxis/public transportation, meals, lodging, laundry, and business calls.
12. Self-employed retirement plans are deducted from your total income.
13. Self-employed health insurance, if you are not eligible to be covered under other health insurance policies, are deducted from your total income.
14. Education.  Photographers are always learning.  Education expenses that improve the quality of your work and incurred with a motive of increasing your profit are expenses.  Therefore, MCP’s Online Training seminars may be used as business expenses.
15. Last but not least, there are many people who receive tax advice from people that are not qualified to give tax advice.  Before relying on anyone else’s advice, check with someone that thoroughly understands tax laws that pertain to your business to keep your business safe.

An excellent guide on Small Business Federal Tax Responsibilities can be found at: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p4591.pdf.

This post was written by Ryne Galiszewski-Edwards, owner of Fall In Love With Me Today Photography. Ryne operates her photography business with her husband, Justin. She is also a seasoned tax advisor with Small Business Certification and an instructor of various tax courses.

What is Lomography?

Lomographic photography stems from the first LOMO cameras which were created in the 1980s. Lomography is characterized by vivid and often unexpected colors, along with vignetting and the occasional bout of slight blurriness. The unpredictability of LOMO cameras made them a favorite among artistic photographers, and several of the results from LOMO cameras have been exhibited at art galleries around the world. Thanks to the advent of Photoshop, it is no longer necessary to look for the right camera or for photographers to purchase multiple different cameras. Today you can achieve the lomography effect by simply using any camera and then editing the image in Photoshop. Sometimes there are even iPhone apps that achieve this look.

Special note: Photoshop Elements 8 was used in the creation of this tutorial, but all modern Photoshop programs can create this effect and will do so with virtually identical steps and wording.

Step by Step Process

1.) Upload a photo of anything into Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. The lomography technique tends to work best with photos of an artistic nature but it can be used with any photography.

2.) Click on Filter, then click on Correct Lens Distortion.

3.) In the Vignette Amount box, type a number. You can experiment with it, but for this example use -55, the click OK.

4.) Click on Enhance, then go down to Adjust Color and select Adjust Color Curves.

5.) Experiment with the four sliders. Using the sliders to create an S-curve provides the best results. Once you’re satisfied, click OK.

6.) Click on Layers and go down to New Adjustment Layer. Then select Levels and click OK.

7.) Click the Channels drop down and select Red.

8.) Fill in the first and third boxes provided. You can experiment with these numbers, but for now put 50 in the first box and 220 in the third box. Leave the middle box as it is.

9.) Next you’ll need to merge the layers, by clicking on Layers and selecting Merge Visible.

10.) Now select Enhance and go down to Unsharp Mask.

11.) Yet again, you’ll be able to experiment with the numbers that need to be populated. For this example, I selected Amount 40, Radius 40 and Threshold 0. Once you’ve entered your selections, click OK.

The Results

The image that you have now has been lomographied!  The really fun part about editing photographs in the lomography style is that you’re able to experiment with colors and vignetting a lot without compromising the feel that you’re going for. All of the numbers listed above can be tweaked by several points in both directions and the end result will still adhere to the general feel of lomography.

Have you experimented with lomography before, either via a LOMO camera or Photoshop? Leave a comment discussing your results.

April A. Taylor, the guest writer for this article, is a Dark Art/Horror and Fine Art Photographer from Detroit, MI. Her award-winning work has been published and exhibited internationally in over 100 different art galleries, magazines, books, and movies.

Are you wondering how to get creamy newborn skin and edit baby images in Photoshop? It all starts in camera with proper lighting.  Nice, diffused, even lighting will help even out skin tones. Many babies have red or yellow coloring and bumpy or textured skin.

There are a few tricks you can do in Photoshop to help even texture and tones for a creamy newborn skin.

Step 1: Duplicated the background layer and then use the Patch Tool in between the eyes and left eyelid to smooth the skin. Adjusted the layer opacity to taste.

Step 2: Used the Lasso Tool to select her hands, set a light feather 1st so there is in a jump in toning.  Then used a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer. For this image, Hue to +4 and the Saturation to -5. She still looked red all over. In a second Hue and Saturation adjustment layer, this time all over rather than just on the hands,  set the Hue to +2 and Saturation to -3. This will vary based on the image and color issues.

Step 3: Next, used MCP’s Magic Skin Action set – specifically the Powder Your Nose skin smoothing Photoshop action which is great for newborns and set the opacity to 50%.  Brushed all over her face except lips, eyelashes and hair.

Step 4: Flatten Image. Made a duplicate layer and chose MULTIPLY as my blending mode. I set the opacity to 29%.

Step 5: Made another new layer and chose SCREEN as my blending mode and set the opacity to 50%. Amounts will vary based on your image.

Step 6: Added a layer mask to the SCREEN layer and used a black brush on the green blanket to darken it back. The mask icon is the tiny circle in a square at the bottom of the layer’s palette.

Step 7: Next, used MCP’s Crackle – a Photoshop action to add mid-tone contrast in the Quickie Collection.

Step 8: Lastly, used MCP’s Free Magic Dark action at 17% opacity and darkened the edges.

Katie Hardy is the owner of Katie O Hardy Photography located in Augusta, Georgia. She specializes in studio and natural light photography. Her work is described as clean and simple.

Our 2nd MCP Project 12 theme is:

*** LOVE ***

We also have an alternate theme, if you want to do two this month or just prefer this theme: Leap

Below is my example image. Taken specifically for this theme.  I was inspired to write a little poem with it… Feeling sappy I guess.

Photo and Words by Jodi Friedman, MCP Actions

A few words about MCP Project 12:

Project 12 gives photographers the opportunity to take more photos, be creative and have fun. Hobbyist and professional photographers can join us by capturing images based on our monthly themes and share with the MCP community.

At the beginning of each month, for the next 12 months, we will introduce a theme on our blog. You will have up to a month to brainstorm, develop your ideas, and take your photos. If you prefer a weekly challenge, like Project 52, challenge yourself to use the theme in multiple ways.  You may upload up to four images per month.

To learn more details about Project 12, please visit the P12 Home Page.

Check back on the last day of February to see some featured images and get even more photo inspiration.

How to participate:

• Enter a comment on the P12 Home Page Here and let us know you will be joining in. You can participate every month or just a few.
• On each monthly Project 12 Blog post, this being the one for February, there will be a linky tool to submit your photo. Photos can be linked back to your Blog, Flickr or other photo hosting site.
• Please read the Guidelines before starting.
• You can see all photos on the blog post at the first of each month on the Linky Tools. Just click on the thumbnail images. You are welcome to leave a quick note or “like” for the photographer too, but unless they ask for critique, keep it simple.
• While you work on your images, you are welcome to post photos to the MCP Facebook Wall and ask for advice and feedback from MCP fans. Alternatively you can post to the comment section of this Blog post with your photo(s) and ask for ideas, critique, etc from participants.  The most important way to grow your photography skills is to practice, practice, practice.  Now is your chance.

<<< Learn how to add your images here. >>>

Your images will show in this grid once you upload them.

<<< Get a MCP Project 12 banner for your blog. >>>

If there is something we did not cover above or on the Project 12 Home Page, please leave a comment in the “comment section.”  If your question is personal, you can also send an email at: mcpproject12@gmail.com.

We want to thank our corporate sponsors for MCP Project 12, Tamron USA and MCP Actions.

If your company wants to take part in sponsoring MCP Project 12, please contact Jodi at jodi@mcpactions.com.

The first month of Project 12 has come to an end! It has been both a visual and psychological journey following each of the links to view each photo and read the stories behind them. There were resolutions both big and small; serious and funny and concrete and abstract; however, each one your very own, was captured in an amazing photo.

With around 400 entries, it was almost impossible to pick just a few favorites, but here are a few that caught our attention for this month’s gallery:

Look Forward, Not Backwards – Patti Johnston

Keep Practicing- Squishydoo Photography

Resolutions – Sam’s 365 Photo Challenge

Loving Time with Loved Ones – Jessica Palotas

Rocking the Half Marathon – Melanie Stofka

Be Your Inner Hero – Jennifer Mcham”

Tie These Shoes – Holly Robinson

Take More Photos – Ana. gr

Resolutions, Take Them One Step at a Time – Amber Adamson

Focus On Me, the Camera and Home – Violet May Photography

Don’t Forget to Live -Tahlia Urbinati

The Project 12 Team would like to thank everyone for participating this month.  We hope you all had as much fun interpreting this month’s theme as we did viewing the entries!

The Project 12 Team wishes you all luck in sticking to your resolutions, and hopes you will stick around to see what is in store for February!  (see you here tomorrow for the reveal of the February theme)

With all of the Facebook changes recently, it’s hard to keep up and it can cause major headaches for photographers. Facebook’s most recent change is the “Timeline.”  If you do not have it yet, you will soon.   Use our new FREE Facebook Timeline Cover Templates and you will never struggle with what to place at the top.

We’ve created seven unique, fully-customizable Photoshop Timeline Cover Templates. Photographers can use these templates to display pictures on their personal page, blog, or elsewhere on the web.

They are easy to use.  Just pick your picture(s), adjust the size and BAM! You have a timeline cover that all your friends will envy.  In addition to learning how to use them, our video tutorial teaches you how to make your own Timeline Cover Templates, using the included blank template.

Visit our website or Facebook Page to download the FREE Facebook Timeline Cover Templates and start decorating your personal Facebook Page. Have fun and make sure to share your creations on the MCP Facebook Page Wall.

* Our standard terms of use apply.  Please read these prior to downloading from our cart.
** Disclaimer: When you upload a cover to Facebook, it will not be as crisp as in Photoshop. Facebook heavily compresses all Timeline Covers, not just ours,  in an unfavorable way. If we find a way to avoid this, we will make sure to let you know.

Two Opening Template

Polaroid Style Opening Frame Template

Four Opening Film Timeline Cover Template

Nine Opening Timeline Cover Template

One Opening Plus Background Template

Three Opening Template

Speech Bubble Template - Just Add Words or a Photo

To quote the writer Stephanie Piro, “Behind every successful woman… is a substantial amount of coffee,” and I might add, a good team!

With more than 300 entries logged so far for the month of January, Project 12 at MCP Actions is well underway. Jodi has once again managed to launch a successful year long photographic journey. While you guys are busy taking fabulously creative and fun photos, there is a team of dedicated volunteers making sure that everything goes smoothly and since  you will see us lurking around on your blogs, answering questions in the comments section, problem solving those tricky links and entertaining you here on the blog, we figured we should introduce ourselves.

Meet the Project 12 Team:

 Hi, my name is Trish Harwick. I am an Apache pilot spouse, a  Mom of 4, a Speech-Pathologist, crafter and photo enthusiast. I have been learning about photography since I was a teenager, a hobby I shared with my Dad. A scrapbooker/crafter at heart; my quest to take better photos truly took off from a desire to capture and document my family’s memories with dynamic photos.

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My name is Alexandra “Allie” Miller…I’m 40y/o & married & I am originally from Colombia (South America) Grew up in Miami and have lived in FL, AZ and now Wilmington,NC. I’ve gone to school for Health Care Sciences, but my passion: Photography and I’ve been having a relationship with {IT} since I was 16 y/o. I am a self-starter & like to be around people. I want to be better at the art of Photo Capturing, I like challenges and new opportunities. Open to any ideas!

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I am a writer and photographer in Lubbock, Texas.  My favorite subjects are skies and old buildings; fortunately this part of Texas has plenty of both!  Any day I can drive around in the country taking pictures is a good day.   You can see my work at melindagreenharvey.com.

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I’m Heather Lickliter. I’m 32 years old, and I’m a photographer. I live in an apartment in Athens, GA with my fiance’ John and manx cat, Stumpy. When I’m not shooting kids at Stylized Portraiture and Fairyography, I’m stalking hummingbirds with my camera.

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I am a recent college graduate named Meghan, who moonlights as a foreign exchange analyst by day and pursues my passion of photography in my available spare time. After spending a couple of years photographing beautiful European landmarks, I moved back to rural Western New York and try to find beauty in the every day things that surround me. This tends to involve my nine-year-old Saint Bernard, my most willing subject.

Thanks for stopping by to get to know us. We look forward to a year of getting to know you through your amazing photos and stories! Here’s to a great year!

Trish

Sometimes your daytime photos fail to capture the depth and warmth that you remember seeing in person.  This amazing photo by Amanda of Sparrow Memories Photography is full of personality.  What an adorable shot. Amanda sent me her before and after and felt that while she loved the original, it needed an extra something.  Admittedly, her favorite MCP Photoshop Actions set is Fusion. She uses at least some actions from Fusion on nearly every edit.

Here are her steps for this image – the Blueprint shows how she got from the before to the after using actions in the Fusion set (which works inside Photoshop and Elements).

If you prefer your photo not quite this warm, you could definitely dial back the Magic Markers and not do the last One Click Color, but Amanda loves rich color pop and this is how she achieved it.

Thank you, Sparrow Memories, for sharing your edit with us!  MCP Fans – when you edit your photos, come share your favorites on MCP Actions Facebook Page.  Yours could be selected for a future Blueprint.