ScrapScraps.com

Christmas Freebie

2010-12-16T23:54:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Everyone!

I am really excited going into this Holiday season that I have everything, well, almost everything on my checklist done. Gifts - check! Grocery for Christmas Dinner - check! Cards for friends and relatives - check! Well, actually I still have to mail them tomorrow =)

Anyway, speaking for cards, I have posted a new freebie in my website Digital Scrapbooking 1-2-3 dot com. It is a 2011 Calendar Template for you to share with everyone.

Download Here

I hope you'll enjoy it!

I'm wishing you all a joyous Holiday Season and
a New Year of peace and happiness!

And thank you so much for keeping me company
by visiting this blog and my website this year.
You can expect more freebies, tips and tutorials in the coming year!

Thank you one and all!

How to Make Your Own Digital Scrapbooking Paper by Adding Texture

2010-11-24T05:14:00.000-08:00

can look like this...

In Photoshop, you can easily add texture to any digital paper you want to give it a bit of excitement. What is really good about this is at the end of this tutorial, you will learn how to make your very own background papers to use in your scrapbooking layouts. Read more>>

Thankful Freebie

2010-10-18T05:33:00.000-07:00

We have always been taught to count our blessings and to be always thankful for it. A lot of things sometimes happens in our lives that we might not fully understand but they actually turned out to be blessings in the end.

Here is a Thankful Kit from Digital Scrapbooking 123... enjoy and happy Thanksgiving month everyone (October for Canada and November for USA)

Download Here

Adding Texture to Photo or Paper

2010-10-06T04:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I can't believe it is just 79 sleeps before Christmas! Whew... where did time go?

Anyway, I would just like to share with you a new tutorial from Digital Scrapbooking 1-2-3 on how to add texture to your photos and papers. Click here to see the tutorial.

Painted in Glitters Freebie

2010-09-30T06:43:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! I would like to share with you the latest freebie that I have made...

Painted in Glitters

Download freebie here.

Happy Thursday to all!

Digital Scrapbooking 1-2-3 Freebies!

2010-09-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

After weeks and weeks of sleepless nights, my efforts have finally paid off...

Everyone, I would like to present to you... DigitalScrapbooking123.com! This site features loads of freebies, tutorials, tips and scrapbooking ideas.

I have always dreamed of putting up a site which will be helpful to my fellow digiscrappers and I couldn't have been happier with this.

And below is one of our featured freebie in the site:

Download it here.

Happy scrapping everyone!

Layout Ideas

2010-09-28T04:55:00.000-07:00

Was there ever a time that coming up with a creative layout for your scrapbooking page becomes a HUGE challenge? Why not check out the 40++ layout ideas collection from DigitalScrapbooking123.com and hopefully you will be able to find your next inspiration for your upcoming projects.

Layout Idea Samples:

An Update + Upcoming Freebie Alert

2010-09-10T04:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a very very very busy week for me since I have been putting together something extra special for all of you... actually, there are two things I am excited about. The first one, is quite a huge project for me in which you will know in a couple of weeks... yehey!

The second one, has something to do with my ever growing online family. I promised myself before that when I get to 100 followers (totaling of both Networked Blogs and Google Friend Connect), I will be giving away HUGE kit... woohooo!

Happy scrapping everyone!

HOW TO: put your text in a shape

2010-08-31T03:57:00.001-07:00

Putting your text or journaling in a shape is one way to add more drama or artistry to your digital layout. Here's how:

1. In Photoshop, choose Custom Shape Tool. On your upper screen, you will see that there is a drop down menu that will let you choose from the different shapes available.

2. Choose a shape. Draw the shape by clicking and dragging your cursor across your working area. (Tip: Set the fill to 0%)

3. Go to Paths, then click 'Load Path as a Selection'. Then click 'Make Work Path from Selection'.

4. Using the Horizontal Type Tool, click within the shape where you want your text to start.

5. After you have entered your text, it would look something like this. (Tip: Make sure you delete your Shape layer).

That's all for now folks! Make sure to check out my freebie featuring this tutorial.

Happy scrappin'!

Scrap Wrap Template No. 2 Freebie

2010-08-31T03:57:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday to all of you!

I want to start off this post by greeting one of my closest friend since my university days, Sheryl... Happy Birthday She! You are one of the most brilliant and honest woman I have ever met and I am glad to be one of your closest friend.

And so, as this is a special day, I am giving away this Scrap Wrap Template No. 2. The papers and elements used here are from my freebie kit DREAM.

Here is my sample layout:

Click here to download.

And also, don't forget to check out my latest tutorial HOW TO: put your text in a shape.

Happy scrappin'!

Tables, Lights and Such + Freebie

2010-08-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Ever since we transfered to our new place, I have been meaning to upgrade some of our old and "retire-able" furniture to give our new place a nice and cozy ambiance. I realized that you don't need to knock down walls or do some costly renovations in the house in order to achieve a classic, modern or contemporary look that you want.

In order to make my vision for our new place a reality, there are three things on top of my list that I need to purchase. The first one is a glass top dining table. Out of all the types of dining tables that I have seen so far, nothing comes close to the glass top dining table when it comes to giving your place a nice, homey and elegant look. And since we have a small dining space, it is advisable that we get a dining table with just the right size and with a glass top to make the space look more spacious rather than cramped up.

Number two on my list is a round coffee table. We need a multi-purpose round coffee table that not only stores away magazines but also expands when needed. As we all know, if you are living in the city, every inch should count and every furniture should have a dual purpose.

And what is a house without a classic lighting? And so, the third one is a plug in chandelier! I think that how you bring light your house is an essential part of redecorating. A change of lighting can change how the room will be perceived. Why chandeliers? For me, chandelier is classic and never goes out of style. It makes the room more dramatic, more romantic and even more magical.

Oh, I am so excited with all these redecorating plans that I have made a mini kit called Home for all you Digi-scrappers out there...

Enjoy!

Click here to download.

PICNIK: a fun way to edit and share photos in a flash

2010-08-25T23:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who knew me, I am a self-confessed, die-hard fan of Adobe Photoshop almost all my life. From photo editing to scrapbooking -- I do everything with Photoshop and I definitely can't imagine living my life without it. But with the advent of the social networking (such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and etc.) when things are shared faster than the speed of light, I had to reevaluate my strategy on how I edit and share my photos online. And then, luckily, I have stumbled upon PICNIK.

To those who are wondering what "PICNIK" is, well, it is a free online editing image program (which means no downloading!) offering many of useful tools to improve picture quality and a number of effects to stylize photographs and images while integrating with a lot of the post popular photo-sharing and social networking sites on the internet, including Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, Photobucket and others.

Picnik is quick, simple and easy to use. It allows you to edit your images in a number of ways. You can crop, rotate, resize, edit exposure, edit colors, sharpen, fix red eye, and auto fix. You can even do collages, scrapbook pages and add some shadowed text or journaling. It has a lot of cool photo editing effects too such as whitening of teeth, removal of blemishes and insta-thin! Some of the even cooler effects includes shine-be-gone, air-brush, wrinkle remover, tan, blush, mascara, highlights, eye and lip color changer (and many more) comes with a price for as low as $2.08/month.

But on the down side, because this program is web-based, the speed of editing your photos will depend on how fast your internet connection is. Although nothing can still replace Adobe Photoshop when it comes to its features and capabilities, I would still highly recommend Picnik for beginners and for those people who don't have the time to learn complicated photo editing programs. Picnik has a very straight forward and user-friendly interface that anyone can use and enjoy. This is definitely worth the try.

Picnik has a lot more to offer and if you want to know more about it, click here.

Happy photo editing!!!

HOW TO: make one color stand out in your black & white photos

2010-08-23T04:30:00.000-07:00

This is probably one of my most favorite trick in editing photos. Not only that it makes an object in your photo stand out; but also, it usually raises curiosity among your friends with them saying, "how did you do that?" Actually, this tutorial was requested by my SIL, Kate, who has been my huge inspiration to start blogging again and so I dedicate this to her.

Making one color stand out in your black and white photos is easier than you think it is. Here is the preview of what we are going to do.

1. Open your COLORED photo in photoshop.

2. Duplicate the original layer.

3. Select the duplicated layer, then click Image > Adjustments > Desaturate. This will turn your duplicated layer into black and white.

4. On this picture, I would only like the red in the Canadian flag to stand out. And so, on the black and white duplicated layer, I would select ONLY the area within the flag. You can do this by selecting the PEN tool. Then click on the corners of the flag or on the areas where you want the color to be visible (this may sometimes take a lot of clicking depending on the object you want to select). Zoom into your photo if you must to get the precise area that you want.

5. Once you are done selecting, a shape layer would appear.

6. Go to PATHS (if you don't see this, go to Window then select Paths).With your shape vector mask selected, click on the "Load Path as a Selection" (see below). Then you would notice that your selected area looks like it has been surrounded by marching ants.

7. Go back to LAYERS tab. Delete the Shape layer.

8. Go to Select > Feather. Set feather radius to 5. Then hit delete.

And viola!

For more samples, please check out my post: RED

Thanks for droppin' by and have a good week ahead!!!

A FREEBIE: dream, dream, dream

2010-08-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

Every great dream begins with a dreamer.

Always remember,

you have within you the strength,

the patience,

and the passion to reach for the stars

to change the world.

- Harriet Tubman

All my life, I have always been a dreamer. Whether big or small, I never cease to dream. One thing I really like about dreaming is it gives you a purpose everyday to work on your goal. And everyday, it takes you closer to it.

This freebie that I have just put together is the biggest freebie that I have ever done to date (with 14 12x12 Textured .JPG Papers & 20 .PNG Elements); and this is for all the dreamers out there who never stops dreaming and working on their goals.

Have a good week ahead everyone!

Includes:

14 (12 x 12 in) Textured Papers JPG 300dpi
1 - Dreamland Mask
1 - Sleep Mask
1 - As I Lay Down to Sleep Wordart
1 - Bedtime Stories Wordart
1 - Good Night, Moon Wordart
1 - Good Night Kiss Wordart
1 - Hushhhhh Wordart
3 - Laces
1 - Glittery Moon
1 - Glittery 3-Stars Element
2 - Glittery Star (Gold & Silver)
2 - Groups of Glittery Stars (Gold & Silver)
2 - Thought Bubbles
1 - Zzzz Element
1 - Waves Element

Click here to download.

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING: 9 reasons why i love it

2010-08-13T04:07:00.000-07:00

After my tutorials about organizing your digital photos in Get Sorted: Tips on how to Organize your Digital Photos and Get Sorted 2: Programs to help you Organize your Digital Photos for Free, now you might think what are you going to do with these tons of photos sitting in your computer. My answer is simple: Try Scrapbooking.

You may want to go for the traditional scrapbooking - paper and scissors; or, you may opt to go for digital scrapbooking. Personally, I did choose digital scrapbooking and here are my reasons:

1. Making a mistake is a thing of the past. If you don't like your layout, crop the picture the wrong way, place your embellishments somewhere it shouldn't be, made a mistake in your journaling... not to worry, there is always the undo button!

2. No space, no worries. It is true that hobbies may sometimes take a lot of space in the house and traditional scrapbooking is no different. You need a place to store your papers, embellishments and etc. With digi-scrapbooking, all you need is a computer and a place to sit; and probably a space for a printer and scanner (for old photos). (Tip: Personally, I don't print my digi-scrapbooking layouts at home but rather, I would go to Walmart or any photo printing center and have it printed there. Printer inks cost a fortune these days! And if you want to make a photobook, I would recommend this site http://www.blurb.com/. But of course, there are a lot of businesses too that offer these kinds of services).

3. No mess. No need to clean up after.

4. Copy-all-you-want. You can make a lot of copies with your single layout unlike traditional scrapbooking when your are just limited to one. And it is just so precious that you are so hesitant to let just anybody touch it.

5. Share-all-you-want. You can post it on your online gallery, facebook, blog or share it in twitter or email or print and send it to your family and friends. With today's technology, there are just a lot of options.

6. Awesome graphic effects. Armed with the right software, you have endless possibilities in editing your photos and layouts to your heart's content. You can smoothen skin, remove unwanted objects, change color to black and white, crop, adjust the lighting and etc. You may do all these things without altering the original photo.

7. Traditional + Digital = Hybrid. If you are still torn between the traditional and digital, you may want to go for hybrid scrapbooking. You may print your digital layout first then add traditional embellishments later; thus, achieving that "pop-out" or 3D effect on your finish product.

8. Cost less. With digi-scrapbooking, you don't have to spend a lot of money buying tools, papers and embellishments in which you can only use once. Whereas, you can buy digital kits online and you can use them over and over again. If you want to save more, try searching online for some digital scrapbooking freebies. There are also a lot of sites that lets you download a program for digital scrapbooking for free. But if you are serious about this hobby, try investing in a good scrapbooking program.

9. Less Time. Since digital scrapbooking is all done in your computer, all you need to do is click and drag objects here and there. No more cutting, gluing, punching. There are also a lot of quickpages available online where all you have to do is insert your photos and your done!

Happy digital scrapping everyone!!!

MASKING IT: photoshop tutorial on how to use clipping masks

2010-08-04T02:55:00.001-07:00

I love to play around with pictures, manipulating them to see how they can make my digital scrapbooking layout more fun and interesting. And one of my favorite things to do in photoshop is the CLIPPING MASK. There are two benefits in using the clipping mask. First, it is one of the most effective way in hiding portions of images without altering them directly. Second, you can easily move the photo around the mask to get the look that you desire. To start:

1. Open the photo and one of the masks from MaskingIT Freebie in Photoshop.
2. Go to File > New to create a new file. Drag and drop the photo and the mask on to this new file.

3. Right click on the layer with your photo in it. Then hit CREATE CLIPPING MASK. And this is what your final image should look like.

Click here to download MaskingIT freebie.

MASKING IT: a freebie

2010-08-04T02:55:00.000-07:00

Hi all... I have always love using clipping masks and so, I would like to share this with you. If you want to know more on how to use this product, check out this tutorial:

Masking IT: Photoshop Tutorial on How to Use My Clipping Masks

Happy scrapping!!!

Click here to download.

CANDY KIT: a freebie

2010-08-03T11:59:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am giving away this Freebie CANDY Kit which includes:

12 - Textured Papers (JPG, 12x12 inches, 300 dpi) + 1 bonus Paper
3 - Jelly(-like) Frames (PNG)
4 - Circular Lollipop Elements (PNG)
3 - Transparent Heart Lollipop Elements (PNG)
3 - Eye Candy Wordarts (PNG)
3 - Yummy Wordarts (PNG)
1 - Sweet as Candy Wordart (PNG)
1 - Sweet as Sugar wordart (PNG)
1 - Candy Element (PNG)
1 - Bubbles Element (PNG)

A sample layout I made:

Credits:
Papers by ScrapScraps.com (Candy Kit Freebie) - designs by Shelly Bauzon
Frame, border stamp & branch by Paislee Press
Paint Splat by KittyDesigns
Birds by TaylorMade Designs

Sorry, this freebie is no longer available.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

A CHALLENGE: from anita designs

2010-08-01T04:29:00.000-07:00

Just last Thurday, Anita of Anita Designs (one of my favorite designer) posted a challenge...

: : : The Challenge : : :

Anita Designs: Sneak peek, Freebie and a Rak:

If you are in for a little challenge.., you can grab this template freebie, and make a cute layout with it

and post it in the gallerie at Two little pixels, and put in your title - template challenge Anita - come back here

and post your link to your layout. Sunday evening (august 1st) I'll come back and announce the winner from the template challenge. First winner recieves a coupon of USD 5 and the second winner get's a USD 3 coupon.

* Two little pixels galerie

And so, here is my layout:

Credits:
Template, Papers & Hearts - designs by Anita
Circles - by SAS Designs
Grass - by Three Paper Ponies

Journaling:
The Sun. The Wind. The Grass. The Sand. These are your favorite things in life aside from me. Ever since I could remember, you have always been an outdoor person. Oh, how you just love to get out there and run, slide, swing, jump around like there is no tomorrow! It seems that you treated the world as your playground. Well, maybe it really is. You always remind us that life shouldn't be taken too seriously if you want to be happy. We would just like to let you know that the little things you do, the little things you say, are our reason for living.

I love this template and I had so much fun doing this design. Thanks Anita!

FREEBIE FRIDAY: what a way to end the week

2010-07-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I heart blogging so much but who cares?! It is freebie Friday here at ScrapScraps.com

Have fun and enjoy your weekend everyone!

Click here to download.

Here is my sample layout:

GET SORTED 2: programs to help you organize your digital photos -- for free!

2010-07-30T00:59:00.000-07:00

In relation with my recent article entitled Get SORTED: Tips on How to Organize your Digital Photos, I want to share this article to help you get started with your digital photo organization project without costing you anything. So, read on and let me know what you think.

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Top 11 Free Photo Editors for Windows

By Sue Chastain, About.com Guide

If you can't afford to purchase software, you can still find free software to create and edit images. Some of this software is developed by individuals, and some is feature limited or an earlier version of a more advanced program. In some rare instances, there are no strings attached, but most often you will need to provide information to the company by registering, or endure ads or "nag" screens.

1. PhotoScape

On first glance, I thought Photoscape was going to be a dud, but I dug in deeper and realized why so many readers of this site have recommended it as a favorite free photo editor. It is jam-packed with features, while remaining very easy to use. Photoscape provides several modules including a viewer, editor, batch processor, Raw converter, file renamer, print layout tool, screen capture tool, color picker, and more. I'm very impressed overall at what has been packed into this free photo editor without sacrificing ease of use.

PhotoScape Review

2. GIMP for Windows

GIMP is a popular open-source image editor originally developed for Unix/Linux. Often lauded as the "free Photoshop," it does have an interface and features similar to Photoshop, but with a steep learning curve to match. Because it's volunteer-developed beta software, stability and frequency of updates could be an issue; however, many happy users report using GIMP for Windows without significant problems.
GIMP User Reviews | Write a Review

GIMP Guide Review

3. Paint.NET

Paint.NET is a free image and photo manipulation software for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, or Server 2003. Paint.NET started development at Washington State University with additional help from Microsoft, and continues to be updated and maintained by some of the alumni that originally worked on it. Paint.NET features layers, painting and drawing tools, special effects, unlimited undo history, and levels adjustments. Paint.NET is completely free, and the source code is also available for free.

Paint.NET Review

4. Serif PhotoPlus

For a long time, Serif has given away previous versions of their software to entice users to purchase the current version. Recently, the company has changed that tactic, and now offer a free limited version of the photo-editing software PhotoPlus SE. PhotoPlus SE features an export optimizer, editable text, layer effects, layer masks, a red-eye removal tool, special effects, versatile brushes, and photo enhancement tools. PhotoPlus SE can be upgraded to the full version of PhotoPlus, with many more features, for a modest price.

Serif PhotoPlus SE Review

5. Photo Pos Pro

Photo Pos Pro is a free photo editor with advanced features and a well-designed interface. From the developer: "Though the Photo Pos Pro software is a powerful program, it contains an extremely user-friendly interface enabling you to work intuitively. If you are a beginner you can easily begin to use the program in an intuitive fashion. With the Help system, you can turn from a beginner to a professional user." I've read a lot of good comments about this photo editor.

Photo Pos Pro Review

6. Pixia

Pixia is the English version of a popular free painting and retouching software that originated in Japan. It features custom brush tips, multiple layers, masking, vector- and bitmap-based drawing tools, color, tone, and lighting adjustments, and multiple undo/redo. Like many freeware editors, there is no support for saving GIF format. Pixia is also available for many other languages. Pixia works with Windows 2000, XP, Vista and 7.

Pixia Review

7. VCW VicMan's Photo Editor

This award-winning graphic editor offers a variety of painting and editing tools and features including a text tool, gradients, selections by color or region, color replacement, editing in any scale, special effects and so on. The free version used to be an enticement to upgrade to the Pro version, but as of December 2006, the Pro version is free.

Publisher's Site

8. PhotoFiltre

PhotoFiltre offers a simple, but elegant user interface and a lot of one-click image adjustments, filters, and effects. There is a built in image explorer panel for visually navigating your file system, basic drawing, painting, retouching and selection tools, and batch processing capabilities. PhotoFiltre is free for private, non commercial or educational use (including non-profit organizations).

PhotoFiltre Review

9. Ultimate Paint

Ultimate Paint is available in both shareware and freeware versions for image creation, viewing, and manipulation. It has been designed to be fast and compact, and if you're familiar with the old Deluxe Paint program from Electronic Arts, Ultimate Paint is said to be very similar. The freeware version is an older release of the full-featured shareware product.

Publisher's Site

10. ImageForge

ImageForge is a freeware image editor with painting and editing tools. Allows you to import images from scanners and digital cameras, apply special effects filters, and create photo albums and slideshows. Although this is teaser program for the shareware ImageForge PRO, it's probably a few steps above Microsoft Paint.

ImageForge Summary

11. Picasa

Technically, Picasa does not meet my criteria for a photo editor because it does not allow you to do pixel-level editing. However, I have received so many reader suggestions for Picasa, that I am including it here as an honorary mention. Although it does have some basic editing functions, it is primarily photo organizing software, and as such it is listed in my Top Digital Photo Software for Family Photos list.

Picasa Review

_{Last Updated: Nov. 2009}

Get SORTED: tips on how to organize your digital photos

2010-07-28T01:56:00.000-07:00

"Now is the time to get SORTED!"

I remember saying this to myself two years ago while I was going through my 56,000++ of digital photographs just to look for a nice picture to put on my new scrapbooking layout. What can I say? I am a mom and I love taking pictures!!! Family vacations, trips to the mall, a day at the park, chillin' out in the backyard, playing wii, you name it... I got it!

Having a digital camera is a blessing but it can be your curse when you just simply don't know how to organize your photographs.

or·gan·ize [awr-guh-nahyz] v. arrange, systematize, catalogue,classify, combine, coordinate, create, group, harmonize, line up, look after, methodize, put in order, put together, range, see to, standardize, straighten, straighten out, tabulate.

How ever you define it, one thing we can certainly agree on -- that it is not an easy task. But the reality is, somebody's got to do it and do it now!

If you were like me two years ago, in the middle of 56,000++ unsorted photographs to go through, don't despair and don't be overwhelmed as there is a solution to this problem. As the author of Time Management from the Inside Out and Organizing from the Inside Out, Julie Morgenstern suggest that we should adapt the S.P.A.C.E. Organizing Formula in sorting out tangible things. However, what I will be discussing below pertains to intangible things such as photographs (and if you are a digital scapper as I am), digital kit, elements and etc.

Sort - Group together your digital photographs in a folder. It would depend on how you would like to sort out your pictures (e.g. date taken, place, event)

Purge - Remove those photographs that you cannot use such as blurry, badly angled photographs, random pictures that doesn't make sense at all. Just use your best judgement before deleting any of these badly taken photos since there are a lot of software programs right now has the capacity to correct common photograph mishaps such as removal of red eye, straighten pictures, sharpen, adjust contrast, crop unwanted objects, just to name a few.

Assign - Make sure you know where in your computer or what drive it will be saved in. Will these photos go to your external hard drive or will you burn this into your CD? Just remember to make it logical, accessible for you to use it anytime and safe just in case your hard drive crashes.

Containerize - Always put your pictures in folders and label them properly according to the date, event or place taken. Make use of the sub folders. Let us say, you went for a European vacation, here are samples on how you can organize.

The France folder was organized according to places visited. The Italy folder was sorted out according to the dates the pictures were taken. And the Spain folder has sub folders according to name of events. And since the Fiesta de Moros y Cristianos is a 3-day event, sub folders were created according to the date that the pictures were taken.

TIP: Always remember to tag your pictures properly. Like for this photo below, I will tag this as: [Name of the person], park, green, blue, mountains. Tagging is relative depending on how do you think is the best way for you to locate your pictures easily. For a digital scrapper like me, I would like to tag it by color as well.

Equalize - If you have so much pictures to organize, don't stress yourself out trying to finish it all in one day. Set a goal everyday to spend at least 15-20 minutes of your time organizing your photos. And you will just be surprised on how much you have progressed as the days go along.

Once you have done all these, the next time you upload your photos in your computer, make sure to organize it right away. Don't wait until later or else you will find yourself again in the same situation you were in before... in the middle of thousands of unsorted photos. And you know, that ain't a pretty picture.

Happy sorting everyone!!!

HOW TO: smoother skin in your photographs

2010-07-24T02:54:00.000-07:00

Nobody's perfect... so, thank God for Adobe Photoshop! This tutorial is a quick guide into achieving a smoother looking skin in your photographs.

We will turn this, into THIS.

1. Open your file and duplicate the layer with the photo.

2. Select the duplicated layer. Then go to Filter > Blur > Smart Blur

3. After that, set the Radius between 26-28. threshold to 25. Set to Normal mode.

Your photo will appear very blurry by now.

4. Go to Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All

By this stage, your photo will appear like the original copy. What we are really trying to do here is to paint over the blurry layer to the original photo.

5. Select the Brush Tool. In this, I chose 80, soft edge. (TIP: The size of the brush would really depend on your photo. You may also want to use a smaller brush on tight areas). Set the Opacity between 30-50. And make sure that your foreground is white.

6. Move your brush across the face or on the areas you want to smoothen. Avoid the eyebrows, eyes and lips as it would appear unnatural.

And also try cloning some of the blemishes. (To know more about this, read:

How to Remove Unwanted Objects in Photographs: A Photoshop Tutorial)

And so, here it is:

That is it... easy as 1-2-3. Now go and try it yourself!

Happy weekend everyone!

HOW TO: remove unwanted objects in photographs

2010-07-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever taken a really nice photograph only to realize later that there are one or two objects in the picture which you don't like? It may be a pimple, a winkle, a clutter in the background or just a hair out of place.

In this tutorial, I will be discussing an easy way to remove those unwanted objects from your photographs using Photoshop (applicable to any version). We will turn this, to this...

1. To start, open the file you want to edit. On this photograph, we would like to remove the hairs which were out of place. (Tip: Before you proceed, make sure to duplicate the original layer)

2. In your TOOL Box, click the Clone Stamp Tool

3. Zoom in as close as possible to the area you want to edit. Then, determine the area you want to copy or clone. In the case of this picture, parts of the child's hair is covering her face which is a bit distracting. And so, we would want to clone her skin in order to cover up the hair.

4. Continue on doing this until you have achieve the result you wanted. (Tip: Lower the opacity and flow of your brush to 50-60%; Make sure to adjust the size of your brush just enough to cover the spot you want to correct.)

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That's all for now.

Lights, Camera... Photoshop Actions

2010-07-07T05:35:00.000-07:00

A kid on a Christmas morning -- that is how I feel right now upon re-discovering photoshop actions.

Ever since I came up with an idea to put together hundreds and hundreds of photos for my kids, I have been racking my brains for the last 24hours on how to edit my pictures in photoshop in the fastest & easiest way possible with all the photographs looking in a uniform manner... and all of a sudden, I realize that the solution was right under my nose!

Photoshop Actions!!!

A Photoshop action is a recording of a sequence of commands and operations that you can save and access later on. For those unfamiliar with Photoshop actions, they’re simply pre-recorded tasks that you can save and reuse anytime. Photoshop actions commonly have an .atn file extension. Installing a Photoshop action for more recent versions of Photoshop is easy: simply drag the .atn file onto the Actions palette or place it directly inside your Adobe Photoshop\Presets\Photoshop Actions folder.

To give you a more visual definition, see below.

And here are the images that I have so far edited together with the original pictures. Originals (on the left) & Edited (on the right).

In the end, not only does it save you a lot of time, but it gives you more uniformity in your photos when you need to lay it out side by side. There are a lot of photoshop actions available on line - some for free and some are not. It really depends on how you would like your picture to end up looking. And if you get a bit frustrated of not getting what you truly want with your photos, you can even make your own photoshop action.