Blueprint: Use Photoshop Actions to Add Drama to Your Photos

Categories

Featured Products

Liz Sethi sent in this Photoshop actions Blueprint of her oldest daughter. The subject was modeling on her new barnwood rug (this prop is so popular right now). The photographer’s goal with this shot was to take a good image and make it have more life and drama. To achieve this, she needed more contrast and sharpening.

Here is her step-by-step Blueprint using MCP’s Photoshop Actions:

  1. Ran the Eye Doctor photoshop action, used default opacity, and just enhanced catchlights, brightened the iris and used sharp as a tack
  2. Flattened image
  3. Ran Urban Cover Model Photoshop Action, reduced opacity on the Smooth me out layer to 25%
  4. Ran MCP’s Free Photoshop Sharpening Action – Crystal Clear Web Resize and Sharpen, painted off effect on her hair because it was “too much” sharpness for me
  5. Ran MCP’s Free Watermark action and did the emboss layer
  6. Flatten and saved

“I’m doing a 365 on my blog and just about every picture on the blog has an MCP action on it.  I have purchased actions from other vendors, but your actions are easiest for me to use because they will run on separate layers, are FULLY customizable and adjustable (and a lot of actions aren’t!) . Quite simply, MCP makes my photography look fantastic.”

Here is the before:

mcp1 Blueprint: Use Photoshop Actions to Add Drama to Your Photos Blueprints Photoshop Actions Photoshop Tips

Here is the after:

mcp1a Blueprint: Use Photoshop Actions to Add Drama to Your Photos Blueprints Photoshop Actions Photoshop Tips

MCPActions

No Comments

  1. a thorn among roses on March 5, 2010 at 9:09 am

    i love this! great work!!!

  2. Dawn Lepper on March 5, 2010 at 9:42 am

    I just love, love, love the MCP Bag of Tricks. I use it on EVERY picture. Thanks a bunch!!

  3. carrie on March 5, 2010 at 11:08 am

    i love this! thank you so much! i was wondering how to do this! I will be buying more MCP actions now! 🙂 money well spent i think!

  4. Janie Pearson on March 5, 2010 at 11:24 am

    One of the perks to investing in your actions are your continuing blueprints that inspire and educate. Thanks so much for this post. I tried it on a photo and loved the result!

  5. Katie Campbell on March 5, 2010 at 12:16 pm

    I love the all the bold colors! Question? What does an over color popped images look like? Just trying to get a judge for what good color pop vs. over pop looks like. Great work!

  6. Christy on March 5, 2010 at 1:08 pm

    Ok, so this settles it, I’m getting the bag of tricks next. Couldn’t make my mind up but this blueprint did it for me. I will eventually have them all!

  7. Nikki Romero on March 5, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    OMG.. Thank you for sharing that.. I have been craving truly saturated colors lately and I have so many of your actions, I forget about the magical color finder… I LOVE THAT ONE!!! I am going to go home after work and play with it…:) That will def. get me the saturation to fill my craving… Thanks again for sharing your talents with the world..Nik

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Categories

Recent Posts