This Photoshop Actions Blueprint was sent in from Karen of Smile-Play-Love Photography. Thank for you sharing how you edit your photos with all of us.

1. Ran MCP’s Studio White Bright Spell. This Photoshop action from the Bag of Tricks set turns light white and grayish backdrops into high key white backdrops.  I used this at about 80% to get a bright white backdrop, often referred to as High Key White  (I use a white backdrop and natural light for most of my portrait photography work so I LOVE THIS ACTION and use it on every single photo!)
2. Ran Portraiture at default settings at 100% opacity
3. Did a “Defog” unsharp mask (14-40-0)
4. Used MCP’s “Eye Doctor” Photoshop action: catchlights layer and sharpen eyes layer at default settings
5. Used MCP’s Powder Your Nose photoshop action from “Magic Skin” at default opacity – brushed on skin under eyes, across forehead, cheeks and chin (I use this on every photo I edit as it helps with under eye circles, blemishes, scars, wrinkles, and even double chins without looking unnatural)
6. I did a curves layer with a very slight s-curve set to luminosty and then another curves layer lifting the midtones slightly
7. I used MCP’s Free Photoshop action Touch of Light at about 30% on the slight shadow her right side of face and MCP’s Touch of Dark at about 20% on her hair on her left side of head as it was a bit too bright
8. My final step to present proofs to my clients is to brand it with my logo.  I set up a ‘branding bar’ to match all of my new stationary about 2 weeks before MCP’s new “Finish It” action set came out.  I wish I would have waited, as it would have saved me a lot of time and headache!  Jodi inspired me to add some curved corners.  I run this final step as an action that allows me to save it both for web (sharpening and resizing) and for print (as a 4×6 and sharpened for printing) since a number of my clients like to order a proof album rather than just view their photos online.

That is my process for every photo I edit.  I have combined all of these steps into a big batch action that I run on every photo. MCP Actions seriously changed the way I post-process, and helped me turn my photography from a hobby into a business.  Thanks Jodi!

Karen Gunton

Here is before editing and getting a high key white backdrop:

Here is after editing – shown with the high key white backdrop and tones:

Want to color pop your images in Photoshop? This week’s Blueprint shows one way to achieve rich, super powerful color.  I get asked about this look all the time in reference to a few photographers who pull out these deep hidden colors. This look and style is trendy and fun, and many will love it, but some will not.  Recently it seems either photos are heavily color popped or the opposite, using vintage photoshop actions.

For this Blueprint, I wanted to show you how to get rich, vibrant colors using color pop Photoshop actions.

Here are the details of this edit – all the actions used, except the frame, were from the Bag of Tricks Photoshop action set.

1. Since I wanted to show a rich, deep color pop, I started with the Magical Color Finder Brush {Intense} action. I applied this with a 100% opacity brush everywhere except on the skin and jeans, as I did not want the skin to get red or the jeans to glow too much. I decided to get crazy and adjusted the opacity of this layer to 83%.
2. The photo seemed dark in spots, and I wanted to fill in some light.  I ran Magic Fill Light action at 34%.
3. To make the photo more crisp, I ran Magic Clarity and adjusted the opacity to 54%.
4. I wanted a bit more light on her face, so I used the Magic Light action and painted with a 30% opacity brush on her face, layer opacity left on default setting.
5. Then I finished up with the Magic Dark action and with a 30% opacity brush, I pained around the edges of the photo, layer opacity left on default setting.
6. For display purposes, I used the Frame It Small action from the Finish It set on both the before and after, which resizes and sharpens for web and adds a frame for the finishing touch.

Running Photoshop actions inside of Elements is not always easy.  Here are some troubleshooting tips to get your actions up and running inside Adobe Photoshop Elements (PSE).

1. Before installing an action into Photoshop Elements, confirm with the action creator that it is compatible with your version of PSE. If you are purchasing a Photoshop action, remember to research and confirm that it works in Elements, as many do not, and usually actions are non-refundable.

2. Can’t find the folder for installing your actions?  Look back at your installation path – did you select Program DATA or Program FILES?  It’s program DATA that you need. If you need help installing actions for Elements, purchased from MCP Actions, you can contact erin@mcpactions.com for help. There is no charge for MCP Actions customers, but there is a small fee from Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics if you need help getting other actions installed.

3. Do you get messages like this?

• Could not complete your request because the file is not compatible with this version of Photoshop.
• Could not complete your request because there is not enough memory (RAM).
• Your action is not installed correctly.  Review the installation instructions, which are specific to the action, your operating system and your version of PSE.

4. Do you see this error message?

If you get this message, run your actions on a flattened image whose only layer is named background.  To flatten an image, right click on your layers palette and select Flatten Image.  Double click on the layer name to rename it to Background, if it’s not already.

5. The action ran perfectly but nothing happened?  Look for a layer mask that is completely black.  You need to paint in white on the areas of the mask where you want the effect to show through.  Or, with the layer mask active (see #6), go to the Edit Menu and select Fill, choosing white as the color, to reveal the effect over 100% of your image.

6. Nothing changes when you paint on your layer mask?  Make sure the layer mask is active for painting – it should have a white outline around it.

7. Your layer mask is active and still nothing changes when you paint on it?  Check the opacity and blend mode of your brush.  The blend mode usually should be normal.  The opacity of the brush will determine the strength of the effect you are hiding or revealing.

8. Make sure that your foreground color is the one you need.  Remember that white reveals and black conceals.  Press X to switch between black and white.

9. Can’t figure out exactly where you’re painting on a layer mask?  Hit Alt+shift while clicking on the layer mask thumbnail to show the layer mask on your image.

10. Is the effect too strong or not strong enough?  Adjust the layer opacity.

11. Can’t get the edges of your layer mask perfect?  Zoom way in.

12. Remember to read the instructions that came with your download and the messages that pop up while the action runs. These are important to using the actions correctly and to getting great results.

13.  You’re absolutely certain that you’ve done everything right and things just aren’t working like they should?  Reset your Photoshop Elements preferences. Press Ctrl+Alt+Shift immediately after launching the Editor, but before it actually opens.  The timing is tricky here.  You will know you did it correctly because you will receive a message asking you to confirm that you are Deleting the Adobe Photoshop Elements Settings File.

14.  And the number one most important tip for running actions in Photoshop Elements? Never press Stop when you get a message asking you to Continue or Stop!  It will undo the entire action!

Remember if you are using MCP’s products, look for built in instructions as well as watch the Photoshop actions video tutorials. These are available on the product pages and also in the FAQ drop down area of my site.

Erin Peloquin, the guest writer for this article, can be found at Texas Chicks Blogs and Pics, where she documents her photography journey and caters to the Photoshop Elements crowd. Erin also is the MCP Elements Consultant.  If you have issues installing or using MCP’s actions in Elements, you can contact Erin at erin@mcpactions.com.

Because Photoshop actions are a series of recorded steps, they are cross platform (Mac/PC compatible). But just because they should work, does not mean they will. Many times, issues occur due to accidental user error. Other times Photoshop may disagree with the order in which you are working.  And occasionally an action is recorded with technical problems. Here are 14 common reasons that actions will give you issues or errors and how you can troubleshoot them:

1. 16 Bit vs 8 bit – at this time, many features of Photoshop are only available in 8-bit mode. If you shoot raw and you use LR or ACR, you may be exporting as 16-bit/32-bit files. You will need to convert to 8-bit if the action steps are unable to work in 16-bit/32-bit. In the top toolbar, go under IMAGE – MODE – and check off 8-bit
2. A layer mess – if you get an error message after running a few actions consecutively, or if you do manual editing and then run an action, occasionally the action gets confused and cannot perform correctly.  A quick way to test this is to make a snapshot (so you save where you are), flatten (Layer – Flatten), then run the action. If it works, you know that something you did prior is causing confusion.  You can work off a flattened or merged copy, or rework the order in which you are doing things.
3. If you get an error such as “The object layer background is not currently available” it may mean you have renamed your background layer. If the action calls upon the background, it cannot work without one. You will want to create a merged layer of your work up to this point, and then name it “Background” so that you can use the action.
4. The cover up – sometimes you will run actions back-to-back, or work manually and then play one. But nothing happens. Assuming layer masks are revealing, what could be wrong? Layer order likely is to blame. One example is with the Eye Doctor action that helps eyes sparkle. It needs the background layer to work.  If you or another process duplicated pixel layer and then you run the Eye Doctor, it will be covered up.  All the painting and masking in the world will not help until that pixel layer is turned off. In this situation, flattening or merging into a “Background” layer is advisable.
5. Layer masks – you may think an action did not work because nothing changed – but some need to be activated by using the layer mask. Learn how to use layer masks in this Photoshop video tutorial. Remember, unless indicated in the instructions, white reveals and black conceals. Also make sure the mask is selected that you wish to work on. It should have a thin outline around it. Also make sure when painting on a mask that your blend mode is set to “normal.”
6. Improper version – not all actions work in all version of Photoshop.  Check with the designer to find compatible versions. If purchasing, most makers do not allow for returns so pay special attention to the versions that are compatible. As an example, if one of my actions says it works in CS2, CS3 and CS4, that means it was tested in CS and prior and was not compatible.
7. Not reading directions. Many of my actions have pop up instructions. You will need to read these or your actions may not work properly.  A great example of that is Color Explosion from the Complete Workflow. There is a message asking you to paint on the photo with a white soft brush and then resume the action by clicking play.  If you do not do this, you cannot save your action as a a .jpg. I get many emails asking “why can’t I save my image as a .jpg?” I always know which they are using and why.  So remember to read the pop up messages, watch the photoshop video tutorials, and read the included instructions for best results.
8. Things just got messed up – if you ever want to alter an action, make a duplicate copy first.  Sometimes you may not even realize that you clicked record or deleted a step, etc. When these automated processes run, they do exactly what they are told.  The slightest altering can cause breakage. Your best bet is to delete the messed up one and re-install the original Photoshop action set (do this by the set).
9. Photoshop is missing something – this is rare, but I have seen situations where someone says an action will not work.  In order to operate effectively, the commands must be available. So for example, I had a customer who was missing certain filters, so when she used Texture Mix and Match from Frosted Memories vintage Photoshop actions, it gave her an error.  Once she worked with Adobe, she got the proper files that are included when you purchase Photoshop. Since actions can only do what exists, if your Photoshop program is missing components, you will need to call Adobe to locate these files. If you purchased from eBay or non-licensed vendors, you may have a bootleg copy and that could be why your program is incomplete.
10. Stopping at every step – occasionally a photographer may accidentally alter the action so that it stops at every step. Or it is possible the source you where you got the product recorded it that way. This is easily corrected by following these instructions.
11. Your preferences may be corrupt.  This usually does not happen with actions, but preferences can affect certain processes.  If your action calls upon a process that is messed up, it will not work.  Follow these directions to fix preference files.
12. Poorly written – if an action does not work, it may be a dud. In this case, delete it and move on.  If you paid for it, contact the vendor for support, as there may be additional reasons you are having trouble that are not listed above.
13. If you are making your own actions, remember not everything is recordable.  When you play it back, if it is not doing what you thought it would, you may have some steps that need to be done in a different way to get it to work properly.
14. If a particular action worked, and stopped working, it likely is one of the above reasons.  Actions do not just “stop working” unless they are altered. But they can give you trouble for some reasons mentioned above (like masks and layer order). If it worked at one time, and it was not altered, it should still work. Check things mentioned above and reload if it still is not working. If nothing works, contact the company you bought the action from and they should be able to help you. Before contacting them, make sure you have checked the most common problems. When possible and for quickest results, provide screen shots showing what issues you are having.

Remember if you are using MCP’s products, look for built in instructions as well as watch the Photoshop actions video tutorials.  These are available on the product pages and also in the FAQ drop down area of my site.

I edited this photo using MCP Photoshop actions for I Heart Faces.  This photo was submitted by Caroline of frog-photoblog.blogspot.com.

When shooting on a bright day with the sky behind the subject, if you do not have a flash or reflector, it is hard for your camera to balance the exposure properly. Your subject likely will be underexposed and background overexposed. To fix this you can use Photoshop actions and layer masks to control where you need light.

I worked on this photo exclusively in Photoshop CS4 using the MCP Actions Bag of Tricks Photoshop action set, alongside Magic Skin and the Eye Doctor. These 3 Photoshop action sets can be found together in the Incredible Retouching Package. Then I completed the photo for web display using Frame It from the Finish It actions.

Here were my steps:

1. Used Bag of Tricks “Magic Fill Light” action – ran it 2x at 100% opacity (flattening in between)
2. Ran Bag of Tricks “Magical Clarity” and left this at  default of 27%
3. Flattened so layer order would not present issues
4. Used the Bag of Tricks “Sky is Bluer Illusion” action at the default settings
5. Flattened and then duplicated the layer – ran “Gaussian Blur” to get rid of added color pixelization from making sky so vivid. Used setting of 8.8.
6. Added a mask to the blurred layer and masked off the girl – so only sky was effected
7. Flattened so layer order would not cause issues
8. Used Bag of Tricks Magic Light (on face – painted using 30% brush)
9. Used Bag of Tricks Magic Dark (painted on using 30% brush around edges of photo)
10. Duplicated background and used patch tool on rash on elbows
11. Ran Eye Doctor – used catchlight and Iris layer
12. Ran Magic Skin at Default opacity
13. Finished things off with Finish It actions – used Frame It Over-sized and sampled a blue from the sky to tie it all together for the web

This is before image:

And here is the after:

Every so often, Photoshop may act irrational.  It starts doing things that do not make sense.  It may not react to your clicks correctly, freeze up, or give you errors in places you usually do not get them. Just like a car, Photoshop sometimes needs a “tune up.”  Much like your computer, how fragments can scatter, Photoshop sometimes needs a “fresh start.”

Your best bet is to first see if you can diagnose the problem. You can always search Adobe’s help files. You can also call/contact Adobe technical support.

If you cannot diagnose and fix the specific issue, chances are good Adobe will have you restart Photoshop.  And then if that does not work, and it continues to act possessed, then it may be time to “delete the preferences.”  For some reason in Photoshop, preference files tend to cause issues from time to time.

To delete and re-build your preference files, do the following:

MAC

1. Restart Photoshop – and as soon as you do, before anything even launches, press the Cmd+Opt+Shift keys simultaneously.
2. A dialog box will come up that says, “Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings File?”
3. Click “Yes.” Photoshop will delete the files, re-launch, and build new preferences.

PC

1. Restart Photoshop – and as soon as you do, before anything even launches, press the Ctrl+Alt+Shift keys simultaneously.
2. A dialog box will come up that says, “Delete the Adobe Photoshop Settings File?”
3. Click “Yes.” Photoshop will delete the files, re-launch, and build new preferences.