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Kubota Photoshop Actions : Tips + Tricks
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T oday I'm running around my house with one sock on. A toothbrush perched on my lower lip. Aaaaand I'm bumping a little Jay Z to get me motivated for what is shaping up to be a crah-a-zee day. But before life gets too crazy to blog, I decided to put together a post on a subject I'm most commonly emailed about: Photoshop and post-processing. I'm definitely the last person you want to ask about Photoshop (because, really, I know very little about such an awesome tool), but I do know I get a ton of help from Photoshop Actions. Like I've mentioned before in the past, I don't heavily use Photoshop to manipulate my images, but it definitely refines my style.
People often ask if I could post photos straight out of camera (sooc), and while I was quite reluctant, I'm throwing caution to the Santa Ana winds and posting side-by-side comparisons. If this post helps one person, then I'm stoked. I use these types of posts to help manage my time via email, as I cannot possibly answer every email personally. Please forgive me.
Without further ado, here are three sets of photos from my three most recent shoots...
Kubota Fuji Snappit (11%), 81K Warming (60%), a curve bump, and Magic Sharp... |
| Kubota KevX Process Combo (10%), BW Enrichment (61%), Contrast +1, curves bump, Magic Sharp... |
| This picture was completed with one of my newest fav action, Kubota Fashion Passion! I love the cooled tones and yet the subtle saturation! Fashion Passion (22%), curves bump, Magic Sharp... |
If you'd like to read more Photoshop tips+tricks, please feel free to click HERE and/or HERE!
Happy Thursday! |
    
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Beverly Hills Anytime Photos : Anna Brewer
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I saw her from a distance and I knew it was her before my mind registered her flashy smile. The Starbucks, the heels, the purse. It was Anna and seeing her made me laugh. For no other reason than Anna's personality is comical, yet completely understated. Her jokes are dryly proffered and she keeps a straight face while spiking a punchline. She's fastidious, organized, and timely...and one of the sweetest people you'll meet. I first met Anna via her sister, Angel Swanson of Events of Love and Splendor, as they've coordinated more than a few weddings I've photographed in the past couple of years.
When Anna told me her role at Events of Love and Splendor was changing to a lead coordinator and booking her own weddings, I was thrilled! She's garnished a ton of experience working with Angel and to know she'll be taking on clients of her own is such wonderful thing for her! What made this news even sweeter was Anna asking me to shoot photos of her to update their website. I was honored and I bubbled with excitement! We met in Beverly Hills yesterday and roamed the windy streets for a little fun.
As I've probably stated too many times before, having a personal photo on your website is a vital component to business growth. If you're a professional photographer and you don't have a photo on your site, shame...shame...shame on you! Fo real. I'm calling you out on the world wide web. Having a photo conveys who you are more than a 1,000 words, so set up a camera on a self-timer, call a friend, or con your toddler into snapping a picture because it's one of the best things you can do for your business! :)
Here's the lovely Anna as I saw her in gorgeous Beverly Hills light.... |
| It was so, so windy yesterday...I'm not kidding...it was hard to walk down the street! Though it made things difficult sometimes, the wind was a little fun to play with... |
I blame my father. Entirely. He is the reason I'm a touchy, feely person and the type of kid who had to be shown what to do, instead of being told. Shown how to wash the dishes (when, in reality, I didn't want to dirty my hands), shown how to make my bed (fitted sheets are still the bane of my existence), and shown how to study for a test (cut me some slack, I was homeschooled until I was 14 so I had no clue was standardization was!). I seem to have carried this trait with me through life, and my clients are the people who carry the brunt of this load.
When I work with my clients, I have a tendency to get up close, all up in their grill. I apologize in advance for touching, grabbing, pulling, tugging at them in order to show them what I want them to do. Sometimes when I posing with the groom, I get quite close. And while this could make for a too-close-for-comfort moment, I immediately brush it off and make a joke of it. I remind the bride my husband shoots with me, so I ain't tryin' to steal her man...I'm merely guiding her along in what I think would make the best photo. Of course I could tell her what to do, but this could take forever, become commandive (FYI, just made up that word), and frustrating for the subjects. I'm definitely not suggesting this approach for everyone, but I can definitely say it's helped my photographic vision.
And instead of me telling you what I do, I thought I'd show you a few photos...be warned...I look so cool in these photos your eyes may just melt with awesomeness. |
| Thanks to Lyra for the following photos... |
| Looks like I'm singing in this photo. |
| Look how happy the groom (Jack) is to be standing next to me instead of his bride! ;) |
| Whoever let me leave the house like this should be banished from Jasmineville. I mean, seriously?! This just proves my HUSBAND DOESN'T LOVE ME. Look how he let me go into public?! It's all his fault I look THIS amazing..... |
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President of the Fan Club
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| Oh, what? What was that you said? You wanted to see photos of Polo's Trip to the Pumpkin Patch? Of course that's what you said! I'm more than happy to oblige, but Polo told me he was too busy for a full photo shoot, so we'd have to keep things brief. Also, he asked me to respond to his fan club mail. Sometimes he's so diva.... |
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DC Ranch Scottsdale Wedding : Stephanie + Stephen
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© Jasmine Star. This post cannot be republished without permission. Stealing makes me sad. |
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I t's not an old-fashion kind of love. Love brimming with carrying school books, walking her to the front door, or soda with two straws. No, it's more like old love. Love defined for what's said in between the lines, thoughtful, and pure. A love like this is most seen when an elderly gentleman kisses his wife on the cheek after cutting her medicine, reminding her the pills are on the kitchen counter. Old love. Stephen and Stephanie--though nowhere near graying hair and daily fiber drinks--share this type of love.
Throughout the course of their wedding day at DC Ranch in Scottsdale, Arizona, Stephen was so accutely tuned into what Stephanie wanted, needed, or wished for, it appeared they'd been married for fifty years. At least. The way they looked at each other was as if they hadn't seen each other for years and the love they shared could, quite literally, be felt throughout the venue. Nearing the end of a long night, while Stephen and a few others tore up the dancefloor, Stephanie paced the terracotta halls of DC Ranch asking people if they'd seen her car keys. She needed something from her car, but couldn't find the keys and no one could help. Almost on cue, as soon as Stephanie approached the dancefloor, Stephen turned and saw his newly-minted wife needed his help. Needed him. He touched her arm and apologized for her aching feet, and quickly took care of finding her keys. Because that's what old love is all about. Telling the woman you love to kick off her heels, dance like no one is watching, and leave her worries to the man who promised to love, honor, and cherish.
Stephanie and Stephen...I spent the good part of a year looking forward to your special day and praying for the best as you planned the wedding of your dreams. Lo and behold, you perfectly executed your hopes and ideas! I was so, so honored to be chosen as your wedding photographer and watching your love has been a testament to the notion of true love, soul mates, and kindred spirits. You both are some of the most beautiful people I've ever met, and I'm speaking about who you are on the inside. Thank you for the honor of documenting your first day as husband and wife, and I wish you a lifetime of joy! Much Love and Appreciation...J*
One of the best things about photographing weddings outside of California is working at a new venue and exploring new places to shoot details...DC Ranch is a gorgeous venue for weddings, so I explored a bit with the bride's Kate Spade shoes and amazing Jim Hjelm wedding dress... |
| One of my most favorite aspects of the wedding was the subtle mixing of vintage elements in a desert elements...everything was thoughtful and deliberate...which makes photographing things easier when there's a vision or theme... |
| Petal Pusher did a lovely job with Stephanie's gorgeous wedding bouquet...which included her grandmother's broach and grandfather's pin... |
| It was over 100 degrees in Scottsdale, but the light was amazing in every part of DC Ranch...here the bride is preparing in the clubhouse... |
| If you've followed my blog for a while, you know what I'm about to say. But I'm still going to say it anyway! :) When the bride and groom see each other before the ceremony, I feel like they are making the best choice for their wedding day. Hands down. Stephanie and Stephen weren't going to have a First Look, but after reviewing the timeline and prioritizing how they wanted to spend their day, they realized seeing each other before just made more sense. From a photography standpoint, this is music to my ears...especially when we could shoot wedding photos at a fabulous place like DC Ranch! This is one of my favs from their First Look...and I can admit it....I got all choked up and teary... |
| This set of wedding photos makes me feel so blessed. My photo is on the left and JD's photo is on the right. I love shooting with my husband because we see things so different and yet the same... |
| Stephanie, I'm just gonna say what everyone else is thinking: You're beautiful. Seriously. |
| As we continued wedding photos at DC Ranch, I was so hot my heels were melting into the ground (okay, I'm being a little dramatic here), so we ventured inside for a few photos for a different look... |
| One thing I completely adored about Stephanie was her focus and attention to detail. She--along with her mother and a couple other people--planned and decorated the entire wedding with such clarity and style... |
| A running theme throughout the wedding was vintage tea cups, all of which were procured by Stephanie at vintage and thrift stores... |
| JD captured this photo and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy... |
| Moments just after the ceremony... |
| The sun in Scottsdale, Arizona was kind to me... |
| Here's a random fact...when JD and I arrived to the airport to fly to Scottsdale, there weren't any chairs. When JD sat on the floor, I sat next to him, leaned my head on his shoulder, and wondered out loud if I'd ever be to able to pose clients that way. Wellllll, when Stephanie told me she was willing to lay on the ground, I knew EXACTLY what I wanted her to do! It's moments like this that make me feel so lucky to do what I love! |
| I love me some desert wedding photos... |
| Stephanie made the moss-covered chair... |
| Many thanks again to Petal Pushers for their thoughtful designs... |
| The wedding cake topper was a 100-year-old tea cup Stephanie bought for $1.00 at a thrift store...loved it! |
| The following two photos are JD's.... |
| The happy couple was comically serenaded by their brother and friend....and how fun is the light-covered tree in the background?! DC Ranch is seriously a photographer's dream... |
| The party was kept popping the entire night by California's Blu Note Party Band...yes, they drove to Arizona for the wedding! |
To see more of their fabulous wedding at DC Ranch, feel free to CLICK HERE for a slideshow!
And a special thanks must also go to Lyra for coming out and assisting me and JD...she's such a great friend! And major props to Serendipity Videography for being SO awesome to work with...Taryn and Jeff were awesome! |
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