Never be afraid to ask-

We are all in this together (catchy jingle).  Anyway Tracy made a comment on the blog today that said

I have been subscribing to your blog for a while and I am finally getting the guts up to ask how you make the edges of your photos shaded. Your photos are AMAZING! I am assuming you are using photoshop but I just can’t figure it out!!! If you have a chance to answer I would appreciate it alot! 

Don’t be afraid to ask, because while some photographers are all hush hush about how they get their effects, I like to share the love.  I know that each individual will take their own unique shots because everyone has a different way of looking at the world.  And I really think that shows through in photography.

So…..the picture that was on the post that Tracy commented on was done with Photoshop  by using layers to get that Through The Viewfinder look of old vintage cameras.  There are two ways to do this, actually take a picture through an old camera (which is not all that easy- I tried it with my vintage Rolleicord and the effect was cool, but not what I really wanted).  The second way is to do it through PS.  I did a post about the “how-to” part a while back, maybe last month.  I collect different “textures” from people on flickr that post them for others to use and then play around with them when I have the time.  So far I have been using the same ones over and over.  You can google Through The Viewfinder or TTV and find all kinds of info out there.
Now, that said- I recently discovered a very very cool site call Picnik

I LOVE this site.  It basically takes all the work out of doing everything step by step in PS, plus it’s free!  At least for the basic level.  I am considering the upgrade, it’s only $25 a year and then you also get curves- which is what I use a lot on PS.  When you get on the site, upload a photo and then hit the create tab.  I use the vignette effect for the shaded corners.  It will also slightly change the color.  The other fun one is cinema and 1960’s.
I would show you some of the fun stuff that I have done but I don’t know how to copy image location on the Mac yet.

Photography is so fun, I could talk about it all day.  It’s crazy when I think about all the time spent in a darkroom when I was young.  Now it’s all so easy, and far less stinky!

And Jim, I knew you would be happy to hear we crossed back to your side of the world.  Can’t wait to see you guys next month at the beach! I will be bringing my new toy (which I should probably say is nothing fancy- just a plain old MacBook) but you can fill me in on all the fun stuff I have been missing.