Photoshop Actions! How Fun....

I am an unrepentant Photoshop Elements fan.geek.user.
As in addicted.
I refuse to stop.
I am self taught.. if Youtube counts as self mastery...
Then whatever.

SOOC (My friend's baby....)

After I boosted the levels and saturation and schtuff in Elements 6.

I aspire to big boy Adobe Photoshop CS. But on a blogger's salary, (I know you're laughing) $600 isn't even a possibility. So. Instead I push my ugly-step-sister Elements 6 to the limit. (Yes I know 8 has already been released. Bite me.)

Things I've mastered in Photoshop Elements:
Layers... pretty much if you don't get layers, you really can't use the program.
Levels... I didn't say I knew what it all meant, but I love playing with levels, the whole 256 light values and all that.
Hue/Saturation... The color stuff above.
The bandaid thingy... (no way am I leaving in all my zits!)
Burn/Dodge/Sponge... basically I use these when I think I'm creating 'drama' around the edges of the photos...

I need you to understand. 2 years ago when I first brought home my baby Elements, I was glued to Youtube tutorials, wasted money on bought books, and basically stole whole library sections on digital photography to teach myself. In fact still, one of my favorite newsletters is from Sue Chastain from About.com, she shares her Adobe knowledge and her *free stuff* too! (PS @AdobeElements is on twitter if you want to tell them I'd love to 'test-drive' photoshop... I'd give it back...)

Early on I realized the one big limitation of Elements as opposed to Big Boy Photoshop... is the inability to run actions. Well fine. {I was a bit peeved.} Because do you know what ACTIONS can do?

ACTIONS make you look like the pros. Not just pretend (like me). Not just run the basics like levels and hue/saturation... oh no. My friends if you thought the image above looks great from the teeny tiny bit of photoshop lurve I can muster...

Wait til you see what professional actions can do. I just found out it was all a big fat lie. And the person who showed me the light... is Marcel Walker from MyPhotographica.com. She walked me through the process and made Action download magic with my Elements. Sexy huh?

I give you: Honey Daze

Boom baby!
See what I mean?
Oh my freaking baby face beauty.

And Zoom Zoom:

I'm thinking this action will be awesome on a landscape, yes?

And Tea Time:

How absolutely amazing is that?
And PEOPLE this is a one. step. process. Numero UNO!
You heard me.
Beep boop bop.
Done.
Gorgeous.

Marcel Sells groupings of these professional style Action sets on her site: MyPhotographica.com
There are 24 actions for sale plus some great freebie stuff: actions, textures.. you'll love it! And if you ask her real nice she'll make sure you figure out how to run your actions too!


Enjoy!

I think I get to say that Marcel 'traded' me these action sets for some fun bloggy advice. Does that count as a disclosure?