Since Micah decided that she would take good naps yesterday, I was finally able to sort through the pictures we took on Easter, get them edited, and upload them for our friends and family to see. I'm sure that everyone in the whole world has known about photoshop actions for ages, but I only recently discovered them, and they have changed my life. As a communication major at Mississippi State, I took a photography class that covered rudimentary Photoshop skills, and for years, I have relied upon those basics to edit my digital pictures. I'm glad for the foundation I got in that class, but I've always wanted to be able to make my photos pop, and I wondered how other people did it with such ease. Now I know the secret. Photoshop actions. The great thing about many free photoshop actions on the internet is that you don't have to have the full version of Photoshop to use and enjoy them. I have Photoshop CS2, but my favorite actions are available for Photoshop Elements users as well. Yesterday, I used CoffeeShop's Perfect Portrait action to transform this picture of Micah from dull to bursting with color and life:

Photoshop actions. If you've got PS or PSE, you should try them. It will change your life, just like it changed mine. And now, my secret's out of the bag. It's not so much that I take fantastic pictures as it is that I can manipulate them to make them better.

For more of my favorite amazing free Photoshop actions, check out The Pioneer Woman's PS/PSE action sets.

Until next time, grace and peace.