Last night we all bundled into the car, two cars really, me from home with Dane, Dave from post with Tess, and headed out to celebrate our friends sons enlistment in the US Army! Keith has been a paramedic for years and is ready to serve as a combat medic. I am in awe of his strength, courage and determination.
Keith and his sister Sarah flew out to Germany this weekend so he could have his enlistment ceremony here, with his parents. It was meant to be a very short trip, mostly for this solemn occasion, and some fun & happiness with their family. But. There is always a but with the Army. There were some paperwork issues and Monday & Tuesday were stress-filled scrambling to get one more document. And another. And another.
Finally at 18:00 Tuesday we got the call:
“We’re good to go! Ceremony at 19:00!” We hopped in our cars and met them on post. Not just to support and show our love for our friends, but also for Keith for taking this big step. I was also Official Photographer, a great opportunity to not only give my friends a gift, but also to work with the wonderful lighting in military offices before our own big ceremony… Dave’s retirement!
By 19:00 the recruiters office was filled with two families, and six additional friends. We were ready, excited and honored to be there on Keiths’ big day. And suddenly there was more paperwork needed.
We raced to the house to get more papers. Dug through emails. Begged. Pleaded. And finally, at almost 22:00, it was a no go. With castdown faces and heavy hearts we all walked out. In silence. We’d had such high hopes. Dave took the kids home, it was well past bedtime, and I joined them at the local beer & burger joint (btw, I had no idea there was a beer & burger joint in Germany!).
Beer & burgers makes everything better. Our hearts are filled with hope that tonight, or tomorrow night, Keith will get to enlist. Fingers & toes are crossed.
The good news is I got to practice taking photo’s in terrible light. Even better? I finally wrote up how I do my basic edits AND created a little action that will do it for you.
First, my photo from last night, Keiths sister Sarah, before & after:
Sarah before and after basic edit
And how I did it:
Dane original (from when Boo was here!)
Add Adjustment Layer: Curves
Curves setting:
- Output = 123
- Input = 154
Add Adjustment Layer: Channel Mixer
Channel Mixer settings:
- Red = +125
- Green = -12
- Blue = -12
- Layer Opacity = 62%
Run Filter High Pass
How to run the High Pass Filter:
- Duplicate the background layer
- Important: run filter on background layer
- Click on Filter –>Other–>High Pass (radius: 10 pixels)
- Set layer to: Soft Light
Add Adjustment Layer: Levels
Levels Settings:
- Top 3 boxes: 0; 1.50; 255
- Output: 15; 255
- Change layer to Screen
- Change Opacity to 25%
- Move this layer to the front (top) of all your layers!
The final step is the included Facebook Size action (or Print Sharpening for full-size images):
Ready to share!
sorry about the night! Love the action, thank you 🙂
Thank you for the action Toiny. I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you for the action. It makes a nice difference.
Thank you! Looking forward to trying out the action!
OMG you poor things but ain’t that just like the Army. It’s the same here in the uk, always just one more document to find. Hoping it all goes well soon. Re action, Wohooooooooo, thank you so much for doing this. You know how much I wanted this action and tut. Did I mention how much I wuv you? 😉 xx
I did it for you Boo! I need to refine it & add some tools to it… and document it properly but I did it!
Oh my — what stress & frustration for your friends. Hope all goes well soon!! Thank you for the action!
Thank you for the action! I want to try it out very soon.
what a stressful evening! Hope when it happens again, everything will go smoothly! I tried to download the action, and what comes up is a 1/4 page of words/directions…no zip file. Is that what is supposed to happen? If so, what do you do with all the words?
There is no zip file. I only uploaded the action, .atn, file. When I download it, it goes right into my photoshop neatly in the actions palette. You many need to download it to downloads (as a .atn file) and then upload it to your actions palette.
when I click on HERE, this is what opens up next:
Basic Photo EditBasic Photo EditTEXTmakeMakeÿÿÿÿMakeMk nullobj ClssAdjLUsngObjcAdjLTypeObjcCurvesCrvs presetKindenumpresetKindTypepresetKindDefaultTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrAdjLOrdnTrgtT ObjcCurvesCrvs presetKindenumpresetKindTypepresetKindCustomAdjsVlLsObjcCrvAChnlobj EnmrChnlChnlCmpsCrv VlLsObjcPnt HrzndoubVrtcdoubObjcPnt Hrzndoub@^ÀVrtcdoub@c@ObjcPnt Hrzndoub@oàVrtcdoub@oàTEXTmakeMakeÿÿÿÿMakeMk nullobj ClssAdjLUsngObjcAdjLTypeObjcChannel MixerChnM presetKindenumpresetKindTypepresetKindDefaultRd ObjcChMxRd UntF#Prc@YGrn ObjcChMxGrn UntF#Prc@YBl ObjcChMxBl UntF#Prc@YTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrAdjLOrdnTrgtT ObjcChannel MixerChnM presetKindenumpresetKindTypepresetKindCustomRd ObjcChMxRd UntF#Prc@_@Grn UntF#PrcÀ(Bl UntF#PrcÀ(TEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr OpctUntF#Prc@OTEXTselectSelectÿÿÿÿnullnullobj nameLyr BackgroundMkVsboolTEXT duplicate Duplicateÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtVrsnlongTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr Nm TEXT High PassTEXThighPass High PassÿÿÿÿnullRds UntF#Pxl@$TEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr Md enumBlnMSftLTEXTselectSelectÿÿÿÿnullnullobj nameLyr BackgroundMkVsboolTEXTmakeMakeÿÿÿÿMakeMk nullobj ClssAdjLUsngObjcAdjLTypeObjcLevelsLvls presetKindenumpresetKindTypepresetKindDefaultTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrAdjLOrdnTrgtT ObjcLevelsLvls presetKindenumpresetKindTypepresetKindCustomAdjsVlLsObjcLvlAChnlobj EnmrChnlChnlCmpsGmm doub?øOtptVlLslonglongÿTEXTmoveMoveÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT obj indxLyr AdjsboolVrsnlongTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr Md enumBlnMScrnTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr OpctUntF#Prc@9Print SharpeningTEXT flattenImage Flatten ImageTEXT duplicate Duplicateÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtVrsnlongTEXT unsharpMask Unsharp Maskÿÿÿÿ Unsharp MaskUnsMAmntUntF#Prc@9Rds UntF#Pxl@FThshlongTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr Md enumBlnMLmnsTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr Nm TEXTAdjust Opacity – if neededFacebook SizeTEXT flattenImage Flatten ImageTEXT imageSize Image SizeÿÿÿÿnullWdthUntF#Pxl@@ scaleStylesboolCnsPboolIntrenumIntpBcbcTEXT duplicate Duplicateÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtVrsnlongTEXT unsharpMask Unsharp Maskÿÿÿÿ Unsharp MaskUnsMAmntUntF#Prc@a€Rds UntF#Pxl?ðThshlongTEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr OpctUntF#Prc@ITEXTsetSetÿÿÿÿnullnullobj EnmrLyr OrdnTrgtT ObjcLyr Nm TEXTChange Opacity as needed
don’t see an atn.file anywhere…..Helen
helen, can you shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you? mandak at nibblesskribbles.com is the email address
I get the same thing as Helen, (below) Read what you said, but don’t see it in my PS actions… running PSC 5 What is it called.. a name helps when searching a long list of already obscure names
Does it work using PSE 15? Or Both PS and PSE? Would love to try it it works with PSE. Hope your frustration level has decreased and all goes will next time.
I don’t know. Give it a try & I’ll also ask my Designer with PSE to give it a try. Maybe I can update it so it does work with PSE.
Thanks for the action, I can’t wait to try it out!
-Pam
[…] did this Tuesday night (Frustration with a Freebie) and again Thursday night. The recruiter did everything in his power to get Keith’s […]
Thank you for the action, works great!
[…] ago, I posted a simple how-I-edit-photo’s tutorial and included a basic photo edit action (Frustration with a freebie). Turns out, you guys love that! We’ve had a rough week, nothing dramatic, just rough, and I […]
does this only work in elements?
This works in elements & photoshop. What program are you using?
I hope every thing works out, what a frustrating evening. I have PSE15 and just tried it and it works great. Thanks for the action.
Thanks Genie! I’ll update my post.
There is no longer an action here. ;(