Color Flow for Low Mojo

Lately, when it comes to inspiration the struggle has been REAL.  I am not sure if it is in the air, the water or what.  But my creativity game has not been where I need it to be.  In order to remedy this I have been scanning some of my photography, hoping that something in the images will spark something.
  

Here is a photo that I took while visiting a local arboretum.  I love how rich the color is on such tiny flowers.  Almost like they know that this may be their only moment to shine, because once all of the larger flowers grow they may not receive as much attention.

I pulled a color palette from the picture in hopes of creating a paper project (scrapbook layout, card, mini-album) using these colors as inspiration.  Wish me luck!  

What would you create using these colors?  What do you do when your mojo is low?

Blow it up!

Of course, I know that I have the option to get creative with my photos – enlarge them, make a collage, etc.  But do I do it often enough?  Of course not!  I am a lazy photo printer.  4x6 is where all of my photos seem to start, but I’ve been trying something new.  

 Before I hit “submit” on my online photo order or hit “print” at home, I’m trying to remember to ask myself if any of them deserve special treatment.  I limit it to just one of two so I’m not overwhelmed, but I think it’s helping me get more variety my layouts.    

The photo in the layout I’m sharing today is a 5x7 of a photo from a girlfriends vacation last March.  We were waiting for our ride to Bob Marley’s homeplace in Jamaica.  One of the best excursions I’ve ever been on, so I wanted to do something a little different.  I loved how it turned out!

Early Birds by Moanica Caston.  Cardstock: Bazzill; Patterned Paper, Chipboard Accents, Gems:  Fancy Pants; Alphas: America Crafts Thickers.

 

Break out from the 4x6 rut and change things up with a larger photo. 

Moanica

Change Your Hair With the Weather...using Photoshop

The seasons are changing once again.  In a few weeks it will officially be Autumn…my favorite season!  Autumn is the most beautiful of the seasons.  It seems even mother-nature is ready for a make-over by the time Fall rolls around.  The bright colors of the trees and leaves are simply breathtaking!

Well, if you would like to take a cue from mother-nature you may be interested in your own make-over.  Perhaps, a new outfit, a drastic hair cut or maybe even a new hair color?  Not ready to commit?  No worries, here is a quick tutorial on how to change your hair color using Photoshop.  It can be a fun idea for a scrapbook layout or maybe just to change the look of your SOC profile pic.

• Step 1: Open a copy of the desired image in Photoshop. (Be sure to use a copy and not the original)
• Step 2: Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool and set it to 15px feathered.

• Step 3: Draw a selection around the area of hair you would like to color.
  
• Step 4: Copy the selection and “Paste in Place” (Shift + Ctrl +V).  (This will drop the selection on a new layer in the exact same spot.) Rename this layer “Hairpiece.”
• Step 5: In the Adjustments Tab, click the Color Balance Icon. A new item will appear in the Layers Tab.

• Step 6:  Play with the colors until you have a shade you are happy with.

Did your entire picture change colors? Don’t worry that is supposed to happen.  We will fix that in the next step.

• Step 7:  Holding down the “Alt” key on your keyboard.  Click between the "Color Balance" layer and your “Hairpiece” layer (You will know you are in the right place when your cursor changes shape). This will attach the "Color Balance" layer to the hair piece selection, while the rest of your image goes back to the original color.

• Step 8: That’s it!  Save your image as a jpg or other image file and you are done!

*Tip: You can always re-adjust the color of your hair highlights by double clicking the black and white circle in the "Color Balance" layer.

Give it try! What color will you choose?

*Image is stock photography.

Tilt & Shift Those Scenic Pics!

Summer is pretty much here which means for many it is vacation time! Of course, as a scrapbooker practically every moment will be a photo-op.  But what happens when we get home only to realize that we have taken a few too many shots of that amazing view?  Sadly, very few scenery shots actually capture the magic of the moment.

Here is my solution for turning an average picture from my vacation last year into something special.  I applied a tilt & shift treatment (or faux-miniature look) to the image.  By giving the illusion of a shallow depth of field the ship looks like a miniature model as opposed to a photo of an actual real-life docked ship.  Here is a quick step by step of how I did it....

Step 1: Select a picture and open it in Photoshop.  Landscape and scenic images work very well for this technique.

Step 2: Convert the work surface to "Edit In Quick Mask" mode. (Press the letter "Q" or click the icon below.  It is usually found at the bottom of the tool bar.)
 
Step 3: Select the gradient tool.






Step 4: Be sure you have the "Reflected Gradient" option selected.


Step 5: Draw a vertical line over the area that you want to be in focus.  You will see a red hue over that area.  Keep trying until you have the section highlighted in red that works for you.

Step 6: Convert back to the "Standard Mode" (See Step. 2)
Step 7: You will notice that a portion of your photo will be selected with "marching ants."  Click the filters menu and select "Blur > Lens Blur"

Step 8: Adjust the "Radius" and other settings until you have the look you want. Click "OK"
Step 9: Deselect the selection  (Ctrl+D)
Step 10: Increase the saturation (Ctrl+U) to give the image a toyish look.


That's it! You are done.

For my image I added an overlay for a "negative/slide" feel and some simple journaling.  Give it a try, and let us know how your image turns out!

Just as a comparison here is my original image...