Some Pioneer Woman Photoshopping

I think I've mentioned Ree Drummond's fabulous website before, and her wonderful Photoshop Actions. You really should check them out, they are great, and they are FREE!

Last week, in the course of designing my scrap page for this weekend's workshop (there are still spaces if you are keen), I decided I needed a special photo to go with the page (which I'll show you after the workshop ;-).

This is the photo I chose:


This version is straight out of the camera, which is a Sony Alpha 100, and I was using a Minolta 28 - 75 mm lens. All I have done to it so far is cropped it to centre Miss (then) 3 in the frame.

The colours did not match the DSP that I wanted to use on the page (isn't it always the way?), so I decided to try it in black and white. I used Ree's 'PW B&W' from action set 1, and this is what I got:


I might mention here that I can't remember if the entire action ran correctly...I am only using Photoshop 7.0 for Mac here, and it says that Ree's actions are for CS3 or CS4. Some of the steps don't run and I get an error message, at which point I usually just skip to the next step and restart the action (Ree would possibly groan in horror, but I am usually at the outer limits of my photoshop savy, just trying to get the action to run in the first place.....I am not quite up to manually getting through the steps...yet)!

I have lightened the eyes a bit by copying the layer, and lightening it, then putting it at the back, and erasing over the dark eyes, so the lighter eyes showed through. I will eventually try Ree's latest tutorial though, where you use a layer mask to do this instead, so that you can go back and make changes.

You will also note that I have removed the white clip and the little white star from the upper right-hand side of her head (wardrobe malfunctions...Janet is not the only one with problems you see).

Ok, so I spent a while on this little number, printed it out, held it up to the scrap page and DOH! It still wasn't what the page needed. It needed SEPIA!

Back to Ree's actions, and the first Sepia-ish one I see is 'Heartland', from action set 2. This is what came out:


I think it is a stunning effect! So pretty, and 'ye-olde-photo found in the bottom of great grannies sea-going trunk in the attic' IYKWIM? I have printed this one out, and have it by my bed. I've been looking at it and thinking Miss (then) 3 wouldn't look out of place in a European royal family! Maybe just a tad too happy looking for royalty ;-).

I also tried the straight 'Sepia Tone' action, also from action set 2, and this is the result:


This is the version that I ended up using on my page. Nice as Heartland was, vintage wasn't quite what the page called for (IMO). This said, a vintage page is now on my list of things to do....and I can't wait to play with Heartland some more!

When I grow up, I want to take photos like the Pioneer Woman, she is my hero :-). Thanks for your fabulous photoshop resources Ree.

Have a great day,
Sam.