Experimenting with Filters

Have you ever taken pictures that turned out badly? . . . the subject was fine, but the lighting was almost non-existent? Filters can really make the difference! I took these shots of Emma today without a flash and the photos were so dark, you couldn't recognise them.

First thing I did was use a Screen blending mode in Photoshop - about 7 or 8 times to lighten the picture so you could see it. Then I went to Virtual Photographer, (free filters) and scrolled through the list until I saw one I liked. I chose a faded filter.

Then I opened up some Totally Rad Actions and applied Boutwell's Magic Glasses, which sharpens and lightens the image. (You can get a free sampler pack from Totally Rad Actions)

To another photo I used both Totally Rad's Troy and SuperFun Happy. The effects are very different, but you can see that "garbage" photos can be salvaged with a little experimentation. By the way, my fav is the first one. It seems to convey the sleepy snoozy feeling quite well.