Image Explorations  (Shawnigan Lake BC July 17-21)

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CMA StoryTellers 2 ( Vol 5 )

Good day and welcome to Part Two of the StoryTellers Series!

Now that I have your attention...

 :-)

StoryTellers - The adventure continues!

I'm having a blast bringing these processes to you, as there really is no limit to what can be done to your imagery. When I say that I'm not referring to some funky and trendy effect that is as just as cool as it quickly becomes stale... but rather in bringing life to photographs in an artistic and personalized manner. These will always be your creations -  it has little to do with the individual settings of these Actions, they simply provide the tools for you to create what lies in your imagination!

As with all of the CMA Actions, the procedures themselves are all designed for repeatability, consistency and reliability - critical elements in a professional workflow. On top of that, they are all established in a fashion and with steps in place to allow you to customize the operations, enabling you to personally manage your workflow.

Reading directions is not something I tend to do often myself, so if you got this far then I thank you for your spirit of discovery. I suggest that you print this out and keep it handy as a guide while you play... If you care to read further, you'll discover how these Actions can become very effective production tools that you will use constantly with enthusiasm and with confidence.

Congrats - You're a winner!

- Craig Minielly

Loading

The Actions are located within the copyrighted materials folder. Please read the copyright information before opening.

The enclosed set of Photoshop Actions may be loaded to your PC or Mac system by going to the Actions palette and locating the arrow at the top to show the palete options. Locate the "Load Actions" command and indicate the action set you wish to load. Double-Clicking on the action file itself will also load the Actions on a Mac. Remember to quit Pshop to save all settings after the actions are loaded.

Boring but good to know...

Copyright:

These materials are all copyright protected. You are granted a one-person right of usage and are welcome to install them on any computers that you own and are used by you. Companies with multiple computers and with multi-user stations please inquire about specific licenses to address your requirements. You may copy these files for archiving purposes, but you are not allowed to distribute them to others in any form or through any means. Not wanting to be heavy, but just asking that you please respect the copyright of these products - Thank you :-)

In General:

When the Action has some steps that require input, these are indicated by the dialog box next to that specific step: if empty the action runs unattended, if the icon is present, the step requires your input and will stop at that point.

Similarily, unchecking an action step prevents it from being applied. You might decide that a step is unnecessary and uncheck it ( eg - sharpening), and also unmark a particular step ( dialog box) if you do not wish to stop for your input - this allows for greater speed and unattended batching. Some steps are built on others before it, so you may need to juggle and test thinsg a bit when altering the setups. Don't worry, you can always reload these if they get too messy!

As different images ahave different file sizes ( ie: 2MP - 14MP) you may find that some setting in these Actions are too strong or too weak for your style. They have been designed around the ~ 20MB image or so, with many targeted to web resolution outputs. You can use storng or mild versions of an Action depending on your file size, or alter the values in the action to better suit your starting image.

To alter the set values in any particular step, simply have an image open and double click on that step, from there enter the values to complete the request on your own computer. This is how you would customise the action and designate destinations for " Save" steps.

All of the actions are intended to be used on a flattened file and applied to the background layer, there are many that will work elsewise but if something trips up, then check that first and flatten the document if necessary (saving a version prior to trying things out).

Many of the actions generate masks and adjustment layers. These are intended so that you can fine tune the desired effect and " paint in or out" the effect as well.

All of the actions may be customised for your system so that you may indicate folders and files where needed and fine tune the application as you wish. Simply open the action by clicking on it's arrow and locate the step that you wish to modify, with an image already on screen, double click the desired step and insert your own values.

** Note - If you change a text entry step, you may need to re-record the next step if it "looks" for that text layer (as it is now named differently). To do so, have your image open with the text layer NOT the active layer, select the previous step to the one you need to replace and press the record buttom at the bottom of the palette, NOW select the new text layer and then press stop (bottom palette). Trash the previous (old) selection step and you are done!

Where there is a "save as" step, it may be checked or unchecked depending on your preference. Running a batch requires it to be checked, working on an image on screen without saving requires it to be unchecked. Also take note of the file location and the note above about customising to your system.

With all batches, I recommend setting up a test folder to try the action first. I also recommend having the destination folder open and visible so that you can see the progress and interrupt and make corrections if anything is amiss.

The Cool Stuff !

Ok, I know you're dying to just go at it, so feel free to do exactly that... when you feel like finding out a bit more of what these things do, and how "they" can do it better, the next area will give you the answers and info that you'll eventually appreciate...

These Actions have been grouped into various Sets based entirely on marketing and packaging <g>  - Feel free to create your own sets for those you use most often and copy the Actions ( Option (mac) / Alt (pc) - Drag ) to your own set of favorites. Some of the Actions make use of others in a specific set, so if something goes goofy, try to run that same Action from where it was originally installed. 

Brush Shortcuts:

These will be used throughout the descriptions:
The X key switches the white and black swatches in the tool palettte to allow you to paint in or out on mask layers.
The brackets  { & } to the right of the P , changes the size of the Brush up or done one step.
The numbers 1-0 at the top of the keyboard, change the opacity of your brush: 1= 10% thru to 0=100%

In this Volume...

Image Poppers Action Set - 5 Actions 

In the request for enhanced image colors ( in the style of the Velvia series of film ), I wanted results that were as accurate as they were infused with richness. Somewhere along the way of testing and user feedback, these Actions became used for initial color correction and were remarkably accurate in that capacity. 

As brands and models of cameras will differ, in addition to shooting situations, so to will the results you are able to achieve with these. However, as with all others, you can customize these Actions to suit your own style, circumstances and preferences. A future volume will offer some interesting possibilities...  ;-)

** If you want to have final input before the choice is removed from you, open the Action Steps, and turn "On" the dialog box next to the step labeled as "Stop" (just before the Flatten step). You will now be presented with Layers of Options to fine tune your images color characteristics. Simply press Play to continue from that point.

Portrait Poppers

These are targeted at images containing skin tones, where richer colors and more pleasing skin tones are the desire. Shadows are neutral to cool based, whereas the highlights have a warmer subtlety built into them. The Light version produces a diminished intensity in the final result. The Warm Action provides an enhanced warmth, similar to warming filters over the lens, but  - without compromising your shadow's neutrality.

Scenic Poppers

Different images have differing values for how shadows and highlights should be rendered, and so these are designed to reflect those possibilities. The Scenic Poppers provide cleaner highlights, with enhanced foliage rendering and an obvious overall saturation increase. They likely won't likely look so good on portrait style images, but hey, knock yourself out and have fun any way you want!

Edgers Actions Set - 9 Actions

These are intended to be able to be used on all images, whatever shape , orientation or resolution in providing you with a speedy set of finishing tools to dramatically improve your final images appearance. Portrait, corporate, news and sports all are areas that should be thinking about how their image blends into its boundaries, and these Actions could be easily considered mandatory utilities with any image's production.

** These are generally designed to be used on full resolution images, which would then be downsized for your final output. The values are setup accordingly and would not be as effective with Low-res imagery. The Edger Custom would allow you to deal with such images.

I very, very rarely use the dodge and burn tools myself, as these Action techniques are far more effective and way less problematic.

Darkening the edges ( burning in ) allows the viewers eye to be drawn into the subject within the image, whereas Lightening (dodging around) is useful for High-Key images where you want the image to fade out to the sides where any details can easily become points of distraction.

Elements of "softness" are also within your range of options here and may be combined with the lightening and darkening effects. The Action names indicate how these two techniques are used and combined in their intensity. There is nothing to prevent you from running any action twice - running the DarkEdge Weak  2-3 times is actually one of my more common practices!

The Edger Custom walks you through the process one step at a time and allows you to work to the exact characteristics of an image and the final look that you want. You can set the softness to "0" ( or any amount) when  cued for the Gaussian Effect if you want that aspect to remain unchanged, and you can also adjust the Curve option to brighten the edges as easily as darkening them when that option is presented to you.

Roughers Action Set - 9 Actions

This set provides you the Action Tools to add visual impact and texture to your images. Interesting on their own, they really show their worth when you combine them with other Actions -  I have numerous images that have been created solely by an Image Popper, Punch 'n Grain, and a Fashionizer... Using these after the PorcelainSkin or ShadowSoft style Actions can quickly become a natural process for many images.

Different images have different degrees that look good with these, so options include Soft and Tough for the Punch Actions, and varying degrees of granularity for the Grain effects and how they are combined with the Punch Actions. Incidentally, it is a hidden step, but all of these Actions ensure that you get the effect you want, without extra and distracting color noise when they are used.

** I would do any softening effects and necessary image sharpening before using these. As these provide a visible surface texture, you need to be cautious at processes that may cause that to appear distractingly irregular. Then again - make your own luck and create your own rules!

In many of these Actions you can adjust the layers opacity for the degree of "see-through" as well as selectively brush on the mask to allow areas to come through more or less, totally or not at all - it is all your choice! 

Enjoy and Play!!!

Craig

Craig Minielly  MPA, SPA

Craig's Actions / Aura Photographics

http://www.craigsactions.com/

Volume History

Craig's Actions Overview  

(* New   ** Coming Soon )

Volume One -  Production Essentials - 4 Sets / 22 Actions

The perfect starting series of Actions to provide controls over sequences including:
Image Sharpening, Dust control, Advanced Image Retouching, Facial Features Enhancements, Web Image production, Custom Logo Insertion, Copyright and Proof  Watermarking, Cross-Processing and B/W Image Effects and much much more...

Volume Two -  Creative Effects with  ShadowSoft and Grain - 3 Sets / 30 Actions

A Creativity Volume with Actions to enable you to create beautiful Diffusion and Grain Artistic effects, with choices as to colors, intensity and image textures. Perfect for the wedding and journalistic style of images that are in such high demand right now.

Volume Three -  CMYK Production and Ad Image Producers - 1 Set / 19 Actions

A Production Volume with Actions to produce effective CMYK Conversions to various press and paper applications, and to differing image sizes for Business Card, Brochure or Ad Production. Boring, but very effective in handling this area that is so often regarded as some kind of "black magic ".

* Volume Four - StoryTellers1 - 3 Sets / 32 Actions

A Creativity Volume with artistic and effective controls allowing you a wide range of editorial styles in your image output. InfraRed, softpastels, selectivecolor, illustrative, graphic and watercolor effects are all easily performed and beautifully rendered.

* Volume Five - StoryTellers2  - 3 Sets / 23 Actions

A natural extension of the StoryTellers volume, this contains a variety of Actions that give you enhanced Color Control ( Digital Velvia ! ) with choices blended to a wide variety of subject settings, EdgeEffects for beautiful image gradations, and a set of  "Graphic Enhancers" for full image impact!

** Volume Six - Sizers&Croppers ( coming shortly )

This is a production volume, with Actions that allow you to effectively and quickly increase / decrease your image file size ( with full quality built-in ! ), to a wide variety of outputs and cropping formats. No rocket science here, but this set will save you tons of time and avoid the mistakes that are way too common in these everyday tasks

Power Processors

The main difference between the Action Volumes and Power Processors, is that the PP allow for destination-specified "Save" steps and multi-file and format capability - all with a single Action process!

Power Processor Series #1 - Hi-Res / Low-Res Dual Processor

A very powerful production series of Actions intended to produce dual sets of files ( layered PSD's and proof JPG's ) with High-Key or  Low-Key image preferences - all with a built in cosmetic softness for a natural, lightly-retouched appearance. Targeted at the workflow that requires low-res images for proofing and slide show purposes, with subsequent production to be applied to selected imagery that is now "3/4" produced and ready for final attention.

Power Processor Series #2 - CMYK Multi-Processor

This series takes the mystery out of CMYK conversions and allows you the ability to produce very good quality CMYK imagery that is print ready for a wide variety of applications. PLUS, this set contains Actions that address the most common client requests, providing you with the tools to efficiently process your images to process print and web/power point output specs - all at the same time!

End Note:

Thank you for investing in this Action Volume Set. It is my intention that these Actions be used in such a way that enhances the controls available for your production, as well as provide enhanced opportunities for creative expression. 

Please feel free to change, modify, copy and adjust these Actions for your own use and to suit your own style. However, please do not copy these Actions and provide to a 3rd party as that interferes with Copyright and does no-one any good in the long run. 

If you have any thoughts, suggestions or feedback, I'm always interested in your comments and welcome them at the email address below. I am also interested in hearing your feedback and seeing sample images with your results. I am also working on creating a gallery of samples submitted to me, so let me know if you'd like to be included.

Training workshops and demos (along with my other presentation topics) are also available to individuals, small groups or whole schools and conventions. Feel free to inquire as to availability, upcoming dates, as well as to pass on information about your group and your interests and I will follow up with your or your supplied contacts.