Episode 67: Quick and Dirty

 

Christine Newman joins the panel to talk about quick and dirty hacks and tricks for everything from photo editing to using a Silhouette machine.

Joining the Discussion:

Christine Newman
Peppermint Granberg
Katie Nelson
Steph

 

From the Mail:

  • But My Life Isn’t Interesting Enough for December Daily

From the Show:

Picks:

Christine: The Goodies Box
Peppermint: Pinterest
Katie: Vera Bradley mailbag
Steph: and

Sponsor:

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20 Responses to Episode 67: Quick and Dirty

  1. Crystal (Lukasmummy) says:

    Just curious if you think there is an advantage other than less layers in the layer pallette to grouping layers rather than just linking them together. Elements has the ability to do linking, but not sure if you could open linked layers. Hugs Crystal xx

  2. Leah says:

    I finally have a tip to share! For adding text to photos quickly I use Picasa. Since I organize my pictures in Picasa it is super fast. You could use GIMP, but it would take as long as Photoshop so I rarely open GIMP unless I’m making a layout. It does most of the things digiscrappers need, like layers, brushes, and drop shadows, but for quick stuff like text, I think Picasa is a lot faster and easier. I have both programs on my Mac and love them, especially considering they are free programs. I just wish I could get GIMP to use Photoshop actions.

  3. kimberly Jones says:

    Here is my dilemma and I knew you were the place I should go to get some direction, between you and the listeners. I’m a paper scrapper but am dipping my toes into digital especially for photo organization (i was using creative memories but thanks to you am now on lightroom). I recently downloaded a trial of photoshop elements after purchasing a class from Ella Publishing Take 12. I decided to use it as a 12 pics during the month. It included templates which I would like to do more with especially for “documenting” our daily life. Long story short – I’m overwhelmed on the “process” end. I went to lightroom thought I would just pic 12 pictures, copy to elements and bam complete a page. This is where I get hung up with LR/PE. 1st it was editing photo, then it looks like I’m suppose to put in a folder then go to elements and select the photos now i have photos in way too many places for me. An hour later and I have nothing done. Can you recommend a blog or site to go to figure out a plan for tackling a LR/PE process. I’m also looking for one “all-around” general preset for editing. I’m not good at editing so it takes forever and I have a ton of matts and some of 4 Hens but clicking thru each one and trying to decide is overwhelming. BTW total new to PE. I’m working thru kayla’s LR class and maybe that has all the answers and I’m just not there yet. So grateful for all that you do and the kindness that you extend. Please feel free to let me know of any further questions. ~kim

    • Katherine says:

      For Elements users, if you want the ability to use/create groups, you can add a nifty plug-in called Elements+. This “unlocks” many of the features hidden in Elements and normally only available in the full version of CS. There are separate downloads for the version of Elements you own. http://elementsplus.net/

    • LeslieM says:

      Kim, I haven’t listened to the show but my quick default auto adjustment is to select all photos in the grid (I’m in library mode), then go to the Quick Develop in the panel on the right hand side. Toggle the arrow to open quick develop, then scroll thru saved presets—>Lightroom General Presets—->Auto Tone. LR does a quick auto adjustment to selected photos. Then in library grid select the photos you want to open in PSE by control-clicking on each photo you want to use. Right click and select to “edit in” and a popup screen shows up where you would select the photo editors you have set up. I don’t have PSE, but I believe that should work.

  4. Katherine says:

    For Elements users, if you want the ability to use/create groups, you can add a nifty plug-in called Elements+. This “unlocks” many of the features hidden in Elements and normally only available in the full version of CS. There are separate downloads for the version of Elements you own. http://elementsplus.net/

  5. Summer says:

    Awesome show! I work in PSE and there are a few basic things that i didn’t hear mentioned in the show that I do every time I open new photos.

    I open each pic in camera raw mode and I adjust the sliders. You “open as” and then select pic. Next you go down to the drop down and select camera RAW mode & it open. It gives you sliders that really made a dif in your pics.

    Another thing I may do instead of this, is to add an adjustment layer in the layers pallet. This also provides you sliders to work with. You start at the far left and adjust the lighting, then adjust the far left slider to add black and then the middle one (not sure why ;)

    I really love this blog for free actions http://www.thecoffeeshopblog.com/ . They are awesome for those of us that just like to enhance the look of our photos but are not professions ;)

  6. Summer says:

    I said that you start at the far left first but you actually start at the far right ;)

    “You start at the far RIGHT and adjust the lighting, then adjust the far left slider to add black and then the middle one”

  7. Lisa says:

    I haven’t listened to this episode yet but since the discussion seems to be about actions my question will fit right in, sort of. Now that Anna Forrest actions are no longer available, does someone else make similar actions? In particular, I’m looking for something like her Title Builder action. I tend to avoid using alphas on my pages because they are so much work but this action looks like it would have solved that problem.

    • Anna Forrest says:

      I don’t know of anyway you would make something like the title builder work without using scripts and I don’t know of anyone else producing scripts at the moment. So not much help there.

      But anyone looking to get a hold of these or any other of my scripts can always email me at myranalis at hotmail dot com. I know – I should really set up a blog shop type thing. :) I will try to get there eventually.

      Cheers

      Anna

  8. Hi ladies. Great show! My college roommate got me started on Vera Bradley at age 18. Lots of people here of all ages carry Vera (and collect it!), but we’re in Indiana so I don’t know about outside of our area. Vera was founded and is headquartered in Ft. Wayne, IN and they still have a HUGE multi-day warehouse sale every year that people drive from all over to attend. We went once in college and it was INSANE. Love seeing Vera finally taking off more outside our area. I see their ads in magazines some now too which is neat.

  9. Hey ladies! Loved the show, especially all the fun stuff on the Silhouette!! One tip that is pretty cool is that you can fill a shape with patterned paper simply by dragging the paper onto the shape. Christine mentioned setting a paper as a pattern, but that is long and complicated, then it’s stuck in your library, which you might not like. Instead, you can click on the shape you want to fill, then go over to your window that has the jpg paper and click and drag it on to the shape. It’s JUST like dragging and dropping a png file (which Christine described), except you select the shape first! It’s quick and dirty!

  10. Rhadonda says:

    Steph and Katie, I learned so much how to use my Silhouette from Kerri Bradford site and tutorials she will post and she actually has some classes at Jessica Sprague for the Silhouette that were great. I hope i can finally help you as you all have definitely helped me being new to digi. I have done so much with my silhouette, t-shirts, etching glass, etc. I love List Girl and have followed her for a while. It was cool to put a voice to her beautiful face.

  11. I’m only partway through the show, but I am so excited that I just need to leave a comment now. I just downloaded the free trial of Lr4, and I’m planning to try PSE11, too (right now I’m behind the times, with just PSE7). I’m planning to splurge on those programs since my Etsy shop has been busy this season! I think I’m going to have to listen to this show again, notebook + pen (or digital equivalent, maybe) in hand, to take notes! My mind is spinning in delight over all the awesome tips and tricks I’m hearing.

    Hopefully this isn’t something you answer later in the show, but are there any classes you lovely ladies would recommend for getting started with editing Lightroom? I have a pretty established photo workflow for getting photos organized (i.e., onto my hard drive, labeling and adding metadata, etc.), but I’m pretty overwhelmed right now with the whole edit-on-import type stuff that can be done with Lr. I’m planning to watch the “Getting Started” videos on the Adobe site, but are there any other classes that address mainly photo editing in Lr? Thanks!!

  12. Becky says:

    Has anyone found a app that they love for “to do” lists? If so, please share. Thanks.

  13. I have been using Orchestra – which runs across my Iphone and PC. I can email things to it which helps and it sends me reminders. You can also share lists with others which helps and add things to there lists.
    Wunderlist has just released a new version which I’m interesting in trying but they are having some technical issues at the moment so I’d wait a couple of weeks until they are sorted. The new features they talk about mean I may switch if they fix the technical problems they are having now.

  14. Heddy says:

    I have only read the show notes and already learned something — I had no idea that RadLab now worked within Lightroom! I’ve owned RadLab for a while, but I wasn’t using it as much because I do most of my edits in Lightroom. Last night, I read the show notes and immediately installed it in Lightroom. Wow! This is a game changer! It’s amazing to have all that functionality from within Lightroom. I had a ton of fun processing some macro shots with the RadLab stylets. Thank you for sharing this news! :)

  15. teri says:

    Valorie Wibbens has stitched pocket templates at the the-lily pad. someone was talking about this somewhere:)

  16. Katie (sakura-panda) says:

    I have the original Silhouette, but I never knew about the printing and cutting out of digital elements with it. I’ve heard of people doing it, but I thought the newer models could handle ink and that it was all in the machine. I’m excited by the idea that my Silhouette can do it too!