I found a nice little photo editing program



My entry to win a free Canon 5D Mk III via @CameraBag 2 (http://bit.ly/cb2-5d) #cb2giveaway

I found this nice little editing program, CameraBag2.  Right now they've got an enticing camera givaway if you download their program and send them a link to a photo you've edited with the program.  Even nicer, you can download and use for free for 30 days.

It's quite different from Adobe.  The big thing they've got going on are "filters"- look like "actions" to me- 21 of them.  One click, and your photo is transformed.  There are 14 quick easy borders or frames to choose from.  The price tag to keep is only $29. and if you only use the features above it's a deal, cheaper than most actions I've seen for adding to your adobe product.

I've only started playing with it, and the filters were the first thing I saw, but there are other editing features.  You can crop, straighten, work on color, saturation, exposure, etc. to get just the look you like.

It does NOT have any paint tools like the clone brush to eliminate or add to your photos. 
Adding and subtracting are my favorite things, so it could never replace photoshop elements for me.  But I sure do like those filters!

Just goofin'

I've been promising to try out using actions in elements.  Some of them are quite expensive to buy, but there are many that are free.  It is complicated loading them onto your version of elements, not simple like loading new brushes.  I spent a good chunk of time Wednesday trying and couldn't get it right.  Went back through the trouble shooting procedures.  Just never got them to be usable.  I may try another time, but I got disgusted and goofed around and did this.  Then my internet was broke!!  So I took it as a sign from God that I was meant to get up and do other things (things not on the computer) and I DID.  Wonderfully productive day.

Let me see if I can remember how I did this one.  I was thinking about actions, which are (my understanding) like the stuff under the "guided edit" tab, so I went there.  I used "photomerge" to pop in 2 more Kayla's into this shot, and have to admit, it worked very fast and easy, just a scribble across her image and it jumped right into the base image.  Then, back in full mode, I flattened all layers, duplicated and shrank and flipped one of the jumpers and stuck that in too.  In the "effects" bin of full edit, I selected "photo effects", "frame", and then filled the frame color black.  I went back up top to the "filter" tab on top, chose "render" and "lens flare".  From the tools bin I chose burn and hit the trees and leaves at about 16% strength.  I went back to effects to get the glowing green border. 

To me, the photo looks an awful lot like what many actions label as "dreamy" effect, except for the cheesy cut and paste that I can't resist sometimes.  As hard a time as I was having getting an action loaded (especially since I never did!) it just seems as simple to me to use those filters installed and play a little with exposure and dodge and burn.  Not much work.  Still, those actions are selling to a whole lot of people, and it took me a couple years of playing with elements to see the value of using brushes. 


Even though elements is wayyyyyy cheaper that full photoshop, it's nice that I can be playing and learning and having fun with a program that still isn't cheap at $50- $100.  Wait for a sale, and GET it if you like playing with your photos.