Thursday, June 25, 2009

Photo Editing Magic

Today I would like to share some photo editing tricks we use. My Mommie is far, far, far from a photography or Photoshop expert. Sometimes the photos are okay right from the camera, but most times we do some editing. Here are some of the things my Mommie does to fix my photos.

This is what the photo looked like straight out of the camera (we just resized it because straight from the camera, the image is 3888 X 2592 pixels). My Mommie uses a Canon DSLR camera, model XTi.
The first thing we will do is crop the picture, so you do not see weird background things. I think that's a little better already!
I see that my ear is a little bit waxy. Let's just erase the dirts in my ear using the clone stamp. Since I do not enjoy having my ears cleaned, this is much easier.
This photo seems a little dark, so next we will play with the lightness and darkness and contrast.
Some of my pink tones seem to be washed out. Next we will adjust the color levels just a little bit.
And finally, just for fun, let's apply an Orton Effect! My friends Gandalf and Grayson taught me about this. We only use this effect once in a while, but it is fun to play around with. Here is a link to a site that shows you how to apply the Orton Effect using Photoshop Elements. And here is the finished product!
Just for comparison, you can see the original vs. the edited version of the photo. You can click on the picture to see it real big. What sorts of editing to you do on your photos?

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97 Notes for Daisy:

Setra said...

These are great tips Daisy, the ear one also works on slightly grubby eyes if used carefully I'm told. Though I'm such a good girl that Mummy can clean my eyes or ears and I won't grumble, even momma Isis is good at having her's done, but *whisper, whisper* Unca Ramses is really naughty about having his eyes washed... *giggle* Just don't let him know that I tolded you 'k?! ;)

Purrs,
Setra
x

Motor Home Cats said...

That was good editing. We don't usually do any editing (mainly because Mom hasn't put photoshop on her new (since November) computer. But even then, she doesn't do much except play with light levels and cropping. We love that outfit on you.

Tavi, Cody, Camie, Miss Jade and Gracie

Poppy Q said...

Thanks for the tips. We don't use any editing, and mum has bought photoshop elements, which is still sitting in its box. However you have inspired us to give it a go!!

Smooches to you and your clever mom.

xxxxxxxxxxx

outlookgood said...

Very cool tips and very cute cat! :)

Milo and Alfie said...

WOW! What great tips. Where's our camera ...

Tama-Chan, Benny, Vidock, Violette, Ollie, Heloise, Momo, Ryu said...

Great tips. We confess to using the ear (and eye) retouch effect too occasionally!

Anonymous said...

Daisy, we are so glad you liked our tip! We love the Orton Effect!

Those pearls! Well, those pearls and that pink dress is one of our most favorite-est outfits you have ever worn! The Orton Effect is a very nice, soft addition to that ensemble!

Whitey said...

Daisy, my ears were "a mess" when Mom and my Daddy rescued me, especially my left ear. Everyday Mom does a little bit more cleaning. I am a very good boy about it! Mom says so!

You look very pretty, Daisy!

Duni said...

Ooh. That was very interesting. I don't know what an Orton effect is, but you're looking very pretty, Daisy!

Karen, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry" said...

We do not have photoshop but use the Kodak gallery to edit our photos. We enhance, crop, sometimes add text and sometimes use a special effect. Often we adjust the brightness.

Mary said...

Great pics Daisy.
You've been awarded the "Best Blog Award" and the "A Lovely Blog Award". Please stop by my blog to claim it. http://mothernosbest.blogspot.com/

Forever Foster said...

We usually just crop and resize photos, and sometimes adjust the lighting and contrast levels. Mum is still learning how to use Photoshop, but has fun with it:)

The Florida Furkids said...

Mom uses photoshop to get the eye goobers and ear wax out of our pictures. We're going to try that Orton effect.

Sniffie and the Florida Furkids

Parker said...

Very good tips Daisy!

The Island Cats said...

Wow! That's pretty good Daisy! Our mom doesn't know photoshop...yet...she keeps saying she's gonna learn it but then never does...we mostly crop and resize and then sometimes play with lighting and contrast. You're photos are always so beautiful...no matter what you do to them!

Hansel said...

Daisy! you always teach us such great things! thanks so much!

Teddy Westlife said...

My mum does a fair bit of editing on my photos. Mostly because they are always too dark, as I am black. She uses the heavy duty photoshop though; she's a complete photography nerd. Although sometimes you wouldn't know it from the shots on my blog.

Huffle Mawson

gemmak said...

I think your mommie is very clever to clean out your ear like that, it's so much nicer for you than to actually have then cleaned! heh ;o)

The Creek Cats said...

Your mom does great work, Daisy! Not that you need any editing...... Thanks so much for sharing the pawsome tricks and tips with us!

Sweet Purrfections said...

Thanks for the tips, Daisy. Mom has to touch up my eyes and sometimes the eraser to clean up a dirty spot on the carpet (that I caused). Still so much to learn.

JD at I Do Things said...

"My Mommie is far, far, far from a photography or Photoshop expert."

Daisy, I don't like to be critical, but I think you may have made a typo here. Didn't you mean to say that your Mommie is a photography and Photoshop expert? Because she is, you know. Of course, with a subject as inspiring as YOU, who wouldn't be?

Donna said...

My friend D.R. likes to crop the photos. This means she takes the rectangle and makes it into a smaller rectangle.

Lin said...

I'm just starting out, so just color adjustment is fine for me. I've been playing around putting Grace's face on Hobbes and vice versa, which is good for a chuckle. It's tough trying to find the time to just sit and play with PSE. I'm impressed with your PSE skills. Oh, and the pearls!

michico*Adan*Lego-小芥*阿丹*樂高 said...

Michico does lot of photo editing, too!
I guess we find something in common between our beans!

The Meezers or Billy said...

The Orton effect - thanks for letting us know about that.

we crop our photos most times too, and sometimes we use the contrast so that you can see us on a dark background.

The Taylor CatSSSSS said...

Wow...Daisy, we think that your Mommy IS an expert! Our Mommy just uses the pictures right out of the camera!

Dma said...

what sorts of editing do we do on our photos? bwhahahaha... just look at em...

Thanks for all the good information though...

absepa said...

Daisy, I think your Mommie is actually really, really good at photography AND Photoshop. But it probably helps that you and Harley are such excellent models, too. :)

Noll's Nip said...

Thanks for the tips. I'm always on the lookout for tips ;)

P.S. Daisy you is Hot-Cha-Cha in that dress :)

Theresa111 and Bobby said...

Daisy,

You are wearing my favorite Daisy Dress! You are certainly beautiful.

Love,

Theresa & Bobby

Memories of Eric and Flynn said...

Those are good tips Daisy. We don't have photoshop but mum sometimes lightens the photos if they are very dark and sometimes crops some background out. That's about her limit. She does try playing around with piknik and FlauntR sometimes though.

Anonymous said...

We liked that you showed us step by step how your Mommie makes you look your best. We never heard of Orton or his effect, but we will tell our human dad about it!

Empress Bee (of the high sea) said...

very nice daisy. and your tail looks a little bit wavy, did you get a permanent wave honey?

smiles, auntie bee
xoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Angel, Kirby and Max said...

Thanks for the tips! Mom needs to learn how to do some of these things cause we get weird stuff in our backgrounds.

Janet said...

Great post, Daisy! You are lucky your mommie takes such nice pictures of you!

Loki said...

I'd gives you 5 paws up, if I has them!

Iz good tips, I didn't know abouts the Orton, and I iz gonna suggest uzing the clone tool instead uv ear cleening next time I can.

Mostly when taking piktures (or video, reelee), we uzes a blue screen. We makes videos and captures the best, oar in mai case, funniest, expreshuns, then puts in a background.

Lilly Lu, Iris and Maxwell Mufsa Millon said...

DAISY THAT DRESSS IS BOOOOTFAL were did you get it dose it come in a larger size i a tad bittt bigger then size ex small i a goood pluse sied modle


Lilly lu

Misha said...

Good tips, Daisy!

Even though Mummy uses Photoshop quite a bit for her work, she doesn't do much to my pics (but she always makes sure to get rid of any goopy eye bits before she takes a shot). Mainly just cropping and adjusting the levels if the light's not right. If she has to use the flash it can wash out my pretty green eyes, so sometimes she'll adjust those back to their proper colour.

The Oceanside Animals said...

hello daisy its dennis the vizsla dog oh hay their is no foto editing of enny kind over at dennises diry of destrukshun all the fotos ar orijinal and unalterd espeshly the wuns ware i am like in prizzin with bugs bunny or piloting aircraft or faysing off aginst ninja hedjhogs becuz the wurld must no the trooth!!!! ok bye

Rosemary B❤️ said...

Wow, this is amazing. We do not know how to do this, but it looks wonnnnderful.

BTW, I am a pretty large boned cornish rex (Caesar and I both were)
and now I weigh about 6 pounds. I was 8 in January, so mom has been feeding me more often

Happy sunny day to you and Harleykins

Sandy Kessler said...

Always the fashion icon- how patient you seem Daisy Sandy and the furballs

The Kitty Krew said...

Whew! Your mommy does a lot of work to present your beautiful self. Our mommy just resizes and renames that's it! We don't have Photoshop although we have a couple of the little brothers and lesser-knowns. Maybe we should poke her to try a little harder... ;)

Purrs and hugs,
The Kitty Krew

ItaJeff said...

that's cool and interesting. Thank you for sharing. You have a great blog, love it.

Lots of luv,
Ita

LZ said...

We actually don't do much in the way of editing. Sometimes a crop here, a brightness/contrast change there...b/w. The LL knows lots about Photoshop so she tries to force herself not to use it and figure it out on the camera (we have a 40D these days). hahahaaha...she tries to figure it out. Oh that's funny.

Kaze

Duke & Jax said...

I don't do a lot of editing, but I wish I did more.

Your pictures turn out a lot better when you edit them!

Gemini and Ichiro said...

Daisy, we think you look lovely even in the first photo but it is easier to see you in the final one! We mostly just crop photos in our PSE program and snd Cheysuli off to visit folks...

The Monkeys said...

Thanks for the tips, Daisy!

You look very pretty in that summer dress

Mimi Lenox said...

Daisy is gorgeous no matter what she wears or how she appears. A more beautiful model the world has never seen. I think she should do a commercial about this.

Amy & the house of cats said...

Those are good tips Daisy! We use online photo editing (usually Photoshop Online) and don't do too much to the kitties, but we crop them and sometimes I adjust the contrast or brightness, sometimes the sharpness and then touch up the areas around the cats. Sometimes I play with the colors too. I wish I had more extensive software and could do things like that Orton effect - it is pretty cool.

Anonymous said...

You look terrific Daisy tho I don't think the Orton Effect made the pic better - but really there is no such thing as a bad pic of you.

Your Daily Cute said...

What a great lesson, Daisy! You look beautiful Orton-effected. ;)

Mo and The Purries said...

I have tried Photobucket, Picasa, and Picnik (via Flickr) and Picnik/Flickr is by far and away my favorite. There's an "orton" effect there, too!
I love the "clone" advice on the ears!
I've used that feature to cover up some weird things that have popped up in photos that I didn't see when taking them!
Cheers!
NTM

brokenteepee said...

Hmmm, your mommie is smart. The publicist couldn't even learn with the Dummy book. I wonder what that makes her....heh heh.

She can crop and adjust a bit of light but that is it. Oh and use the clone stamp. Beyond that she just says some things I can't type in a family blog.

Asta said...

Daisy
Thank you fow those tips..I always love youw pictoowes..you left out thought, that i helps to have a pawfect , bootiful model such as youwself!
smoochie kisses
ASTA

The Furry Kids said...

Photoshop is so cool. Mama wants to learn how to use it.

Meghann said...

Very cool! great job, and now you look as pretty in pictures as I am sure you do in real life :)

The Crew said...

Oh heavens, we girls don't want to be seen with ear waxes!!

The Whiskeratti said...

WOW! You are always so pretty! We LUFF Fashion Fridays!

Debbie said...

Daisy you are beautiful even withou the editing but your Mom does a great job making the photos look fabulous.

Toffee K. Ripple Fuzzypants & Feline American Angels said...

Your photos always look amazing an' we're astounded that your mommie isn't a professional picture-taker. She has a good camera an' you are an excellent model.
DMM

Angel Junior, Orion and Sammy said...

The only thing Meowm does is a bit of cropping (sometimes) and getting rid of red eye. She wishes she had Photoshop.....but alas, she doesn't. Thanks for the hints though!

Monty Q. Kat said...

Furry cool!

BeadedTail said...

Those were very good tips Daisy! Your mommie does a great job with Photoshop! Our mommy has never used Photoshop so our pictures are au natural although she does crop photos to reduce the background stuff.

CCL Wendy said...

Very good tips, Daisy. I do most of those things except for cleaning of the ears and the Orton thing. No wonder your photographs are so wonderful every day. It takes quite a bit of time and effort, but it's worth it.

I take at least 30 pictures or more every day -- sometimes closer to 75, so it takes a while to edit it all.

Rose Clearfield said...

Thanks for the tips! I usually crop and adjust the contrast/light settings. Sometimes I like to experiment with putting photos in black and white or sepia. I still crop and adjust the contrast/light settings in black and white or sepia.

Maria said...

Daisy you look soooo bootiful in all these pics. No ways do you need photo shop even if your mommy IS an expert.

Thanks so much for commenting on my post about my friend. Also I know things are going to work out for you. Anyone that does so many good things for so may is bound to have ggod things come their way eventually :)

Jans Funny Farm said...

WE don't do much more than crop, resize -- minor things. But we don't have photoshop either.

Breat photo.

Tiger Lily said...

Your Mommie is very smart! We do not have Photoshop or anything similar so we do not do much editing other than cropping and resizing. Mom keeps saying that she will download something soon but it keeps not happening.

Skeezix the Cat said...

Thoze are grate tips, Daisy! And that dress is vary byootiful!

If yoo don't wanna buy Fotoshop Elements, yoo can git the Orton effekt fur free at picnik.com, ware yoo can apply affekts to yer fotos online fur free.

Anonymous said...

That's what I call a glamour shot!

Kimo and Sabi said...

Mommakitty says PhotoShop is da Fountain of Youth - her wrinkles seem to majikally disappear! She also erases Sabi's bogers and makes our eyes furry bright and colorful.

Anonymous said...

Daisy, I'm going to make Momma sit down and study your post very carefully. She doesn't edit our photos nearly as well as she should because she gets impatient. You gave some great tips!

jane

Lorenza said...

Hi, Daisy!
Your mom does a pawesome job with your pictures!
My mom has Photoshop program but she does not know how to use it! Hmmmm....
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza

Anonymous said...

You just might be wrong, Daisy. Your mom seems to be some sort of photo genius! We don't really do any editing, but maybe we'll give it a try now:)

Liss said...

Daisy you're so pretty you don't have to do all that work.

Quill and Greyson said...

Deep sigh, what I could do with the kind of quality staff you have over there Daisy...

SophieKitty said...

Your mommie is a great photographer and photoshopper. You always looks fabulous in your photos.

Mickey's Musings said...

Pawsome tips Daisy!! Mom uses those a lot too. She loves the clone tool ;) She also likes to play with the program, so we never know how we will look ;) heehee
We like that dress on you :)
You are very elegant!!
Purrs Mickey,Georgia & Tillie

Cory said...

You are beautiful in both the before and after...although the thought of being able to clean ears via photoshop is a brilliant concept!!!

Unknown said...

Hey, Daisy - what great tips! Thanks - my human is always keen to learn more tips for the camera & photos...she thinks you're better than the Camera School she is going to at the moment! :-)

I have to say though - I still think the reason your photos look so good is because of the beautiful model!! :-)

We often have to lighten our photos coz our house can be too dark when we take photos indoors in the evenings. And yes, we also crop photos a lot. But we're not so good at some of the other fancy tuning...so now after your post, my human is keen to try that out!

Slobbers,
Honey the Great Dane

Sunny's Mommy said...

Crop if needed. Mostly I lighten the photo with curves. The other thing I do is reduce black from white using selective colors. I'm using CS3, not photoshop elements. I do have photoshop elements, but it's a really old version. I'm not sure if these features are available on the newest photoshop elements.

I've never heard of the orton effect, but gaussian blur seems to give a similar effect.

I always try to do the eye/ear boogies touching up.

Nice pearls, Daisy :-)

Dwacon said...

At least Daisy doesn't get hit with a powder puff...

Just Ducky said...

Sometimes mum edits the pictures if they really need it. Not often though.

Samantha & Mom said...

Beautiful pictures Daisy!! That Orton effect is pretty cool!! We use Picnik for most of our editing!! Mom has tried Photoshop, but can't figure it out!!
Your FL furiends,

KC and the Giggleman Kitties said...

What grrreat tips an tricks, Daisy. Your Mommy is a smart cookie!
Purrs,
KC

mister jeter harris, hizself said...

verree intrestin daisy. thank u fer da tipz!
luv--jh

Dorothy said...

Great tips and such a lovely outfit.

Dorothy from grammology
grammology.com

Cheyenne -Millie said...

Thank you for the tips Daisy! And as usual you look wonderful in pink!

PDX pride said...

Mommy usually edits using Picasa3. She does the "quick fix" mostly, which adjusts lighting and colors. She also crops, and uses the red eye reducer when needed. Sometimes she needs to sharpen the pictures, and sometimes straighten.

For the ones she uses in her art on zazzle and CafePress, she sometimes does sepia or black & white in Picasa, and uses PhotoShop to take the background out of the picture as well as using some of the other techniques.

Picasa has a "glow" which does the same thing as your orton effect.

Chrissie said...

That was very interesting, Miss Daisy. My mom crops, increases the saturation and runs the sharpen filter at least once at a low setting, but she'll play with that, too. She's never tried the Orton Effect! That looks neat! Look for that on my blog soon!

Thoughts said...

Wow Daisy! no wonder you always look so wonderful in your pictures, those are sure some coolio tricks!! Thanks for teaching us!

Theodore and Sasha

Anonymous said...

I shore wish my Mummy wuld jest edit my photos insted of cleening my ears!! Oh that is jest the werst bizness. Daisy you have a wunnerful and smart Mummy!

Yer pal Dozer

Laila and Angel Minchie said...

Your Mom is very good at fixing those pictures, Daisy. But we think you are just as beautiful in the "before" pictures as in the "after" pictures.

Have a great weekend!

Anonymous said...

daisy, just the other day (as i was breaking my camera) i was thinking, "daisy consistently has the best photos...maybe her mom is a professional photographer"...touch ups make an awesome cat even better!

Sasha said...

Daisy you look so pretty in both versions of the photo.

Maureen said...

Wow, great tips! Thank you... and you are indeed lovely in your pink dress!

Peanut Butter and Jenny said...

hey daisy! thanks for these great tricks! I love to play in Photoshop and try new things and you gave me some great ideas! Now if only I can get Peanut Butter to behave as well as you & Harley when it comes time to take her pictures!
-jenny

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