Battle At F-Stop Ridge

This is so great!

How To Watermark Your Image

To follow this tutorial you must have some understanding about editing programs and layers.

A few years ago I received a message from an online friend. We were both members of a parenting forum and, as with some people, this friend was a member of more then one forum. While on another forum (that I did not frequent) she found a member posting photos of "her kids" only to find that those were not her kids but my kids.  You hear about things like this but until it happens to you you will not realize how horrible that feels. Just knowing some (obviously insane) person is posing your kids as her/his own will make your skin crawl. 
I took all of my photos down after that but that is just NOT me. I am a photo freak and I love posting them online for my friends and family to see. So after a period of paranoia I decided that I would post again online and just be flattered that someone thought they were attractive enough to steal but I watermarked the heck out of them...that eventually stopped because I'm lazy like that.

 

With my photography photos though (my more professional type images) I always watermark. And you should too! 


Wait...did I just say "photography photos"? 

You do not want someone stealing an image you put so much into and then claim it as their own. 

I still have an issue with using a watermark as an intruder on my image. I usually keep mine small and off to the side which is not too brilliant of an idea. It's one of those "Do as I say, not as I do" things.  :)

Not a good watermark
This first one can easily be cloned out or darkened out.

On this image the watermark is so high that it can easily be cropped out without disturbing the main focus of the image.

A "true" watermark should lap over onto the main subject of the photo so it is less likely to be snatched up. 
You have to remember though that a watermark is just a hindrance, it is not 100% fool proof.  Anyone with experience in Photoshop (or the like) can remove it within seconds but it does help to deter them if it is too much work. 


This is a better watermark


Here the watermark is on her skin and clothing.

The best way to use a watermark


Notice how the watermark is right over her face. The face is something that potential photo thieves do not want to mess with because it is harder to hide the fact that it was touched. Keep in mind though that there are master Photoshoppers out there who love a challenge so this is not always guaranteed. 

I have to note that I keep calling this a "watermark" and you may be thinking...well, that does not look like a watermark to me! 
I realize that but this is the look that I like for my images. By the time you are done with this tutorial you will be able to have your watermark look like the more transparent mark you may have in your head. 


It's very simple.


First you want to open your image in your editing program of choice. I do not use Photoshop so I'm unfamiliar with all the tools on it but I will use generic terms as much as possible. 
If you do not have a photo editing program you can always use Photobucket.  Photobucket, I believe, has all of the tools we use for this when you click to "edit" a photo on that site.


>Once you have opened your image you must add a new raster level.

>Make sure your new level is highlighted so you know that is the level you are working on. 

>Click on your 'Text Tool'


>Choose the font you want to use.


>Locate the area you wish to have your mark. I have chosen her face.


>Type your your name or wording of your choice.
 

 Here I have my opacity for my text level set at 100%. This ensures my text is just as I typed it. 

Now, there are two ways you can get the transparent look. 
The first is you can just lower your opacity level on your text. 


You can see now that I have lowered my opacity to 50% and it has lightened the txt a bit so the white is less intrusive. This is usually how I do it because it is nice and quick and I want to get out of editing as fast as possible. ;o)

The other way to do this is just as easy and the way I started out doing it but,like I said, I'm really lazy about it I just don't have the time. :)


>Make sure you are still working on the level where you text is located.


> Find your embossing effect. Mine is located under "Effects".

>Click "Emboss" and your text will then have the embossed effect.


It should look something like this: 

If you like the look you can leave it like that but it's harsh for sure....and kind of ugly, let's be honest.


>Still working on the text layer...just move your opacity down to the look that you want.


Here I have lowered mine to 34%. You can see the name is still there but and very noticeable but not white, more like a...watermark! 

When you are done just make sure you merge your layers and save.


Hopefully this has helped and this can be used on any photo at all, not just portraits. 


Watermark away!

Beautiful Couple {Engagement}

Making Something Out of Nothing....Finding Beauty in Unexpected Areas.

I wanted to show a few examples of how you can make beautiful photos out of the most average areas. You don't need a sprawling field of flowers to give the feeling of being engulfed in a sprawling field of flowers.  You don't need to be in the middle of of the forest to give the feeling you are in the middle of a forest. 

A photograph is what you put into it and the outcome you wish to perceive. It's in posing, studying your surroundings and making it work for what you hope to achieve. 

I am not an expert by any means but I do find that when I look at a person or a setting I am photographing it in my mind.  What would I move? How would I crop the shot? Would it be a portrait type shot or a snapshot? Is there a tree growing out of their head? 

It's quite frustrating sometimes and I find that when I see light in someones eyes...adult or child...I have the urge to whip out my camera and catch it! It's a sickness I think. 

Okay, so first I will show the pull-back shot and then I will show the images I got from that location. I plan to do a lot of these because I love pull-backs and seeing what a photographer has to work with and how they set up their shots.

The first was just a tiny patch of flowers on the side of a road. The flowers were on a hill so my daughter was not on level ground. I stood on the road and shot.

The next area was just a few feet away from the first one. It was actually where I parked to get to the above location. It was maybe 15 feet away. 

The road (above) was directly behind me while taking the photo below. 

Off of camera left were a clump of trees where some of the below images were taken.

All the cat tails used in the photos were taken in the little patch that I have circled.

I just realized that what I call "cat tails" are probably not cat tails.  ;0) 
They seem to be some sort of dried up flower thingy.

I love the look in this last shot. We had heard a deer or something walking around and then a snort...I said, "okay, this is the last one and then we RUN!".  

This was her reaction....

Some people think that they cannot take nice photos because they do not have the perfect setting or a beautiful field of flowers. To have those things is a major plus but is not at all necessary. Work with what you have and before you know it you will notice that you are surrounded by potentially beautiful photographs.

Finally! No Rain.

It was so nice to have a day without rain. I took my captured model outside for a bit. 

 

Castle Bound...

I was inspired to do this image from a tut I read a while ago. I will have to come back and post the link because it is no longer bookmarked. 

This was an image from a session I did last weekend. I was going to delete it because I felt I wasn't seeing enough of her face but then I decided to make it into a little story. 

 

The story is yours to imagine...

Here is the unedited photo SOOC (straight out of camera).

 

 

And here is what I did to it while watching 'The Voice' last night...

 

 

Here is another image from that session. 

So sweet. 

$30 May and June Sessions!

I have decided to offer $30 sessions for the months of May and June. 

These sessions will be for 1 hour (may go over if momentum is there with no extra cost to you). 

These will be on location sessions. Your location or mine and that can be discussed previous to the session. 

I ask for these sessions to not be more then 4 people. If you have more then 4 people there will be an extra $7 charge per person over 4.

This offer is for portfolio building. I will give you the same amount of attention and effort as I would anyone paying regular price. 

Editing and image enhancements are included in this price as well. 

This sitting fee does not include the prints. The prints will be a separate fee but I do not charge any more then I am charged so the prints are at a fantastic price. You are not obligated to buy any prints at all and there is not certain amount you have to buy if you choose to. You can purchase 1 print or 500 prints. 

Prints are professionally printed (meaning not printed at home or a drugstore/ walmart)

Click Here For Print Prices

If interested you can email me crystalinacaptures@yahoo.com

The Lovley "L" Kids.

The only thing I can say about these kids is that they are so very sweet, well behaved and love getting their pose on! 

Their mom is a photographer as well so they know what they are doing.