Easy Post Processing Tips for Digital Camera Photographers

How to Make Artsy Photos Without Plug-Ins

If you're like me and strapped for cash that could be better put to use for the necessary things in life (like food, water, clothing and a place to sleep), those tempting and at-times, very expensive post processing plug-ins aren't among the first items on your 'I Need' list. Many plug-ins cost more than some of the most advanced photo processing programs.

Fortunately, almost everything that a plug-in can accomplish can also be accomplished in most post processing software programs. And of course, the more sophisticated the software program, the more options available.

Plug-ins are basically 'actions' - a set of post processing commands that execute in a particular order to create a specific effect to the photo. Sharpening, curves adjustments, contrast adjustments, color adjustments, and edge fillers are just a few of the basic functions and commands that are used in many snazzy plug-ins.

Artsy photo effects aren't for everyone; one either loves the effect, or runs from the effect. A photo can be taken in countless directions; a day time photo can be turned into a spooky night time photo, a photo can be turned into a artsy sketch or post processed to resemble a painting or a watercolor. So many opportunities - and right at your fingertips in your post processing software - without the use of plug-ins.

Let's start with a basic shot of a little friend that I took a few years ago and let's turn it into an artsy photo. The young donkey is adorable but the photo doesn't 'pop'. The contrast needs a boost; exposure wasn't spot-on, the photo is in dire need of a good sharpening and the donkey's friend distracts the eye. We'll began by cropping our main subject from the photo and we'll save that photo with a new name. It's vital to keep your originals separate from your post processed photos because as time marches forward, so will your post processing skills.

Next, we'll create a duplicate layer. Working in layers will allow the most control over the end result. When a duplicate layer is used, the strength of functions that are applied can be easily adjusted. For example, if the photo gets too sharpened, the Opacity can be adjusted to achieve the desired results. Drama can be created by applying special effects to the duplicate layer such as an overlay effect, a multiply effect, a soft or hard effect. If you're new to photo processing, play with these functions to create many different renderings of your digital camera photos. Or, for a step-by-step demonstration click here.

Back to our little donkey photo. Let's adjust the curves, boost the contrast and do a bit of aggressive sharpening, adjusting the Opacity as desired. Edge effects can also be used to take the photo to any limit you desire. Each time a function is applied to the photo, merge the layers, then recreate a duplicate layer before performing the next function.

Now our little donkey photo has an artsy look and most importantly, it pops!

In summary, although there are many awesome plug-ins on the market these days - some of which cost hundreds of dollars, you can achieve much the same with the functions housed within your current software program.

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