I’m not a routine outfit poster so maybe this is a bold topic for me to be approaching. How can I know anything about outfit pictures when I’ve only taken a handful myself? Well, I don’t know much. In fact, I just barely know how to use my little point-and-shoot camera. (It’s blue, by the way. It’s very pretty.) But even though I’m not be a grand photographer or a skilled self-timer dasher I do know a thing or two about that glorious magic wand we call Photoshop. It can help or harm, it can empower or it can flat-out embellish. How much is too much? Is a Photoshopped outfit picture cheating? How important is Photoshop to a personal style blogger?
I think those questions depend greatly on the blogger, their camera and even personal preference. It’s certainly beneficial for personal style bloggers and most likely for photographers in general, though I’m sure a basic image editing software is sufficient for just touching up contrast or cropping a photo. I’ve actually taken pictures with my point-and-shoot that I didn’t feel the need to edit at all. And then there are the shots like this…
An utterly failed attempt at balancing my point-and-shoot on the top of the fence. (This was one of my rejected shots for V’s lovely post yesterday – still can’t believe that happened!) Obviously, shadows are in the way, my head’s cut off, and beyond all that the sunlight just washed the whole picture out. At first glance I didn’t think it was salvageable, but I got to thinking that maybe with a bit of Photoshop it would work as, say, a profile picture on a social networking site or maybe even a photo for my sidebar. After cropping and fiddling with the coloring I got this…
Not bad, right? It might not be your optimal outfit shot, but it’s proof that there’s at least a little bit of hidden potential in every failed shot. I like that you can see a bit more of the damask print on the leggings, the quilting on the bag and the definition of the faux fur from my long-sleeved top. It was an awkward time of day when I took these pictures and everything seemed to be coming out too dark so if I had been looking for pictures for an outfit post this would probably be one I’d use to show the little details. It makes me a bit more confident when taking outfit pictures because I’ve realized I don’t have to spend a lifetime trying to get the perfect shot. Once you get them open in Photoshop you never know what great things can happen!
I thought I’d take you all through the steps that got me the above result just in case it might be useful to anyone else who’s suffered self-timer woes, frustrating locations or just the odd failed photo. This tutorial was done in Photoshop CS2, but it’s very basic. Perfect for beginners. I didn’t use curves or selective coloring, just layers. It can be translated to Paint Shop Pro or most likely to any other image editing software that allows editing multiple layers at a time.
Crop + Resize
This shot was another failure; too high this time, and the same issue with the sunlight. Make sure your camera is set to save pictures at a larger size so you can crop them and still size down. My cropped image was roughly 1700px wide so I resized it to 700px. I find that sizing down a big image in Photoshop really helps to maintain the quality. (Click the image for a full-size version.)
Duplicate + Multiply
Here’s where the layers come in. To duplicate, right-click on the layer and select “Duplicate Layer”. On your duplicated layer (in this photo it’s named “Background copy”) set the blending property from “Normal” to “Multiply”. I did this to darken the image and add some contrast at the same time.
Duplicate + Soft Light
The result was a little dark so I duplicated another layer over my Multiply layer and set this one to “Soft Light”. It’s a great way to add a bit of pop without overdoing the contrast. This would allow me to keep the contrast where it was while I shifted the opacity in my Multiply layer to achieve my desired brightness.
Adjust Opacity
I selected my Multiply layer and toggled the Opacity setting until I was content. You can also use the Brightness/Contrast element to achieve the same effect as these layers, but I like the option of working in the layers as it allows for more intricate customization.
Hue + Saturation
Finally, I was happy with all my customizations but I wanted a bit more pop in whatever color was available on the photo (it’s winter here, in case you couldn’t tell). I decided to up the Saturation property for all of the layers. To do this, go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation. I chose a Saturation of +15.
Et voila!
I hope this was in some way helpful. I’ve only done a few Photoshop tutorials in the past so I’m not sure if I’ve really mastered explaining different techniques in the program. If you liked the tutorial and you’re interested in more of them on the blog let me know. I do have another in mind, one to achieve the same effect I got on the current default image on my blog’s Facebook page. If that’s of interest to anyone I’d be happy to share!
Edit: The amazing Vahni of Grit and Glamour talked about editing outfit photos with Picnik, the online photo editor, as part of her post Photography for the Amateur Stagefright-Afflicted Blogger. Check the whole post for a wealth of info on the subject!
Edit #2: I also want to direct you all to Katy of ModlyChic‘s wonderful post, How to take your own photos if you’ve never read it. She has some wonderful tips on using a self-timer. I wouldn’t think to try half the surfaces she’s used in the past!
Vest: Telluride Clothing Co. | Top: Tresics | Bag: Murval | Leggings: Bandolino | Sunnies: The Souq
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Brilliant! I think a fair amount of new bloggers will find this really useful. I don’t know what I’d do without Photoshop myself. Cropping and contrast are your friends!
Thanks so much! A little bit of editing can definitely go a long way. I don’t know what I’d do with Photoshop, even just for resizing images. It’s the only program I use!
that is awesome! such a great tutorial!
Thanks, Britta! So glad you enjoyed it. (:
I don’t have photoshop but I do have paint which helps out a bit but wouldn’t get rid of that ugly fence effect…lol
Cute outfit by the way! Love the vest.
The fence effect is so tricky! I was all over my yard trying to find a place that would actually give me proper lighting for the picture, and then it was a matter of getting the right picture. I took so many shots! But it was nice to know some of the would-be rejects weren’t a complete waste. (:
Thanks so much, dear! xo
Fantastic post! This is what a lot of new bloggers don’t realize…we don’t just shoot photos and post them…most fashion bloggers almost always edit first! Outfit photos are like little pieces of art. The most compelling shots are those with an unexpected perspective, amazing composition, or killer editing! So many of my photos would never make the cut without some help.
I did a similar post here…and that was when I was still so new at all this:
http://www.gritandglamour.com/2010/06/22/photography-for-the-amateur-stagefright-afflicted-blogger/
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Thanks, V! Even when it would come to putting up family photos on Facebook or something I’ve always been one to edit. I just love having that little extra control. And seeing it done in outfit photos is exciting because it can add just that little extension of the blogger’s artistic expression. Love that.
And thanks for linking to that post, I remembered coming across that a while ago. I’m going to link it in my post now.
This post is amazing!! Thank you so much! I will definitely pass this on, on Twitter! I have picnik and have had to do similar editing on my posts yesterday and today, because I am working with a camera I don’t know well. I never even thought to post instructions!! I am glad you did! Way to go and I look forward to exploring a bit on your blog!
Thank you very much for commenting and sharing the post on Twitter! I’m so glad you liked it. I had thought a little bit about doing this sort of post in the past, but when I saw the difference between these after editing them it seemed like a good time to try the tutorial out. (: I’ve had my little point-and-shoot for a year and I still don’t know all the ins and outs to using it! I’m definitely camera-impaired, haha.
I’m in the same boat as Heidi- I don’t have Photoshop either but I feel that these tips are helpful for editing pictures even with basic software- thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment! I hope it proves useful for other programs. I’ve only worked with Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro mostly so I wasn’t sure quite how it would translate. I also just edited the post to include a link to this great post by Vahni from Grit and Glamour, she talks a bit about using Picnik.com for editing. I’ve heard that’s also a great way to edit. (:
Great- thank you for the link! =)
Totally bookmarking this for when I finally go buy photoshop!
Wonderful tutorial Casee….I love how you showed us what we can do…I also have some bad photos…sometimes I hate cropping them because they would look smaller and narrower compared to the usual size but if there is a something we can do to save that photo then this must be it…one of the most fun and best tutorial ever…
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Thanks, dear! I know what you mean about cropping them. I try to maintain the picture’s original proportions when I crop and resize, but it doesn’t always work out that way. I’m glad you liked the tutorial! (:
You’ve done really well with these – thanks for such a great tutorial!
Thanks so much for your comment! I’m glad it was helpful. (:
Great tutorial photoshop is an amazing tool to have to edit photos and with limited knowledge you can get some pretty impressive results. There are loads of tutorials out there as well if you ever get stuck. I don’t know how to do much on photoshop as I always just google for a tutorial. The after shots turned out really good with a bit of tweeking.
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Thanks! I’ve never had any real training with Photoshop, but like you said there are many many great tutorials out there that can help users down the right path. And the boldly curious can just try clicking things in the program and see how it works out – that’s essentially how I learned! Haha.
Love the tutorial! Now I just need photoshop.
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Thanks! Yeah, it’s expensive but well worth the investment. Paint Shop Pro is a good deal cheaper and has most of the same features!
This is incredible! I’ll have to try this with my outfit shots – most of which are fails!
Thanks so much, Leia! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It’s amazing how many failed attempts I come up with the few times I try to take outfit pictures. I spend way too long trying to get it right!
This is my first time here. I came via IFB. This is a charming and informative post. I enjoyed my read. Thank you. I think I may have picked up a tip (or two) as well.
Thanks so much for visiting! I’m glad the tutorial was helpful, really. I didn’t know if it would be particularly new information, but I thought I’d give it a try. (:
Excellent post, and fully deserving of Links a la Mode AND this coming week’s Links Love! I have still never braved Photoshop – I faff about with Picnik, too – but should really bite the bullet and give it a go. Bookmarking this post right now!
Thanks, too, for visiting Mrs Bossa Does the Do, and leaving such lovely comments. x
Thanks so much, Mrs B! I’m glad you enjoyed the post – and I never thought it would get the attention it has, trust me! I should give Picnik a try because it seems like a lot of people use it. Photoshop is my old standby, but it’s fun to try something new now and again.
Love this post! I really like your writing style! Congrats on making the IFB list! I made it too
Thank you so much for reading! I’m glad you liked the post. And congratulations to you as well! (:
This is a great post! I loved reading about layers. I used to use Paint Shop Pro and I never did figure out how that layer feature worked. Thanks for explaining it!
http://www.fashnlvr.blogspot.com
I’m happy I could explain! I didn’t understand it at first either but over time I started experimenting with it and now I don’t think I could use an image editing software that didn’t give me that option! (:
This really is amazing, you are a wizard my dear! I am working in paint lol, so I have a lot to learn here. I was hoping to fix some photos for my post today, but will have to take some time getting the hang of all this. I will be back for sure to learn more! Thank you for being so fab and wonderful. <3
Aww, thank you! I’m sorry it doesn’t translate for Paint. That’s how I started too, actually. I used to draw little tiny pixel dolls in Paint. It was a very long time ago and I wasn’t very good. I’ve thought about trying Picnik or one of the other popular free imade editors and maybe writing another tutorial on that so it would be more beneficial to folks who don’t have Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro, you know?
This is fascinating! I don’t use Photoshop, but I think some of the terminology and demonstration of results will be useful even as I play with LView and Picnik. And it’s so reassuring to know that some gorgeous style images (like your results) can come from “average” shots.
Thanks for reading and commenting! I hope some of the information is useful; I’ve never used either of those programs myself, but they seem quite popular with bloggers. I think the cropping tool has been my biggest savior and every editor comes with one of those, so that’s a plus. (:
Ahh! I can’t believe I forgot to comment on this post. Casee you are so kind and extremely patient to put this tutorial together! Many people have been talking about it and I think it’s so fantastic!
Oh, and you seriously look hot!
Thanks so much, Jen! I was actually a little disappointed when I realized it wasn’t more than a few duplicated layers and blend settings. I felt like it was a bit of a failure since it’s not a very intricate tutorial, but I think it’s just the idea of what can be achieved that really worked for it. I mean, that before shot was a train wreck.
And I feel quite good in that outfit, it’s a lot of fun. Except the snow boots, that’s a situation. I have tall leather boots that work well, but I wasn’t overtly crazy about the look for some reason. Oh well, it’s something to experiment with!
Ahhh! That’s such an honor to be on Vahni’s blog! Look at you! Making it big <3 Hahaha.
This is a great tutorial! I've got some tricks up my sleeve that I could possibly share with everyone on my blog, too! It's awesome that you posted this…now everyone can know that their not-so-hot photos can be hot!
Haha! I know, I still can’t believe it happened. She’s a superstar that Vahni!
Thanks, sweets. I definitely want to hear (er, read) all about your tips. I’m sure they’re amazing! People forget that a little bit of photo editing – even just cropping – can make a huge difference!
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