Photoshop Action – Curling Page

Create an action that will add a curled edge to any image.

 

With this Adobe Photoshop tutorial, I am going to show you how to create a curled effect to an image in just a few easy steps. This tutorial use the Warp filter added on CS2 and newer Photoshop editions

Let’s open a photo to start with for applying the effect to. For this tutorial, I’ve selected a stock photo

 

To start, we need to rename the background layer. I have renamed mine to “Curled Page”

 

Now we need to use the Marquee tool (Keyboard Shortcut – M) and select a small area

 

Next we need to add a gradient to our selection. Start at the inside corner and drag to the outside corner of the image

 

Now deselect (Select->Deselect) or (Ctr+D)

 

Next go to Edit->Transform->Warp.

 

Drag the bottom right point towards the center. Press enter when you are happy with your results.

 

Add a drop shadow to your image

 

Add an additional layer for a color background

 

Finished Image.
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Photoshop – Create an Action and Drop Shadow

Creating an action will save you huge amounts of time in your photography updates. We created a simple movie that shows how easy it is to create an action in Adobe Photoshop where we add a drop shadow to an image. The action can be used many times.

View the video

Digital Photography – Gimp – Versatile Graphics Manipulation Package

The internet has created some amazing products for the digital photography industry. While everyone likes to use cutting edge programs like Adobe Photoshop, some prefer to save on the retail and search for alternatives. Well, thanks to open source and combined minds, a program is on the net that allow graphics manipulation. Gimp is an image graphic package loaded with amazing features in a compact and free price tag.

Here a just a couple of the full feature that this amazing program has:

Customizable Interface – Each task requires a different environment and GIMP allows you to customize the view and behavior the way you like it. Starting from the widget theme,  allowing you to change colors, widget spacings and icon sizes to custom tool sets in the toolbox. The interface is modulized into so called docks, allowing you to stack them into tabs or keep them open in their own window. Pressing the tab key will toggle them hidden.

Digital Retouching –   GIMP is ideal for advanced photo retouching techniques. Get rid of unneeded details using the clone tool, or touch up minor details easily with the new healing tool. With the perspective clone tool, it’s not difficult to clone objects with perspective in mind just as easily as with the orthogonal clone.

Visit the gimp.org site to download the latest version and see what a collective community can do with your next digital photography image.

Online Photoshop Alternatives – Picnik – Digital Images

Are you overwhelmed with the complexities of Adobe Photoshop? We have found some sites that offer simple photo editor solutions to your digital image needs.

Picnik – Allow you to upload images from your computer with a simple interface. Edit functions include Auto-fix, Rotate, Crop, Resize, Exposure, Colors, Sharpen and even Red-Eye.

Dozens and dozens of fonts, shapes, frames, all the effects and the touch-up tools are yours. Plus, all the Edit tools, the ability to undo everything you’ve ever done to your picture, and it remembers the history of the past five pictures you worked on!  Free version available which includes ads or pay a nominal fee of $24.95 to upgrade to the premium and remove the ads.

Premium: All that and then some! You get ALL the effects, frames, fonts, shapes, plus NEW advanced editing tools Curves and Levels, which have all the power found in expensive software packages but with one-click defaults and the added shine that all things Picni k have. You also get Priority Help Support, new feature previews, professional FontShop fonts and other exclusive content, the ability to access all your favorite photo sites at the same time to use Picnik to transfer photos between them, unlimited Photo History, a completely ad-free experience, AND the warm fuzzies of knowing you helped support a little photo-editor startup!