Photo Manipulation for Dummies (By A Dummy)

Okay, so, in case my title isn’t enough of a disclaimer, here’s another one:  I am so far from a photo manipulating pro that it’s laughable.  Why am I writing this post?  Well, on the off-chance someone out there is even less skilled/experienced than I in the fine art of photo manipulation, I may be able to help that person (and in the process feel superior).

Also, I just needed a post idea, so if you don’t like it, walk away, Renée.

On to the meat and potatoes…

The other day I spent hours (in which I should have been sending my fictional boys off to a baseball game, or some such nonsense) altering photos for my Facebook banner.  Let me just interject here and say that I really mostly hate Facebook.  Okay, so, anyway, I went to my old standby, Photobucket, to do some messing around.

Now, Photobucket seems to want to be a contender in the photo-altering biz, I tell ya.  Old, user-friendly (after a learning curve I’d rather not discuss) Photobucket is gone.  Enter the Beta.  It’s still got the basic functions, so thankfully I did not have to learn anything too new.  And their fun little photo enhancing functions from a short while back that NEVER worked for me, now do.  So cool!  It does get locked up on occasion (or maybe that is my sweet little HP mini which has entered into the ripe old age of three).

Enough talk!  Show us the damn pictures, Kimber!

Easy, killer.  Easy.  Your wish is my command.

Okay, so here is the banner thingy I’m using on FB.  Yes, it is top-heavy (like me, RDRR), but the reason for that is I had to crop it to fit in FB.  I also had to squeeze my text up in the middle a bit (yes, these are technical terms and shut your laughing face!) so my smaller left-hand-side-picture didn’t cover it.

See?  Here is my FB page so you know what I’m talking about.  Feel free to friend me while you’re there, or poke me, or click “Like” on this stupid page, or leave a burning bag of dog crap on my FB doorstep.  Whatever.  I really don’t care.

It’s a little crooked, but you get what you pay for, right?  Wanna see my original picture I took myself, right before a thunderstorm at dusk?  Okay!

As you can see, it was a pretty sweet shot to begin with because I have a fancy-shmancy camera and I got lucky.  Real photographers could be tearing me a new one right now.  Leave it in the comment box or tell your story walking.

But, I’m sure you notice the coloration is a bit darker and spookier.  After clicking edit, I chose “effect” and just tested a bunch out.  Then, for the super-cool outer space feel I went with “overlay” and “space.”  There are tons to choose from.  My rainbow heart was in “stickers,” and I happen to think my dripping come font is both apropos and classy.

Well, that concludes today’s crappy lesson.  I have to go teach Sunday school now.  Keep it cool, kids.

-Kimber

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