Killer Black and White Photos

I’ve loved black and white photos for a long time. They’re so classic, timeless, and striking that I can’t get enough. It’s no surprise then that there’s usually always a handful of black and whites from each shoot I do.
I’m just sitting around thinking about getting some pictures printed soon and decided I wanted to share my concoction for the perfect (in my opinion) black and white photo “action”. Two words: Pioneer Woman.

If you don’t have both sets of the Pioneer Woman’s photoshop actions, what are you waiting for?! Get them from Ree here!
So, the How To based on my little-bit-of-photoshop-knowledge using my sweet friend Chelsy's daughter Abbi as my model:

My starting picture is Straight Out of the Camera or SOOC.

In Photoshop Elements 9, I go to Enhance>Adjust Lighting>Brightness/Contrast.

Bump up the Brightness until it’s lightened everything up but not blown it out. Mine is at 42 in this case.

Now, click the Pioneer Action “Boost”.

After Boost application.

Then, click the “Sharpen This” action. I run the circle over the eyes to sharpen and then bump the opacity (on the right) down to usually around 60% so the eyes don’t look so glassy.

Then I hit the “Flatten” action which will flatten all the layers and allow me to apply the black and white action.

Then hit the “BW Beauty” action.

Then I go back to Enhance>Adjust Lighting>Brightness/Contrast. If I want my blacks darker and my whites lighter, I’ll bump up the contrast.


In this case, Abbi is a little blown out so I bumped down the Brightness and bumped up the contrast until I got the look I wanted.
And that’s it!


Now, for your viewing pleasure, here’s some more killer black and whites…Shout out to Chelsy, Erin, Brittney, Jessica & Samantha for making such cute babies and for letting me photograph them! (Several are repeats)

Abbi is One!

Prepare, for cuteness overload. Love love loved this shoot! I’m sharing way more pictures than usual too, I had too many favorites!

Chelsy & Mark, you guys sure make a cute baby!

Chelsy made Abbi’s dress. She’s amazing!

 

Such a doll!

 

Get it girl!

Target

Have you even been there lately?

I am so sad that money doesn’t grow on trees. Can someone get on that already?

In the meantime, a la YHL fashion, I’ll do a little virtual shopping and show you what I found that I can’t will have to live without.

How cute would this little guy look on a sweet pink dresser in a little girl’s room? So cute. Too bad I don’t have one!

Gorgeous lampshade. I should have bought two of these…

Dying over this perfect little side table. It’d go perfect next to the couch.

Sunburst mirror. Need I say more?

Perfect little container. Would be a cute vase too without the lid.

  

Cute napkins!

Okay, that’s all.

And I need lotsa money!

Hi.

Sorry. Been busy unpacking a house and all that.

But we are pretty much unpacked so that counts for something!

Just as much as this blog is for other people, it’s for myself to keep my favorite pictures all in one place. Here’s a random dump of what’s been going on. And you’ve been warn, they’re mostly all fb/instagram repeats.

Sorry!

I’ve become a little obsessed with this avocado/egg salad recipe. (I don’t put curry in it though, and I add a few squeezes of fresh lime juice) I’ve made it three times now. Put it on a whole wheat wrap…yum-o!

We had our first backyard fire.

I’ve been making smoothies occasionally for breakfast. Double yum. Here’s the recipe (but I don’t put in the “superfood”) I’ve come to like best.

Anytime we’re out front, this is where we find the dogs. It’s their perch. And probably the cutest thing ever!

Oh, the cuteness.

 

Morning snuggles.

I made David the most perfect omelet ever. For my cooking level anyway. Don’t mind the butter overload on the toast. 

 

I made a little hide-the-junk-in-the-bookshelf curtain.

Different neighbors brought us more cookies. Delish!

I gave our doors a “bed and breakfast” feel with some removable vinyl numbers that I cut on my cricut. Idea found on pinterest but I can’t find it now.

   

Poochie cuteness overload.

Captured a gorgeous sunrise!

David built us a sweet firepit!! LOVE

 

We celebrated David and Cole’s birthdays! I made the cake, I was so proud!

The birthday boys.

Moosey got spayed. She’s good to go now!

We returned to our alma mater for the annual Godby Alumni Baseball game. Cole and David both played ball back in the day. Since they’re 4 years apart, they ended up on different teams. David hit two homeruns and was on the winning “old guys” team. He hit one of the home runs off of Cole which is always good for a little brother in law bragging rights However, a few years ago Cole did strike David out in the alumni game…so I guess they’re even!

Hottie! Fills out those baseball pants even better than he did in 2004. Wifey likey!  

Took a drive way out yonder to find the only Annie Sloan Chalk Paint retailer anywhere close to us.

Can’t wait to use it! I’m redoing a very special dresser. Post to come once it’s done!

 

Date night…

…with the Dawkins!

Got some greenery for the front porch! Such an improvement already.

Downloaded my February calendar from my super talented friend Mandy.

And, that’s all I’ve got. I hope to be back on the blog train now