I grew up in a Yankee family. We save everything. Hallways are decorated with age old photos and documents; scrapbooks and yearbooks and Cradle Roll Sunday School certificates fill bookshelves. I spent hours and hours pouring over those old photos and scrapbooks growing up, wanting to soak up everything I could. My grandma’s house was as close to a time machine that I could get. I loved how the photos were discolored with age. Long dried-up adhesive left its tell-tale amber marks on the the backs of photos and the corners were faded where photo corners once held them inside memory books. I loved how they had been folded over time, wrinkled and cracked.
Recently we were taking a late afternoon drive on some country roads nearby and I started thinking about settlers, the Arizona terrain, and how the area looked decades ago. Granted we were on a paved road lined with power lines, but I couldn’t help by wonder how I could “age” my photos . How could I make it look like something I would find in my grandma’s house? That’s when I started poking around my texture files. Like most photo-editing projects it took a lot of experimentation and reverting, but I was able to get the look I was going for with Misti’s “Avignon” texture.
Superstition Mountain
Superstition Mountain
Edited in PSE using Love That Shot’s “Avignon” texture from the extensive Old World Collection
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How do you edit your photos? Do you simply adjust levels to give them a little boost? Do you go for vintage or retro looks? Do you use textures and veils to add something special? Do you have a signature look to your photos? All of the above? For the longest time I was not one to edit much about my photos. For several reasons…a) I didn’t really know what I was doing b) It was so time consuming for an indecisive person like me (actions? textures? color adjustments? etc…) c) I had this idea that a photograph was a static piece of art and that it was somehow wrong to alter it. Boy was I wrong. It is amazing how you can transform a photo by experimenting with editing.
If you’re interested in discussion and tips about all aspects of photography take a look around Love That Shot. You’ll find a wonderful community of people, extensive and user-friendly tutorials from Michelle, and of course Misti’s beautiful textures to transform your photos. Hope to see you there!
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Holli says
This was really cool Lizzi… I liked this little tutorial…..
Ashley @ Ramblings and Photos says
Wow…I love your original but the effect is incredible.
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