Age Old

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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