table of contents
Installation for PSE 6-10
3
Installation for PSE 11 and Up
6
Understanding Layers
8
Using the Actions in PSE 6-10
9
Using the Actions in PSE 11 and Up
10
Prep & Workflow Tools
11
Backlit Boost
12
Retro Colors & Brights
13
Nostalgic Colors & Muted Tones
15
Old Film & Toy Camera Effects
17
Simple Hazes & Matte Finishes
18
Vintage Black & White
19
Beauty Actions
21
Helpful Hints
22
Tutorials
22
Installation for PSE 6-10 *make sure PSE is closed and not running prior to beginning FIRST- copy all items located in the folder labeled “FTT Nostalgia PSE 6” or “FTT Nostalgia PSE 7-10”, depending on your software version, and paste them hereWindows users will have to make sure "Show Hidden Files and Folders" is set in Windows Explorer. WINDOWS-PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS Vista/Windows 7 C:\ProgramData\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\9.0\Photo Creations\photo effects Windows XP C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe \Photoshop Elements\9.0\Photo Creations\Photo Effects ** replace the “9.0” with your version of elementselements 6= 6.0 elements 7= 7.0 elements 8= 8.0 elements 9= 9.0 elements 10= 10.0
MAC-PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS Finder\Library\Application Support\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\9.0\Photo Creations\Photo Effects ** replace the “9.0� with your version of elementselements 6= 6.0 elements 7= 7.0 elements 8= 8.0 elements 9= 9.0 elements 10= 10.0
SECOND-locate and rename the Mediadatabse.db3 file to MediadatabseOLD.db3. Vista/Windows 7: C:\Program Data\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\x.0\Locale \en_US Windows XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Adobe \Photoshop Elements\x.0\Locale\en_US Mac: Finder\Library\Application Support\Adobe\Photoshop Elements\x.0\Locale\en_US
After these steps are complete, open Elements. It will take awhile to rebuild the media date base file, so don’t worry if it’s slower to boot up than usual. Open Photo Effects and select “FTT Nostalgia” from the drop down menu. This is what you should see.
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Installation for PSE 11 and Up 1. Open Elements Editor and select “Expert” mode from the top menu.
2. At the bottom right hand corner locate the “more” tab and click on the “actions” option.
3.You should see a panel that looks like this. Select the drop down menu by clicking the upper right hand corner, then click on the “load actions” command. This will prompt you to select a file for loading. It is helpful to have your actions stored in a pre-determined folder for easier access.
4.In the Elements 11 version, you only need to load one file. Your action file ends in .atn and looks like this. Double click to load.
5. Once loaded you should see a folder with the action name beside it, as in the example on the right.
6. Your actions are located in this folder and you will see each action name when opened. To play an action, simply highlight the name and click on the “play� button located top right.
Understanding Layers Just as painting a portrait involves the use of color, layers and blending, so does the artistic manipulation of a digital image.
First you must understand the basics of layers-
A layer mask allows you to paint on or erase off desired areas of the image or folder it is masking. By using layer masks you can achieve custom edits that would otherwise be impossible. A black layer mask CONCEALS, while a white REVEALS.
Use a soft brush to paint on layer masks. Use a white brush on a black mask, and a black brush on a white mask.
Be sure to have the layer mask-not your image or folder-selected when painting on a mask layer.
Using the Actions in PSE 6-10 FTT Nostalgia actions give you full control and adjustability. Look for the “master adjustment layer” marked by the red “eye” icon. This layer allows you to change the opacity of all the action layers as well as paint on the layer mask for desired effects. In addition, all layers in the action can also be fine tuned for complete customization. *Important tip- when an action has a “stop or continue” pop up, always press “continue”, “stop” will undo the whole action.
Using the Actions in PSE 11 and Up
FTT Nostalgia actions give you full control and adjustability. Look for the “ADJUST” or “PAINT” layers. These layers allow you to change the opacity of all the action layers as well as paint on the layer mask for desired effects. In addition, all layers in the action can also be fine tuned for complete customization. *Important tip- when an action has a “stop or continue” pop up, always press “continue”, “stop” will undo the whole action.
Prep & Workflow Tools These actions are intended to prepare your image for the enhancing actions. It’s important to note that you will not achieve maximum results unless you’re working with a well exposed or exposure adjusted image. Workflow and prep tools include-
•rescue mid-tones •underexposure fix •bring out detail •pop & contrast •extra punch •add depth •highlight recovery •selective light & shadow •sharpen Color relief actions are also included-
•green thumbs up- greens up grass or foliage •green thumbs down- tones down overly bright greens •red cast remover •cyan cast remover ( great for true whites) •yellow cast remover •selective desaturation RecipesFTT actions are meant to be stacked and combined for an unlimited array of results. A few favorite “recipe” actions are included to give you an idea of how well this works. Play the recipe and adjust each action as needed.
Backlit Boost The backlit boost actions were created to restore contrast and detail to images that are washed out due to back lighting. The reflector light action adds fill light and can be used on any image that needs extra light on the subject. •reflector light •backlit boost strong •backlit boost strong w/warmth •backlit boost medium •backlit boost medium w/warmth
*after backlit boost strong w/ warmth
Retro Colors & Brights
Classic Color basic color pop and enhancer
Rich Color Warm based color enhancement, perfect for outdoor settings
Dreamy Color Rich color with contrast and dreamy glow
Technicolor Retro throwback tones with glow and pop, dramatic color
Dick & Jane Inspired by the classic tones popular in the book series
Paper Dolls Soft, pastel-like colors with an overall lightening effect
Nostalgic Colors & Muted Tones
These actions can be used for “topper” or stand alone processing. Don’t be afraid to mix and match!
nifty 50s
sweetheart
pastel
bees knees
swell
tea stained
white wash
hometown
The following are beautiful for creamy skin. Perfect for newborns.
original
milk glasscreamy neutral matte
peach melbawarm creamy matte
Old Film & Toy Camera Effects
toy camera
expired film
expired film II
sun fade
These effects work beautifully on a wide variety of images by adding light leaks and faded tones. Film grain and vignette actions are also included.
original
Simple Hazes & Matte Finishes
1.old lace 2.chalk 3.pearl 4.tranquil 5.clementine 6.hipster
Use the haze and matte finish actions alone, together, or in conjunction with b&w and color actions. The Master Haze Action will play all the hazes so you may see which look best with your image. Simply toggle them on or off using the “eye” icon to the left of the action folder.
The “Selective DE-HAZE” action is designed to bring detail back to key areas and remove undesired softness produced by any of the hazy actions.
Vintage Black & White
classic b&w
bettie b&w
classic b&w classic b&w conversion bettie b&w hazy black & white with warm tones gazette reminiscent of old newspaper, film grain and fading
gazette
old vinyls
5th AVE
old vinyls high contrast b&w with blue undertones 5th AVE glamorous b&w with creamy tones and contrast ragtime faded b&w with vintage sepia tones
ragtime
Beauty Actions
flaw fix- remove blemishes, stray hairs and smooth chapped lips with a small soft brush realistic skin smooth- subtle skin smoothing glamour girl- brush on blush and color to lips and cheeks eye sparkle- brighten and clear eyes dark lashes- darkens lash line bright smile- brightens and whitens teeth mismatched skin tone corrector- perfect for pale hands, newborn hands and feet, skin tones that are too cool red skin relief- brush that removes unwanted red from skin
*tip- beauty actions work best on a flattened file
Helpful Hints •work on files that are exposure and color corrected, underexposed images will not process well with the actions •make sure the image background layer is named “background” and is selected when playing an action •when an action has a “stop or continue” pop up, always press “continue”. “Stop” will undo the whole action. •combine actions for custom effects •every image is different so all actions have various adjustment levels, tweak the opacities to suit your image
Tutorials You can find in depth tutorials in the shop, visit us atwww.fromthetreetop.com problems or questions? email tamara@fromthetreetop.com
all text and images are ŠTamara Burross/From the Treetop