Yellow Sky Actions » free photoshop actions

Tender Moments

yellowsky — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 18:10:57 +0000

The instant a father sees his daughter for the last time before she walks down the aisle, captured in time forever. It’s a tender, bittersweet moment for them both. She’s so beautiful, she’s going into life with a new man, and he’s proud of her. A moment like this brings tears to my eye- thank goodness I had the camera to hide behind! As a photographer, it’s like your outside the bubble, looking in. Its times like these that I appreciate the real reason that I’m a wedding photographer.

-Lauren-

YSA

action used: Silver Sea B&W from the Photoshop CS3-CS5 Set

How To Photograph Groomsmen

yellowsky — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 16:33:50 +0000

Being a female wedding photographer, you may be able to relate that it’s pretty intimidating when you walk into a room with a bunch of groomsmen in their mid-twenties- either they’re a bit rowdy and tease you since you’re the only girl around or, on the other hand, you walk into the room and the guys are silent- all eyes are on you to entertain them and get the shots taken care of. Over the years I’ve learned to hold my own with the guys, whether they’re crazy or reserved. However, that’s not how I started out. Backtrack a few years ago, and I was the shy girl…very shy in fact. I was assisting my husband at a wedding as his second-camera and it was my job to take pictures of the groom and groomsmen. Not being very experienced or polished, I had scribbled down a few ideas for how to pose the guys for their pictures. I took the guys outside under a shade tree and sheepishly asked them to stand side-by-side for traditional shots. After I took a few pictures, I nervously muttered to the groom “do you have any ideas?” Well, he looked at me and said, “you’re the photographer, you tell me”. Whoa, that was humiliating. All the groomsmen just stared at me, as I drew a blank. Right then and there, I promised myself that from then on, I would thoroughly prepare for weddings, and be so filled to the brim with ideas so this embarrassing moment would never happen again! If you’re in the same position I was a few years ago, don’t fret, I promise you will become more at ease when working with groups of people! Just study up on different poses, learn to laugh at yourself and keep shooting!

-Lauren-

Advice for Newborn Sessions

yellowsky — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 16:44:20 +0000

There’s something really special about documenting a new life that’s just come into this world. Newborns are innocent, tiny, and irresistibly cute! Schedule in your newborn session with the mom-t0-be based around her due date, since the ideal time to do these sessions is when they’re 5 to 10 days old. Within these few days, they are the sleepiest they’ll ever be. This flexibility allows you as the photographer to mold them into lots of cute poses. Newborn sessions typically take place in the baby’s nursery, so first I turn off any artificial lights in the room, since I like to use as much available natural light as possible. Some other suggestions would be to keep the nursery slightly warm in temperature, wrap soft blankets around the baby and maybe even utilize heating pads to keep them warm and cozy. Make sure their bellies are full, too. Hopefully this advice will help your newborn session go nice & smoothly.

-Lauren-

Yellow Sky Actions

Confidence!

yellowsky — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 16:12:49 +0000

When I first started shooting weddings several years ago, I struggled with my confidence, always worrying what people thought of me. As lead camera, documenting a wedding itself came natural to me, but I also felt pressure to be directive when it came to helping the bride, groom, bridal party and family members with posing (which is the normal job description of lead camera). I felt uneasy with lots of eyes staring at me, waiting for me to tell them what to do and what’s next. That part felt unnatural- I’ve always been a shy kind of girl! I had to play off like I was confident, until confidence slowly started to come to me. Over time and with more experience, I came to realize that people aren’t judging your every move, they’re just looking for a little guidance- how to pose, where to look- because everyone wants to look their best in pictures. I’ve found that though some people are born with confidence, there are some of us who just need some real life experience to bring our confidence out. Confidence comes with doing, not just thinking about what you should do. The confidence you have and the energy you give off inspires confidence in others and makes a better wedding experience for everybody. Thanks for listening!

-Lauren-

Yellow Sky Actions

Wedding Photography Checklist

yellowsky — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:27:52 +0000

If you are a wedding photographer, then you know how much preparation it takes before each wedding day you document. When I first started shooting weddings not too long ago, I was clueless! I assumed all I’d need was my camera, flash, batteries, and a few CF cards. I was definitely right about those things, but there’s so much more that you need to have with you and prepare for. Below is my basic checklist for each wedding I shoot.

1. Camera Body-Fully charged battery
2. Backup Camera Body-Fully charged battery
3. Extra camera battery-Fully charged
4. All the lenses I need
5. Flash
6. Backup Flash
7. AA batteries for flashes
8. CF cards-formatted
9. Light Stands
10. Storm Jacket In case it rains. Keeps camera dry
11. Gary Fong lightSphere For my flash
12. Address(es) for wedding and reception
13. GPS!
13. Wedding Shot List

I always pack a bag full of treats to munch on when I get a sugar low. For those of you who wait until the reception to eat, you guys are crazy!

At least one month before a wedding, I contact the bride to get all of the details in order. For example, wedding day shot list, addresses, and anything they may need or have a question about. Year after year, this is my go-to list for every wedding day. If you are a photographer reading this and have any questions or suggestions you would like to add, please do! I am always looking to add to the list to make each one my weddings as smooth as possible.

-Hilton-

Yellow Sky Actions

When to Use Manual Focusing!

yellowsky — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:17:18 +0000

I like shooting in manual focus on many occasions. Adjusting your lens from “AF” (auto-focus) to “MF” (manual focus) allows your camera to capture what it otherwise may not in some circumstances. For example, I use manual focus when shooting into the sun, for detail shots where I’m focusing in on a single flower or jewelry, as well as very dimly lit situations. When you see (and hear) your camera struggling to find a focus point in auto mode, switch to manual mode and you can quickly find your focusing point and get the shot you want!

-Hilton-

Yellow Sky Actions

Lighting Tips!

yellowsky — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 15:37:56 +0000

Lighting is one of the most important elements in wedding or any other type of photography. When shooting weddings I gravitate towards a natural light source- typically a window, where a bride can sit, facing the outside, while she gets her hair styled and makeup done. The first thing I always do is turn off the lights in the room since I’m going for a pure look- no ambient/artificial light.

For weddings inside of a church, I’ll use flash only in the case that there are no windows letting in natural light. For outdoor weddings, I work with the bride to figure out the best time of day for her wedding to begin. I prefer either early in the morning or late afternoon/early evening when the sun is at a 45 degree angle (never directly overhead). This allows for several hours of good, even lighting for all of those important pictures.

I love getting that creamy light! I aim for the best possible exposure through the viewfinder to make it easier on myself when editing. Look for a post coming soon on image editing!

-Hilton-

Yellow Sky Actions

Shooting Wide Open and Why We Love It!

yellowsky — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:07:41 +0000

We’ve been getting questions recently about our aperture settings from the photos on our site . Shooting wide open is definitely our style. I love how it brings out the subject and gives you great bokeh, too. When you shoot wide open, it’s good to practice with it first, keeping your camera extra still. Once you get it right, nothing beats it! The only time I shoot with a smaller aperture is when I have large groups of people, where they would all need to be on same focal plane to be in focus. This style may not work for you, but if you haven’t tried it, give it a shot.

-Hilton-

Yellow Sky Actions

Grandma’s Kodak Tourist

yellowsky — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:41:37 +0000

It’s been a little over 2 years since my wonderful grandmother passed away. Born in 1909, she was one month away from becoming 100 years old when she left us. Crazy huh?! Can you imagine the things she had seen in her lifetime- our nation’s first automobile, the invention of television, when we landed on the moon, etc. At least I thought she had seen it all until she was on her death bed and my sister whipped out her laptop. My grandma’s eyes got as big as quarters, and her reaction was, “what in the world is that”?! It was all I could do to not laugh.

A week after she had passed, my mom came up to me and gave me a box. I was like what’s this? She said, now that your grandma is gone I thought you might like her Kodak camera. I thought it was so cool, to be able to hold the same camera that my grandma shot photographs with back in the 1950’s. So, the other day I decided to take this accordian-like thing to a camera collecting and restoration shop. They told me it’s a 1952 model. And guess what? It still has film in it. Hopefully they will be able to restore the film so I can see what my grandmother photographed back then.

-Hilton-

Yellow Sky Actions

Our Lightroom Presets Are Here!! :)

yellowsky — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 16:24:20 +0000

We are thrilled to announce our Lightroom Presets are here! Click the image below for more details.