Pure Picturesque - Free Printable Calendar {March 2014}

Here is your printable calendar sheet for March.

It's time for...CHAPTER 3 OF 12 ♡

Click here to Download!

Inspirational Double Exposures {Tutorial}

A double exposure is a relatively simple photography trick that can be used to achieve great artistic effects.  I find double exposures fascinating and fun! Basically it’s only about combining two pictures into one. If you have worked with textures or overlays -layers that is - you’ll get the trick easily.

I was searching for a tutorial from internet and realized that nowadays many cameras have double exposure as a feature in camera. I don’t have that in my camera (Canon 700D), so I have to create my double exposures by editing.  And I don’t mind because creating the double exposure this way gives you so much more possibilities and lets you create your own vision.

Also I noticed that the tutorials were very different from each other and I discovered that the best result for me was just to play with the images in editing program. What I’m saying is that there are many ways to create double exposures in Photoshop; this is just how I did it.

Open Photoshop Element or Photoshop, Gimp etc. – you can create double exposures in any editing program that allows you work with layers. First create new layer – this will be the bottom layer you will be building the double exposure on. Then open both of your images (or actually as many as you wish…) and make sure your images are the same size.

Choosing photos to combine was the hardest part for me! There is no shortcut to learn which images go together than playing a whole bunch of photos! Try several combinations and be surprised by all the different looks you achieve. You can edit your photos first and I think it helps a little if both of your images are edited in similar way. Depends on the look you are desire to get but I discovered that images that were both centered did not work for me. I tried to find pictures for example one centered and other with good negative space.

Once you have your pictures selected go to your first image and copy & paste it on the blank bottom layer you created earlier. Then do the same with the second image. Keep the blending mode at normal, but reduce the opacity of the second image layer. I suggest you try something like 50% at first. Note that you have several options here, once again depending on the look you’re going for. You could prefer to choose either Screen or Lighten modes. Remember that this is all about your personal taste!

Basically you’ve just created your double exposure.  If you’re satisfied, you are done. Just flatten your image and save. Or you can keep on editing. Add layer masks for both images and paint off some of the top layer from the bottom layer and vice versa.  You’ll want to use a black paint brush around 20-30% opacity. This is just like working with textures – only your photos are now the textures you mask on and off to achieve the look and feel you want!

With this particular image I enlightened the image a little, added a vignette, some retro sun form Florabella Color & Light Actions and even a ‘Simple’ texture from Kim Klassen.

Thanks for reading! If you decide to try double exposures, I would love to see how they turn out. 

Link in comments please :)

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Sharing with: Friday Finds, Sunday Snapshot, 

Still

{be still}

The quieter you become,

The more you can hear.

-Ram Dass-

Pictures from last Sunday.

For Texture Tuesday with Kim Klassen 'Rest' Multiply 25%

Sharing with: Texture Tuesday, The Happy Mama Movement, Black & White Wednesday, 

Because I love Collages (Photoshop Templates Quick Guide Tutorial)

I love making collages. And I love looking at collages. Some of the finest and most inspiring ones I've started to collect to one my Pinterest boards. I could look at them forever... I also love doing my own ones and some of those I've collected to this board.

Collages are a wonderful way of showing my favorite pictures at the same time. And that's what I had in mind when I just recently created my Gallery! If you haven't been there yet - please visit :)

Happily internet if full of free collage templates for Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.
I love creating simple color specific collages with my favorite images. Here is an example of light blue beauties. Download this template here! And be sure to check all CoffeeShop Blog Templates as well as other freebies. This site is fantastic!

My Blog Header Template is from CoffeeShop Blog as well. Downloadable here!

Download my favorite templates here! I love simplicity and these templates of Live Explore Click (former Live And Love Out Loud) I've downloaded a long ago and I still use especially the 3x3 collage template continuously. 

I've been doing my monthly photo calendar collages for two years now. I was inspired by Rebecca @ Simple As That and I started out with her free templates you can check out and download here.

If you wish to see all my monthly collages - for 2012 click here and 2013 click here!

If you haven't been using Photoshop Templates yet, here is a quick guide for you!

After downloading a psd.file open it in Photoshop or Photoshop Element. I'll be using Elements here.
I've chosen six white toned favorite photos of mine which I open as well.

Copy the first picture you want to put to the collage and place it above the the layer you want it to be.

Then click control+G to create clipping mask. Now your image only appears within the frame.
Re-size your image to fit in the template frame as you wish.

Fill all the frames in your template by repeating what you just did.

Finally flatten the image and you're done!

Btw. If you happen to be a Lightroom user, just go ahead and Google. Plenty of free ones all over the net as well. And if you use Gimp I've discovered that there are ways to make Photoshop and Photoshop Elements Templates work in Gimp. I Googled and instantly found some tutorials. Go ahead and try!

Still with me? Thanks for reading ♡
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Sharing with: Friday Finds, Simple Things Sunday, Mosaic Monday, Saturday Share Fest, Life Trough the Lens, 

A light exists in spring

Waiting for the spring light...

A light exists in springs

Not presents on the year

At any other period.

When Marc is scarcely here.

-Emily Dickinson-

Sharing with: Texture Tuesday, Texture Twist,

Texturing with Pastel Poetry {Beginner's tutorial}

Texturing - Beginner's tutorial!

This is a simple tutorial for those who are new with textures. I use Photoshop Elements but you may use any editing program that support layers as well. In fact working with textures is all about layers and experimenting different blending options, playing with opacity and working with layer masks. It's easy & fun!

First open the image you want to edit in your editing program. My image is actually a random test shot to test the light. For some reason I kind of like it and it's really easy and rewarding to texture because of its basic composition and white background! When getting to know your textures in the beginning, the most easiest may be to try still life with white of light solid background first.

Now I decided I want to highlight the white areas and fade out the shadows a little as well as add some grain and shabbiness to create a nice vintage look. I'll simply use my 'White Whisper' texture for that. 

Open the texture in your editing program. Copy and paste the texture as a new layer to your original image. Re-size the texture to meet your original image size. 

Then start experimenting different blending modes. Try at least multiply, overlay and soft light -modes. Here is the image with soft light at 100% opacity. My image already looks different!

I want to mask out some areas of the picture for the bear and the dress as well as the feet not be buried under the texture. I therefore add a layer mask.

Now after adding the layer mask, take a large black soft brush to mask out the areas I want to uncover. Try different size of brushes and adjust the opacity of the brush to meet your requirements. Play and try. If you mask out too much, simply change to white brush and recover! Simple. Fun!

When I think I'm finished I still want to highlight the nice shabby edges of the texture. I duplicate my layer and change the new layer blending mode to 'Multiply'. I leave it with 100%. Note that the layer mask duplicates as well. You can delete it if you wish or start masking on & off again if necessary. Yet so simple and fun :) 

I could be ready now. But this is all about your personal taste. 

Let's try out adding one more texture. Here is the picture with 'Mighty Mint'...

I like it but it wasn't what I was looking for at the moment. So I turn it of!

And I try out another texture...

Here is the picture with 'Some Shabby'. Multiply 100% to bring out the shabby edges. I mask out some areas again as you see in the image below.

And now I'm done!

Wanna try out texturing!? Download my free 'Baby Blue' Texture on Facebook! 

Header Update

Lazy Saturday... I'm a little bit under the weather again. 

Surfing, dreaming, eating... and collecting some old and new favorites to make a new header.