Post Processing - Photoshop Actions

I'm anxiously awaiting the new semester...and not in that, "Oh yay! I can't wait for school to start!" kind of way. This past semester was, OKAY. Ya know, the kind of okay that you aren't too proud of, but not afraid to tell people what grades you got. This is what I do when I anxiously await the new semester, write. Preoccupy myself with other things and hoping for the best with things to come. I know I need to print out syllabi and make sure all of my books have been placed to order (and I will do that.) but right now, we preoccupy ourselves with less stress worries.

Which brings me to something that is a little more interesting! Over the past few months I've received a few emails asking about post processing using photoshop. I decided to post a before and after post explaining my steps. Just as a heads up, though to all of you who use Photoshop actions like Totally Rad Actions or Kubota Actions just note I use none of these. I used to, because they are pretty cool, but not so much anymore.


35mm..f/2.8..100iso..1/160 
Sharpened (I have my own sharpening method) at 100%
Increased Levels just a tad (only in the RGB)
Increased Contrast +4 at 84%
Increased Saturation +16 at 100% (BUT I used a layer mask in order to only increase the saturation of her eyeshadow and lip gloss, nothing else)

35mm..f/2.0..100iso..1/80
Decreased saturation -100
Increased contrast +7 (using "use legacy") at 100%
Increased brightness +3 (using "use legacy") at 100%
Sharpened at 100%