I was pondering what to blog today when this recipe popped into my inbox...timing is everything!  Enjoy this super-simple, super-stunning Photoshop recipe by The Connellys of Charleston, SC.


This recipe shows off a little-known feature of the Totally Rad Actions: if once isn't enough, run the Photoshop action again! 

Lights Out @ 100% (x2 -- run this action twice!)
Wish You Were Here @ 90%
Punch-out @ 100%
Punch-out (again!) @ 50%

Lights Out can be found in the Original Totally Rad Action Mix, while Wish You Were Here and Punch-Out are a part of TRA2: The Revenge. 

Want more recipes?  Hit up our Photoshop recipes site. 

This is part two of our deluxe bout of He & She goodness.  (Part One lives here.)

Today, it's all about the post processing!

TRA: Describe your wedding workflow for us.  Who does what, and in what order? 
 

He & She: After a wedding, Erin goes through and edits down the photographs in Lightroom. Once everything has been edited, I start on the album design while she pulls the "favorites" into Photoshop and adds some Totally Rad Actions love.

TRA: Totally Rad Actions!  How divine!  Any favorites?

He & She: We have our cocktail of favorite actions that we use on nearly every picture (i.e. Boutwell Magic Glasses, Get Faded Winter & Autumn, Pool Party, and Flare-up [golden & faded]).

TRA: Tell us a bit about your post-processing philosophy, won't you please? 

 

He & She: Post processing is hugely important. Taking a well-composed photograph is only part of the process. We have a fun and funky style and we want to make sure that comes through with our editing. We typically will warm up our photographs and add a bit of vintage flare, but definitely try to avoid losing the imagery in a muddy mess of effects. Actions (like the fantastical Totally Rad Actions) are awesome tools to enhance and help define a picture as your own!

TRA:  Well said.  Now show us some post-processing recipes! 

Pro Retouch - 75%

Flare up (Golden) - 5%

Contrast - 27%

Claire-ify - 30%

Warm it up Kris - 65%

Pool Party - 24%

Get Faded (Autumn) - 10%

Get Faded (Winter) - 20%

Vignette + Blur (standard) - 20%

Wish You Were Here - 30%

Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%

Flare up (Golden) - 10%

Flare up (Faded) - 12%

Warm it up Kris - 20%

Pool Party - 20%

Get Faded (Autumn) - 15%

Get Faded (Winter) - 10%

Wish You Were Here - 30%

Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%

We sent some question-y goodness over to Southern California shooting dream team He & She, and they responded in a big-bold-badass way.  We've decided to split their interview into questions + Totally Rad eye candy, with more goodness hitting next week!

TRA: What do you do in the world of photography?

He & She: We are artists who happen to photograph weddings. I think that's the most honest way to look at what we do. We are inspired by the moments that unfold around us, and so we naturally lean towards a photojournalistic approach. In terms of translating what we observe into art, we put our creativity into play through our perspective, hoping to capture moments in ways other people don't see them. Or at least that's the goal, anyway 

In art school (where I got my BFA in graphic design, and Erin in creative photography), there was a pressure for us to produce material with heavily weighted concepts, but Erin and I could never fall into making that kind of work. A professor once told me that "happy art" is the hardest art to produce successfully. I think that's why we were so intrigued by wedding photography. We saw an opportunity to make happy work, and it didn't hurt that we were both drawn to portraiture (or taking pictures of people... the word portrait bores me!) There's something to be said for work that makes you happy in the process.

When it comes to how our work is perceived, I think we're both more than slightly paranoid about creating imagery that is overly glamorous or dramatic imagery. I wouldn't use the word romantic to describe our work. We love beautiful imagery, of course, but it's the cliché, glowing, running arms wide spread in a field, gag me with a spoon wedding imagery we try to steer clear of  And to do that, we try to keep influenced by images and designs that aren't wedding based.

TRA: What gets you two inspired?  How do you realize your vision?

He & She:   We surround ourselves with inspiration on a day-to-day basis. Whether it's fashion photography, or design magazines, we're constantly pushing ourselves to think outside of the realm of wedding photography. We try to focus on simplicity and think about basic design elements like form, shape, line, color, and of course light when it comes to photography. When Erin and I are setting up a shot, we try to narrow down our purpose, cutting out the distractions. Sometimes we'll set up a shot and be taking pictures that we aren't necessarily interested in, in anticipation of a certain moment. Once it happens, whether it's a laugh or a kiss, it's on like Donkey Kong. We play off of the connection that our clients have, which always keeps things fresh. We don't want to get in the way of that.

TRA: Care to share the recipe for this image?

He & She:

Pro Retouch - 75%

Flare up (Golden) - 10%

Yin/Yang -- 40%

Contrast - 27%

Warm it up Kris - 40%

Pool Party - 20%

Get Faded (Autumn) - 15%

Get Faded (Winter) - 20%

Vignette + Blur (standard) - 25%

Wish You Were Here - 30%

Boutwell Magic Glasses - 30%

--

(Their recipe uses actions from both the Original Totally Rad Action Mix and TRA2: The Revenge.) Check back next week for more from He & She! 

We were only thinking in terms of in-person house parties when Joanna Kimball came up with the idea of a VIRTUAL house party.  Genius! 

We suggest you go and check out the blog goodness: before & afters, video tutorials, and Photoshop secrets on the Ruffly Speaking blog.  And please, leave her some love while you're there!

First, peeps: if there's a TRA House Party in your town, you should attend! Become a fan, then find the party this Wednesday, June 30th by clicking here. Hosts & attendees are eligible for some insane promos + publicity, so go and get your party on.
 





And now, a Lightroom Presets recipe for your viewing + learning pleasure.
 
Seaside Sharon
Pensacola, FL

Lightroom Presets Recipe:

A Beginning... | Strong
Tone | Mulletron 3000 | Strong