I decided today to take some time to participate in I Heart Faces’s Fix-It Friday challenge, so here goes!

Before

After

I used Photoshop Elements 7.0 and did the following:

  • Cropped for a closer view and to eliminate the signage & pink flag
  • Adjusted the levels for higher contrast
  • Added a sepia filter layer set to Overlay
  • Decreased saturation and masked out the subject
  • Added a deep red filter set to Soft Light
  • Masked out the yellow signs in both filter layers
  • Created another desaturation layer, masking out everything except the yellow signs
  • Added two textures: subtlegrunge7 and subtlegrunge4 from Lost and Taken, decreasing opacity & masking out the subject’s face and neck
  • Added the border/flourishes by Amy Teets (Panache kit)
  • Added the monogram

I noticed the majority of people are cloning out the yellow and black signs.  I made a conscious decision to keep them, because they really fit the grungy look I went with for the photo.  I also quite like how the muted yellow constrasts against the aubergine of her dress.

This was fun!  Every time I play with a photo like this, I learn more about what I can accomplish in post-processing.