Fiverr Review

Fiverr is a new site where you can offer or purchase services for $5.00. Fiverr makes money by keeping $1 of every sale. There is no fee to open an account, and no fee for placing an ad.
 
Offering your services is simple. Just fill in the blank.
 

 
S E L L I N G
 
Within 24 hours of placing my ad for photoshop services, I received four job offers.
 
• Job One ~ Create a banner for a website.
This client was easy to work with. He provided a sample, dimensions, favorite colors, and a vision for his end product. I created his banner and allowed for two revisions. He liked both samples, and asked if he could hire me to create an entirely different look for $5.00. I declined, but he contacted me a week later, saying he liked my work the best, and hired me for one more revision.
 
• Job Two ~ Create a button for a website.
It was a little trickier understanding what this client needed. He directed me to two “iffy” websites. One site had multiple pop-up windows, and the other was a blank template. He finally sent me a jpg of what he wanted, which I easily recreated. This is a good time to note that Fiverr is not responsible for any viruses you may download.
 
• Job Three ~ Photoshop a sign.
The client provided one of his real estate listings, asking me to change the business signage. I didn’t feel I could do so believably, so I turned down this offer.
 
• Job Four ~ Create 5 banners.
This client wanted 5 banners in various sizes for her gecko related website. She really expected more than what I was offering, so I turned her down.
 

 
B U Y I N G
 
One year ago, I paid CartoonMe $5.11 to cartoon me, and to be frank, it stunk. (Original post here.)
 
I thought I’d try my luck at Fiverr.
 
I browsed the ads, found an artist, placed my order, and paid through Paypal.

 
The artist’s ad promised completion of work within 4 days. She contacted me immediately and shared that she was extremely busy. Five days after placing my order, she claimed her Paypal account was frozen, and canceled my job.
 
My second artist offered to transform me into a Spongebob character. One day later, well under the deadline date, Beck sent me this work of art.
 

 
I love it!
 
If you want to hire Beck, click here. For all the ins and outs of Fiverr, check out their website here.
 
• Can you see yourself using Fiverr?
• Can you see yourself as a Spongebob character?

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PS Tips VI: Photo Correction

Take the best qualities of individual photos and merge them into one.
 

 

 
I’m using PhotoShop CS2.
 
Step 1: Open the photos. File, Open, and select the jpg images you wish to work with.
 
Step 2: Select Lasso Tool. In this instance, I lassoed the open eyes.
 

 
Step 3: Select your Pointer Tool. Drag the open eyes to your main (keeper) photo.
 

 
Note: I adjusted curves to lighten the eyes and more closely match the keeper photo. To adjust curves: Image, Adjustments, Curves. Slide the line on the grid UP to lighten or DOWN to darken (with jpg images. The reverse is actually true for cmyk images.)
 
Step 4: Soften Edges. Using your Magic Wand, click anywhere on the image except for the new eyes. Make sure you are on the new layer.
 

 
Select, Feather. I chose 5 pixels. Press “ok”, and then your Delete Key. You can press delete several times to get a softer edge. If you go too far, use Apple + Z to reverse the last step.
 

 
Step 5: Repeat. I used these same steps to bring the horse over to the “keeper” photo.
 
Step 6: Erase hard edges. Instead of feathering, I chose to use the Eraser Tool to soften the edges of the horse layer.
 

 
Step 7: Copy/Paste. While on your main (keeper) background, copy (Apple + C) a few individual leaves and paste (Apple + V). A new layer will be created with these leaves. In the Layers Window, drag this new layer to the top (above the horse layer).
 

 
Using your Pointer Tool, drag the leaves around the photo and place them in a believable, foreground position. Feather or erase hard edges.
 

 
Step 8: Merge Layers. Layer, Flatten Image.
 
Step 9: Save As. File, Save As, enter a new name so the original file will be unchanged.
 
FINISHED PRODUCT: Christmas 2008
 

 
Thank you for reading!

WTF: Stories Behind The Photos

Hubby forwarded me an email, and after laughing for a few minutes, I realized I HAD to find out the story behind these WTF photos. (WTF photos are pictures in which something seems amiss.) Let’s dig deeper, shall we?
 
First up is… skeleton-tattoo man.

 
Meet Rick Murray, Zombie. Rick is tattooing himself into a zombie. He has 24 hours and $3,863.66 USD invested into his project so far. Future goals include shading in the grey of his brain tattoo, possibly tattooing the whites of his eyes black (if no one has gone blind from this procedure in five years), removing his nose and one ear. Although you might not believe it, Rick does have his limits. He has decided not to tattoo his penis in the image of Jesus on the cross. The crown of thorns would have been a bitch. For more of Rick’s story and photos, check out BizarreMag.com’s Zombie Boy article.
 
 
Next up, a toy I’d love to own!

 
Can I shave the baby? This photo literally made me laugh out loud. The baby doll was never sold, but is a 1995 progressive art piece. This work and others can be seen at Raster Art of Warsaw, Poland.
 
 
Here is a combo. A two-fer, if you will.

 
Where do I start? This spunky, young woman refers to herself as Amber Amputee. She has a MySpace page, and has blogged about this photo. Yes, that is her, but Sewer Horse is photoshopped. As easy as it was to find Amber, Sewer Horse remains a mystery.
 
 
Ready for more juicy goodness? Check out this Romeo.

 
More please! He’s bold and he has weapons. Turns out, he’s just like you and me, albiet harrier. He posed for this photo and other (saucier) ones for his wife, who released them to the world-wide-web. Don’tcha hate it when your personal photos are exposed? This sexy man-beast is a husband, father, and MySpacer. He has graciously kept his profile public, allowing us to view his photos and artwork created by fans. You can check him out at Micromancer. I don’t know him personally, so please don’t tell him Jean sent you.
 
Say it Ain’t So, Superman!

 
Able to WHAT? Photoshopped, and no one is taking credit for it.
 
As if I haven’t provided you with enough links today, here is one more. Check out Picture Is Unrelated for more funny (some adult) photos. If there are any you’d like me to investigate, let me know.
 
• Are you in any WTF photos?
• Where SHOULD tattoo man have drawn the line?
• Would you rather shave the baby or shave Micromancer?!

Sexy Skier

There always has to be some controversy, doesn’t there? I flicked on the news today only to find out that someone is raising a stink over the current Sports Illustrated cover. The cover features a skier in a tuck position. She’s sexualized (“they” say). Frankly I think that is hog wash. She’s skiing, for crying out loud.
 
 
I photoshopped this woman, Lindsey Vonn, into some sexy scenes. Do you know what? She wouldn’t even raise a few eyebrows.
 
 

 
 
• Is Lindsey too sexy for her skis?
• Did you hear of her before today?
• Are you a fan of the banana hammock?

 
The peeved “someone” is Dr. Nicole M. LaVoi of WomenTalkSports. You can find her [controversial] opinion here.

PhotoShop Tips V: Add Text to Photos

Thank you to Steve for this tutorial suggestion.

Part 1: Downloading Fonts from the Internet

Check out FontSpace.com for free fonts.

Choose your free font, download it, and unzip it (doubleclick on the zipped file). It will appear in your download folder.

Launch your MAC hard drive (click on Finder or the icon for your hard drive). Click on System, Library, Fonts. Drag the new font file from the download folder to the font folder. If your computer requires a password to add fonts or programs, you will be prompted to enter your code. The font is now in your system, and will appear when you launch your applicable programs.

Part 2: Adding Text to Photos

Step 1:
Launch PhotoShop and open the jpg file you would like to work with.

Step 2:
Select your Text Tool (the uppercase T on your side toolbar). Drag your mouse over the area of the photo where you will type text. Font selection is on your upper toolbar. Scroll through the fonts and make your selection. You can also select color via your side toolbar.

Step 3:
Type your text. To quickly change the font size, depress Apple plus A, and tap your > or < keys (greater than or less than). While on your pointer tool you can drag your text anywhere on the photo.

Step 4:
Make sure your Layers window is open (Window, Layers). Click on the lowercase f to make style changes to your font. Options include Drop Shadow, Stroke and Outer Glow. Experiment with the options. You will see the previews for these styles on your text prior to clicking OK. You can simply hit Cancel if you do not like the effect.

Step 5:
To warp text, click on the lopsided, underlined T on the top toolbar.

Step 6: When you are satisfied with your text, combine the layers. Layers, Flatten Image. Then Save As (change the name of the jpg if you do not want to damage the original file.

Upcoming tutorials may include the scrumptious Mayflower Martini and finding my own a** with both my hands. Some say that later one can’t be done.

Remember, I’m always open to your suggestions.

PhotoShop Tips IV: Create a GIF

Thanks to Zero_Option for this tutorial suggestion.

This technique creates a gif with fading images. If you do not need to modify your jpgs, simply number in sequential order (see note in red below), and begin at step 10.

Step 1: In PhotoShop, open the two jpg files that you would like to animate.

Step 2: Enlarge the canvas of one jpg to give it a plain white border. Image, Canvas. Increase your width/height by 1″.

Step 3: Enlarge the canvas again to make room for the 2nd jpg. In this case, anchor the main jpg to the lower left, then increase width by 5″ and the height by 3″. Use the measurements of the 2nd photo to give you an idea how much of an increase is needed.

Step 4: Using your pointer tool, drag the 2nd jpg onto the 1st jpg.

Step 5: While on Layer 1 (the photo you have just dragged over), lower the opacity so you can see through it.

Step 6: Use your pointer tool to align the 2 photos. Code (the apple key) plus T allows you to transform. Shrink the photo to fit, and rotate to align. Make sure you hold the Shift button down keep proportions accurate. Otherwise your image will warp. Now return the opacity to 100%.

Step 7: Crop your image to remove any excess canvas. You are now ready to prepare your files for animation!

Step 8: Merge the layers. Layers, Flatten. When you save, create a new folder. File, Save As, 1.jpg.

Step 9: Undo the merge by pressing Code (the apple key) plus Z. You could also choose Edit, Step Backward.

Step 10: While on Layer 1, lower opacity to 90%. Merge the layers (Layers, Flatten). Save to your new folder as 2.jpg.

Repeat the process of undoing the merge, lowering opacity, and saving in numerical order.

Note: if you will have more than 9 final jpgs to combine, you will have to be creative with your numbering. Instead of naming the files 10, 11 and so forth, choose 91, 92, 93. The 10 would appear directly behind file number 1 and would throw things off.

When all of your files are ready, launch Adobe ImageReady CS2 (free with purchase of Adobe PhotoShop CS2).

Step 10: Choose File, Import, Folder As Frames. Select your working folder.

Step 11: On top of the Animation Box, click Animation and choose Select All Frames. On any of the frames, choose a speed (i.e. .2 seconds). Press the Play button to view the animation. Adjust speed if necessary.

Step 12: If it is all to your liking, select File, Save Optimized As… Change the default format to Images Only. Name your gif file.

Your GIF is ready!

If you have a suggestion for a future tutorial, please let me know.

Cartoon Me

I had myself cartooned. I expected Cartoon-Jean to look professional, like a Pep Boy or Colonel Sanders. Clean, nice, anonymous, relatable. I enlisted the service of CartoonMe, based in Amsterdam. For 3.56473 Euros ($5.11), an artist would draw me by hand. The artist made me 1-dimensional, sucking the life out and adding pounds!

Sparkling eyes, out. Double chin, in. Check!
Tri-colored doo, out. Poop colored doo, in. Check!
Designer dress, out. Prairie dress, in. Check!
Pretty necklace, out. Souvenir penny on a chain, in. Check!

I complained. Not just to everyone within earshot. I emailed CartoonMe and said, in a nutshell, you must be joking.

They apologized and tried again.

I didn’t like. Again.

If you would like to be cartooned, for whatever reason, I recommend this free application on Facebook:
Cartoon Head Creator.

You can also turn any photo into a cartoon using PhotoShop: WonderHowto.com.

Or my kids could draw you for the low, low, low price of 2.0933 Euro.

Speaking of cartoons, here’s a cool site that answers the question, “What if cartoons were real?” LarryFire.Wordpress.com.

---

• What’s your favorite cartoon?
• What cartoon character do you wish was real?
• Have you cartooned yourself?

Mini-Challenge #3: GIVE

Like the Red Hot Chili Peppers said, “Give it away, give it away, give it away now!”

Mini-Challenge #3: GIVE

If you accept the Challenge to Give, post your blog of give-aways by Tuesday, August 4th. I will link to all participants on the 4th.

Now for my give-away!

I have duplicate issues of PhotoShop User magazine. Many of you use or have an interest in PhotoShop, so I will give away these issues.

Rules:
• First come, first serve.
• 1 issue per person/household
• Specify the issue you want.
• Postage will be paid by me.
• If I do not already have your mailing address, msg me.

Thanks for reading!

1) July/Aug. 2005: PhotoShop in Motion ~ Photorealistic Techniques ~ Camera Raw 3 To Goddess Anesidora

2) March 2006: Adobe Lightroom ~ Wacom tablet (pen) ~ Color Diagnosis TO GOOFYMOMOF4

3) December 2005: 100 PhotoShop (CS2) Cool Tips ~ Vanishing Point ~ Create Color Profiles TO GEORGIA

4) Apr./May 2006: Use PhotoShop w/Illustrator ~ Turn Photos Into Drawings ~ Shape Warp ~ Photographing Animals in studio TO STEVE

5) Apr./May 2008: After Effects CS3 & PhotoShop CS3 ~ Wedding Photography ~ Create Smooth/Silky Skin ~ Master Lightroom print module TO VALERIE

6) June 2006: Design DVD menus ~ Photoshop w/Video create artsy pencil-sketch effects ~ Design Multi-Layered Title Page ~ What Separates amateur from pro shooter? TO GARDEN GODDESS

7) June 2005: Create Digital Illustrations that look Photorealistic ~ Combine Camera Raw w/Smart Objects to create Smart Landscapes ~ Master Clone and Healing Tools

Note: The descriptions are summaries from the covers. PhotoShop User magazines are filled with articles, tips and ideas.

PhotoShop Tips III: Make Photos POP

PhotoShop Tips III: Make Photos POP + Spotlight Effect

Step 1: In your Layers Window, drag Background to the layers icon twice to make 2 additional layers.

Step 2: On your top layer, choose Image, Adjustments, Desaturate. In your Layers Window, change the blending mode to Overlay.

Step 3: On your 2nd layer, choose Filter, Blur, Gaussian Blur. Set the pixels to 2.5. Change blending mode to Overlay.

OPTIONAL Step 4: On top layer, choose Filter, Render, Lighting Effects. In the Style Drop Down Tab, choose 2 o’clock spotlight. Center your white weight point, and pull your upper weight point to the top right corner.

Step 5: Layer, Flatten Image. File, Save As.

You can experiment with this effect. In another of my photos (Mi Casa), I desaturated the top layer (blend mode: overlay) and reduced opacity to 20%. I also did not include a 2nd/blurred layer, nor incorporated the spotlight.

Thanks for reading!

Picture of the Day ~ Week 1

My friend, Jim is blogging one photo per day. He was inspired by our friend, Amy’s World. They have both inspired me to start carrying my camera with me everywhere, and to snap at least one photo a day. Here is my first week.

Sunrise

Colorful Arizona Sunrise ~ May 30, 2009

Swinging

Pearl swinging ~ May 31, 2009

Purple Paddle Cactus

Maverick Gas Station, Bullhead City AZ ~ June 1, 2009

Produce Cactus

Smith’s Grocery Store, Fort Mohave AZ ~ June 2, 2009

Best Mexican Food…

… in Hell. ~ June 3, 2009

Mesquite Tree

Shading our yard ~ June 4, 2009

Leaving Las Vegas

Las Vegas Strip ~ June 5, 2009

• BLAST FROM THE PAST •

Flamingo Duck

San Diego Zoo ~ June 30, 2008

Thanks for reading!