Your Questions, My Answers | photo-editing edition

Welcome to part two of the epic me-answering-your-questions-in-a-fashionably-late-manner. Actually, forget the fashionable part. I think I've passed that stage.

Moving right along, though - If you missed part one, head on over here. If you don't fall asleep before you finish it, you can come back on over here and digest part two - all about photo-editing. This is actually the shortest section, so you might be actually be able to do it. ;)

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Black and white or sepia?

Oh, fun question!  I go in phases...and right now I'm in black and white mode.  But really, it depends on the photo.  Sometimes it's just begging for some sepia, you know? 

Or maybe that's just me.

How long would you spend on editing a shot, if any time?

Once again - depends on the photo. Unless I'm doing a bunch of different edits or am working on a particularly difficult case, then I'd like to say about three minutes (this includes Picnik's uber-duber-slow uploading system, which does not agree with the high quality images my camera produces, at all.)  I should time myself sometime!

Do you have any "basic" or "standard" steps that you take when you edit photos --i.e., you do this for pretty much each and every photo that you edit?

Well, I edit my photos in you-know-what. So, unfortunately, editing photos for me does not mean messing with layers and actions. Basically, the routine goes like this:

-fall asleep while Picnik uploads my photo (okay, fine, I'm exaggerating)
-do basic editing: exposure/contrast, color, cropping or rotating if necessary, etc.
-then, analyze things: is it good to go or does it need something more?
-if I go with "something more", I'll then move into create and experiment. my go-to items are Black and White, Sepia, Cross Process, Texture, and Curves Adjustments. (that sounded like a really strange bunch, but it's true.) If it's a portrait, I generally do eye-brighten and some other things too. it just all depends, you know, on the photo.
-and, most of the time, I'll add my watermark sometime before I leave

Ta-da. Gotta love Picnik. (Or not.)

Are you a BIG editor (meaning you edit a lot of your photos)?

I edit just about all of the photos I post on my blog and then some. I don't edit as many photos as I'd like to, mainly because of, you know, Picnik's uploading system. And because of my lack of time to spend in front of the computer editing pictures that I don't have anything to do with at the moment. So, I'm not exactly sure if I'm a "big editor" or not - kind of sort of maybe is the only answer that my mind is currently generating.

Sorry! It malfunctions a lot.

Do you plan on making more "Picnik Recipes" in the future?

Oh, I'm so glad you found those helpful. Yes, I think I will be sharing some more recipes soon. Hopefully I'll get a post together within the next few weeks or so.

Or, actually, while I'm at it, here's a renovation of my original "Black,White, and Wonderful" recipe (I've simiplified the original a bit and have been using it all the time):

(Here are the other recipes I made a while back.)

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Once again, if you have a photo-editing-related question that I didn't answer, you can test my knowledge below and I'll get back to you (also in the section below).

Part three - about me and my photography, as well as some misc. questions - will be up shortly, along with photo challenge finalists!  You still have some time to enter if you haven't already (click here).

Love,
Hannah