Textures!

Have you discovered the use of textues in Photoshop Elements? I've seen photos on other blogs where textures have been used to change/improve the look of a photo, but I really haven't played around with them until this past week. Kim Klassen provided several free textures and tutorials in her free Photoshop Skinny Mini eCourse, and I have had a blast trying them out with different blending modes and adjustment layers.

These before and after photos show the effects of my efforts. I actually tried several different textures  on this photo of my swing and settled on one from Jessica Sprague (the only one in my digital supply "stash" before the Skinny Mini e-course).

I had a blast cropping and changing the look of these roses. I used the greyday vintage and the februarymagic textures from the eCourse. I think it makes the photo look like a painting.

And lastly, my favorite - I took this photo back in March. This is the first church I remember attending as a toddler and pre-schooler. I took this photo thinking I might use it on a scrapbook page about the beginning of my faith. I absolutely love the way the Paper Stained Light texture makes this photo look! Now, if I can find time, maybe I can at least write the journaling about it for Sian's upcoming Storytelling Sunday.

I am definitely going to be using textures more on my photos. Kim Klassen offers free textures when you sign up for her Texture Lovin' List, which I promptly did and have already added several more textures to my "stash."