time to take action

go ahead, take them!

just click the button

(or try right-click then save as... if not)

this action set does basically 2 things:

nicely done darkened edges (I despise the word vignette)

super easy custom black & white switcheroo

specific action-running instructions:
(if you need help just loading or playing actions try google or give me a jingle)

all actions are meant to be run on a single-layer flattened image

the action set includes:

{spotlight} does some fancy stuff first but basically darkens the very outer edges of your picture. darkens is not the right word because unlike the vignette in camera raw which just adds gray over top of your picture, this action darkens the colors that are already there.

{spotlight closer} does the same thing but just comes in closer to do it. since we're all starting with different picture sizes (like my pixels start out at 2592 by 3872 pixels)...I just wanted a couple options

{spotlight you choose} this action has instructions that pop up while it's playing. basically you get to drag the box to wherever you want it and resize to your heart's content. plus it's like I'm stopping by to give you a little tip every time you play it.

after every spotlight action you can lower the opacity of the layer with the dark edges on it to make the effect less dramatic. I always do.

{BEST b&w} after you've run this action you'll be left with your original background image in color + a basic b&w layer over that + a much more fabulous b&w layer over that. your mission is to adjust the opacity of the top layer only until you're happy and then flatten it all. different hair colors and shirt colors and backgrounds and everything play a part in how a b&w image looks so this lets you have a little control over that in a super quick way