Photo editing questions....how can I get this look?

[othersescape]

I have been into photography for years (my mother went to college for photography) and I just recently purchased a Nikon D3000. I have been using photoshop for years as well, but I have just started playing with actions.

After doing a LOT of searching all over flickr and other websites, I keep coming up with a few styles of lighting and color that I adore. However, I can never achieve this look with my personal photographs. These images never appear to be "edited" but because the colors are so muted compared to an original photograph, I know there had to be some editing going into it.

I was wondering if anybody else modifies their pictures in this style and would be willing to give me some tips? I just need some sort of step by step idea of how to create these color schemes. I'm at a loss right now....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniel-weisser/4974476804/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/41011739@N03/4945141935/in/faves-25800726@N08/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniel-weisser/4785911159/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/daniel-weisser/3426517733/in/set-72157614758596867/

 

[Steve01]

Just put a small X in a small black box.

Just kidding, fix your links.
Steve

 

[KmH]

If you fix the links, you may be violating forum rules if you don't own exclusive copyright to the photos you are trying to post.

 

[othersescape]

It is now a link to each photo

 

[Robin Usagani]

Thats all mostly just reducing the saturation a little bit. And maybe add certain color filter.

 

[Steve01]

For the first 3 you can try this program it gives a Polaroid photo effect.
Poladroid project | the easiest and funniest Polaroid Image Maker

There may be a PS Action out there if you want to use PS.
I found this too.
Photoshop vintage effect | Veerle's blog

The last lick has two images that are different than each other.
Play around with hue and saturation adjustment layer and playing with brightness and contrast in Curves are a couple things you could try.

 

[Scatterbrained]

simple really. Add a color filter, desaturate, adjust the mid-tones in a levels layer to wash out the image. From there you can even add some noise and a vignette. Not too complicated but really a bit too trendy at the moment and will date your photos me thinks.

 

[jcicolani]

What i'm seeing in these photos are adjustments to temperature and vibrance. The first three look like they're cooled a bit, giving that slightly blue look, then the color vibrance is brought back about 15-25%. Leaving the color there, just not as vivid as real life. Adjusting saturation will remove the color, whereas your vibrance control will just reduce the intensity of the color.

Image four in your list is pretty much the opposite. It's warmed up quite a bit then the contrast is adjusted.

I do the vast majority of adjustments with Bibble 5. It gives me a more control than Lightroom. To get this effect I'd cool off the initial shot by 500-700 degrees then pull back the vibrance by 15-20. Throw on the requisite RAW sharpening and you're good to go.

 

[molsen]

Cross-processing effect. Google it.