Thoughts on purchasing actions?

[Stacylouwho]

What are your thoughts on purchasing actions for PS? I have seen tons of people selling their actions online and some of them I actually love the effect, but can be super pricey. I don't currently have PS but I am looking into it. I would rather do them myself, but I still have to learn a ton about it!

 

[KmH]

Many, many people buy them. I never have. I prefer to edit based on my own artistic vision.

There are 2 versions of Photoshop that can run actions Elements and CS 6.
Elements is a consumer version and it lacks many of the tools, features, and functions CS 6 has.
The last time I checked, Elements cannot record actions even though it can play them back.
Are you familiar with the image editing issues related to "bit depth"? Bit Depth

If an action you buy uses tools, features, or functions that are only in CS 6, that action will only work in part in Elements and you wouldn't get the full effect of the action.

Chapter 13 -Automating Photoshop - of this book covers actions and would be an essential reference book to have at hand if you get CS 6 and want to learn the details of using CS 6 -
Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Photographers: A professional image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC

 

[Stacylouwho]

Many, many people buy them. I never have. I prefer to edit based on my own artistic vision.

There are 2 versions of Photoshop that can run actions Elements and CS 6.
Elements is a consumer version and it lacks many of the tools, features, and functions CS 6 has.
The last time I checked, Elements cannot record actions even though it can play them back.
Are you familiar with the image editing issues related to "bit depth"? Bit Depth

If an action you buy uses tools, features, or functions that are only in CS 6, that action will only work in part in Elements and you wouldn't get the full effect of the action.

Chapter 13 -Automating Photoshop - of this book covers actions and would be an essential reference book to have at hand if you get CS 6 and want to learn the details of using CS 6 -
Adobe Photoshop CS6 for Photographers: A professional image editor's guide to the creative use of Photoshop for the Macintosh and PC

I just want to thank you for replying because most the times I post you always reply and give me loads of information on the topic. Clearly you know a ton about photography and I am glad there are people like you to guide us in the right direction!

 

[Derrel]

Two very high-level portrait/wedding shooters who gave multi-day seminars on creativelive.com HIGHLY recommend them, as a way to edit quickly, efficiently, and to provide the kinds of routine adjustments that so many images need, in order to look their best and to satisfy the general public. Not just "anybody's actions, either, but for example, the actions developed by world-renowned wedding photographer Kevin Kubota, from Bend, Oregon. He was named one of the world's ten best wedding shooters a number of years back by Popular Photography Magazine, and his client list reflected that kind of stature. He was consistently ranked as one of the top five shooters in the USA for a number of years.

Take a look at his page. Award-winning software in 2007,2008,2009,2010,2012. http://kubotaimagetools.com/actions.html?gclid=COyTrumi5rYCFU_ZQgodBE0Anw

Also, check out his "tools" for using these. There is Dashboard. And imagine a special controller, a hardware device, for using a list of professionally-developed actions from a guy who was actually instrumental in developing imaging software decades ago...that's an accessory that Doug Gordon uses in conjunction with the Kubota ImageTools.

Check out Sue Bryce's writing on using actions "properly" as she says. http://www.inbedwithsue.com/category/photoshop-production/

or check out her article here: http://www.inbedwithsue.com/2011/07/24/faster-efficient-photoshop/

Of course, these are the kind of people who are busy, and have $3,800 'average' portrait sales per session...so...what would they know about using editing photographs using actions?

 

[Stacylouwho]

Two very high-level portrait/wedding shooters who gave multi-day seminars on creativelive.com HIGHLY recommend them, as a way to edit quickly, efficiently, and to provide the kinds of routine adjustments that so many images need, in order to look their best and to satisfy the general public. Not just "anybody's actions, either, but for example, the actions developed by world-renowned wedding photographer Kevin Kubota, from Bend, Oregon. He was named one of the world's ten best wedding shooters a number of years back by Popular Photography Magazine, and his client list reflected that kind of stature. He was consistently ranked as one of the top five shooters in the USA for a number of years.


Take a look at his page. Award-winning software in 2007,2008,2009,2010,2012. Kubota Photoshop Actions | Kubota Image Tools

Also, check out his "tools" for using these. There is Dashboard. And imagine a special controller, a hardware device, for using a list of professionally-developed actions from a guy who was actually instrumental in developing imaging software decades ago...that's an accessory that Doug Gordon uses in conjunction with the Kubota ImageTools.

Check out Sue Bryce's writing on using actions "properly" as she says. http://www.inbedwithsue.com/category/photoshop-production/

or check out her article here: http://www.inbedwithsue.com/2011/07/24/faster-efficient-photoshop/

Of course, these are the kind of people who are busy, and have $3,800 'average' portrait sales per session...so...what would they know about using editing photographs using actions?

Thank you! I think this may be something I can look into getting, further down the road. But it does interest me, because I have noticed I spend a load of time editing pictures to be what I view as presentable. I will definately look into your suggestions! ;D

 

[The_Traveler]

Thank you! I think this may be something I can look into getting, further down the road. But it does interest me, because I have noticed I spend a load of time editing pictures to be what I view as presentable. I will definately look into your suggestions! ;D

No, no, no.
My guess is that, if you are spending lots of time editing images just to make them look presentable, you need more practice in judging exposure and composition.

And actions won't make up for any of those defects.