Edit Me 2012 - Week 22

Welcome friends! This week we have a familiar face as our guest judge, and a fabulous prize!! As always, be sure to follow along on Facebook and Twitter (#editmechallenge) to get the most up-to-date Edit Me Challenge info!

This week's guest judge is a regular participant in the challenge, and we are excited to have her! Here is a little bit more about Sarah from The Stiles Files:

My name is Sarah and I live in St. Paul, MN with my husband, Jeff, and our two kiddos, Miles and Stella.  I am fairly sure that I was passed over when they were handing out any sort of domestic skills, but my husband picks up the slack and we make it through most days with the kids intact. :)  It's been a little over a year since I got bit by the photography bug and I got bit hard.  I love being a mom more than anything in the world, but I desperately needed a creative outlet that was just.for.me.so.I.wouldn't.go.too.(make.that.any.more.) crazy. I absolutely love taking and editing pictures and, while I have a long way to go, the process of learning has been absolutely wonderful.  My wild children are my main models, but I am branching out to friends and family now and have recently started my own facebook page.  I have loved participating in the Edit Me Challenges and have learned so much from all of you, so I am honored to be the judge this week!

Be sure to visit Sarah on her blog and her Facebook page and thank her for judging this week! Here is the photo she has provided for us:

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD COPY FOR EDITING

And I mentioned a fabulous prize, right? Well, I instantly fell in love with the jewelry by Tracy at The Glass Lily Pad. She creates gorgeous pieces using her photography... how cool is that? Here is a little bit more about her:

Growing up in a small town on 4 acres of land which was partially wooded, made me fall in love with the natural world.  When I got to college I studied art and a studio arts professor suggested I try photography because she thought I might enjoy capturing my love of nature in photographs. I ended up graduating with a BFA in Photography and have been enjoying it for over 15 years now. Recently I discovered how to make jewelry out of my photography and I have fallen in love with this new way of using my photographs!   This has led to the opening of my new shop featuring my jewelry, The Glass LilyPad.

Please take a moment to follow Tracy on Facebook or Twitter, and thank her for being our sponsor this week! Here is the gorgeous necklace she will be giving our winner, created from one of her photographs:

Of course if you want to win the prize, you first have to enter an edit! Here are the details:

This challenge is all about taking a photo and making it your own with the editing program of your choice! It is also about learning a little bit from each other, and exploring new styles! There are no restrictions (unless specifically stated within the post for the week), but we do ask that you share a little bit about how you arrived at your finished product.

1. When you link up, please use your edited photo as the thumbnail!
2. If you use the mouseover code or right-click protect your images, you need to either add a copy to the flickr pool (preferred) or it will be assumed that you agree to allow us to use a screenshot of your entry if you are a winner!
3. The judge for the week will choose the top 3 edits from the entries, and the overall winner of the 3 
4. If you would like to post multiple edits, specify which one is your choice for judging. Only one photo is eligible for judging, and it must be clear which one you are entering.
5. Don't forget so share your editing steps, or some tips and tricks so we can learn from each other!
6. Don't forget to use the #editmechallenge tag when you share your posts on Twitter. 
7. The linky will open at the time of the post on Wednesday, and close the following Saturday at 11:59 PM (central time).
8. Winners will be announced the following Tuesday.
9. Don't forget to visit the other participants, and leave some comment love! As usual, the more you participate the more feedback you will get!

So, there you have it! Have fun, and can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Edit Me 2012 - Week 21 Winners!

Thanks to everyone who took the time to edit my photo this week! I loved seeing your edits, and am glad we could have a little summer fun on a holiday weekend! Tomorrow we get back to normal with a guest judge and a fabulous prize! First, though, here are my top 3 edits this week:

Marilyn from The ArtsyGirl Connection added whimsy and fun this week, and my niece loves bubbles, so how perfect!

Molly from MixedMolly had a fresh edit with an awesome frame for us. She also links to a great texture site that she used to make her background. I love when y'all share resources!!

Kirsten from The Foreign Domestic was my overall winner! She gave the photo such an awesome quality... this is one of those edits where I can't put my finger on what I love about it, but I LOVE it!

And you guys know I tend to break my own rules... I absolutely couldn't resist giving an honorable mention shoutout to Amanda from Seeing Beauty. When I got to her edit I literally laughed out loud! Good stuff:

Winners don't forget to grab your buttons and we will see you all back here tomorrow for some new editing fun!!

Edit Me 2012 - Week 21

Hello there, editing friends! Branson here. I hope you are having an amazing week! With this being Memorial Day weekend, we decided to keep the challenge fun and easy this week! I am going to judge, and I hope this little burst of summer fun will inspire you to play a little before you head off for your weekend adventures. This is a photo of my niece taken with my point and shoot, and I can't wait to see what you do with it. I really encourage you to play around and have some creative fun this week! And don't forget to share your posts with us on Facebook and Twitter, too!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD COPY FOR EDITING

This challenge is all about taking a photo and making it your own with the editing program of your choice! It is also about learning a little bit from each other, and exploring new styles! There are no restrictions (unless specifically stated within the post for the week), but we do ask that you share a little bit about how you arrived at your finished product.

1. When you link up, please use your edited photo as the thumbnail!
2. If you use the mouseover code or right-click protect your images, you need to either add a copy to the flickr pool (preferred) or it will be assumed that you agree to allow us to use a screenshot of your entry if you are a winner!
3. The judge for the week will choose the top 3 edits from the entries, and the overall winner of the 3 
4. If you would like to post multiple edits, specify which one is your choice for judging. Only one photo is eligible for judging, and it must be clear which one you are entering.
5. Don't forget so share your editing steps, or some tips and tricks so we can learn from each other!
6. Don't forget to use the #editmechallenge tag when you share your posts on Twitter. 
7. The linky will open at the time of the post on Wednesday, and close the following Saturday at 11:59 PM (central time).
8. Winners will be announced the following Tuesday.
9. Don't forget to visit the other participants, and leave some comment love! As usual, the more you participate the more feedback you will get!

So, there you have it! Have fun, and can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Edit Me 2012 - Week 20 Winners!

Awesome week you guys! We are so glad to see so many of you joining us on Facebook!

You can tag us in your Facebook post or mention us on Twitter (@editmechallenge or #editmechallenge) and we will be sure to share your edit with everyone!

Thank you to everyone who entered a comment to win the spot in Mom Tried It's Online Workshop!

The winner is Twiggy from The Dirt Life!

The idea behind the workshop is for you to learn the basics so you can edit your photo the way you want! No more crossing your fingers and hoping an action does it for you. The workshop will cover sharpening, using your dodge and burn tools, custom contrast, how to use layers, and much, much more! In other words you are not only learning steps on how to accomplish a specific task, but also how to put it all together into a workflow that works for you!


 Read even more about this workshop, including how to register on Kim's blog: Mom Tried It.

Now a refresher on this week's judge Nancy from A Rural Journal:

 I am a 52 year-old farm wife and mother of two grown sons. My union iron worker husband and I live in a 100+ year-old farm house in eastern Nebraska, United States. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, knitting, reading, cooking, hiking and blogging (which I've been loving since 2007.) We live on 80 acres of conservation reserve land in a rural county of about 20,000 people. We have three dogs, several farm cats, geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens and one guinea -- all of which keep me company and extremely busy. My blog is primarily a place to feature my rural photography, talk about what's happening on our quiet, lazy farm and to meet talented, friendly people from all over the world.

Be sure to visit Nancy on facebook and twitter, and thank her for a wonderful photo to edit this week!

Nancy had a difficult task this week! You guys did a great job with this beautiful photo!

Here are Nancy's Top 3 and what she had to say:

Julie H

Loving this edit, mostly for the vintage-y frame.  It compliments the old bench wood so well and captures the farm/rural theme of this photo.

Summerfugl Design

The editing brings out the rich tones of the background and kitty's torti-shades. Plus, I adore the quote that was presented.  

Overall winner: Fotocplicity.

The brown and white edit was so unique and really caught my eye. The tones bring a calming essence to the photo, which I love.

CONGRATS TO OUR WINNERS!

DON'T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR BUTTONS!

A NEW CHALLENGE STARTS TOMORROW. 

Edit Me 2012 - Week 20

Welcome to another week of editing fun! We have an amazing guest judge this week, as well as a very cool prize. Please read the prize instructions carefully as we will be awarding it differently this week. We will get to the how and why of that later, though. First, meet Nancy from A Rural Journal:

 I am a 52 year-old farm wife and mother of two grown sons. My union iron worker husband and I live in a 100+ year-old farm house in eastern Nebraska, United States. In my spare time, I enjoy photography, knitting, reading, cooking, hiking and blogging (which I've been loving since 2007.) We live on 80 acres of conservation reserve land in a rural county of about 20,000 people. We have three dogs, several farm cats, geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens and one guinea -- all of which keep me company and extremely busy. My blog is primarily a place to feature my rural photography, talk about what's happening on our quiet, lazy farm and to meet talented, friendly people from all over the world.

Be sure to visit Nancy on facebook and twitter, and thank her for a wonderful photo to edit this week!



CLICK TO DOWNLOAD PHOTO FOR EDITING



I mentioned that this week's prize will be given away a little differently. That is because it is a seat in an awesome editing workshop!! Because this workshop is specific to Photoshop & Photoshop Elements, we want to make sure it goes to someone who could use it! So, this week everyone who enters an edit will be eligible to win, and we will select our winner from the comments. If you would like to win a seat in this workshop, please leave a comment letting us know when you link your edit up! Be sure your name in the comments matches the name you use to link up your entry so we can verify you have submitted an edit. If you have any questions at all, be sure to let us know.

The workshop we are giving away is taught by one of my very favorite bloggers, Kim Young. Kim is incredibly talented, but also very easy to talk to... just what you want in a teacher! Not only that, but the proceeds from the workshop are going to help fund some pro bono work she is doing for local foster children! Here is some of what the workshop covers:

The idea behind this workshop is for you to learn the basics so you can edit your photo they way you want to. No more crossing your fingers and hoping an action does it for you.

• How to sharpen your images
• How to use Dodge and Burn to make your photos pop
• How to add custom contrast
• How to brighten and adjust exposure
• How to use layers to make your images the best they can be
• How to convert to black and white
• How to add textures and manipulate the effects
• How to adjust skin tone
• How to optimize for internet
• Plus much more

In other words you are learning steps on how to accomplish a specific task, but also how to put it all together into a workflow for editing images. 

Read even more about this workshop, including how to register if you don't win the free seat, on Kim's blog: Mom Tried It.

Last but not least. here is a review of the challenge guidelines:

This challenge is all about taking a photo and making it your own with the editing program of your choice! It is also about learning a little bit from each other, and exploring new styles! There are no restrictions (unless specifically stated within the post for the week), but we do ask that you share a little bit about how you arrived at your finished product.

1. When you link up, please use your edited photo as the thumbnail!
2. If you use the mouseover code or right-click protect your images, you need to either add a copy to the flickr pool (preferred) or it will be assumed that you agree to allow us to use a screenshot of your entry if you are a winner!
3. The judge for the week will choose the top 3 edits from the entries, and the overall winner of the 3 
4. If you would like to post multiple edits, specify which one is your choice for judging. Only one photo is eligible for judging, and it must be clear which one you are entering.
5. Don't forget so share your editing steps, or some tips and tricks so we can learn from each other!
6. Don't forget to use the #editmechallenge tag when you share your posts on Twitter. 
7. The linky will open at the time of the post on Wednesday, and close the following Saturday at 11:59 PM (central time).
8. Winners will be announced the following Tuesday.
9. Don't forget to visit the other participants, and leave some comment love! As usual, the more you participate the more feedback you will get!

So, there you have it! Have fun, and can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Edit Me 2012 - Week 19 Winners!

Thanks for another great week friends!

Welcome first time Edit Mers! and Welcome back to old friends who haven't been here in a while!

This week's fabulous guest judge was Andi @ The Hollie Rogue! We really appreciate Andi jumping in and doing such a great job this week! And that photo! Precious. Andi also hosts the Photo Friday Link Party and sells beautiful handmade necklaces in her etsy shop!

Now then, let's get to know Andi a bit:

I am Andi--an elementary teacher turned SAHM to two little ones, a wife, follower of Christ, crafter, etsy shop owner, and lover of all things vintage.  I am a self-taught wanna-be photographer who just loves to learn new things about the art of photography.  I am on a journey to learn more about myself and my passions through this amazing avenue of blogging. 





Be sure to visit Andi on Facebook and Twitter and thank her for judging this week!

k*handtke clicks & keys

 

This photo is one of my favorites because of the unique texture used and the way the light is literally shining off of her face. It almost feels as if she's glowing! Creative and masterfully done!  

 sommerfugl design 

 

Dreamy, warm, summery photos always make me happy and this photo has all of that! I also admire the use of the sun flare added and really appreciate how that adds to the story of the photo. Superb editing skills!

WINNER!!!
 Mama Schell Says 

 

 I so appreciate the color contrasts and perfect blends of warmth and "pops" of color in this photo. I would love to hang it on my wall at home! Fantastic work, Jenn!

Jenn you won this print from Etched and Sketched! Check it out: 

Etched and Sketched is a shop focused on creating great wall art. Our prints are inspired by mid-century modern items, vintage advertising, antique etchings and inspirational quotes. The prints are great for Interior design and room decorating ideas. 

Please visit this week's sponsor on Facebook and thank them for providing our prize!! And don't forget to check out more great wall art in the Etched and Sketched etsy shop! 

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!

DON'T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR BUTTONS!

A NEW CHALLENGE STARTS TOMORROW!

Edit Me 2012 Week 19

This week's fabulous guest judge is Andi @ The Hollie Rogue! Not only is Andi a sweet gal and great blogger, but she is also co-hosting a fun photo challenge that is wrapping up this week! We wanted to make sure you guys knew about it in time to jump in! (Branson is actually one of the judges for the challenge, so that makes it double fun!) It is the Photo a Day Mommy Moments Photography Challenge. There are nine awesome prizes up for grabs, and fun prompts for each day. You can read all about it here!

Now then, let's get to know Andi a bit:

I am Andi--an elementary teacher turned SAHM to two little ones, a wife, follower of Christ, crafter, etsy shop owner, and lover of all things vintage.  I am a self-taught wanna-be photographer who just loves to learn new things about the art of photography.  I am on a journey to learn more about myself and my passions through this amazing avenue of blogging. 

Be sure to visit Andi on Facebook and Twitter and thank her for judging this week!

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD LARGE COPY FOR EDITING

This week we have a great prize for our winner! It is a print from Etched and Sketched that I just love. Check it out:

Etched and Sketched is a shop focused on creating great wall art. Our prints are inspired by mid-century modern items, vintage advertising, antique etchings and inspirational quotes. The prints are great for Interior design and room decorating ideas.

Please visit this week's sponsor on Facebook and thank them for providing our prize!! And don't forget to check out more great wall art in the Etched and Sketched etsy shop!

Last but not least. here is a review of the challenge guidelines:
This challenge is all about taking a photo and making it your own with the editing program of your choice! It is also about learning a little bit from each other, and exploring new styles! There are no restrictions (unless specifically stated within the post for the week), but we do ask that you share a little bit about how you arrived at your finished product.

1. When you link up, please use your edited photo as the thumbnail!
2. If you use the mouseover code or right-click protect your images, you need to either add a copy to the flickr pool (preferred) or it will be assumed that you agree to allow us to use a screenshot of your entry if you are a winner!
3. The judge for the week will choose the top 3 edits from the entries, and the overall winner of the 3 
4. If you would like to post multiple edits, specify which one is your choice for judging. Only one photo is eligible for judging, and it must be clear which one you are entering.
5. Don't forget so share your editing steps, or some tips and tricks so we can learn from each other!
6. Don't forget to use the #editmechallenge tag when you share your posts on Twitter. 
7. The linky will open at the time of the post on Wednesday, and close the following Saturday at 11:59 PM (central time).
8. Winners will be announced the following Tuesday.
9. Don't forget to visit the other participants, and leave some comment love! As usual, the more you participate the more feedback you will get!

So, there you have it! Have fun, and can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Edit Me 2012 Week 18 Winners!

Thanks again for another great week here on the Edit Me Challenge Blog! We love interacting with you guys via Facebook and Twitter! By the way, I love that Edit Me is International. Our judge this week lives in beautiful Australia! It makes me happy that this challenge connects us with people all over the world!


Our guest judge this week was Kaylene Maalste from L'INSTANT and Gum Nut Photography and Digital Art. Here's a little refresher on Kaylene...

I am retired and live in Berri, Australia with my husband and bossy cat. I have always been interested in creating, in my early days it was playing around with beading, paper maiché, mosaics, quilting and embroidery. I always felt that I needed to focus my creativity into one if not two mediums and I have accomplished this with Art Quilts and photography. My surrounding countryside is full of many different landscapes, in fact sometimes I do not need to even leave my garden. I love taking photographs and then playing with them in my editing software (Photoshop PSE 10) and several great plug-ins.  I cannot draw so the computer screen has become my canvas. I participate in challenges that have given me the opportunity to develop my editing skills.  I use a CoolPix L120 camera (basically a point and shoot), and I am looking forward to the day I can move up the camera ladder.  My husband is very supportive and has grown used to me asking him to pose for me, and coming to an abrupt halt when we are driving so I can take a shot. 


Be sure to check out Kaylene here and here to tell her thank you for judging this week! 


Now here are Kaylene's Top 3:

Jennifer from Fotoplicity.

This edit is intriguing in how the use of the different blending layers has brought a touch of drama to the photograph and also given it depth and perspective. Bravo.

Seeing Beauty by Amanda.

One of the goals of Edit Me is to make the photograph belong to the editor. Amanda has accomplished this by adding warmth to the image through adjusting the tones, and also the cloning out of the fence etc. gives the viewer an uninterrupted view of the wheels. Well done.

And our overall winner is:
K*handtke  from clicks and keys.

This edit had me coming back more than once and the reason is that the edit draws the viewers’ attention to the wheels and the large reflection in the river. This was also accomplished by lightening the bottom of the photograph and drawing out the colours in the wheels. Excellent.

CONGRATS TO THE WINNERS!

DON'T FORGET TO GRAB YOUR BUTTON!

A NEW CHALLENGE STARTS TOMORROW!

Edit Me 2012 Week 18

Welcome to another week of the Edit Me Challenge! We are so glad you are here. Don't forget that you can follow the challenge on Facebook and Twitter for even more editing fun! 

Our guest judge this week is a dedicated Edit Me participant, Kaylene Maalste from L'INSTANT. We are so happy to have her this week! Here's a little more about her...

I am retired and live in Berri, Australia with my husband and bossy cat. I have always been interested in creating, in my early days it was playing around with beading, paper maiché, mosaics, quilting and embroidery. I always felt that I needed to focus my creativity into one if not two mediums and I have accomplished this with Art Quilts and photography. My surrounding countryside is full of many different landscapes, in fact sometimes I do not need to even leave my garden. I love taking photographs and then playing with them in my editing software (Photoshop PSE 10) and several great plug-ins.  I cannot draw so the computer screen has become my canvas. I participate in challenges that have given me the opportunity to develop my editing skills.  I use a CoolPix L120 camera (basically a point and shoot), and I am looking forward to the day I can move up the camera ladder.  My husband is very supportive and has grown used to me asking him to pose for me, and coming to an abrupt halt when we are driving so I can take a shot.

Be sure to check out Kaylene here and here to tell her thank you for judging this week! Here is the photo she has provided for us this week. Let's get creative!

CLICK PHOTO FOR LARGE SIZE DOWNLOAD

If you are having trouble getting a jump start or being inspired this week, check out 
Stephanie's editing tutorial for this week's photo over at Behind the Camera and Dreaming!

Last but not least. here is a review of the challenge guidelines:
This challenge is all about taking a photo and making it your own with the editing program of your choice! It is also about learning a little bit from each other, and exploring new styles! There are no restrictions (unless specifically stated within the post for the week), but we do ask that you share a little bit about how you arrived at your finished product.

1. When you link up, please use your edited photo as the thumbnail!
2. If you use the mouseover code or right-click protect your images, you need to either add a copy to the flickr pool (preferred) or it will be assumed that you agree to allow us to use a screenshot of your entry if you are a winner!
3. The judge for the week will choose the top 3 edits from the entries, and the overall winner of the 3 
4. If you would like to post multiple edits, specify which one is your choice for judging. Only one photo is eligible for judging, and it must be clear which one you are entering.
5. Don't forget so share your editing steps, or some tips and tricks so we can learn from each other!
6. Don't forget to use the #editmechallenge tag when you share your posts on Twitter. 
7. The linky will open at the time of the post on Wednesday, and close the following Saturday at 11:59 PM (central time).
8. Winners will be announced the following Tuesday.
9. Don't forget to visit the other participants, and leave some comment love! As usual, the more you participate the more feedback you will get!

So, there you have it! Have fun, and can't wait to see what you come up with!

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Edit Me 2012 Week 17 Winners!

Thanks again for joining in this week! We had a great turn out! Keep 'em coming! As always we want to welcome our new friends who joined in this week. Remember you can find us on Twitter and Facebook for more Edit Me Challenge community fun!

Our wonderful guest judge this week was Diane from Butterflies In Time Photography. Here is a little bit more about her...

Hi, My name is Diane O’Connor and I share my photography work at Butterflies In Time Photography.  Truth be told, photography is not my main profession (not yet anyway) but I do have a never-ending craving to be creative in everything I do.   Although I only began to seriously delve into photography in 2011, my husband encouraged me long before this to do “something creative”.  Well, after much contemplation, I bit the bullet and here I am and I absolutely love it!  I truly am a diehard photo-enthusiast who takes pictures of everything (and I mean everything!), wherever I go.

Be sure to visit Diane on Facebook or her Photo Challenge Page to thank her for judging this week!

Here are Diane's picks and what she had to say about each:

Julie H. you made the Top 3!

I truly love that my photo was turned into a work or art. The painted effect was very impressive,

I loved the background being dark and uniform and the added texture was perfect. 

This made me want to place it on a canvas to hang on the wall.

Kaylene from L'INSTANT you made the Top 3!

There was a glow to the back of the tulips that I was really drawn to. 

Made it feel like the sun wascsetting and added nice warm tones.

The details popped too. This was a very pretty edit.

. The overall winner is Lyne Nagelele

 I was truly floored when I saw this edit and my eyes kept going back to it. The dark, black background makes the tulips pop, the details of the petals are amazing, the entire processing of this edit blew me away.  Then the postcard stamp added just enough of addition charm and creativity.

Congrats Lyne! You will receive some lens bling from out sponsor Happy Acres Farm (and we're a little jealous)!

Please email the Edit Me Challenge with your shipping information!

View the full selection of lens bling in Jessi's shop!

Here's a little bit about Jessi:

I am Navy wife and mother of 4, I am a photographer. This all started from me making something for my best friend and fellow photographer to help get the kids attention. From there I started my etsy store and facebook page and it has really been so much fun!!

You can also find Jessi on her photography website and facebook! 

Be sure to thank her for sponsoring the Edit Me Challenge!

Don't forget to grab your buttons!

A new challenge starts tomorrow!

Join us, won't you?!