Hi & welcome to my PS blog! This blog is for full PS although some steps will also work in PSE. Most actions, unless stated are not PSE compatiable. I do try to make an action for PSE from time to time. I hope you have fun here and learn some things along the way. If you have any questions, just drop me a comment! :O)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

New action set...Cross Process...

I call it "MZ's XP" for "Momaziggy's Cross Process". I will say that this set is NOT for the faint of heart! If you do not like creative edits, just skip over today's post. But if you like creative action sets and are a fan of Cross Processing...scroll down.

I'm a real fan of this look lately. I will admit that I like it soft. I have many expensive pay sets that have XP actions in them and I really do not care for them. They are too strong and I don't like the color shifts. So I made mine a little softer, subtle and not so extreme. More for family portraiture I guess you could say. But I know some people like regular XP. So for that reason, I tried to go from soft to heavy and a little in between. I use the XP Soft A LOT! I personally LOVE it for shots of my girls. I think the XP Soft would be great for newborns as well. I think the whole set would be a blast for running toddlers outside, E sessions, weddings and seniors. I think that about covers the field. Ha! Again, these are not for everyone. You won't hurt my feelings if you don't like them. I also included 3 one layer quick XP actions that you can run on top of other actions or on their own.

Don't be afraid to play with these actions. Turn the layers on & off, play with the opacity of the layers and even play with blend modes. The sky, or your creativity, is the limit!

In the set...

MZ XP Soft ~ XP with softness. My personal FAV!
MZ XP Haze ~ light and airy with the XP feel.
MZ XP Xtreme ~ I think it speaks for itself. This action is heavy and thick.
MZ XP ColorFUL ~ A spin off of the Xtreme but less thick with more color.
MZ XP Decaf overlay ~ very subtle XP 1 layer overlay.
MZ XP Caffeine overlay ~ it's a bit strong & thick! 1 layer overlay.
MZ XP JOLT overlay ~ XP with a POP!

Here are the examples for the set...



But wait...there's more.

I included an optional b&w layer that is turned off. When turned on, it gives you a very unique thick, almost vintage XP b&w. I LOVE them! You may not! Ha! And remember, you can go heavier than I did or much more subtle.

So here is the main set with the b&w layer turned on and the layers tweaked a bit...


Now you could even take a step further. No examples but here are some fun things to try. Turn on the b&w layer and lower the opacity for a Vintage XP look. Change the blend mode of the b&w layer and play with the layer opacity for a totally different XP look. Again, these actions are all that YOU make them. So have fun and PLEASE do not be scared to experiment. You don't have to hit the SAVE button! Go ahead...it's fun!

Now if you like what you've seen then click HERE to get them and please tell me what you think. Remember that not all images are created equal so what looks good for some images/people will not work on others. And don't be afraid to mix other actions from me or other people together for a look that's ALL YOU! Happy action running! :O)

17 comments:

Jennifer September 22, 2009 at 7:39 PM  

Thanks so much Crystal, looks like I'm going to be up late tonight having some fun!

Mindy September 22, 2009 at 9:10 PM  

What fun! Are these compatible with PSE?

momaziggy September 22, 2009 at 10:30 PM  

You're welcome Jennifer. I hope you have fun with them.

Mindy sadly they are not PSE compatiable. Most of the actions I record are not PSE compatiable. I do sometimes try to make them for PSE as well. But it's much more work and most of the layers I personally use are not in PSE. Whenever an action is PSE compatiable I will for sure state it in the post. Sorry...

Vanessa September 22, 2009 at 10:39 PM  

Thank you! I can't wait to try these out!

Kerry September 22, 2009 at 11:42 PM  

Thankyou so much - you're very generous.

amymom24 September 23, 2009 at 4:36 AM  

These are awesome, thank you SO much!!!

Laura September 23, 2009 at 5:44 AM  

These look so great! Unfortunately, I only have PSE right now, so I can't use these actions :(

Gretchen Clark September 23, 2009 at 7:51 AM  

thanks...
cannot wait to try them (:

Stacey Bishop September 23, 2009 at 9:08 AM  

Fabulous! Super fun! Can't wait to try! Thanks your the bestest:)

Shell September 23, 2009 at 4:04 PM  

Thank you so much - can't wait to use these.

Anonymous January 18, 2010 at 3:57 PM  

these are so pretty, looks like a lot of fun for me! thank you for the gift

Amanda February 18, 2011 at 6:43 AM  

I don't think I ever posted a thank you on your blog (probably on iVillage at the time) but I just hunted down this post because a friend was asking what I did to one of my photos, so I had to say thank you here, too. This is by far my most used action set of any that I have.

momaziggy February 18, 2011 at 7:41 AM  

Thank you Amanda and everyone! I'm so glad it's useful. I use MZ XP Soft & Haze a LOT! Have a great weekend! :)

Anonymous July 18, 2011 at 4:29 PM  

Thank you so much for sharing your actions - can't wait to try them!

momaziggy July 19, 2011 at 10:29 AM  

You are very welcome! The MZ XP Soft is the one I use the most. I love it for shots with a lot of light and a monochromatic background! Nice topper to other edits too! Love the way it lifts, adds a bit of haze & soft tones while not being over the top! Hope you enjoy!

Anonymous August 20, 2011 at 8:01 AM  

Hi! I just downloaded your actions (from your link on two peas.) I just wanted to say thank you. You are so generous! I love the photos in your post and love the actions. Thanks again!

-Michelle

momaziggy August 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM  

My pleasure Michelle! I hope you get a lot of use out of them. My fav & most used is MZ XP Soft! :)

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About my PS Blog

Hi, my name is Crystal and I am addicted to Photoshop. I have PSCS4 and it's my other half. I love photography, but sometimes I think it's a means to edit!

So I thought it would be fun to have a place to post the free action sets I record, tips and tricks that I learn in PS and tuts for various different types of photo editing.

I hope you enjoy and find my PS blog helpful and if you have any questions, leave me a comment with your questions and your email address and I will get back to you!

Happy editing!

About Me

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I am a stay at home to 2 great girls. My older daughter Haylee just started middle school and my younger daughter Avyree is in 1st grade! I have been married 11 years to my hubs Eric. I got my first DSLR June 31, 2008 and have been hooked ever since! My style is primarily Lifestyle! I like to take a natural and real life approach to my images! I want them to remind me of WHO my girls were when they were little, not just what they looked like. I love to edit and my editing style is always evolving and changing! I like variety and photography is a means to edit! I shoot Canon (full frame) and almost only primes. I pull out my wide angle zoom from time to time! Thanks for stopping by and I hope you like our story...
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