Lensbaby Effect

I used an effect called lensbaby on this photo of my niece, Melanie, taken after her wedding. I followed a tutorial that was written for Photoshop which I don't have so I adapted it for Paint Shop Pro. You can find the tutorial here.

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The effect is done to emulate a photographic technique used by professional photographers, through the use of software. I'm sure with practice I could do better at applying this technique but I was happy with it for a first attempt. Lensbaby produces a graduated 'dreamy' or porcelain look as it focuses in on the subject, which I had a hard time leaving alone. I wanted Melanie to stand out completely so I didn't apply the effect as fully over the image as I could have. The edges were then selectively darkened to add more drama to the photo. I added the old photo style frame and titling after the lensbaby effect was completed for my personal taste. I tried this effect on a black and white version of this image but didn't like that as much as the color version you see here. I do think that on the right black and white photo that the final results would be even more dramatic.

The main reason I think this one turned out as well as it did is the subject. She is beautiful! Love you Mel!