When it comes to Photoshop actions, I have a short stack of them that I depend on for retouching my portrait and wedding photography images. I go to these almost all the time, for all my images. We'll talk about which one of those actions made the cut, in a subsequent blog post. So please do remind me.

Jodi Friedman of MCP Actions sent me an email asking me to test a new set of Photoshop actions that she was launching called MCP Fusion Photoshop Actions. So, let me at the outset tell you that I received them gratis for the expressed purpose of reviewing and writing about them here.

The MCP Fusion Photoshop action set combines the most versatile and user-friendly workflow actions with beautiful color and black and white conversions, bringing you an action set with infinite possibilities.

It makes sense to review actions only when you have some really good examples. The image below is from a headshot portrait session I recently completed for my client Carole M.

Straight out of camera, otherwise known as SOOC:

Enhanced using the Liquify filter in Photoshop + MCP Actions' Eye Doctor and The Dentist:

Enclosed action:

Beach House action:

Sentimental action:

Pendulum action:

Color Fusion Mix-n-Match action – Peachy/Rustic/Sentimental/Shades Of Gray:

In addition to the usual actions to enhance color images, this set includes ways in which you can convert images to black & white. Most of the black & white actions I've seen online have been pretty heavy handed at this, but the Black & White Fusion Mix-n-Match is particularly useful because like its Color counterpart, you are allowed to turn on and off layers and of course dial in the opacity for those layers just to get your desired effect. I really enjoyed this level of control to consistently produce images.

Black & White Fusion Mix-n-Match action – One Click Black & White/Highlight Helper:

See more sample images on Jodi's site and check out this video to show you how you would set these actions up in Photoshop (18 minutes):

The Review:

I'll make this short and sweet. I had a lot of fun exploring these actions. Like any other set of Photoshop actions, I am likely to pick and use only the ones that feel natural to me and for what I want to deliver to my clients. In this regard, to each her/his own. There are several among the MCP Fusion Photoshop Actions have just been added to my short stack. Some of those actions you have just seen above. As I promised at the beginning of this post, I'll have a new article describing those to you in greater detail soon.

I almost never use any action at full throttle, that is the opacity is set to less than 100%. What is that magic number? It's very hard to pin down and kinda silly to even divulge because your images and tastes are different than mine. And these actions by MCP are no different. I toned it down several notches to meet my artistic sensibilities.

The mix-n-match actions were great, but even on a fast iMac, they took about 20 seconds to run. This isn't a shortfall of the action set, but I have to admit it did surprise me a bit. And as Jodi put it, that's 20 actions all running at the same time. If you are trying to get something done quickly, try then the individual actions that come bundled within this set. The mix-n-match is much too comprehensive and may be overkill for what you want to achieve. That said, I liked the multiple options the actions gave me. In my opinion, Photoshops actions are as perfect as you want them to be for your own workflow, sense of style or approach to photography.

Jodi's Photoshop actions are well-known in the industry for a reason – she consistently provides a quality product and her level of support via video tutorials, or in my case a quick email response to a quick question, was always greatly appreciated. If you are open to gaining some control back into how your images should look, you will want to get this Photoshop actions set.

Unsolicited words of advice:

1) Have a vision for how you want to retouch your images. What you present to the world says a lot about who you are as a photographer and an artist. Adding actions willy-nilly is no way to correct a badly exposed image. So start there first. No idea what I am talking about? Try this book by David duChemin. Figure out what the end product needs to be, how it will be applied and who your target audience is. Those answers will direct you into the appropriate use of these or any other Photoshop actions.

2) Make sure your monitor is calibrated. If you want WYSIWYG, this is one of the first steps you should take.

3) Use these actions on un-cropped, high-resolution images first. Then resize and sharpen at the very end of your workflow. The MCP Fusion Photoshop Actions include two nifty actions that will do just this for you, so rest easy.

4) Uncle Ben said it best: “With great power, comes great responsibility.” Just because you can use actions and mix-n-match them up, does not give you license to do so. Well, you could, but then your images are going to make your audience gag a bit.

5) Be aware that as you start adding more actions and you mix-n-match them as you can, your file size is going to inflate and your computer is liable to slow down to a crawl. So have lots of RAM and have a scratch disk for Photoshop to play nice.

6) Have fun. If you aren't having fun when using these or any other actions, that means you are just going through the motions of creating art for your clients and ultimately yourself. So, pace yourself, experiment and stick to the plan (ie. see number 1)

7) You are going to be naturally drawn to some actions over others. Let your gut instinct guide you. You'll know when you have crossed the line, or your friends or even clients may let you know pretty directly. Learn from these trials and move on. Don't cling to an action as the be-all and end-all of all your images. Keep making images and you will find Photoshop actions that are best used to enhance those specific frames. It is a learning process, so don't force it.

If you've enjoyed this post and want more like it, please let me know in the comments below. Also, please support this site by buying the e-books you see here. They have each been reviewed for quality and value and I am sure you will find them just as useful as I have for my photography business.

Photo consultant Selina Maitreya discusses a rarely used approach in client sales meetings. Check it out in the video below.

Did you like Selina's business tip for photographers? Want to get more of these tips and for FREE? Selina offers a free 5 day video course, “Building the Ideal Professional Photography Business.”

In addition to that, Selina and 13 other experts will be presenting a FREE two-day online event on February 11 and 12, called Clarion Call. [aff] You do need to register to get access to these awesome speakers. Remember, it is FREE, so why wouldn't you sign up?

If you miss the live event, you can still order the recordings, which garner you a bunch of very cool bonuses.

What sales tip could you/would you share here with your peers? Please comment!

Going to a trade show and conference like WPPI, in Las Vegas, is no gamble. Take my word for it. I have been and it's truly an awesome experience. It's a great opportunity to meet friends whom you have only “met” online, or vendors whose new products you want to check out first-hand. But, yes, it can get expensive, and that's where Tiffinbox is hoping to help you.

Thanks to Fundy SOS, two lucky readers of Tiffinbox will receive passes to go to WPPI 2011. The mega conference for photographers runs from February 17 – 24, 2011.

Will that be YOU? How badly do you want to go?

Here is how you could win one of two passes:

1) Tell us in the comments WHY you would want to win? What do you expect to get out of this awesome gathering of wedding and portrait photographer?

2) Tweet this: “I just posted a comment on Tiffinbox.org, for a chance to win a trip to @RFWPPI 2011. Thanks to @FundySOS + @PicSeshu! Please RT”

3) Tag @Fundy SOS in Facebook when you post a little blurb about this contest on your own wall

That's IT.

Now, the rules:

If you win, you should be able to go. Obvious, right? So, if you can't go, please let us know right away.

What you are going to win is a full registration pass ($199-259 value). The only stipulations are that MASTER Classes are NOT included and that you have to stay at the MGM Grand Hotel. Read this description of what is included in your WPPI registration pass.

Airfare, gambling chips, food and other entertainment expenses are NOT included. All that is on you. Cool?

Now, let's play. Get those comments coming. Andrew Funderburg of Fundy SOS will pick a winner among those who have left a comment and Tweeted the message on February 1.

I am a huge fan of photographers who can teach. Ones that do it with clarity and wit are a minority, however. Jason Groupp is one among them.

The first time I met Jason was at a photography convention where he patiently looked over my sample wedding albums, and played mentor for about an hour. It was a memorable discussion and we soon stayed in touch, especially as I attended workshops that his New York City studio hosted. More recently we have been in touch via Twitter. While we go back and forth about the Jets and Patriots (he is a Jets fan for some unknown reason – Ha!), he let it slip that he was producing a DVD about off-camera lighting. Now, if you have followed this blog along for some time you already know how crazy I am about learning to light – people, objects, scenes, whatever. I was intrigued but Jason kept a tight lip about it, until recently.

25! from Jason Groupp on Vimeo.

From Jason Groupp's website about his DVD called “25 Kick Ass Lighting Scenarios”:

“In this DVD, I will demonstrate 25 easy to remember, simple to complex, lighting setups on a LIVE SHOOT! Did I mention it will all be done with equipment that won't break your budget?

Have you ever struggled to take great portraits of your clients because you don't have decent light to shoot them in and are not comfortable with off camera lighting?

I will break down these 25 easy to use lighting setups that you can adapt and call your own. This DVD isn't about fancy hard to understand ETTL techniques, I'll show you my easy to use “shoestring TTL” techniques and how you can create your own “no excuses bag”.

Here is another clip from the DVD:

#12 – “25” DVD || Setup: “St Marks” (low res) from Jason Groupp on Vimeo.

Well, today happens to be Jason Groupp‘s birthday. He won't tell me how young he is, but he did say he would offer Tiffinbox readers a great deal on his new DVD.

How would you like 50% off? Here is the code you need to use: “imaging2011” to buy 25 Kick Ass Lighting Scenarios TODAY! The deal saves you 50%. Original price: $150. Your price: $75.

It lasts through 12 midnight tonight, that's EST. So hurry!

(Want the deadline extended? Jason has this challenge for me. If at least 10 people buy the DVD today – leave a comment below saying you did and I'll verify with him – then he will have the code available to us for at least one more day. But the catch is, 10 people need to step up and buy the DVD today! Personally, I think this is a terrific deal.)

Still not convinced? (You gotta be kidding me! LOL!) Jason is offering this exclusive viewing of another episode for you to check out:

Please let me know if you purchased this DVD. I do not make a red cent off of the sale. I just think it is valuable, useful information you can put to use right away in your photography. If you did buy it and watched it, please comment below with your thoughts. I'll try and get Jason to respond to them. Thank you!

This post has little to do with photography – tips or tutorials. It has everything to do about stepping up and helping a complete stranger because their life depends on it. And, yes, you … YOU … can do something about it … NOW!

A couple of days back I received the following letter from Shilpa Nanduri:

I am writing to you because a friend of mine, Sonia Rai, who is just 24 years old, was just diagnosed with Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) and is in urgent need of a bone marrow transplant.

I am requesting you to please help spread the word about Sonia and her family's effort to save her life.

They are currently organizing many bone marrow drives over the next few weeks in several cities. Visit www.curesonia.org for more information. Please keep checking back, because more cities will be added.

“Team Sonia – Sonia’s brother Sumit Rai, family and friends are organizing drives today and in the next few weeks. Please take the time to help spread the word about the drives and join the National Marrow Donor Program registry if you have not already done so.”

From Sepia Mutiny:

“As you may be aware from our previous posts on the topic, the National Bone Marrow Registry (NMDP) is in dire need of more ethnic donors. South Asians, as well as any minority, and especially people of mixed ethnicity are needed. Sonia is currently receiving excellent care at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, but in order to survive beyond the next few months, she requires a bone marrow transplant. Most matches occur within ethnicity and increasing the number of South Asians registered as potential bone marrow donors will help Sonia as well as many others who are searching.”

Please direct people to www.curesonia.org to find out how they can help. They can help by attending a drive and thus registering with the National Bone Marrow Donor program and / or by hosting their own drives (which is much easier than you would think, all the necessary support will be provided).

All new registrants added to the national registry might help not only Sonia, but also many others searching for a bone marrow match.

So, as we start the New Year today, allow me to ask you: Will you be the one to step up and register? Will you be the one to save Sonia's life or for that matter anyone else's life?

As you embrace the New Year, I also ask that you embrace this cause. This isn't the first time I am asking you to do so. Back in 2007, I appealed to you to help my cousin Vinay Chakravarthy. His friends and family rallied to have more than 50,000 people register. Yet, we are still short on finding matches for people like Sonia.

If you are the type to make every day count, shouldn't you jump in an register yourself with the National Bone Marrow Program registry today? Please remember that people's lives depend on it. Maybe even yours.

Welcome to a day filled with one's. It's 1/1/11. A very Happy New Year to you all.