Andrea O'Connell Photography

Three years ago, when photography became my passion, I had no clue about the plethora of editing software available on the market.   Fortunately, I was provided a Beta version of LightRoom and it was like magic!  How my photos came alive.  Fast forward three years to LightRoom 5 – which is super wonderful – but it doesn’t do everything.

The below image was created using a tool from JixiPix Software ( http://www.jixipix.com ), called Portrait Painter.  Their tools are inexpensive, intuitive and fun to use.  (I also use their Oil Painting, HDR, Black and White, Vintage Scene, and Hand Tint software -also funky and fun.)

Anyway – for a bit of color today, here’s my Macaw – Painted!

Below the painted version is the original, so you can see the contrast.  By the way, Topaz Labs ( http://www.topazlabs.com ) has super great tools, they’re just a bit more pricy than JixiPix.

Effects created with “Portrait Painter” by JixiPix Software

The original image with slight adjustments made in LightRoom 5:

Original capture of a Happy Macaw