I'm a web developer, far from being considered a photoshop guru. But, I've picked up a few tricks along the way, that might help developers in a pinch, who don't have the time to wait, or money to hire a designer.
"Gold tone" image
Again, being a web developer, I can't even be certain of the terminology, but this method produced a nice, subtle effect for images which originally looked a little out of place.
- Create a copy of your image to another layer.
- Move this layer below/under your original layer.
- Use Image -> Adjustments -> Black & White to convert your new copied layer to black and white.
- Back to the original layer, adjust the fill or opacity, revealing the black and white image below just enough to make it look goldish.
Feathering
Being a photoshop idiot, feathering an image has always proven challenging. The simplest and quickest way I've found is to use the eraser tool, pick a nice big brush, and start hacking away!