Photo How To

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George Schaub  |  Feb 24, 2014

Tonality does not exist in a vacuum; the tones form a visual impression in terms of both their intrinsic value and their relationship to one another. The context in which they relate is called contrast, simply the difference and relationship between the light and dark values in the scene. Contrast determines the “look” of the image, and has a profound effect upon visual effects.

Ron Leach  |  Aug 03, 2023

If you carefully analyze a selection of outstanding landscape photos, you'll realize that contrast plays a big part in their impact. Yet, discussions of outdoor photography techniques often ignore this essential component.

Ron Leach  |  Apr 01, 2025

Lightroom's easy-to-use Contrast tools are useful in a wide variety of situations, but here's the deal: When you make these adjustments selectively using masks, you've just hit on a very powerful combination. That's what you'll learn how to do in this eye-opening tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel.

Ron Leach  |  May 29, 2024

There are numerous reasons why landscape photos of a pretty scene just don't make the grade. Perhaps you used the wrong camera settings, or poor weather blew in before you got the shot and the light became flat, dark and gloomy.

Ron Leach  |  Sep 29, 2023

Experienced photographers tend to shoot in the Raw file format because of enhanced image quality and greater flexibility during the editing process. But shooting Raw comes with a penalty because these files are significantly larger than Jpegs and other available formats.

Ron Leach  |  Feb 05, 2024

Let’s face it: Processing images is often an arduous time-consuming task, regardless of the software you use. Another truth is that most photographers would rather be out shooting than sitting behind a computer.

Jack Neubart  |  Mar 20, 2015

Jim Karageorge has been an eyewitness to the changing face of corporate photography over the years. “Today, the stories that corporate clients want to tell are different from those we told in the past,” Karageorge, a corporate/industrial photographer, observes. “They are geared more toward the human factor than the technologies.”

Ron Leach  |  Apr 29, 2024

Every so often we come across a really nice scene, compose it properly, and nail both focus and exposure. Yet we're left with a feeling that by adding "a little bit extra" we can transform the image into something super special.

Ron Leach  |  Jan 15, 2021

If you want to shoot better portraits without expensive lighting equipment, this quick tutorial is for you. In just five minutes you’ll see how to create a simple and effective natural light studio in your garage that delivers professional results. And you can use this setup for more than just portrait photography.

Ron Leach  |  Dec 16, 2021

High-key photography is popular among portrait and wedding photographers and involves properly lighting a scene to achieve a bright, airy and unique look. While getting it right in the camera can be complicated, and may involve special lighting equipment, the effect is easy to mimic in Photoshop.

Ron Leach  |  Sep 28, 2024

Today's tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel demonstrates how easy it is to use a Color Balance adjustment layer in Photoshop to refine colors in outdoor photographs and create a spectacular yet realistic look. Be sure to download the sample Raw file with the link beneath the video so you can follow along and make the changes yourself.

Ron Leach  |  Nov 14, 2022

One of the great appeals of b&w imagery is that by stripping away color it’s possible to achieve very dramatic photos with high contrast, deep blacks, and properly exposed highlights. If your monochrome images are bland and disappointing, this tutorial is for you.

Ron Leach  |  Apr 27, 2023

Lightroom Classic includes a selection of interesting built-in presets allowing you to quickly achieve a variety of effects. You can also purchase a wide array of others from outside sources and easily install them within Lightroom’s Develop Module.

Ron Leach  |  Oct 07, 2024

It's usually pretty easy to find a beautiful landscape scene while traveling through the backcounty, but it can be far more challenging to translate what you see in the viewfinder to an exceptional image. In this episode from one of our favorite young outdoor photographers you'll learn four shooting and editing tips that anyone can accomplish with ease.

Ron Leach  |  Mar 14, 2022

By now you’ve probably realized that some images look better in b&w than they do in color. You can always set your camera to monochrome, but most photographers prefer shooting in color, and making the conversion during the editing process, so they have a choice of which look they prefer.

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