Photoshop How To

Last week we brought you the premiere episode of a free online photo editing masterclass from our friends at the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel. That one demonstrated Lightroom’s most basic tools.

The past month has been special for Shutterbug readers thanks to the weekly installments we’ve posted of an amazing free Lightroom masterclass from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel. Part 1 covered the basics. #2 dealt with masking, and last week’s episode explained the finer points of using Lightroom’s Tone Curve.

If you’ve ever marveled at a spectacular landscape photograph and wondered how it was made, there’s a good chance the photographer employed a luminosity masking technique in Photoshop that provides extremely precise control over post-processing adjustments.

If you're wondering if there's anything new of substance in the updated version of Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), take a listen to image-editing expert Blake Rudis who says this: "There's an epic color theory tool that I never knew I needed, and now that I have it I'm stoked."

With all the excitement over Photoshop's Generative Fill Capabilities you'd think that these tools would do a great job at replacing a boring sky. But one of our favorite image-editing instructors says that Generative Fill fails miserably at this common task.

When you come across a gorgeous outdoor scene the challenge is only beginning. First the shot must be composed effectively, but even more importantly you have the nail the exposure precisely. Otherwise you’re certain to be disappointed with the results.

If you don’t realize that your Adobe Creative Cloud subscription incudes a wealth of helpful free tools, it’s time to wise up and grab what you need. Many of these freebies aren’t readily apparent, and they’re easy to get and put to use.