Ron Leach

Shallow depth of field is a popular technique for all types of images because it accentuates a main subject and separates it from the background. This effect can be achieved in the camera with careful focusing and wide aperture settings, but today you'll see how to get it done in Photoshop with a minimum of work.

If you ask a bunch of accomplished landscape photographers to name their most difficult challenges, they'll likely express two key considerations. One is arriving at a correct exposure in scenes with a wide-range of tones from bright highlights to deep shadows. Another is achieving sharp results when there are a number of objects within the frame.

It's not uncommon to underexpose landscape photos when shooting in complicated lighting situations. This mistake can be particularly acute when the sun appears within the frame.

Most photographers prefer to be out in the field with their cameras, rather than sitting behind a computer processing photos. That means finishing up your edits as soon as possible without sacrificing quality.