Ron Leach

Motion blur is a very popular technique in which slow shutter speeds are used to give photos a sense of movement, and appropriate subjects span the gamut from flowing water, clouds blowing across the sky, and even action shots of athletes. This effect can be achieved in the camera or during post processing.

Have you ever returned from a vacation to a popular city, or to an iconic destination in the great outdoors, only to realize that your images look pretty much the same as those shot by everyone else? In the quick tutorial below you’ll learn simple techniques that are guaranteed to make your photos stand out from the crowd.

Many photographers limit their use of Photoshop’s Crop tool to simple tasks like making subtle adjustments to the composition of a shot, or getting in tighter on the main subject of a photo that was captured without the use of a telephoto lens.

All photographers strive to create photos with accurate focus, and most of us prefer to get things right in the camera. This saves time during the editing process, and helps avoid the temptation to take things too far—ending up with an unsightly, “crispy” effect.