Software How To

Photoshop's Gradient tools serve a wide variety of purposes for bringing outdoor photos to life by gradually blending colors or opacity. There are various options available for better colors, smoothing transitions and applying creative effects. The rub is that it takes a bit of time to get the adjustments just right.

All of us who shoot in color have experienced the disappointment of capturing a unique scene that fails to meet expectations. The video below from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel explains why some images can be significantly more compelling in b&w, with a basic workflow for making a dramatic transformation.

Regular Shutterbug readers are well-acquainted with extraordinary German Landscape pro Christian Mohrle, not just because of his inspirational images but also for the post-processing tutorials shared on the popular PHLOG photography You Tube channel that's loaded with helpful how-to tips.

The term "hot pixels" describes those annoying artifacts caused by pixels that randomly appear as red, great, blue, or even white dots in an image when an individual pixel is significantly brighter than those in surrounding areas within the frame. This tutorial from the Photo Feaver YouTube channel demonstrates how to easily "scan" and remove them in Lightroom.

Today's interesting tutorial with pro Scott Davenport demonstrates how strategic cropping can dramatically enhance the impact of landscape images when less-than-ideal composition compromises the impact of a beautiful scene. As he says, "a tight crop can remove distractions and direct the viewer's attention straight to the most important part of an image."

We've all marveled at spectacular photos of the nighttime sky, and the Milky Way is one of the major attractions. Unfortunately, many photographers take a pass on this epic opportunity because of the misconception that exotic gear is required or they lack the necessary skills.

Many of us spend hours meticulously editing a set of photos, all the while wishing we were back out in the field with a camera doing what we love most. Today's tutorial with instructor Rob Dryburgh will grant that wish by demonstrating "eight must-know shortcuts that will boost your workflow and make post processing a breeze!"