Outdoor Photography How To

Here's an outside-the-box Photoshop tutorial from an Australian photographer who specializes in post-processing techniques that add imagination and creativity to her whimsical imagery. The video begins with this simple question: "Why use a Grey Layer (we'll stick with her Aussie spelling) in Photoshop?"

Over the years we've discussed why some photographs are more compelling when converted to b&w and how some processing methods are more complicated than others. And this holds true for landscape scenes, portrait photos, nature images, and other popular genres.

One of the greatest challenges when processing dull nature and landscape images is creating an eye-catching effect that retains a believable, realistic look. The solution often rests on the proper use of colors, and this tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel demonstrates a foolproof method for getting the job done to perfection.

Let’s say your weekend plans include a casual hike with the family, photography isn't part of the itinerary, and your "real" gear will be resting at home. But as nature would have it you stumble upon a beautiful scene that begs to be photographed, so you reach for your iPhone and quickly make a few shots before your kids scream "you promised keep that thing in your pocket."

This is the favorite season of many experienced outdoor photographers because of the gorgeous colors that paint the landscape no matter where you live. Yet, it can be challenging to replicate the stunning autumn tones you witness in the field—especially when shooting in flat light.

Photographers who've done enough shooting outdoors know that some scenes appear far more compelling in b&w. The challenge is that after a monochrome conversion, some photos are significantly less dramatic than expected. We're going to fix that in the next 15 minutes.

Conventional wide-angle lenses are usually the weapons of choice when shooting landscape photos and other expansive vistas. The more specialized ultrawide options are less well understood and require a different approach for optimum results.