Reflections in ponds, lakes and streams can be powerful elements for boosting the impact of images shot in the field. The trick is understanding how to accentuate nature’s mirrors when you don’t quite get things right in the camera.

This tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel demonstrates a super simple post-processing hack to target sky reflections and others from the background to enhance the impact of outdoor photos and guide a viewer’s eye to the key element of a scene, and the simple technique takes instructor Christian Mohrle less than 12 minutes to explain.

Mohrle is proud of being recognized as one of Germany’s premier landscape photographers, and his how-to tips are popular with both amateurs and pros across the globe. His lessons always include a link beneath the video for downloading his sample Raw files, and we encourage you to take this opportunity and make the changes yourself as the steps are explained.

Today’s thoughtfully composed example is a pretty shot with a lake in the lower half of the scene and imposing mountains looming in the distance. The problem is that reflections of the peaks aren’t quite as vibrant and compelling as they can be without a bit of help from Lightroom. A few local exposure adjustments are also required to make a perfect transformation.

Mohrle begins by merging a three-image HDR; a versatile technique that’s well worth understanding for just about every landscape photo you edit. Then he walks you through several straightforward adjustments that create a perfect starting point for the selective masking that follows.

He opens Lightroom’s Basic panel and changes the profile from Adobe Color to Adobe Landscape which immediately pumps up saturation and adds reddish tones to the distant mountains. He also modifies White Balance and increases Clarity and Vibrance.

Now it time to employ preliminary masks for enhancing the sky with a Linear Gradient and a few other selections that balance out the image. With the photo significantly improved Mohrle reveals his powerful Masking hack that embellishes the reflections, and he explains the process from beginning to end.

The edit concludes with thoughtful color grading and careful sharpening, and we think you’ll be duly impressed after viewing Mohrle’s before/after images. There are many more instructional videos on Mohrle’s popular YouTube channel so be sure to pay a visit often.

And don’t miss our recent tutorial featuring another post-processing instructor who demonstrates how to sharpen nature and landscape photographs with a selective technique that delivers maximum precision.

Sunrise and sunsets have held immense significance across all cultures since the dawn of time, so it’s not surprising that we as photographers are drawn to the symbolism of these beginnings and endings. There are several challenges to overcome to faithfully capture Golden Hour in the camera, and you’ll learn how to solve them in the 12-minute video below from one of our favorite instructors.

Mads Peter Iversen is a renowned Danish landscape photographer whose YouTube channel concentrates on timeless in-camera techniques, post-processing tips, and artistic considerations for shooting in the field. He explains the appeal of Golden Hour like this: “Nature provides beautiful soft light than can deliver some dramatic skies that add life, color, and impact to our images.”

Timing is critically important and Iversen recommends arriving early before the sun peaks above the horizon in the morning or drops out of sight at days end. One reason is to give yourself time to explore the scene and set up your gear before the magical moments occur. Another is the fact that the beautiful golden light “can bounce off the clouds”—coloring them in deep red tones before the sun actually rises or sets.

With the forgoing as a prelude Iversen turns his attention to the important matter of composition, and he provides several examples of why framing techniques can be different for this unique subset of landscape photography. The first thing you’ll want to establish is your focal point relative to the sun.

Once you do that composition tends to fall into place as you explore different vantage points and experiment with unique camera angles. Iversen’s point is simple: beginners tend to soley focus on the rising or setting sun, but it’s important to concentrate on how these elements affect the overall scene. He illustrates how to incorporate other elements that can  effectively balance out a shot.

Next on the list is a detailed discussion of the best way to configure the camera with special settings that you may not use at other times during the day. Here you’ll learn the specific settings Iversen recommends, as well as important exposure and focusing techniques. Exposure bracketing can be a big help too, and Iversen illustrates the simple process.

Once you capture a Golden Hour image to the best of your ability, it’s time to consider a few post-processing techniques for boosting the result further. Hence, Iversen concludes  the video with a straightforward image-editing technique that’s appropriate for Photoshop users of all skill levels.

Don’t forget to visit Iversen’s instructional YouTube channel, especially if landscape photography is your thing, because there are many more how-to lessons available.

And on a related note, we encourage you to watch a tutorial we featured with another post-processing expert who demonstrates a straightfoward technique for refining midtone contrast to transform unimpressive photographs into attention-grabbing money shots.

There’s a notion going ground that photographers aren’t serious about the craft unless the mode dial on their camera is set to “M.” We strongly disagree, but if you want to experiment with Manual mode photography this tutorial explains everything necessary for getting started today.

While many pros use Aperture Priority, there are admittedly advantages to shooting in Manual depending on the type of photos you make. Instructor Ejaz Khan puts it like this: “Manual mode photography is the key to unlocking your creative potential.” So forget what you’ve heard about the complexity of this technique and watch Khan demystify the process in barely nine minutes.

Khan is a professional wildlife photographer who begins with this promise: “After this video you’ll think that Manual mode is super, super easy and understand how it brings you closer to your audience.” He simplifies the technique by comparing the camera’s “three essential” components—ISO, aperture, and shutter speed—to three children needing light as their “food” for perfect exposure.

The lesson provides other interesting analogies, clear illustrations, and step by step-by-step instructions for beginners and experience photographers alike. Khan says that his goal is to help you embrace the benefits of Manual with precision so that automatic settings don’t limit your artistry.

Khan’s video is jammed packed with straightforward camera-setting suggestions and shooting technique that are designed to help  you better understand exposure and tonal balance with confidence using just about any camera you own. So grab your camera, take a deep breath, switch the Mode dial to “M” and follow along as you watch how it’s done.

There are many more instructional videos like this one to be found on Khan’s popular YouTube channel, so be sure to take a close look and see what strikes your fancy.

And for another helpful beginner’s guide, be sure to watch the tutorial we featured recently with another accomplished shooter who provides a 10-minute demonstration of all the basic iPhone camera settings necessary for capturing dynamic mobile photographs instead of mere snapshots.