If you haven’t experienced the amazing power of Photoshop’s Smart Objects tool you’ve come to the right place, because this eye-opening tutorial from the PHLEARN YouTube channel covers all the basics for getting started now.

Here’s how instructor Aaron Nace kicks off today’s 10-minute beginners guide: “This tutorial will guide you through using Smart Objects to modify layers without sacrificing image quality or losing the flexibility to revert your edits.” He also demonstrates how easy it is to employ Smart Objects for  precise compositing.

Nace is a world-renowned photographer and post-processing expert whose easy-to-follow lessons are designed to “unleash your inner artist” as he guides you on an inspiring journey through his decades of shooting and editing experience. Once you learn when and how to employ Smart Objects, and it doesn’t take much practice, your Photoshop workflow will improve by leaps and bounds.

A Smart Object allows you easily accomplish several important tasks, like resizing an image as many times as you want with no loss in quality. Not only that, but you can also change the content of a Smart Object at any time and update it in a composite.

Nace adds that Smart Objects are also “fantastic for mockups and other graphics any time you have to work with an original asset and make changes that can be updated automatically.” The goal of today’s task is to create a composite by adding a framed photo to the wall of second shot.

You can experiment with this interesting technique yourself as the tutorial unfolds by downloading the demonstration image with a link in the description beneath the video. The first step is using Photoshop’s Move tool to drag one image to the other, and Nace provides keyboard shortcuts to speed up this task and the others that follow.

Nace proves the power of this very effective method by first attempting to make the switch without a Smart Object. As you’ll see, the results aren’t pretty. But watch what happens when you take the approach that he recommends. Then head over to his popular PHLEARN YouTube channel where you’ll find many more very useful Photoshop tips and techniques.

And don’t miss a tutorial we featured with another image-editing expert who demonstrates how to eliminate ugly dark artifacts in photographs when your polarizing lens filter takes things too far.

It’s a simple fact that some photos look more powerful in b&w, whether you’re shooting landscapes, cityscapes, portraits, or other high-contrast scenes. And all modern digital cameras have a setting that enables you to do that directly.

But here’s the common question: Is it better to get the job done in-camera, or by converting color files to monochrome during post processing? There are several important considerations to understand, and you’ll learn what they are in the three-minute tutorial below.

Instructor Dave Charlton explores what happens when the camera is set to b&w and how image quality is affected. Then he explains why the answer to the above question depends upon whether you’re shooting in Raw or Jpeg. These are just some of the factors to consider before you start taking pictures.

Charlton begins with this: “If you are shooting in Raw, all the color details are still stored with the image itself.” This means that if you shoot b&w in the camera using the Raw format mode you can always revert back to color after examining the photo on your computer. That’s because what you see is simply a “black-and-white visualization.”

Shooting Jpegs with the camera in monochrome mode is where things get tricky, because what happens is permanent after the camera makes the conversion from color to b&w. In other words, you’re stuck with what you have and there’s no way to revert back to color.

At this point there’s another important question; namely, are you willing to go into your photo-editing app and tinker with post-processing techniques that enable you to make b&w conversions? If so, Charlton suggests shooting Raw files in color so all these tones are preserved. That way, “you can always go back.”

On the other hand, if you really don’t care about color, Carlton says it’s OK to go head and shoot b&w Jpegs directly in your camera. There are more quick-and-easy tutorials like this one on Charlton’s instructional YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

We also recommend watching a tutorial we featured recently with another expert instructor who demonstrates how introducing a simple vignette during post processing can make all sorts of photographs far more compelling by guiding a viewer’s eyes to the key element of a scene.

Outdoor and wildlife photographers looking for a new super telephoto zoom lens should check out the just launched OM System 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II. Designed for users of OM System (formerly Olympus) Micro Four Thirds cameras, the new (full name) OM SYSTEM M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II is slated to go on sale in late February 2025 for $1499.

The new OM System lens offers a versatile 200-800mm focal length (35mm equivalent). But with the addition of OM’s MC-20 2X teleconverter, the lens extends its focal length up to an impressive 1600mm, which should be great for bird and wildlife photography.

The OM 100-400mm IS II’s 5-axis sync IS system provides up to 7.0 stops of stabilization, to help produce sharp handheld shots even at full zoom. The new lens is built to withstand tough outdoor conditions, featuring an IPX1-rated splash-proof and dust-resistant design that should make it a good option for capturing nature’s beauty no matter the weather.

OM also launched the new OM-3 this morning, which is a compact Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera designed for street photographers and for outdoor shooters who may want to add a smaller second camera body to their bag. You can pair the OM 100-400mm IS II with the OM-3, of course, but the new camera’s smaller frame might make this combination awkward to shoot with. Olympus told us they expect most outdoor photographers to use the new super telephoto zoom with the larger, OM-1 Mark II camera body.

Compact Design with Premium Optics

Despite its long range and tough build, the OM System 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II is relatively compact and lightweight, tipping the scales at approximately 46 ounces (1300 grams). This streamlined design is all the more impressive considering the lens’ advanced optical design.

“The advanced optics of this lens, featuring 4 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) lenses, 2 Super HR (Super High Refractive index) lenses, and 2 HR (High Refractive index) lenses, deliver crisp, superior performance across the entire zoom range. Additionally, the ZERO (Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical) coating minimizes ghosting and flares, ensuring clarity even in challenging backlit conditions,” OM said in a press release this morning.

 “With a closest focusing distance of 1.3 m and a 0.57x equivalent maximum magnification (telephoto setting: minimum field size of 60.3 x 45.3 mm), the lens is outstanding for telemacro photography, ideal for capturing small, easily startled subjects like insects. It also supports focus stacking mode, combining multiple images at varying focal points to create sharp, detailed images with extended depth of field, even in shallow telemacro scenarios.”

More details about the OM SYSTEM M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II on OM’s website.

The post OM Unveils 100-400mm IS II Lens for Outdoor and Wildlife Photography appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.

OM SYSTEM has just announced a new camera: the OM-3. Unlike the OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II, the OM-3 is a very different beast with a retro design. Even so, it’s still got a stacked sensor and shares many capabilities with the OM-I Mark II. And together with this new camera, OM SYSTEM has also announced updates to its M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.8, and 100-400mm f/5-6.3 lenses. What an incredibly busy week in the photography world!