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We frequently stress the importance of experimenting with new tools and techniques, because that’s the only way to expand your skills and broaden your portfolio. This quick tutorial with pro Austin James Jackson, is designed to do exactly that by demonstrating four interesting Photoshop effects that anyone can apply to their outdoor images in minutes.

Jackson is an up-and-coming star based in Southern Utah who’s always searching for a new and innovative approach to our craft. He posts weekly shooting and editing tutorials that will quickly elevate your game—whether you’re a young pup like him or an old dog like many of us.

Setting aside the primary goal of this episode, it serves another valuable purpose as well; namely, when you’re short on inspiration, open an image in Photoshop, and simply have np idea where to begin. In either case, you’ll definitely get a big jolt of creativity in the next 18 minutes. Jackson put’s it like this: “If you’re struggling to find ways to enhance an image, this is the perfect video—even if you have a good Photoshop workflow. So add these four tricks to your Photoshop  toolbelt.”

He begins by explaining when, why, and how to Warp an image. The sample photo looks awesome at is, but Jackson has a few reasons for employing an easy Warp effect. One is a distracting curved horizon that can’t be effectively fixed with the Crop tool. The other is that “I want the distant mountains to appear more grand.”

Jackson also wants to create more interest to the stream than runs all the way from the foreground to the background. He demonstrates how easy it is to accomplish all three goals with a bit of Warp-tool magic. Once you get the hang of it, and it doesn’t take long, you’ll think of other ways to make use of this method.

Next on the list is a technique for creating custom vignettes that can really draw attention to a key element in certain types of outdoor images. This one requires a few more steps, and Jackson walks you through exactly how they work. There’s also a link beneath the video to a more comprehensive lesson on this specific topic.

At this point you’re only halfway through the episode and there are two more interesting effects to learn, and these are just as easy and transformational as those mentioned above. Trust us: by watching until the end your creative juices will be flowing once again.

Then head over to Jackson’s instructional YouTube channel where there are many more easy-to-learn techniques that will make your images rise above the crowd.

We also recommend watching an earlier tutorial we featured with another acoomplished pro who demonstrates a straightforward Lightroom technique that will transform a dull photo into a masterpiece in barely four minutes.