Have you stumbled across a setting in your camera’s menu called “Picture Styles” or “Picture Profiles” and wondered what they’re all about? If so, you’ve come to the right placed today because choosing the best option for the task at hand can make a big difference in your results.

Instructor Simon d’Entremont is a professional Canadian photographer specializing in landscape and wildlife imagery who’s very generous about sharing the secrets to his success. In this 10-minute video he demystifies the concept of Picture Profiles and reveals why both Jpeg and Raw shooters should understand how they work and how to change them.

Simon begins by describing the fundamentals of Picture Styles, explaining that when shooting Jpegs (unlike with Raw files), the camera makes several adjustments on your behalf, like noise reduction, contrast, sharpening and saturation. As he says, a Picture Style is simply “the group of these adjustments made by the camera to improve the look of the image” before you do any editing yourself.

The nomenclature changes from brand to brand. For example, Canon calls these “Picture Styles,” Nikon refers to them as “Picture Controls,” Sony describes the settings as “Creative Styles,” and Fuji uses the term “Film Simulation.” The point is that you can change these profiles from the default setting, typically called “Standard,” by going into the camera menu and choosing among several options.

The most obvious reason you should care about all this is if you regularly shoot Jpegs, because the aforementioned processing decisions made by the camera are dictated by the Picture Profile in use. And here’s the key: Each profile is designed to be more flattering to certain types of photography than others.

Simon describes the attributes of Picture Profiles that work best for landscape photography, as compared to those better suited for portraiture and other genres. He illustrates this point by comparing the same image shot with a different profile, and the results are quite clear.

He also explains how to tweak various in-camera profiles by using simple sliders in the menu to fine-tune the look of a photo. Simon then discusses a couple more reasons why Picture Styles can be very important for your particular style of shooting.

The lesson concludes with an interesting discussion about how Raw shooters can adjust their Picture Profiles to have a more accurate histogram for capturing better images shot in trickly lighting scenarios without blowing out highlights or crushing shadows. There’s much more to learn on Simon’s very popular YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

And speaking of in-camera adjustments, don’t miss a recent tutorial we posted with the best iPhone Camera settings to use, and a bunch of pro shooting tips.

We all know that Photoshop is one of the most powerful image-editors available, but over time in can become quite inexpensive. In fact, even with Adobe’s most basic plan it will cost you over $250 per year to take advantage of everything it can do.

But if you’re short on cash, or just don’t want to pay for a subscription, there are free alternatives that offer many of the same features. The video below from the popular Brett in Tech YouTube channel reveals five free software options worthy of your consideration.

Instructor Brett Bristow launched his channel with the goal of providing editing tips and reviews of the latest software for photographers of all skill levels. He says that in this eight-minute episode, “I’ll countdown (in reverse order) the five best Photoshop alternatives that will help you create and edit images like a pro.”

Bristow walks you through his personal preferences and explains the advantages and imitations of each of his recommendations. It’s important to note that these picks are subjective and your ultimate choice will depend upon the type of images you shoot, and your specific needs.

Number five in this list is Photoscape X, a feature-packed program that supports Raw files. In addition to the tool you’d expect, other key features include a photo viewer, collage maker, and gift creator. He notes that “there are also tons of filters, effects, and other great tools to transform your images.” Photoscape X is a great choice for beginners because its uncluttered interface is super easy to use.

Coming in at #4 is Paint.Net, which in its recent iteration includes support for blending and layers, automatic filters, and a variety of external plugins that greatly extend its capabilities. The interface is better than ever, with most commonly used tools located in a bar on the left, and other features and tools in the Menu bar at the top. This one is limited by the fact that it’s only available for Windows 10 and 11.

Bristow’s third choice for is Krita—an open-source option that’s not only a good choice for photographers but for artists interested in digital painting. Krita includes a variety of standard tools, fresh choices for customization, and a great-looking layout. Primary tools appear along the left of the screen. On the right you’ll find an advanced Color Selector—followed by Layers and a wide variety of Brush presets.

So what are Bristow’s top two picks? You’ll have to watch the video to find out. But we’re quite sure than one of these free options may be exactly what you need. Be sure to visit Bristow’s poplar YouTube channel for more image-editing lessons.

We also suggest watching the beginner tutorial we posted from another image-editing expert who explains how to use Photoshop’s Color Balance tools to achieve perfect tones throughout every photograph you shoot.

You can take great landscape photos at any focal length, of course, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have favorites! Is there a particular perspective that calls your name for landscape photography? Whatever focal length you prefer, I think the answers can be very revealing.

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