You know that Mode dial atop your camera that’s always staring you in the face? The first thing you should understand is that the various options available don’t fall into the set-it-and-forget category of configuring a camera.

In this quick video from the Photo Genius YouTube channel you’ll learn which mode works best depending upon the task as hand. When shooting sports/action photos, for example, Shutter Priority often provides optimum control for best results. When photographing landscape however, when depth of field is a primary concern, Aperture Priority is a better choice.

And other times you may want to bite the bullet and use Manual mode to achieve the best results possible (and that’s far easier to do than you may think). Instructor Paul Farris is known for straightforward tutorials designed for beginners and amateurs alike, and he always includes important tips that can be valuable to more experienced shooters.

Farris uses cameras from Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm to demonstrate the various modes, but everything you’ll learn applies equally to whatever brand you own, as long as it features Manual control. Farris begins with the Auto mode, which is typically the default factory setting. It’s often used by beginners because the camera does all the work for you. The downside here is that creative control is virtually non-existent.

Most cameras also offer a variety of Scene modes in which the camera configures settings for subjects like portraits, landscapes, macro, sports, and night photography. But just like with Auto, you have no control over the how the settings are implemented.

What Farris say is this: “Anything the camera can do in the Auto mode you can do better by taking control of the camera and using what are often referred to as the creative modes. This enables you to get the exact results you want. These modes include Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Program. It’s worth noting that the nomenclature can be different from one camera to another, whereas Aperture Priority is indicated with an “A” on some mode dials and “AV” on others.

There are also a few full featured cameras with no mode dial at all, but Farris demonstrates why that’s not a problem if you operate the other physical controls properly. The remainder of the video is a detailed explanation of how all the creative modes work, and when it’s appropriate to use one versus another.

Farris sums up the episode in very emphatic terms: “The moment you get out of the Auto mode you’re going to unlock camera functions that you couldn’t use previously—like the three components of the Exposure Triangle. And by doing so your images are sure to improve.

After watching the video head over to the Photo Genius YouTube channel, where you’ll find other videos for eliminating confusion.  We also recommend another simple primer we posted recently, with a beginners guide to taking beautiful photographs of birds.

It’s not uncommon to underexpose landscape photos when shooting in complicated lighting situations. This mistake can be particularly acute when the sun appears within the frame.

Fortunately there’s an easy Photoshop fix, as you’ll see in the tutorial below from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel. You’ll learn how to make an amazing transformation, along with a few other enhancements in less than 13 minutes.

We often turn to German landscape pro Christian Mohrle for image-editing tips that anyone can master. He begins this episode with an image that’s severely underexposed, in part because of the sun on the horizon. We suggest downloading the Raw file  with the link beneath the video so you can follow along and make the edits yourself as they’re explained.

Mohrle introduces the lessen like this: “Initially I planned on merging an HDR but decided to give a single Raw file a try and it worked really well.” His restoration is accomplished in the Camera Raw editor, with some cleanup and final tweaks in Photoshop.

The process begins with a few basic adjustments to the overall image, to get it ready for what follows. Mohrle switches the Profile to Adobe Standard which slightly raises the dark portions of the shot. Then he increases exposure while bringing down highlights to prevent overexposing the sky.

Mohrle completes the preliminary enhancements by pushing the shadows for more detail and boosting contrast for more punch. He also introduces a “dreamy” effect by adding texture while reducing Clarity and Dehaze.

Now it’s time for selective adjustments using masks. Mohrle applies an inverted Radial Gradient over the sun to adjust the Whites, and a few Linear Gradients over the foreground —adding Contrast and Clarity to make this area look sharper. He also does this to the tree on the left side of the frame.

The masking concludes with a large Radial Gradient over the center of the image for adding some glow and a further cut to Dehaze. The color grading that follows is short and sweet. Mohrle increases blue and orange saturation and applies a split-toning effect to warm up highlights and mid-tones while cooling off the shadows.

The final step is a bit of cleanup with Photoshop’s Spot Healing Brush, careful Dodging of foreground highlights, and one more layer of glow in the middle of the frame.  A quick look at the before/after images illustrates the power of this approach.

After watching the video pay a visit to Mohrle’s instructional YouTube channel where you’ll find much more of interest, especially if landscape photography is your thing.

We also recommend watching the earlier tutorial we posted from another accomplished pro, explaining why composing with symmetry in mind is a secret weapon for more captivating outdoor photographs.