Today’s quick tutorial from instructor Mark Dumbleton begins with an important question: “Are you unknowingly sabotaging your chances of eliminating noise at extremely high ISO settings? Because there’s a good chance that you are.” If so, that’s about to change once you watch the quick video below

Dumbleton promises to demonstrate a time-proven post-processing workflow that delivers “incredibly clean and sharp results” so you don’t have to worry about bumping up ISO when dealing with low-light situations, long exposure effects, action shots, and much more.

You’ll learn why starting with a well-exposed image is essential for achieving optimum results. But let’s assume you already have a noisy photo that needs to be repaired. Dumbleton’s demonstration shot is a properly exposed bird photo captured at ISO 12,800. It looks quite sharp but the noticeable noise is a real image killer unless these ugly distractions are eliminated.

In barely nine minutes Dumbleton demonstrates a step-by-step method for transforming this noisy mess into a portfolio-worthy final image that’s both sharp and surprisingly clean. The first thing he does is run the shot through DXO Pure Raw, a popular noise-reduction plugin that he prefers to Lightroom’s AI Denoise for reasons he explains. Pay close attention to the bird’s beak.

Dumbleton explains the best settings to use for retaining necessary detail while banishing the noise and conveys this important fact: “When you shoot at very high ISOs your image will naturally lose a lot of character and sharpness,” unless you address this challenge by following the Lightroom workflow that Dumbleton explains next.

He first refines composition with a quick, thoughtful crop that give his subject a bit more space on the right side and bottom of the frame. He chooses the Adobe Standard profile and analyzes the photo from a local, not global perspective, meaning that his plan is to independently target different portions of the shot and enhance them as needed through the use of simple masks.

Once the tones are accurately balanced and the bird is clearly isolated he slightly boots Exposure, modifies Contrast, and applies a Radial Gradient to slightly drop highlights on the brightest part of the bird. He also tweaks color, vibrance, and saturation to create a cooler look while adding a bit of magenta to fix an overall green cast.

Dumbleton makes a few more important enhancements in the final minutes of the video to complete his impressive transformation. Once you’re done watching head over to his popular YouTube channel where there are many more how-to videos to be found.

And don’t miss the eye-opening tutorial we featured recently with another image-editing expert who takes a deep dive into the difference between RAW files and Jpeg images and recommends which file format is best for your style of photography. Prepare to be surprised.

Last week we featured an eye-opening post-processing tutorial explaining how to employ Adobe’s Amazing AI-based Adaptive Color Profile as a great start to your workflow. But what if you’re editing for monochrome? That’s what you’ll learn in this quick this follow-up lesson from the Better Pics YouTube channel.

Today’s instructor Daniel is an Australian pro who’s traveled to all seven continents with camera gear at hand. He also a very adept instructor and this episode what prompted by a question from a fan who wondered whether Adaptive B&W, when set to zero, is the same as the familiar Adobe Monochrome Profile.

It’s a perceptive question and Daniel demonstrates how these two options are “very, very different.” His enlightening four-minute response not only clarifies why, but he explains everything you need to understand for taking advantage of Adaptive B&W yourself. He pulls up s selection of unedited images to illustrate how the AI approach works in different situations.

Daniel notes that Adobe’s Monochrome Profile is “merely a translation or transfer from color to black and white, whereas the Adaptive black-and-white option includes algorithms and other background tools that modify tonal values.” And these will simplify and accelerate any subsequent enhancements that you decide to apply after AI determines the best way to move forward with the task at hand.

Once you open the Adaptive B&W panel you’ll notice a sliding scale that enables you control the Amount from zero, the default of 100, and all the way up to 200. Daniel chooses the default setting, applies the profile, and further evaluates the one-click outcome to the effect achieved with Adobe Monochrome. He then drops the amount to zero and the result is more similar to Monochrome but the differences are still readily apparent.

Daniel moves on to a few other images to demonstrate how the powerful Adaptive B&W Profile is far more than a one-size fits-all solution—capable of adapting (hence the name) to outdoor photographs with different tonal characteristics.

Be sure to check out the Better Pics instructional YouTube channel once this episode concludes so that you can take advantage of the many how-to videos available.

And be sure not to miss the tutorial mentioned above in which another post-processing expert walks you through the many benefits of Adobe’s Adaptive Color Profile.

Docked a five-minute walk along the waterfront from St Mark’s Square, CroisiEurop’s MS Michelangelo is perfectly positioned for exploring the canals and walkways of Venice yet is a haven from the hubbub that fills the city.

The five-day Venetian Treasures cruise calls this home but travels to both ends of the vast lagoon, visiting islands, the seaside and historic sights.

The cruise

Docked in the heart of Venice

This is a short break, a city break and a cruise with the air of an escorted tour by ship. Venice is at the heart of things and we arrive late in the sun-drenched afternoon.

Starting point is the easily accessible San Basilio waterfront, close to the bridge that links Venice to the mainland, as well as the now empty ocean cruise terminal where ships would cluster before the city banished the big boys. We carry only 154 guests and we’re off on what people would regard as a premium city cruise.

We set off along the main waterway, past the entrance to the Grand Canal, stirring close-up views of St Mark’s and grand Palazzo Ducale.

Just a little farther on is our mooring, past a string of footbridges across tiny rivers where gondoliers paddle, on the Seven Martyrs waterfront, by the start of Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, a long, straight street filled with restaurants, bars and shops. The views, to the southwest, are astonishing, palaces, polished teak speedboats and the waters lapping in the fiercely setting sun. We’re all presented with a welcome glass of fizz as we marvel at the sights.

One of Venice’s ‘back streets’

Next day it’s an early breakfast, properly continental with coffee, cheese and croissants, before a walking tour that takes us over bridge after bridge, down hidden streets and paths, looking in shop windows that appear to have been the same for centuries, wandering through the Rialto fish market then having coffee and nibbles in a waterfront café by the busy Rialto bridge.

The courtyard of the Doge’s Palace

Lunch on board as we set sail across open water (there are 118 islands in the lagoon) for the placid island of Mazzorbo. A brief waterside walk and we’re across the little bridge to Burano, a busier island with a small cathedral thronged by visitors.

After time to explore, those on our excursion board a smaller boat and head for Murano. There’s a demonstration of glass-blowing in a historic workshop, with plenty of the arty pieces the island is known for on sale at eye-watering prices. Thankfully, the delicate ornaments would never make it home in our luggage so no one is tempted. We sail back to Venice in a thunderstorm where MS Michelangelo is waiting.

The colourful island of Burano

Next day we have the morning to ourselves so wander across bridges, through squares and along waterfronts, seeing the off-the-beaten-track Venice that day visitors tend to miss.

There’s time to pop into the fabled Harry’s Bar, refined and with waiter service, for its signature drink, the bellini, a soothing coming together of peach juice and prosecco. The afternoon treat is a tour of the Doge’s Palace, a Venetian Gothic masterpiece on St Mark’s Square, residence of the head of the ancient Venetian Republic. Hidden in the vast complex is the dark, stone Bridge of Sighs, across which forlorn prisoners were led to their cells on the other side of a narrow canal.

Padua’s mammoth Basilica of St Anthony

Our final day is more cruising, heading west across the lagoon to the town of Chioggia, pretty with its waterways and a gorgeous ocean beach along its narrow peninsula. Our excursion, however, takes us inland, to the medieval city of Padua, highlight of which is the Basilica of St Anthony, massive with an architectural mix taking in Gothic and Byzantine. Our return sailing stays close to the long, wafer-thin islands that divide lagoon and sea, pretty spots lined with beaches, marinas, verdant greenery and pastel-painted buildings.

The ship

MS Michelangelo… sleek and stylish

Ms Michelangelo is sleek and white, small and easy to wander around. To one end are two decks of cabins, simple and unfussy, stylish in creams and browns. To the other is a lounge with bar (drinks are included in the cruise price), plenty of strikingly coloured sofa and a dance floor. On the deck below is a smart dining room. Both have windows running their length, giving fabulous views across the Venetian waters and their spellbinding sunsets. Top deck is given over to sun-loungers.

MS Michelangelo’s stylish lounge

Food is good and plentiful, as one might expect from a leading French cruise company – lunches are three-course meals rather than a simple buffet. There are Mediterranean and Italian flavours – the cured sopressa sausage, the dried and salted cod baccala –and the gala dinner features Andalusian gazpacho and foie gras as well as the cruise staple dessert, baked Alaska.

A smartly understated cabin

The trip

The five-day Venetian Treasures cruise sails in March, July, October and November, fly-cruise from £783pp, two sharing, including all meals and drinks and wifi. Excursions extra. No single supplement for solo travellers. croisieurope.co.uk

Night falls in Venice…

The post CroisiEurope’s Venice Lagoon adventure cruise review on MS Michelangelo appeared first on The Travel Magazine.