With temperatures predicted to reach above 30 degrees this weekend, these could be the respite you need

One foolproof method for transforming a dull landscape photo into an attention-grabbing winner is to embellish the shot with natural-looking light rays. This video from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel demonstrates a very effective Lightroom process for getting the job done to perfection.

Instructor Christian Mohrle is notable German landscape photographer whose popular Lightroom tutorials reveal the editing secrets to his success. You’ll want to revisit the drab images in your library after learning how easy to fix them by introducing a spectacular effect that looks like it was created by Mother Nature herself.

Be sure to download the demonstration Raw file with the link beneath the video so you can follow along and mimic Mohrle’s adjustments in real time as the simple steps are explained. Mohrle always begins with several global adjustments to create the best possible starting point for what happens later.

He opens Lightroom’s Basic panel and changes the profile to Adobe Landscape which instantly provides a boost in saturation. Other preliminary enhancements are intended to emphasize his light rays later on by maintaining a rather dark look. So he brings down the highlights for more details in the sky and drops shadows to intentionally underexpose the shot.

After a few more preparatory enhancements it almost time to introduce those awe-inspiring light rays that save his image. He opens Lightroom’s masking panel and applies several local exposure adjustments, both lighter and darker, to various areas within the frame.

Now Mohrle demonstrates how to add those transformational light rays shining across the midrange of his shot from the upper left to lower right. A few thoughtful gradients is all it takes and Mohrle illustrates how this is done.

The impressive transformation concludes with color grading refinements and a bit of very judicious sharpening. The PHLOG Photography YouTube channel is full of Lightroom and Photoshop lessons like this one, so be sure to take a look.

We also suggest watching the tutorial we featured earlier with another post-processing expert who demonstrates how to create stunning Golden Hour photographs of wildlife, pets and people with a straightforward Lightroom workflow that anyone can master in minutes.

If you’ve yet to explore Adobe’s amazing color grading presets you’re missing out on a quick-and-powerful method for enhancing images to perfection. The quick video below from photographer Aaron Nace explains how to add these “essential” tools to your everyday workflow.

Nace is best known for his PHLEARN YouTube channel that’s an extremely popular online resource for Lightroom and Photoshop users. In less than four minutes you’ll see his favorite way to access “premium” presets, learn how to turn your image into a Smart Object, and make use of seasonal and cinematic effects.

He’s working in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and the first step is making the image a Smart Object. Make sure your background layer is selected, then click on the Layer tab atop the screen and select Smart Objects from the dropdown menu that appears. Then choose Convert to Smart Objects in the next panel of options. You can change the settings at any time.

Now tap on the Filter tab in the toolbar and choose the Camera Raw Filter option in the subsequent dropdown. You’ll now notice a long list of presets for numerous effects on the right side of the screen. Scroll down to the bottom of the list and you’ll find the various color grading options that Nace describes.

What make this technique super simple is that you can see how your image changes by hovering over the presets until you find one that suits your fancy. Then you can control the amount of the effect by dragging a slider to the left or to the right.

Ready for the magic? Click OK in the bottom right corner of the screen when you like what you see, and that applies this as a Smart Filter which is visible in the panel on the right—enabling to turn it off (or back on) if you decide to try a different preset and compare the two (or more).

Be sure to visit the popular PHLEAN YouTube channel and join the two million subscribers who rely upon Aaron’s many how-to videos.

And don’t miss our tutorial with another post-processing expert who says that your photo edits be failing because there are seven common Lightroom tools and techniques that you’re using wrong.

Often, photographers are driven by the obsessive need to capture the moment, to be productive at all costs. Recently, however, I rewatched a movie that contained a different reflection, one that I would like to share with you today. It is the beauty of choosing not to shoot, to fully immerse oneself in the moment, and rediscover the pure pleasure of observation, which ultimately leads photographers to better photos.