Are you struggling to get correct exposures when shooting landscapes and other outdoor scenes? Well, join the club, because this can be a real challenge with ever-changing light, and a wide range of tones from highlights to shadows.

Fortunately, there’s a straightforward shooting technique known as “exposure bracketing” that goes a long way toward consistently getting the light right. With this approach you shoot multiple images of the same scene at slightly different exposures, and then merge them together during the editing process.

Sometimes your goal is an exposure that looks “correct,” while other times you want to create a unique look by intentionally over- or under-exposing the shot. After shooting a bracketed set of images you can then combine them for a final result that reflects your creative vision.

The video below from the Camera Focus YouTube channel will get you up and running with the basics of exposure bracketing in less than a handful of minutes. As you see, this approach isn’t appropriate for all types of photos, but with the right subjects (like landscape and nature scenes) it works really well.

Instructor Terry Cooper is a landscape pro and an expert at visually storytelling. He says that “exposure bracketing is a great way to get better exposures without having to spend hours in front of your camera adjusting settings.” He also promises that after watching this nine-minute lesson you’ll “be a master” of this important technique.

Cooper explains why bracketing should be reserved for days when the wind is really still, especially when shooting under low-light conditions. His typical approach is to shoot three images; one at the exposure recommended by the camera, another one stop under, and the third one stop over. As he says, “it’s always best to capture the scene in one shot, but it’s nice to know that there’s another technique you can use if that doesn’t work.”

You’ll see how easy it is to dig into the camera’s menu to set up your series of shots. Along the way, Copper provides helpful tips on composing a scene properly for the best possible result. As he notes, the goal is to achieve maximum detail in both highlights and shadows.

While some cameras do all the work for you by capturing an HDR image, Cooper says he prefers the technique demonstrated here, “because it gives me more control and leeway in post processing” for reasons he explains.

After watching the lesson head over to Cooper’s instructional YouTube channel where there’s much more to learn. And don’t miss the tutorial we posted earlier, explaining how to edit sunrise photos in Lightroom for dramatic results.

We occasionally hear from Shutterbug readers, requesting that we post image-editing tutorials for those just getting started. If you’re new to post-processing, the quick Photoshop tutorial below is just what you need.

Achieving accurate, realistic color is one of the key tasks, whether you’re a novice or a Photoshop wizard. Image-retouching expert Nino Batista is the perfect instructor for this seven-minute primer on color grading tips and tricks, and after watching this seven-minute primer you’ll no longer be a beginner. Then, more advanced techniques will be well within your reach.

Batista begins with a partially edited image of a beautiful, bikini-clad model photographed outdoors. He’s already made a few basic adjustments, cleaned up some distractions, and did a bit of skin cleanup. The image already looks pretty nice, but what until you see the final result after Batista goes through a very basic color grading workflow.

As Batista explains, thoughtful color harmony is where you can express creativity by introducing a color palette to give the image more impact and a unique eye-catching look. His process begins by “busting out” a Selective Color adjustment layer and demonstrating how the simple sliders work.

Batista explains it like this: “When you think about your highlights, mid-tones, and shadows playing on each other with a specific palette, it can really marry your image together even if the enhancements are subtle.” He provides a quick example of how his image is transformed, simply by adding a bit of warmth.

As you’ll see, this works better than bumping up saturation, because “you’re just not boosting the existing color, but rather introducing a wash of colors.” Next, he addresses the shadows to further improve the image, all the while being careful to retain a realistic look. As you’ll see, the enhanced oranges and greens work really well together.

It’s important to pay close attention to how adjustments to one portion of the image affect other areas within the scene, so that your efforts result in an overall harmonious set of tones. The fun part is that it’s easy to experiment with the various sliders to discover effects that you hadn’t even considered.

Batista completes the transformation with simple adjustments to highlights in the image, where a few interesting things happen that you may not anticipate. Bottom line: When you start thinking about color intentionally, great things can happen.

You can find more editing tips and tricks for photographers of all skill levels on Batista’s popular YouTube channel. So be sure to visit the site often.

If you’re interested in another basic Photoshop primer, we suggest watching a tutorial we posted earlier that explains how to use Layer Blending modes for more compelling photographs.