Lightroom Classic is a powerful image-editing tool, with a myriad of tools for photographers of all skill levels. New users, however, may initially be bewildered by the wide array of features, but we’ll solve that today in less than 10 minutes.

The Behind the Tripod YouTube channel is designed to help inexperienced photographers shoot and edit better photographs, and the beginners guide below is a great example. This straightforward tutorial explains everything you need to know to get started by demystifying LRC’s Basic tab.

Instructor Steve Mills demonstrates a step-by-step process for enhancing your photos so you can make the most of the tools necessary and establish a simple workflow today. As he says, “If you shoot in Raw, it’s in my humble opinion that Lightroom Classic is perhaps the best option for editing your photos.”

Mills says LRC is far easier to learn than Photoshop, and everything begins in the Basic tab. Once you feel comfortable with the preliminary tools you can then move on to more advanced features. He kicks off the episode by opening an image in the Library, navigates to the Develop module on the top right of the screen, and quickly gets to work.

You’ll then see a panel on the left that includes presets and the important History option. There’s also a panel on the right with straightforward sliders for adjusting a variety of image attributes. LRC works in a non-destructive way, meaning you always go back for a do-over, and Mills explains how the History tool enables you to easily do that.

Once you click on the Basic tab you’ll see “all the bits” Mills discusses today. He says that his workflow typically begins with careful cropping when that can help improve the composition of a shot. He then explains how the adjustment tools in this tab work, including a quick method for converting color images to b&w.

When it comes to enhancing color photos Mills prefers the default Adobe Color profile because “I like to start with a blank canvas.” He then demonstrates how to use simple sliders in the Basic tab to adjust parameters like White Balance, Tint, Exposure, Contrast, Highlights and Shadows.

Other simple sliders provide adjustments to Texture, Clarity, Dehaze, Saturation, Vibrance and more, and you’ll see how all of these work. Mills is a firm believer in taking a subtle approach with all of these enhancements and says “overcooking” adjustments can easily spoil an otherwise nice shot.

Everything you learn is so easy to accomplish that you’ll no longer feel like an LRC beginner by the time you’ve finished watching the lesson. There’s much more to learn on Mills’ instructional YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

We also recommend watching the tutorial we posted earlier, explaining why Lightroom’s AI Denoise feature may let you down unless you understand a few tricks.

We’re big fans of using old lenses on modern mirrorless cameras for a variety of reasons. Not only is vintage glass far less expensive than modern counterparts build quality is often superior, and the necessary adapters are readily available for less than 20 bucks. The wide-angle prime discussed in the video below is a perfect example

We often turn to Malaysian pro Robin Wong for solid advice when considering the purchase of new (or old) gear, and in this episode he sings the merits of the vintage Canon 35mm f/2 lens for shooting on the street. It’s also a great choice for other forms of photography

Wong is using the old EF 35mm f/2 on an original 12.8MP Canon EOS 5D DSLR for this demonstration, hence a lens adapter isn’t needed. And unlike when adapting vintage lenses to a mirrorless camera, he has access to autofocus. Wong discusses why this lens is so impressive and provides examples of his results.

Surprisingly Wong says he prefers the combination of this old DSLR and even older lens to his fixed-lens Fujifilm X100F, and he provides a link to an earlier video detailing his comparison. During this behind-the-scenes photo walk in Kuala Lumpur he explains his affection for the EF 35mm f/2 wide-angle and provides several great tips for elevating your street photography skills.

One of the appeals of this lens is its “fantastic” image quality, even at maximum aperture and when shooting up close to a subject. And autofocus is fast and precise with the EOS 5D. Wong also appreciates that this budget 35mm f/2 prime is lightweight, compact and “very easy to work with.”

Other attributes worthy of note are the sharpness, contrast, and bokeh quality that this wide-angle lens consistently delivers. Wong adds that the 35mm f/2 offers good subject separation and shallow depth of field for street portraits—particularly when used on a full-frame camera.

The only drawback to this lens, according to Wong, is that build quality is a bit “plasticky.” That’s to be expected because it wasn’t intended to be a pro-grade lens when introduced way back in 1990. But if your primary concern is image quality, and your wallet is a bit thin, the old EF 35mm f/2 is well worth considering.

You can find much more of interest by paying a visit to Wong’s popular YouTube channel, and watching the earlier tutorial we posted, explaining why another accomplished pro says the superiority of full-frame digital cameras “is a myth.”