Image sharpness is an interesting topic with regard to all styles of photography: On the one hand nobody wants soft photos, but at the same time you can really mess up a nice shot by going overboard during the editing process.

Put another way, the goal is to achieve sharp images that no one can describe as “crispy.” It the tutorial below, one of our favorite outdoor photographers explains how to do things right—with the seven steps he uses to “capture perfectly sharp images every time with any lens.”

Toma Bonciu is an intrepid outdoor photographer with an impressive portfolio of landscape, travel, and adventure imagery. He presents his time-proven tips in no particular order and makes this bold promise: “I can guarantee you 110% if you do this your photos will always be clear and sharp.” Sound good?

Tip #1 is something we’ve stressed over and over again, but it bears repeating: If you want sharp photos, mount your camera on a sturdy tripod whenever possible. Some photographers ignore this “rule”—particularly when they want to lighten their load or when long telephoto lenses aren’t being used.

Bonciu explains why being lazy in this regard may result in disappointing shots—regardless of conditions—and he has some great advice for making the most of this very important accessory. He also explains why it’s essential to deactivate image stabilization when using any form of camera support.

If you absolutely insist on shooting handheld, be sure to pay attention to Bonciu’s third tip. Here he reveals the formula he uses to determine his minimum shutter speed depending upon the focal length of his lens. His approach is rather unique in that it changes depending upon whether he’s shooting with a full-frame or crop sensor camera.

Bonciu’s other tips are equally valuable, and may differ from what you’ve heard before. But it’s a pretty sure bet that you’ll be pleased with the images you shoot by following his pro tips.

There’s much more to learn about shooting in the great outdoors on Bonciu’s instructional YouTube channel. So take a close look and put his experience to good use.

And if landscape photography is your thing, be sure to check out the tutorial we posted on a related topic, explaining how to expand your skills by shooting landscape photos with lenses of different focal lengths.

Boudoir photography is a unique form of portraiture in which you use many of the skills employed for other types of people pictures, and a few more. In the quick tutorial below you’ll learn an important technique that’s often ignored.

When shooting boudoir you need to nail focus, exposure, and composition, like with all styles of portraiture, but there’s another key goal with this particular genre; namely, accentuating the model’s physical attributes to achieve flattering images that are also sensuous and alluring.

Effective posing is critically important, and some photographers overlook the importance of carefully positioning a subject’s hands in a way that adds to the overall effect. This is exactly what you’ll learn how to do today.

Mike Lloyd is a California-based pro who launched his career as a fashion photographer before narrowing his focus to boudoir. And in much the same way that good pianists make great organ players, accomplished fashion photographers have the skills necessary for excelling at boudoir.

As Lloyd says, “If you’ve ever shot boudoir you know how difficult it to pose hands and have them look good and natural.” This episode simplifies this task by demonstrating how to master the placement of hands using several of Lloyd’s favorite poses.

One reason Lloyd’s work is so compelling is that he’s an expert visual storyteller, a skill that’s common among all excellent photographers—no matter what type of images they shoot. As you see, hands can play an important role in accomplishing this task.

You may want to make a few screen grabs for future reference as Lloyd demonstrates several hand poses. These include placing hands sideways, asking the model to hold various items, positioning the subject’s hands in her hair, and a few more.

All this takes is a bit of practicing directing a model, and you’ll be able to get the job done with ease.

You can see more of Lloyd’s fine work by paying a visit to his very popular YouTube channel. And be sure to watch the tutorial of his we posted back in January, with 10 flattering boudoir poses for women of all sizes and shapes.

Whether you’re an experienced Lightroom user or just getting started there’s always something to learn. And if there are few easy-to-use methods that work wonders for photographers of all skill levels, that’s even better.

Today’s tutorial from Photoshop Café features five powerful (and perhaps unfamiliar) tips that you can start using today to transform ho-hum images into spectacular shots. Best yet, these winning techniques take barely nine minutes to explain.

Instructor Colin Smith is a specialist at all things Adobe, with a knack for simplifying important image-editing tasks. In this straightforward episode he discusses artificial intelligence (AI) and masking tricks, batch processing, color grading, and more. By the time you’re done watching you’ll be well prepared to tackle more involved techniques.

Smith begins with a simple method for using AI masks to apply a color gradient to the background of a photo, while adding a bit of lens flare for extra impact. The example he uses is a portrait with a boring gray background, but you can take advantage of this quick trick for all sorts of photos—indoors or out.

Tip #2 involves creating an AI mask to change the color of his model’s hair. But the real power of this one is the batch-processing trick he demonstrates for “using AI masks to retouch thousands of images instantly.” This one is a real timesaver, even if you only have a handful of photos to process.

Smith also reveals a versatile approach that he calls  “round trip integration.” Here he demonstrates “how to keep Lightroom adjustments in Photoshop and use Photoshop filters from Lightroom.” And for those who shoot video, Smith has a great color-grading tip for giving footage a compelling cinematic look.

You’ll also pick up simple advice for using Camera Raw, and learn a couple easy methods for removing dust and other distracting elements from your photos.

You’ll want to spend some time on Smith’s instructional YouTube channel, where there is a variety of editing tips and tricks.

And don’t miss our earlier post, with episode #1 of a free online Lightroom masterclass that you don’t want to miss.