Adobe’s post-processing tools are in a constant state of evolution, and some features that were a bust in years past have recently become far more useful and effective. Such is the case with Exposure Blending and HDR in Photoshop and Lightroom. This tutorial from Photos on the Bay explains how the process has evolved and why you may want to take another look.

Instructor Neil Medland is an Australian pro specializing in landscape and seascape imagery. He says that “10 years ago HDR was a swear word in photography because the overprocessed and unrealistic images it produced turned a lot of people off—including myself.” He’s revisiting this approach today to see how much better the function is in 2024.

Medland explains why recent improvements to HDR makes Exposure Blending a lot better than in the old days. He illustrates this point with a few seascapes that are particularly challenging because of the broad range of tones in the scenes. And he was very surprised by the beautiful and natural looking results of his edits.

The typical approach involves three shots of the same scene, each exposed differently; one with a “correct” base exposure, another that’s overexposed for the shadows, and a third shot that’s intentionally underexposed for the highlights. The idea is to blend all three photos together and arrive at one shot with perfectly balanced tones.

Medland illustrates how to  get the job done in both Photoshop and Lightroom—explaining why the latter doesn’t have all the same tools. He selects his three images in Lightroom and then walks you through the Exposure Blending technique. The process begins by right-clicking on Photo Merge and then HDR in the sequence of dropdown menus that appear.

He then demonstrates how the method begins differently when working in Photoshop. However, once you get going everything else is pretty much the same. You’ll see the specific settings that Medland recommends for different types of images.

Medland explains when the Auto Align setting is warranted, as well as “the bit that makes the biggest difference of all;” namely, how to configure the Deghosting feature. He illustrates why setting this to “None” will often produce “the cleanest the nicest looking blend by far and away.”

The foregoing is just a taste of what you’ll learn in this comprehensive 14-minute video, and you may want to take a few notes for future reference. We bet that your opinion of HDR will be far more favorable by the time this lesson concludes. Then head over to the Photos on the Bay YouTube channel where you’ll find many more easy and helpful tips.

And be sure to watch the tutorial we featured recently in which another pro explains why too much color can ruin outdoor photographs unless you follow his straightforward advice.

Everyone loves photographing their pets, even if they specialize in other genres. And those of you who don’t have a furry friend yourself will likely be asked by someone else to make a few portraits of theirs. After all, you own a camera, right?

Unfortunately, many pet photos look like more casual snapshots than “real” portraits created with all of our shooting and editing skills. We’re going to fix that today with a quick post-processing tutorial from the aptly named Inspawration Photography YouTube channel.

As you’ll, see the process of editing pet photos is a bit different than the technique we use to enhance human subjects, and today’s unnamed instructor begins with this promise: “Whether you’re working with dogs, cats, or any other pets, this video breaks down the five editing mistakes that might be holding you back.”

The first problem is referred to as “Blue Dog Syndrome,” but it actually occurs with all animals that have black fur. In some situations and lighting conditions the tele-tale sign is that an animal’s fur appears too blue (or sometimes too warm). You’ll learn how to quickly  fix this common White Balance problem to achieve a realistic look.

Then there’s what our instructor calls the “Fake Sun Fiasco” which can also be responsible for pet portraits with an unnatural look. This one describes how to correctly introduce an eye-catching sun flare effect. You’ll learn why subtlety is the key, and how to avoid an “alien abduction” appearance that you definitely want to avoid.

Another key issue is named “Mood Mismatch Mayhem,” and this is equally important when shooting people pictures. The point is that “your editing should enhance a pet’s personality—not clash with it.” Bottom line, by concentrating on a subject’s facial expression and body posture your pet portraits will be far more compelling.

The “Darkside Dilemma” is tip #4 and this technique is for those of you who love moody, dramatic edits. Here you’ll see how to make sure your photos aren’t too dark, especially when photographing animals with black fur. The trick is understanding how to balance darkness with visibility.

The lesson concludes with another tip that also applies when editing portraits of humans, and this common issue involves over-editing a subject’s eyes and how to keep them looking “soulful and natural.” If you’re interested in further expanding your skills, pay a visit to the popular Inspawration YouTube channel for more tips and techniques.

And if you want to get started with wild bird photography, be sure not to miss the beginner’s primer we posted recently on this popular topic.

Today, Hilton New York Times Square announced the continuation of their magical partnership with Disney Theatrical Group with the debut of THE LION KING’s Royal Suite. Thoughtfully curated by Broadway’s top dressing room designer for its most legendary stars,  Devin Sparkles Design, the immersive suite draws inspiration from Disney’s award-winning THE LION KING on Broadway.

Tennessee is evolving into a destination where everyone, regardless of ability, can access adventures of all kinds. In recent years, an array of communities, outdoor spaces and attractions across the state have introduced a diverse range of programs and initiatives that seek to improve and enhance accessibility to the very best of Tennessee.