Have you ever been out in the field on a nice day, found a great subject, and framed up the shot perfectly—only to discover that the images you captured are far less impactful that you expected? If your answer is “no,” then you’re better or luckier that the rest of us.

There are numerous reasons for disappointing outdoor images and we’ve discussed many of them in the past. Maybe the exposure was wrong, the Color Balance option was incorrect, or another camera setting missed the mark. Whatever the cause, this six-minute Lightroom tutorial from instructor Casey Herzog will help you rehabilitate dull images and give them the WOW factor.

Casey specializes in travel photography, but the “five essential Lightroom hacks” in today’s episode will work wonders when processing just about any type of images that you capture in the great outdoors. Best yet, even though he says these techniques are “advanced,” they’re super simple to accomplish for photographers of all skill levels.

Casey promises that his handful of tried-and-tested tips are different from those you’ve see in the past. At the top of his list is “a method I use to separate my subjects from the background and give them a unique look.” This one involves increasing Exposure and adjusting Dehaze to create eye-catching Contrast.

Tip #2 demonstrates how to achieve perfect White Balance “every single time,” by first moving the Vibrance and Saturation sliders all the way to 100. As he explains, “this give us a very clear view of where our White Balance is.” Then it’s far easier to modify Color Temperature to make the image warmer or cooler as needed.

Casey describes his third trick like this: “I use the Curves tool based upon where the information is in the photo, instead of just using a generic Curve.” That because, “in some photos the information is heavily pushed in one direction or the other—or it may be squished together.” This can result in photos with an unbalanced exposure.

There are two more techniques left to be discussed, and they are just as quick and powerful as the enhancements mentioned above. One describes Casey’s secret for creating “perfect masks,” and the other reveals “my most-used hotkeys in lightroom.” So check it out and improve your Lightroom workflow today.

Casey’s instructional YouTube channel is a great source of post-processing tips “you won’t find anywhere else.” So check it out and learn something new.

We also encourage you to watch a beginners guide we featured recently, demonstrating how to shooting dramatic black-and-white photographs or convert color images to monochrome.

Even though it’s been about 15 years, I still see it as if it were today: For the first time, I’m standing in a South American cloud forest with a camera and a 300mm zoom lens. Suddenly, from a nearby thicket, I hear the familiar chirp of a Masked Flowerpiercer. A handful of blue feathers appear in a tangle of dense branches. I raise the camera to my eye, aim, and press the shutter. I got it! Or did I? Well, the bird is in the frame, but it’s just a small number of blurry, blue pixels. My newfound passion for wildlife photography is quickly replaced by the sobering realization that I have a long and thorny road ahead of me if I want to make my wildlife photos better.

As 2024 unfolds, the Philippines is on the brink of achieving a remarkable milestone in its tourism sector. The country, known for its stunning natural landscapes, vibrant culture, and warm hospitality, is set to welcome a record number of international visitors this year. This surge in tourism highlights the Philippines’ growing appeal as a premier travel destination and underscores the successful efforts of the government and industry stakeholders in promoting the nation’s diverse attractions.
In addition in just over a month the capital will host the prestigious World Travel Awards Asia & Oceania Gala Ceremony 2024 on the 3rd September at the City of Dreams Manila.

Subaru of America, Inc. and the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) today announced the impressive impact of their partnership and celebrate the legacy of the Don’t Feed the Landfills Initiative. In coordination with the National Park Service (NPS), and the National Park Foundation (NPF), Subaru and NPCA collaborated with many community partners to significantly reduce the amount of waste that national parks send to landfills. Since launching in 2015, the initiative has helped the National Park System eliminate 22 million pounds of waste through reduction, recycling, composting, and educational initiatives while engaging park visitors to lessen their environmental footprint.