The candles make me feel like Christmas has come early

This tutorial from one of our favorite instructors is all about drawing more attention to the key element in a scene when it recedes intro surrounding area of the frame. The quick-and easy trick enables to create more impactful images by separating the subject in a way that immediately draws attention.

Instructor Christian Mohrle is a notable German landscape photographer and a favorite among Shutterbug reader who appreciate his straight-to-the point instructional videos. Today’s 11-minute episode begins with noise reduction and other basic adjustments before turning to multiple masks for selective color grading sharpening, and more.

We encourage you follow along and make the changes yourself by downloading the demonstration Raw photo using a link beneath the video. Mohrle captured this shot at ISO 12,800 so the first step is banishing the inevitable noise. He opens Lightroom’s Detail panel and demonstrates the simple steps.

Mohrle then switches to the Basic panel for several more global enhancements that kick off with an increase in overall contrast. He brings down shadows and boosts the whites, while avoiding clipping by paying close attention to the histogram. Other preliminary adjustments include gently raising blacks to create softer tones in the darker portions of the image,

Now it’s time for the fun part of Mohrle’s very effective workflow that relies upon several selective enhancements for his impressive transformation that’s readily apparent by comparing his before/after examples. The Linear Gradient trick come first, followed by more masking, and a bit of final color grading and subtle sharpening.

Be sure to check out The PHLOG Photography YouTube channel where you’ll find almost 1,000 more how-to videos like this one.

We also recommend watching the tutorial we featured earlier with another image editing specialist who demonstrates how to add an impressive finishing touch to landscape and nature photographs with a quick Lightroom trick using Depth Masks.

If you’re fascinated by wolves, wildlife filmmaking, or just the raw drama of nature playing out in the wild, you need to check out this remarkable short film by wildlife filmmaker Jake Davis. It’s titled I Left 10 Cameras on a Wolf Kill. Here’s What They Captured, and it’s exactly what it sounds like — an unprecedented look into the secret lives of Yellowstone’s top predators and the many creatures that share their world.

The story begins when Davis stumbles upon a wounded bull elk deep in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Suspecting it had narrowly escaped a wolf attack, he returns the next day to find ravens circling — a telltale sign that the elk’s story has ended but another is about to begin. That’s when he sets up an array of ten high-end remote cinema cameras, the same kind of gear he uses on projects for BBC and National Geographic and leaves them running for more than a month.

What those cameras record is extraordinary. Over several weeks, they capture an entire ecological succession at the elk carcass — from golden eagles and red foxes to coyotes, magpies, and finally, the wolves themselves returning to feed. It’s a rare, intimate window into the balance of life and death in the wild and the vital role wolves play as keystone species that sustain biodiversity across the landscape.

Blending jaw-dropping imagery with a thoughtful, personal narrative, Davis’s film is both visually stunning and deeply insightful. It reminds us that nature is not just beautiful — it’s interconnected, complex, and endlessly fascinating. You can watch I Left 10 Cameras on a Wolf Kill in its entirety below. Trust me — it’s worth every second.

The post 10 Cameras, 1 Wolf Kill: Incredible Footage Reveals Yellowstone’s Hidden Predator World appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.

“How beautifully leaves die in autumn.” I borrowed this quote from Miroslav Horníček to remind us that — at least for those of us living in the temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere — one of the most photogenic times of the year has just begun. Especially for landscape photographers. So grab your camera, head out to your favorite deciduous forest, and enjoy the colors of fall.