We’re always on the lookout for post-processing techniques that imbue photos with a unique look that stands out from other images you’ve captured in the past. This quick Lightroom tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel provides a quick and effective method for giving landscape photos a beautiful soft appearances that differs greatly from the more common sharp-and-vibrant approach.

German pro Christian Mohrle is one of our favorite landscape photographers and post-processing experts, and before you click the play button we suggest downloading his sample Raw file using the link beneath the video. This way you can follow along and make the changes yourself as the 11-minute lesson proceeds.

Mohrle’s goal today is to rehabilitate a contrasty and underexposed waterfall photo, but the process you’ll learn has broader applications for enhancing all sort of images captured in the field. He’s a firm believer in following a specific sequence when putting Lightroom’s tools to work. For him this means making a few basic adjustments to the image as a whole before turning to selective enhancements that really deliver the magic.

Today’s preliminary steps begin in Lightroom’s Basic panel where he changes the profile from Adobe Color to Adobe landscape which pushes saturation, slightly brightens the darkest areas in the frame, and helps create the soft look he’s after. Mohrle also tweaks Color Temperature, boosts exposure, opens the shadows for more detail, and adds Texture for a slightly sharper look. Other global modifications include decreasing Clarity and Dehaze.

Now the fun begins by heading into Lightroom’s Masking panel for selective enhancement to various areas in the scene, and he walks you through every step of the way as he adds a subtle glow to the upper right corner of the shot, introduces more structure to the foreground waterfall, and brightens up a smaller waterfall to separate it from the background.

The image is now significantly improved, but there’s a bit more work  to do, beginning with careful color grading. He makes good use of the Luminance sliders in Lightroom’s  Color Mixer to “add punch” by accentuating the green tones. Dropping yellow Saturation quickly enhances this effect, as does pumping up green Saturation. Mohrle also boosts blue Saturation in the water.

All that remains is a bit of judicious sharpening, and Mohrle’s impressive transformation is complete. Take a look at his before/after examples and your sure to like what you see. Then head over to the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel for more shooting and editing tips for outdoor photographers.

We also think you’ll appreciate another tutorial we posted recently, demonstrating how to capture spectacular sunrise photographs with gear advice, composition tips, and recommendations for the best camera settings to use.

All professional photographers understand the importance of evolving their skills by regularly experimenting with new shooting techniques, and oftentimes this results in capturing images with a fresh look. We recommend this process for amateurs as well, and by doing you may have to update your post-processing workflow to accommodate the new style of photos in your repertoire.

As you’ll see in this tutorial from the Louise Welcome Photography YouTube channel, this is exactly what happened to an accomplished British pro who spent considerable time searching for a new vision in the field. Her popular channel is all about passing on a passion for landscape photography and this episode reveals three transformational editing tools that became essential for enhancing Louise’s new style of imagery.

Louise puts it like: “After challenging myself to do things differently in the field, it was only when I backed up this practice with a few developments in post processing that I saw my images come to life.” The three new “power tools” that she discovered are what you’ll learn how to use today.

This new approach works wonders for what Louise calls  “empathetic editing” and she drives her points home with clear instructions and plenty of inspirational images. Power Tool #1 is the Radial Filter, and Louise explains two very different ways to use it depending the specific task at hand.  The first involves adding “atmosphere” to a shot, while the other is accomplished by selecting and emphasizing strong areas of contrast between light and dark portions within the frame.

Split-Toning is the second power tool that Louise recommends, and this one “enables you to introduce different colors to the highlights, midtones or shadow areas in an image while pure whites and blacks remain unaffected.”  This is tool that deliver big results—even though it’s really easy to employ.

The lesson concludes with Power Tip #3; namely, a technique for using Exposure Blending to significantly improve the balance of a photo. Louise is passionate about waterfall photography, and she pulls up one of her shots to illustrate how this straightforward tool can be called upon to achieve an eye-catching transformation.

Be sure to spend some time on the popular Louise Welcome Photography YouTube channel where you’ll find more helpful videos for expanding your skills.

And don’t miss the tutorial we featured recently with another accomplished landscape photographer who explains why and how to use Exposure Bracketing to create outdoor photographs with perfectly balanced tones every time.

You stumble into your favorite Starbucks half-awake as you do every morning and WHAM! There’s Elvis standing at the end of the counter — fringed shirt, sequined guitar strap and all. You do a quick draw from your iPhone holster while The King patiently waits for his venti peanut butter banana flat white with an extra three pumps of funnel cake syrup, but — damn! — the battery is dead. What do you do? You’re missing your chance to join the annals of consumer photojournalism and a shot at certain Instagram history. That’s about a zillion Likes being blown to tarnation.

Solve Your Juice Problem
You could run and plug your now-bricked smartphone into your Yugo’s dashboard cigar lighter and wait 15 minutes for the LiPo battery to rejuvenate, but you’d run the risk that the God of Graceland might slip out the side door with that blond babe who vaguely resembles Marilyn Monroe after intense eyebrow therapy. Or you could franticly search for your seldom-used DSLR which simply must be somewhere in your trunk, last you remember.

There is a third alternative. BioLite.

A Better Solution
Do what I do. Carry a BioLite Charge 100 Max, a 100W USB-C Powerbank, in a pocket on your government-issued M65 field jacket. It’s not much larger than a long tuna salad sandwich and packs a lot more power—like 25,000 mAh, enough to fully charge a smartphone at least five times (up to seven times, depending on model) before needing a refresh. It weighs about 20 ounces and it’s FAA compliant.

Capacity
These numbers are approximate because devices vary widely in their power requirements. I did not push the BioLite Charge 100 Max to its absolute limits, but I was able to charge everything I connected, and fast, too.

Laptop computer: 1-2X
Tablet: 2-3X
Smartphone: 5-7X
BioLite Headlamp 425: 18X
AirPods Pro: 35 X

With summer storms gaining intensity annually, and winter blackouts always a threat on the East Coast where I live, I sleep better with a BioLite battery bank in the cupboard.

Other Specifications
Battery: 25,000 mAh (91.3 Wh) Lithium Ion
Inputs: USB-C PD, up to 65W
Outputs: 120W total output simultaneous
     2X USB-C PD: 100W. 5V/3A, 9V/3A, 12V/3A, 15V/3Z, 20V/5A
     1X USB-C: 15W. 5V/3A
     1X USB-A: 15W. 5V/3A
Charge Time: 1.5 hours via 65W USB-C PD
Wireless Pad: Up to 15W. MagSafe compatible
Durable rubberized case construction; drop tested from 1 meter
FAA Carry-on compliant
Dimensions: 5.5 x 4.4 x 1.4 inches (140 x 112 x 35mm)
Weight: 20.5 ounces (580g)
Included Cable: 100W USB-C PD cable
2-Year USA Limited Warranty

USB-C PD (Power Delivery) is a fast charging technology that provides higher levels of power than standard charging. USB-C PD outlets can charge laptops, tablets, etc., via the USB-C PD cable that is included with the BioLite Charge 100 Max.

In the Field
Pretty amazing, to be honest. It charges devices quickly and easily. I found it remarkably convenient as a cordless charging dock for my iPhone, proving that its usefulness extends well beyond emergencies.

At a pound-and-a-quarter, it’s a tad too heavy to tote in a shirt pocket, but it stows in a backpack or shoulder bag with no problem.

Conclusion
I can quickly name three reasons why you should consider dropping a buck-and-a-half ($149) on this gray and yellow slice of security.

First, it’s powerful, a full 25,000 mAh, so it keeps on charging electronic devices long after other battery bricks have pooped out. Second, it provides exceptional peace of mind, even just sitting there, waiting for the next power outage. Third, it’s an everyday tool if you have an iPhone or other Apple device with MagSafe.

On top of those key reasons, the BioLite Charge 100 Max is manufactured and backed by a leading company with years of experience in the outdoor/portable power marketplace and a dedication to environmental conservancy.

Price & Availability
Price of the BioLite Charge 100 Max is $149.95 (MSRP). Order directly from BioLite or use the BioLite Store Locator to find an Authorized Dealer in your area. Shop local if you can; it helps everyone in the long run. Alternatively, you can visit the official BioLite Amazon Store.

More About BioLite
BioLite is a past winner of the prestigious National Design Award from Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, in the  Product Design category.

BioLite offers dozens of items of interest to folks who partake in a wide range of activities. In addition to the BioLite Charge 100 Max, they offer other batteries, portable stoves, solar generator kits, way-cool headlamps, lighting of various sorts and even fire pits. Visit the BioLite website and click on their Store Locator. Cool stuff you’ll want.

Report Elvis Sightings
If you snap a great shot of The King of Rock and Roll, post it here on Shutterbug in our Photo of the Day gallery. AI not acceptable. Sincerity assumed. Sobriety optional.

Want to Become a Better Photographer?
Begin by taking more pictures. Carry a camera everywhere you go and shoot even when you’re 100% sure the picture won’t turn out. Review all of your images with a critical eye and share them with others – and that includes posting the best on our Gallery. Subscribe to our newsletter (see sign-up form on our homepage) and bookmark Shutterbug as a Favorite on your browser so you can check back often. We’re in this for the same reason as you – we love photography, and we’re learning more about it every day.

—Jon Sienkiewicz

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