Have you ever marveled at breathtaking images with a wide range of colors and impeccable exposure in different portions of the frame, and wondered how the photographer created such amazing balance? Today you’ll learn the straightforward secret you’re missing.

Here’s the concept in a nutshell. It’s a simple fact that the photos you edit will never reach their full potential if you limit your workflow to global adjustments that are applied to the image as a whole. The solution is understanding how to enhance different portions of a shot selectively through the use of simple masking techniques.

Taking this approach enables you to make specific enhancements only where they needed without affecting other elements that you may have adjusted differently. Instructor Rob Dryburgh is an accomplished photographer and post-processing specialist based in Newfoundland, Canada who has a unique knack for simplifying seemingly complicated tasks. And that’s exactly his mission for the eight-minute tutorial below.

Dryburgh introduces the lesson like this: “In today’s video I’ll show you how to master masking in Lightroom Classic—an essential skill for taking your photos to the next level.” In barely eight minutes he walks you through a simple step-by-step process—from isolating a subject, to fine-tuning specific areas of an image “for that perfect edit.”

Inexperienced Lightroom users who think masking is beyond their skills are in for a big surprise, because this quick primer is packed with practical tips and techniques that anyone can begin using immediately. And we’re pretty sure that you’ll want to update your everyday workflow accordingly.

Dryburgh insists that masking is an image-editing gamechanger because it enables you to refine every detail, enhance colors to perfection, create insane depth, and guide a viewer’s eyes to exactly where you want them to look.

So pay close attention and you’ll learn how to unlock the true power of Lightroom to make your best edits ever. Then other photographers will wonder how YOU created such amazing imagery, and you can just sit back and smile!

Be sure to visit Dryburgh’s instructional YouTube channel where there are other quick lessons for elevating your skills.

We also recommend watching a tutorial we featured recently with another post-processing expert who provides a complete guide to mastering the art of converting color photographs to monochrome and transforming lifeless images into dramatic b&w works of art.

Lightroom’s Basic panel is often the first stop when photographers process their images. The idea to make several global adjustments to prepare a photo for the more involved enhancements that follow. When done right you’re on the path to success, but an improper approach can compromise the effectiveness of your subsequent workflow.

Today’s primer from expert Neil Borg is designed to help inexperienced users unlock the magic of Lightroom’s Basic panel by breaking down every slider and important setting in very simple terms. By the time the seven-minute video concludes you’ll understand how to transform mediocre images into “captivating masterpieces.”

Borg is a self-taught travel and landscape photographer whose straightforward post-processing tutorials help amateur shooters bring photos to life, and what better place to start than Lightroom’s Basic panel? He says that before touching the keyboard it’s essential to evaluate the image at hand, determine where it needs work, and decide the specific mood or effect you intend to create.

Borg’s demonstration shot is a nicely composed seaside photo, but the sky is washed out, everything else is too dark, colors are muted, and there are other problems that can quickly be resolved with a few thoughtful adjustments. He walks you through a simple process that you can emulate whenever Lightroom’s powerful Basic panel appears on the right side of your screen.

It’s important to apply enhancements in a specific sequence, which is why Borg recommends beginning with Basic adjustments—rather than introducing them later in the process. Here Borg goes directly to the Lens Correction option and quickly removes distortion by straightening the crooked horizon in his scene.

The easy way out for other Basic adjustments is to use the Auto button within the panel and let Lightroom do all the heavy lifting for you. But Borg advises against this approach because “we would like to put our own effort into editing our images whether they’re in color or b&w.”

This is exactly what Borg demonstrates how to do in the last five minutes of the episode so that you don’t rely upon Lightroom to determine the optimum settings and how your photos should look. One you’re done watching head over to Borg’s popular YouTube channel where there are more instructional videos for improving your shooting and image-editing skills.

We also recommend watching a tutorial we featured recently with another post-processing expert who demonstrates how to rehabilitate underexposed outdoor photographs with Lightroom’s versatile Tone Curve tools when you didn’t get things right in the camera.

If you were a camera brand which one would you be? Are you a Canon guy or a Nikon gal? Do you favor Leica flair or Sony style? Perhaps Pentax panache is more your jam?

That’s the question addressed in a playful and, if we’re being honest, pretty spot-on cartoon from Joe Edelman called “Camera Brand Personalities,” which you can see at the top of this post.

Edelman is an award-winning photographer, author, and photo educator based in Allentown, PA and he shared the cartoon recently on his Facebook page, garnering over 350 likes, 116 comments, and 85 shares. And judging by some of the Facebook comments, Edelman’s cartoon really hit home.

In the comic, Canon users are depicted as muscle-bound photographers hoisting Canon’s iconic (and heavy) L-series lenses with ease. Sony shooters, meanwhile, appear hip and camera-ready, as if they’re about to capture B-roll for their next YouTube video. OM System (formerly Olympus) photographers, on the other hand, look like our kind of people – all set to bring their cameras and tripods into the great outdoors for a landscape or wildlife photo adventure.

“Which one are YOU? and WHY?” Edelman asks in his Facebook post. “Disclaimer: Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.”

According to some of the comments, many photographers see themselves as a little bit of each.

“I’m a Canon, with elements from Sony, Panasonic, and OM System,” Zach Bell writes. “So, I’m a Canon EOS M50 in a rodeo arena. Not afraid to build muscles AND get dirty!”

Do any of these camera brand personalities register with you? Let us know in the comments which camera brand you think you are and why. See more of Edelman’s work on his website.

The post Which Camera Brand Personality Are You? (Cartoon) appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.