If you want a simple post-processing method for creating unique landscape photos that stand out from the crowd, we’ve got you covered in the next five minutes. Instructor Scott Davenport does the trick by demonstrating how to imbue images with a soft, dreamy twilight glow that can’t be ignored.

Davenport is an accomplished landscape photographer and post-processing instructor whose popular YouTube channel is devoting to shooting techniques and editing methods that are appropriate for beginners and experienced shooters alike. Today’s quick episode explores how easy it is to craft this beautiful look in Lightroom using a simple, effective set of three color curves.

The goal of this straightforward edit is to retain a believable, atmospheric look by gently lifting the red channel, pulling down the greens, and subtly raising the blues. He promises that “these targeted adjustments shape color, and light in a natural way, giving you a peaceful, cool-toned glow without pushing things too far.”

Davenport says this selective tweak is particularly useful when your scene includes a strip or band across the frame like a mountain range or other prominent element. It’s one of those “finishing touches” that involves nothing more than a simple mask or two to transform a shot from meh to WOW!

His demonstration image is a beautifully composed landscape shot with a clearly defined foreground, snow-capped peaks across the middle, and a beautiful pink-and-blue sky overhead. The original photo looks pretty great as is but watch the spectacular transformation that occurs after making a trio of simple color-curves adjustments.

Once Davenport determines the specific effect desired, he limits the enhancements to a precise band across the mountains using a pair of linear gradients. The technique involves positioning one gradient from the top down and another from the bottom up, “intersecting them to isolate the band to where the fading twilight kisses the peaks.”

The beauty of this tidy approach is that it enables you to keep the effect where is really matters while retaining clean shadows below and the pretty sky above. Davenport’s instructional YouTube channel offers many image-editing videos like this one, so don’t forget to takes a close look.

And be sure not to miss the related tutorial we posted from another popular instructor who demonstrates how to transform drab landscape images into jaw-dropping photos by adding natural-looking light rays in Lightroom Classic.

Today’s straightforward post-processing tutorial from the Better Pics YouTube channel demonstrates several great options for harnessing the power of Lightroom’s Clarity, Texture, and Dehaze tools to maximize detail in every image you capture when shooting in the field.

Instructor Damian is an experienced Australian landscape photographer and post-processing expert who regularly share powerful shooting and editing tips gleaned while traveling to all seven continents on the globe. He jumps right in to Lightroom’s effects panel and uses a selection of images to illustrate the magic you can create by modifying this trio of simple sliders.

As Damian says, “I find that the Clarity, Texture, and Dehaze tools really help me edit tricky images and achieve results that I wouldn’t achieve with the other Lightroom tools that are available.” One great trick if you forget the difference between these tools is to hover your mouse over each of the sliders. When doing so you’ll see a pop-up windows with a brief description of the tool’s purpose and what happens when you move the slider back and forth.

Take the Clarity tool for example. Here the descriptive window informs you that this tool changes the edge contrast of objects; namely, the edges that would be considered to be in focus. And the image on your screen changes in real time as you move the slider in this informative window.

The foregoing also occur when hovering over Texture and Dehaze without manipulating the tools themselves in the Effects panel where you van further refine each modification. With this timesaving trick out of way, Damian then provides practical examples of when, why, and how to employ these transformation tools to make images pop off the screed.

Once the video concludes be sure to visit the Better Pics YouTube channel where you’ll quickly get up to speed on other common shooting and image-editing techniques.

And don’t miss last week’s important explainer with a British pro expert who demonstrates the pros and cons of using Raw and Jpeg file formats for capturing stunning photographs of fast-moving subjects.

If you’re just getting started in photography or you’re struggling to get the light right, the video below will quickly get you on the path to success. This lesson comes from the Reviews and How-Tos YouTube channel, a popular source of in-depth tech reviews, camera techniques, and straightforward post-processing tutorials.

Here’s how our unnamed instructor summarizes today’s eight-minute episode: “This guide aims to simplify camera settings for beginners, focusing on aperture, shutter speed, and ISO to achieve optimal exposure.” His point is that once you understand a few core principles all the confusion over dials, numbers, and settings quickly disappears.

Everything you’ll learn is appropriate for most genres of photography, whether you’re shooting landscapes, wildlife, environmental portraits, or your kids at the park. The episode begins with a discussion of camera modes and why shooting in Manual isn’t a necessity .

As you’ll see, “There’s nothing wrong with switching the mode dial to Auto or one of the semi-automatic options like Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority. In fact there are many professionals who use these settings regularly depending upon the situation.” That said, experimenting with Manual mode can be super helpful for understanding how your camera works.

The concept boils down to this: “When you rely on Auto the camera determines exposure based upon what it thinks is best, and in doesn’t always get things right—especially in tricky lighting situations.” Switching the dial to Manual, however, providess you with total control as long as you understand what to do.

Our instructor provides a quick overview of the helpful Exposure Triangle and explains how its three elements (ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed) interact to eliminate guesswork and deliver perfectly exposed images with the specific attributes you desire. He demystifies the process by clarifying the confusing nomenclature and necessary techniques.

But there’s more to this eye-opening tutorial than the Exposure Triangle, and you’ll learn all the straightforward secrets as the video proceeds Then pay a visit to the popular Reviews and How Tos YouTube channel where there’s much more to learn.

And on a related note, be sure to watch our earlier tutorial in which a post-processing expert provides an effective five-minute fix for rehabilitating landscape photographs with blown-out highlights caused by shooting into the sun.