Portrait and wildlife photographers have at least one thing in common: they understand why it’s essential to focus on a subject’s eyes. But just because the eyes are sharp doesn’t mean they sparkle and are full of life, and that’s what you’ll learn how to in the quick Photoshop tutorial below.

Instructor Mark McGee is an experienced pro specializing in portraiture who says, “I love producing videos about what I do.” While the examples in this episode pertain to human subjects, much of what you’ll learn is equally valuable when processing photos of animals when you want to accentuate their gaze.

McGee uses portraits of two attractive models to illustrate his simple three-step editing process. In barley nine minutes he demonstrates how to make eyes sparkle, create amazing catchlights, and get professional skin contrast using Photoshop’s Gradient Maps.

The first example would be a very nice portrait, were it not for the fact that McGee’s subject has flat, dead-looking eyes without any hint of a twinkle. The rehabilitation process begins with the Pen tool which McGee uses to select the whites of the model’s eyes. He notes that it’s also possible to use the Lasso or Quick-Selection tools.

He then creates a Vibrance adjustment mask and reduces Saturation which is prelude to a few further enhancements using a Curves adjustment layer. You’ll see the Brush tool settings that McGee recommends for feathering the effect to achieve a very realistic effect.

McGee says Step #2 is “my favorite,” and it involves creating attention-grabbing catchlights that bring his model’s to life. It’s a quick and simple technique and he walks you through every step of the process. Here he employs a brush that’s the same size as the pupils, and he explains how to precisely position the catchlights within the eyes.

The final stage of the process with the first portrait is to brighten the iris of the eyes to give them a “real wow factor.” He explains why resetting the brush color to white before proceeding typically provides optimum results. McGee also reveals the appropriate brush size for these adjustments as well. After a few quick enhancements this impressive transformation is complete, and McGee’s before/after images illustrate the significant improvement.

McGee isn’t finished, however, because it’s time to edit his second portrait, and this process includes a few more tricks, including the aforementioned Skin Gradient Map technique that’s really interesting to watch.

Be sure to explore McGee’s popular YouTube channel when this lesson concludes, because there are many more great tips like those in this video.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted recently on a related topic, in which another accomplished photographer explains how he sharpens images in Lightroom by using the correct tools and techniques during the editing process.

Most experienced landscape photographers think of wide-angle lenses as their weapons of choice when shooting in the field, but it’s important to understand the benefits and pitfalls of going wide if you want to capture the most compelling images possible.

Do things wrong and a number of bad things tend to happen, like weirdly curved horizons and key elements that appear to recede into the background. This tutorial from photographer Nickolas Warner provides five straightforward tips for mastering wide-angle photography in the great outdoors.

Warner is a New York-based pro specializing in travel and landscape photography, and he’s very generous about sharing the secrets to his shooting and post-processing success. What you’ll learn today is based upon years of experience, and Warner says this: “Wide-angles lenses are hands-down my favorite choice but using them creatively and effectively can be a bit challenging.”

He begins by discussing the pros and cons of wide-angle glass. One overriding advantage is that “you can fit a ton in the frame thanks to the large field of view.” Another benefit is that these lenses enable you to intentionally imbue your photos with eye-catching distortion—especially if you approach a key subject closely and shoot from a unique camera angle. He illustrates this point with images captured during a recent trip to the Bisti Badlands of New Mexico.

Warner notes that regardless of camera position and perspective, it’s crucial to fill the frame with something interesting, otherwise your wide angle shots will be unremarkable at best. He illustrates this point will a stunning photograph made in Utah at a spot he calls Little Monument Valley.

Another compositional technique employed by accomplished wide-angle shooters involves moving in really close to a compelling object, whether it’s a dramatic rock formation, a vivid clump of flowers, or a twisted, gnarly tree. As he says, in this situation I only want to be a few inches from the object in my foreground.” Keep in mind that the minimum focusing distance of most wide-angle lenses is four to six inches.

Warner has two more technique to impart, and they’re just as effective as those mentioned above. One has to do with “natural framing,” while second involves other ways to leverage the foreground when composing a shot.

Try these simple tips the next time you’re out in the field and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the significant impact they provide to your travel and landscape photographs. There’s much more to learn about outdoor photography on Warner’s instructional YouTube channel, so set aside some time to explore what’s available.

And speaking of wide-angle lenses, you definitely don’t want to miss the recent tutorial we posted with another pro who demonstrates a quick Lightroom technique for fixing distracting curved horizons in expansive landscape photographs.

If you’re a Lightroom novice and think using Lightroom’s powerful Curves tool is beyond your skills, the quick tutorial below will quickly change your mind. That’s because you’ll learn a handful of techniques in just three minutes to make your outdoor images stand out from the crowd.

Instructor Mike Rogala is a long-time landscape pro who explains the importance of today’s episode like this: “Curves are a powerful Lightroom tool that can dramatically transform your photos.” He demonstrates five “essential” tips to help you master this tool and take your post-processing skills to the next level.

Tip #1 demonstrates how to fine-tune the contrast in your photos by creating what’s know as an S-Curve. To do this you’ll pull the lower part of the Curve downward slightly to darken shadows, and then raise the upper part to brighten highlights. This classic adjustment is a simple and effective method for enhancing the depth and dimension of an image.

Next on Rogala’s list is an explanation of how to employ Curves within Masks to selectively adjust specific areas with the frame without affecting the entire shot. This is easily accomplished by creating a Mask over your target area and then employing Curves adjustments to enhance attributes that need work. This trick works great for accentuating focal points, modifying exposure, and much more.

Color correction is another area in which Curves gets the job done with precision. Not only can you adjust the brightness of colors, but this trick enables you to modify color balance and achieve a compelling, natural looking result. Rogala puts it like this: “By switching to the red, green, or blue channel in the Curves panel you can fine-tune colors individually, eliminate unwanted color casts, and enhance the mood of an image.

Adjusting Mid-tone Contrast is the fourth topic of conversation, and this Curves adjustment provides another means of increasing the depth of photos that appear flat and uninspiring. Simply move the middle part of the Curve to add or reduce Contrast to introduce a softer look or add a dynamic look.

There’s one more technique to go, and you’ll have to watch the video to learn how it works. Let’s just say it’s just as effective and simple to achieve as the four tips mentioned above. We’re pretty sure that once you’re done watching, Lightroom’s Curves tools will become a big part of your workflow.

And for another straightforward primer that pays big dividends, be sure to watch the tutorial we posted earlier from another image-editing expert who demonstrates how to use a unique “focal-length blending” technique to create spectacular landscape photographs.

Superzooms have always been viewed with a certain amount of disdain by “serious” photographers. Fairly or unfairly, lots of photographers would immediately dismiss anything more extreme than a 24-120mm lens. But now, Nikon has released not a superzoom, but a straight hyperzoom, whose wide end starts at 28mm and ends at 400mm: the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR. How big is the optical compromise in a 14.3x zoom? Is this record-breaking lens just a marketing ploy to lure customers? To answer these questions, there was nothing to do but to take the Nikon Z 28-400mm f/4-8 VR out and test it for myself.