Most photographers routinely shoot in color without considering the fact that some images will appear far more dramatic and impactful in monochrome–especially those captured in dull light. This tutorial provides three ways to make the conversion in Lightroom and Photoshop, and it’s super easy to do.

Today’s video comes from Hamed Photography, a great source of quick lessons for editing images on any device, streamlining the gear you carry in the field, and in-camera techniques for capturing stunning photos with the equipment you already own. Hamed promises that “this video will help you create stunning monochrome images with ease—whether you’re new to photography or looking to improve your skills.”

Hamed walks you through three easy and powerful techniques for getting the job done to perfection. He also reveals the method he prefers when your goal is to create professional quality b&w photos. The technique that works best for you depends up the specific image at hand and the image-editing workflow you use.

There are several situations in which a conversion is called for: Maybe the colors look dull, contrast is lacking, or there’s no real depth and texture. As you’ll see, it’ not difficult to make these images “really shine” by converting them to monochrome with far more impact and drama.

Hamed also notes that some color photographs fail to convey emotion—an important goal for visual story telling. Be sure to watch until the end when he reveals why the third approach that you’ll learn is “my favorite and the most effective.”

The first method is as simple as lowering the Saturation level all the way down in Lightroom’s Basic panel. Once you’ve done that you can make further adjustments by experimenting with familiar sliders on the right side of your workspace. As Hamed explains, “The drawback of this approach is that you lose access to the Color Mixer panel.” And this means you can’t adjust tones using the powerful color sliders.

The second method is just as straightforward. Here all you have to do is click on the B&W button at the top of the Basic panel. “This technique allows you to  use both of the basic adjusters, and in addition you do have access to the Color Mixer for more tonal control.”

The third technique is Hamed’s favorite and involves exporting your image to Photoshop, adding a b&w layer in combination with a Gradient Map and working from there. We’ll let Hamed explain why this approach delivers optimum results, before walking you through the straightforward transformation process.

There’s much more to learn on Hamed’s instructional YouTube channel, especially for inexperienced users, so be sure to check it out.

We also urge you to watch the earlier tutorial we featured with another post-processing expert who demonstrates how he creates vibrant autumn photographs by using a powerful custom Lightroom Profile that’s difficult to find because it doesn’t live where you would expect it to be.

There are several camera settings that are important to understand in order to capture properly exposed images with other key attributes. According to landscape pro Brian Matiash, however, there’s one setting in particular that plays a vital role in achieving the exact shot you envision. Care to take a guess?

Matiash says he spends a lot of time thinking about shutter speed, and he explains his obsession like this: “By understanding and mastering how shutter speed affects your images, you’ll be able to get some truly creative photographs.”

At 22 minutes this episode is longer than most, but we encourage you to stick with it because the knowledge Matiash imparts will significantly boost your skills —whether you shoot landscapes, nature and wildlife imagery, or just about any other genre you can imagine.

We all know that the shutter speed you choose is informed by several variables, like the amount of available light, lens aperture and ISO settings, and whether or not you’re shooting hand-held. But Matiash argues that “the one thing that should dictate your shutter speed is the subject; or rather how you want to convey the subject to the viewers.”

Take birds in flight for example. Do you want a precisely focused subject or would you rather convey a sense of motion? Fast or slow shutter speeds are what enable you to capture the specific effect you desire. The same holds true for sports/action photos or landscape images with billowing clouds blowing through the frame.

Panning with the camera is another good example, and the proper shutter speed can determine the degree of motion—either more or less—that’s apparent in the story you’re trying to tell. And then there are times when super-long shutter speeds are required to flatten out seaside shots with soft and smooth water.

Matiash illustrates all this with photos in four different categories: fast shutter speeds, “kinda slow” shutter speeds, slow shutter speeds, and extremely slow shutter speeds. The overriding point is that choosing a shutter speed is about much more than arriving at a correct expose. In fact, that’s just the starting point for capturing great imagery.

Brian’s instructional YouTube channel is full of videos describing post-processing techniques and getting things right in the camera, so be sure to pay a visit.

And on a related note, don’t miss a tutorial we featured recently from another adept instructor who reveals five reasons, including incorrect camera settings, that prevent you from capturing sharp photographs with mirrorless cameras and DSLRs.

So you want to give boudoir photography a try but not sure where to start. This beginners guide from Patrick’s Boudoir Photography Secrets will get you started in a hurry—without the need for expensive lighting equipment, a home studio, or pro level gear.

Patrick is a Vienna-based portrait artist who specializes in natural light b&w imagery. He regularly shares straightforward tutorials with easy-to-use techniques for composition, posing, image structure and more. This video is installment #12 of his Two-Minute Tips series, although it runs a minute longer.

Like earlier lessons this one is geared toward beginners, and it quickly covers a lot of ground so you may want to jot down a few notes. Patrick is shooting indoors, and he demonstrates how to create stunning highlights and shadows with natural illumination streaming through a large window.

Skillful posing is important for all kinds of portraiture and it’s especially critical when sensuous boudoir images are the name of the game. You’ll discover how slight adjustments in a model’s body posture can be used to enhance femininity in a way that make the subject comfortable and proud.

Patrick also shares the camera settings that he recommends for different situations, and simple composition tips that will make a big difference in your results. The lesson concludes with a step-by-step process for editing your photograph effectively and using the timesaving presets from his popular app (there’s a link to these in the description beneath the video).

So launch the video, pay attention, find yourself an interested model, and jump into the alluring world of boudoir portraiture today! There’s much more to learn on Patrick’s instructional YouTube channel, where you’ll also find past and future episodes of this enlightening series.

And for another helpful beginners guide, be sure to check out the recent primer we featured with another accomplished pro who demonstrates how to create jaw-dropping panorama photos with a few simple steps.

Active photography entrepreneurs sometimes feel like they’re working in an information vacuum because their workday leaves little time for rubbing elbows with their peers. Further complicating the isolation, it’s natural for professional photographers to regard other pros as competitors, someone with whom it’s unwise to share proprietary business details. It would be great to anonymously compare truthful notes. In this light, we welcome this peek behind the (shutter) curtain provided by Aftershoot.

Aftershoot is a leading AI culling and editing tool that helps photographers streamline their post-production workflow. We wrote about them and their genre in this recent roundup. Aftershoot, and other companies like them, leverage AI to automate routine and repetitive tasks in the same style as the photographer. The process quickens the workflow and allows pros to spend more time in the field, promoting their business or watching Netflix.

To chronicle the experiences of a sampling of pro photographers in today’s world, Aftershoot surveyed more than 500 professional photographers from different industries and gathered some interesting information.

Some of the data is fairly predictable; for example, 50.6% of those surveyed started as a hobby photographer during childhood or early teens. And 46.9% capture between 1,000 and 3,000 images per shooting session.

But some info is frankly startling. Only 13.4% of the pros are able to deliver their work product in less than a week. And 6.3% spend more than $5,000 annually on photography equipment, while a full 69% spend between $500 and $2500. And, harder yet to believe, 13.7% spend less than $500 a year on gear. What is that, a half a lens? We suspect that many advanced amateurs outstrip these stats.

Here are some of their other findings.

Conclusions
We’re not drawing any conclusions, but we are amazed to learn that 18.9% of respondents deliver between 1,000 and 3,000 images to their clients. We wonder, how can the recipient handle so many choices? It suggests the clients are doing the culling.

We’re equally shocked that it takes 7.4% of them longer than two months to deliver the goods. Are their customers still interested after 60 days? Aren’t the studios losing revenue? This is remarkable data. Thank you, Aftershoot. We think you make a point about the necessity to speed up the workflow.

Aftershoot Create Together Fund
In a completely unrelated subtext, Aftershoot has launched an industry-boosting program called Create Together Fund and has committed $1 million to support photography communities. Their ultimate goal is to enable up to 750 photography events across the US, UK, Canada, Europe, and Australia/New Zealand by the end of 2025. The program supports photographers by helping to build local communities through workshops, photo walks, model shoots, meetups and more.

Survey Disclaimer from Aftershoot
“This survey primarily reflects the perspectives of established photographers who have developed their careers and are earning substantial income from photography. The data is particularly relevant to wedding, portrait, and event photography, which emerged as the top three specialties among respondents.

“Readers should interpret these results as representative of experienced, working photographers, especially those in the wedding, portrait, and event niches. While providing valuable insights into these areas, the report may not fully capture the experiences of emerging photographers or those specializing in other genres of photography.”

— Jon Sienkiewicz