Unless you shoot portraits in b&w, the tones you apply to an image can make or break a photo—even with a beautiful subject. That’s because the color values you use are a very important component of visual storytelling and help convey a variety of compelling moods and feelings.

Instructor Gerard Needham is a professional photographer whose popular YouTube channel offers expert advice on shooting and editing landscape, actions sports, and portrait imagery. This episode concentrates on the latter, by demonstrating five Lightroom processing techniques for achieving perfect color and retouching less-than-perfect skin.

This lesson deals with enhancing portraits captured outdoors, and also includes some valuable tips for posing and composition. Needham’s stunning work has often been described as very clean, with flattering colors and tones. His portraits often have a unique “film look” and never appear overedited.

The discussion begins with the critical aspects of nailing exposure and adjusting White Balance for the specific task and hand. In some cases you may want to imbue a portrait with a moody, sensual look, while other times the goal is entirely different. Regardless of the specific feel you’re after, Needham illustrates how simple White Balance adjustments to your subject, her skin tones, and background help get the job done.

Needham then moves on to the aforementioned soft film look that he applies to many of his portraits, and it’s very straightforward to accomplish. The method he recommends not only achieves a somewhat vintage effect, but “it also kind of increases the dynamic range of a Raw file to render highlights and shadows in a way we all loved with film photography. All this takes are a few tweaks with Lightroom’s Tone Curve and sliders.

Another critical aspect of all great portraits is flattering and realistic skin tones, and that’s the next topic of conversation. Here Needham uses Lightroom’s HSL panel while focusing on his model’s skin. As you’ll see, these tones in his original image lean a bit too far toward the reds, but this important enhancement is also easy to get right.

Once you achieve attractive tonal balance, a bit of skin retouching is often necessary because even professional models rarely have a perfect complexion. Here Needham demonstrates how a simple mask or two is all that’s required for this particular task.

The video concludes with some great advice for getting the composition of your portraits just right. After watching this tutorial head over to Needham’s instructional YouTube channel where you’ll find many more helpful tips and techniques.

And on a related note, we also suggest watching the tutorial we posted from another versatile pro who demonstrates a variety of shooting and editing solutions for fixing color mistakes in all of the photos you capture.

One sure way to give your imagery greater impact is to harness the power of shooting photos with a unique perspective. This isn’t difficult to do, it just requires looking at the world differently, and then capturing what you see.

This five minute tutorial from landscape pro Mike Rogala provides a heavy dose of inspiration to get you started. He explores how different camera angles and lens choices can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. As he says, “perspective in photography is how we capture the spatial relationship between objects in a scene.”

The bottom line is this: By changing the camera position or the focal length of your lens you can easily alter these relationships to create unique and compelling images that rise above the norm. Rogala illustrates what happens when you shoot from a high, eye-level, or low camera angle. As you’ll see, the difference in results is substantial.

You’ll also see the impact that occurs when shooting with wide-angle glass, and then experimenting with the various focal lengths offered by a zoom lens. High-angle shots, looking down on a subject often convey vulnerability and can make a subject stand out by simplifying a distracting background.

The flip side of the coin involves shooting from a low angle to convey a sense of power or grandeur by emphasizing height and depth. Or as Rogala says, “it’s a great way to capture towering architecture, accentuate a dramatic sky, or make other subjects appear larger than life.” So see how low you can go.

Unfortunately, “most photographers default to eye-level” which is why so many images of iconic subjects look pretty much the same, and that’s why you should avoid this perspective if unique images are your goal. Thus, exploring high and low angles is a great way to create new dimensions in the photographs that you shoot.

As mentioned above, focal length also factors into the equation. Wide angle lenses are great for capturing expansive vistas or tight interiors, and they’re often indispensable if that’s the task at hand—especially if you want to exaggerate depth, lead viewers into the scene, and give your images an immersive feel. Rogala suggests combining a low camera angle with an ultra-wide lens to create awe-inspiring sunset images.

Long focal lengths are used to get in tight on distant subjects, like when photographing wildlife from afar. And Rogala explains a few techniques for combining unique camera angles with telephoto optics. Ultra-long lenses can also be used compress perspective and create an almost surreal look.

The foregoing is just a taste of what you’ll learn by watching this video. So follow Rogala’s advice the next time you’re out in the field and do some experimentation to take your imagery to new heights (and lows). Then check out his instructional YouTube channel where there’s much more to learn.

If your street photographs look like snapshots it time to up your game with an eye-catching technique that smacks viewers in the face. In this interesting tutorial from the aptly name Travelbugraphy YouTube channel you’ll learn how to incorporate “shadow play” in your images to capture compelling photos while traveling or on the streets of your hometown.

Today’s Hong Kong-based instructor Osk is a self-described “multi-genre” photographer with a particular fascination for shooting on the streets while traveling the globe. The technique described in this episode is based upon unlocking the drama of hard shadows while leveraging the power of contrasty b&w imagery.

It’s all about understanding the impact of light and shadow, finding an appropriate subject, and knowing how to choose the best vantage point and camera angle to heighten the effect. Along the way you’ll pick up some great tips on composition, exposure, and other important factors. And there are plenty of examples to illustrate the stark beauty of this unusual approach.

As you’ll see, Osk often employs the same method for photographing landscapes and other types of photos. So how do you find the right light while using this technique? According to Osk, this is a very simple task because harsh daylight, which is what you want, is often available from late morning through mid-afternoon. So you have plenty of time to get the job done as long as the weather cooperates.

Osk typically hits the streets after lunch on sunny days, looking for interesting shadows that aren’t visible under cloudy conditions. With the sun high in the sky, the angle of shadows will be steep. You’ll see how to choose the best locations while wandering through the urban environment, and why minimalist, uncluttered scenes provide the best opportunities.

When composing a scene Osk looks for eye-catching structures with elements like pillars, doorways, and arches that block some of the light. This enables you to capture the interplay between light and dark areas within the frame. Photographing pedestrians in shadow against a bright background is another effective method to try.

There are times when a long lens can contribute to this effect by compressing the scene and making various elements appear closer together. You’ll also learn how to unlock the power of “rim light” that occurs when subjects in shadow are illuminated from behind. The lesson concludes with an important discussion of separating the key element in a photo from the background in the shot.

If you want to capture unique images pay a visit to the Travelbugraphy YouTube channel where you’ll find a valuable array of techniques to try.

We also suggest watching the tutorial we posted recently from another pro who demonstrates how to transform boring daytime photographs into dramatic nightscapes that really command attention.

It’s nearly impossible to capture a great photo if the colors in your images are consistently unnatural, gaudy or dull. So if you’re struggling with unimpressive color, whether shooting indoors or out, buckle up and watch the 10-minute tutorial below.

Instructor Justin Laurens is a professional portrait photographer and retouching expert who uses his combination of skills to describe six common shooting and editing mistakes that are sure to spoil the look of a photo. Then he provides straightforward solutions for helping your work reach its full potential.

You needn’t be a portrait photographer to take advantage of Lauren’s suggestions, because they work equally for others genres too. You’ll learn everything from the basics of color theory, planning color palettes, and getting things right in the camera, to post-processing techniques and much more. As he says, don’t be one of those photographers who “ignore the transformative power of color.”

Laurens describes how color can be enhanced to imbue images with emotion, mood, and feeling, and the first mistake he describes is one you probably haven’t heard before; namely “neglecting the intentional use of color and failing to plan your color palette ahead of the shoot.” He quickly reviews the concept and explains how to get the job done.

The second blunder described is also one of neglect, this time failing to comprehend fundamentals of the Color Wheel and putting them to work. He explains how a basic understanding of this important tool will help you achieve “color harmony” or the pleasing arrangement of different colors in the images you shoot.

Lauren’s says, “the Color Wheel is like a map that shows you which colors go well together or harmonize” to enhance the look of an image.” In other words, by using different color combinations you can give images a wide range of appealing, realistic effects. Along the way he simplifies the theoretical aspects in favor of practical applications.

At this point we’ve barely scratched the surface, and there are still four more mistakes and corresponding solutions for creating images that pop off the screen. Some of these happen in the camera, while others occur once you’re sitting behind the computer. In either case Lauren’s tips are very effective and simple to accomplish.

After watching the video take a look at Lauren’s popular YouTube channel where you’ll find many more tips and tricks for elevating your shooting and editing skills.

And on a related note, don’t miss the tutorial we posted with another post-processing expert who explains how easy it is to use Photoshop’s powerful Eyedropper tool to achieve precise, balanced colors in every photograph you shoot.