We can summarize the following tutorial in five words: “Don’t believe everything you think”—at least as pertains to the “necessity” of using ISO 100 whenever possible when photographing nature and landscape scenes. Camera technology has changed dramatically since this became a common mantra, and one pro says it’s time to reconsider the outdated rule.

The video below from the Landscape Photography University YouTube channel reveals “the ISO truth that landscape pros know” and why it just may be holding your photography back. Instructor David Johnston is a landscape photography expert who says, “My passion is to provide tips and tools to level up the success of your photography.”

This episode kicks off with a blunt question: “Have you believed the lie that you have to shoot at ISO 100 for the best landscape photography?” He aims to reveal a new “truth” about this claim and how you can use it to dramatically boost your results. And he does so in less than six minutes.

Johnston provides a brief overview of the Exposure Triangle for the novices among you and discusses the interplay between ISO and the other two variables—namely, aperture and  shutter speed—while dispelling a  few myths. He says the ISO setting “is like a volume knob that you turn up on your sensor.” The point of this analogy is that you can raise or lower ISO to create a brighter or dark photo if other variables remain unchanged.

But what about the notion that raising ISO increases image noise? According to Johnston, “the noise is already there, even in low ISO photos.” In essence, “raising ISO just impacts the electronic sensitivity to noise that already exists in your photos.”  At this point you may be asking yourself, “why don’t I just take photos at ISO 100 like everyone tells me to do and just raise exposure during post processing”?

Johnston has a few reasons why that approach can be counterproductive in certain situations. He illustrates his view with several photos captured at different ISO settings. You may be surprised at the image quality and noise characteristic of ISO 100 images as compared to those when he “cranked up the knob.”

Other topics in this eye-opening video include the implications of ISO during the editing process and the interaction between ISO and shutter speed. He also discusses ISO and raising exposure, when and how to use Auto ISO, and how the ISO setting you choose affects the manner in which you crop photos.

We suggest keeping an open mind while listening to Johnston’s remarks if you consider them controversial, because you may want to revise your thinking on this important topic. Then head over to his popular YouTube channel where you’ll find more thought-proving tips and techniques.

We also suggest watching another tutorial we posted with an unassailable truth; namely the necessity of cleaning your camera’s sensor and other important gear, with a safe way to get the job done.

Setting your camera to bracket exposures can help nail a shot when photographing landscape scenes in uncertain light. Yet, as you’ll see in the tutorial below, sometimes this popular technique is merely a waste of time.

Instructor Mark Denney is very accomplished pro who posts weekly tutorials on important landscape photography skills. In this episode he explains what he says, “professionals know about bracketing that beginners ignore.”

Denney admits that when first starting out he fell into the trap of “over-exposure-bracketing” that in some situations wasted a lot of time. Or has he puts it: “Don’t get me wrong, bracketing undeniably has its place in the photographer’s toolkit. But it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution to achieving a perfect exposure.”

In today’s lesson Denney demonstrates how to determine if it’s necessary to employ this technique. He also explains how recent advancements in digital-imaging technology factor into the equation when shooting in the field. His suggestions will accelerate your technique and may even prevent you from missing a fleeting moment.

Denney organized this lesson into four parts: When not to bracket, when you may want to bracketed, when you must bracket, and how to tell the difference. He also insists that you’ll become a far better photographer by using in-camera exposure bracketing, rather than relying upon post processing to get the light right.

In basic terms, the decision you make is all about understanding your camera’s limitations, the relationship between light and shadow, how to view the scene before you, and the proper way to read the camera’s histogram. By understanding these variables you’ll work faster, improve your skillset, and become a far more confident photographer.

Denney illustrates his advice with several images that fit into his no, maybe and yes, categories while explaining all the details. By the time the video concludes you’ll now exactly what Hamlet meant when he said, “To bracket or not to bracket. That is the question.”

Be sure to visit Denney’s Instructional YouTube channel often, where you’ll find helpful tips and tricks on a wide variety of shooting and image-editing techniques.

We also encourage you to watch the tutorial we posted from another expert recently, explaining why and how Color Calibration can be the secret to beautiful landscape photographs.

Last week we presented a quick solution for eliminating ugly color fringing from photographs captured outdoors in high-contrast situations. Today we’re tackling another unsightly problem; namely, color banding and gradient banding that can also ruin an otherwise great shot.

This nine-minute tutorial from the hugely popular PiXimperfect YouTube channel describes how to avoid banding in the first place by choosing the proper bit depth. The lesson also explores several helpful Photoshop filters that will dissolve banding, and how adding Texture is a big help

Instructor Unmesh Dinda is a highly acclaimed image-editing expert who teaches workshops across the globe and has almost five million subscribers to his instructional YouTube channel. By following his succinct advice you’ll never have to worry about banding again.

So what exactly is “bit depth,” how does it factor into the equation, and why does Dinda say you “should always work in 16-bit (even if you plan to export files in 8-bit)? Binda uses a simple illustration of a solid color to answer these important questions. As you’ll see, banding is clearly evident in the 8-bit file.

But by going to Mode and choosing 16-bits per channel, the ugly banding quickly disappears. The problem with working in 8-bit is particularly acute when you start to stack up a variety of adjustments—especially when the image includes plenty of smooth transitions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that “banding always occurs in areas with lesser details.” Dinda uses a mountain scene to illustrate why this happens. He explains why the imposing peaks look fine, but there’s obvious banding in the featureless sky.  That’s because this area is totally devoid of detail, and the corresponding smooth transitions exacerbate the problem.

One solution is to slightly blur the sky, but it’s essential to first switch the Mode to 16-bit , otherwise this quick fix makes things even worse. With the proper Mode selected you can selectively apply the blur to only the areas that need it, like the sky in this example, without softening essential details in other portions of the shot.

The aforementioned adjustment isn’t the final step, because the banding is gone but the sky is now too smooth for a realistic result. Adding a bit of Texture in the right place is all it takes to remedy this concern, and Dinda demonstrates the straightforward process. Do it and forget about banding once and for all.

We suggest joining the millions of photographers who subscribe to Dinda’s extremely helpful YouTube channel where you’ll find effective solutions for just about any editing problems that pop up.

And don’t miss last week’s tutorial from another expert who provides a one-minute Photoshop fix for removing ugly color fringing from high-contrast landscape scenes.