Here’s an outside-the-box Photoshop tutorial from an Australian photographer who specializes in post-processing techniques that add imagination and creativity to her whimsical imagery. The video begins with this simple question: “Why use a Grey Layer (we’ll stick with her Aussie spelling) in Photoshop?”

There are several reasons for giving the trick a try, whether you’re after special effects or aiming for a conventional look. Instructor Sandy D devotes this episode to one specific application; namely, using the Brush tool in combination with a Grey Layer for Dodging and Burning in Photoshop.

Sandra describes this uncommon technique that works so uncommonly well by explaining that a Grey Layer enables you to work non-destructively when processing an image. She says this about the task at hand: “When I Dodge to add light in certain areas or Burn to dull other areas I always work on a Grey Layer

In less than 11 minutes Sandra describes the steps required for this straightforward approach that’s been part of her workflow for several years. A Grey Layer can be added at point in the workflow, but Sandra prefers first finishing the basic adjustments before moving on to Dodging and Burning and introducing the layer.

Sandra demonstrates how to set up the Grey Layer by clicking on the Layer tab atop the screen, choosing New, and then selecting the Soft Light option from the Blend Mode dropdown menu that appears. Now your new Grey Layer appears in the panel on the right of the screen.

Once everything is properly configured Sandra walks you through the simple process of employing a Brush to add light to her subject’s eyes and the foliage in the foreground, while slightly brightening the background as well. Then she reveals a few important settings, like dialing back Opacity.

The next simple step is adjusting Brush size so that it’s neither too large nor too small for the specific area you intend to adjust. Then the painting process is quick, easy, and precise.

While most image-editing techniques are designed to direct the viewer’s eyes to a specific point in the frame, Sandra says the goal of this particular technique is quite the opposite: “It’s all about getting the viewer’s eye to bounce around the image.” When the last time you heard that?

Sandra’s inspirational YouTube channel is full of videos that will challenge your vision and creativity. So step outside your comfort zone and take a close look.

And don’t miss the tutorial we featured recently with another post-processing expert who demonstrates how to make beautiful b&w conversions, including those that give photographs a vintage look.

Complex landscape scenes can be extremely difficult to capture and edit because of the many elements and tonal values involved. Today’s tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel reveals the “biggest mistake” you can make when editing these types of images.

This error is extremely common among inexperienced Lightroom users and instructor Christian Mohrle puts it bluntly: Limiting yourself to global adjustments is a huge mistake “because different areas need different treatments.” Hence the importance of selective enhancements with masks to balance out exposure values and colors throughout the frame.

Mohrle is an acclaimed German pro specializing in landscape photography, and he’s just as adept behind the computer as he is when looking through a viewfinder. His post-processing technique is somewhat unusual because it follows a two-step approach. He first applies global adjustments to create a solid “base image,” and only then does he turn to masking and selective enhancements that contribute to the ultimate result.

Oftentimes Mohrle adds a bit of color grading, sharpening, and a final cleanup up before his transformation is complete. As always there’s a link beneath the video for downloading today’s sample image so that you can follow along and make the changes yourself in real time.

This demonstration shot has a number of issues in need of attention, from an overly bright sky, a very dark foreground, a bright midrange, and distant mountains that deserve to be accentuated. And as Mohrle explains, “editing images like this globally is a nightmare.”

The key to most of Mohrle’s videos is the assortment of enhancements that he applies in a specific order—and you’ll learn plenty of that today as you watch him work his magic. But the real takeaway in this particular episode is understanding the hierarchy he follows to maximize the interplay between preliminary basic adjustments, local enhancements that follow, and the final tweaks to color and sharpening.

Mohrle’s strategic approach admittedly takes a bit more time, but it’s the only way to go if you’re striving for maximum impact and image quality. In fact, you may even consider modifying your workflow accordingly.

The PHLOG Photography YouTube channel is a great source of shooting and editing advice for landscape photographers of all skill levels, so be sure to take a look.

We also recommend watching an earlier tutorial we posted demonstrating another pro’s technique for capturing spectacular nature and landscape photographs with an iPhone.

It’s been a while since we featured a boudoir photography tutorial and this 10-minute lesson takes a different approach than the high-contrast b&w techniques we’ve shared in the past. Today you’ll learn how to shoot alluring color indoor portraits with available light.

Instructor Brent McCoy specializes in riské imagery without expensive studio equipment, and all you need for this effective technique is a willing model and a room in your home with windows that provide soft, flattering light.

McCoy illustrates his available light methods by shooting three different looks of a beautiful model with simple equipment—all of which rely upon wide aperture settings to capture as much light as possible, with shallow depth of field to accentuate his subject and separate her from the background.

In the first scenario McCoy poses his subject sitting atop the back of a couch and encourages her to position her body “nice and tall” while moving in close to get tighter and tighter shots.  He tells the model how to position her legs and asks her to turn her face in the direction of light streaming through a large window on the left side of the frame.

For look #2 McCoy has the model stand directly in front of the window and slowly move toward his camera position while striking several provocative poses and he clicks away. Then McCoy changes his vantage point to her side and captures some very nice close up profile shots with a completely different appearance

The final setup in the session occurs in the bedroom where there’s another large widow that illuminates the scene with indirect light while he experiments with several poses on the bed. As McCoy directs the model you’ll see why he asks her to slightly exaggerate each pose—some of which are standing while others are sitting or reclining.

You also learn how simple encouragement and compliments make a model more relaxed as she becomes increasingly confident as the shoot progresses. There’s much more to learn about getting started in Boudoir photography with simple equipment on McCoy’s instructional YouTube channel.

And if you want images that are as pristine as possible be sure to watch the tutorial we featured recently with another pro who demonstrates a safe way to clean a camera’s sensor so that your photographs are free from dust spots and other unsightly artifacts.

Over the years we’ve discussed why some photographs are more compelling when converted to b&w and how some processing methods are more complicated than others. And this holds true for landscape scenes, portrait photos, nature images, and other popular genres.

Today’s Lightroom Classic tutorial from photographer Julieanne Kost reveals what to look for before converting color images to monochrome, and then she demonstrates several techniques for converting color to b&w with precision and control. You’ll also learn how easy it is to complete the task of creating a vintage look in the process.

Kost begins In Lightroom’s Basic panel and explains how the Saturation slider can be used to quickly strip all color from a photo. She then notes that “Lightroom has several other tools that will allow us to convert our images with a lot more control. She then proceeds to explain how they work and which option may be best depending upon the specific photo at hand.

The first approach involves using one of Lightroom’s several B&W Presets. These include specific options for portraits, as well as adding B&W Styles. You can hover your cursor over any of these presets to see a preview of what to expect before deciding to applying it. There’s also an icon on the panel that enables you to see the different adjustments that were made. This particular feature can be toggled on or off.

Kost moves on to creating manual monochrome conversions that ignore presets altogether. This approach provides maximum control because it allows you to make important decisions while adjusting an image for the specific effect that you desire. You can opt for soft and moody, compelling high contrast, along with a number other powerful effects.

This process begins by changing the Lightroom profile to Adobe Monochrome for a standard look. You can explore  a variety of other b&w profiles within Lightroom’s Profile Browser where you’ll find options for more or less Contrast and controlling Dynamic Range by lifting or lowering the blacks.

There are even Profiles for emulating the effect that occurs when adding color filters to the front of a lens. And there’s a straightforward method for refining the look according to your taste by making a few simple adjustments.

The video concludes with a step-by-step demonstration of giving your b&w conversion an interesting vintage look that really sets it apart. Sometimes this means adding a vignette, while other techniques involve customizing Saturation and Luminance values to impart a strong vintage appearance.

Kost is an acknowledged expert in all thing Adobe, and we encourage you to visit her instructional YouTube channel where you’ll find helpful videos on just about any post-processing technique imaginable.

We also suggest checking out a related tutorial we featured recently with another image-editing specialist who explains why your b&w photographs are disappointing and how to bring them to life in Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw (ACR).