One big challenge for photographers who shoot landscapes, wildlife, and other outdoor imagery is achieving impressive results when the light just isn’t right. And doing so often means using Lightroom or Photoshop to carefully enhance images in a natural looking way. The following video from a noted pro explains his strategy for getting the job done.

Instructor Mart Kloskowski is a Lightroom and Photoshop expert who specializes in tutorials that enable photographers of all skill levels to enhance photos shot under less-than-ideal light. In this episode he concentrates on three “essential” elements; namely, adding Texture, modifying light, and rehabilitating dull skies.

This before/after demonstration illustrates just how much is possible without overly complex adjustments. Kloskowski’s image was shot in Zion National Park with very interesting light, cloud moving in and out of the frame, and imposing peaks in the background—a combination of conditions you’d think would be absolutely perfect. Yet, Kloskowski wasn’t  pleased with his results, because they looked a bit flat when viewing them on the computer.

He achieved a remarkable transformation with some help from Adobe and walks you through the straightforward method from start to finish. Keep in mind that the settings you’ll learn work the same whether you’re using Lightroom or Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). So pull up the Basic panel and let’s get started.

Kloskowksi explains why he prefers making selective adjustments using masks, rather than relying upon global enhancements to an image all at once. His goals for the image in question is threefold; improve the sky, accentuate mountains in the distance, and deal with other areas in the shot—all in different ways. Hence, this would be virtually impossible with an all-in-one global approach.

The first step in the process is working on the mountains, and Kloskowski pulls up the Object Selection tool to create and refine his first mask. He then demonstrates how easy it is to make precise adjustments to detail, contrast, exposure, and other key variables without affecting other portions of the scene.

With the mountains looking great, Kloskowski follows a similar masking approach to enhance other key areas that need work, albeit with different adjustments depending upon what’s appropriate for the task at hand. Once you compare the before/after images, and understand this method, you’ll be able to do much the same to improve every image you shoot outdoors.

You’ll discover other valuable editing techniques by visiting Kloskowski’s instructional YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

We also recommend checking out a tutorial we posted from another expert who explains how to unlock the power of complimentary colors for beautiful nature and landscape photographs.

Are you struggling with post-processing because the approach you take is too complicated and time consuming? Or perhaps, despite all your hard work, the results aren’t as refined as you expect. In either case, the straightforward tutorial below will solve these and other common problems and really up your game.

In this eye-opening episode instructor Lachlan Garutti demonstrates a variety of simple hacks, in barely four minutes. They’re designed to forever streamline your Lightroom workflow and deliver superior edits so you can get back out in the field doing what you love most. As he says, “Whether you’re a beginner or a season pro, these easy-to-implement tricks will leave a lasting impact on your photos.”

Garutti’s “I wish I knew this before” moments begin with a discussion of Lightroom’s simple Auto Tone tools that reside in the Exposure panel. He explains why this is a particularly great method for inexperienced users, before they move on to more complex techniques once they gain confidence. At that point you’ll be prepared to stylize photos in whatever ways you want.

Hack number two demonstrates a trick for levelling photos with the Ruler. For this one you begin in the Crop mode. As you’ll see, “instead of adjusting the slider you click on a button, draw a line on the horizon or any straight reference point in the image, and Lightroom will then adjust the photo to match your horizontal or vertical line.

The next method involves a basic understanding of Dynamic Range. Garutti notes that “unlocking the true potential of a Raw image is something every photographer should master,” and this hack illustrates a foolproof way to evaluate an image before beginning to make whatever adjustments you deem necessary.

Garutti then demonstrates how to avoid a heavy-handed approach to enhancing contrast, and this often means limiting the adjustments so the image retains a realistic look. He introduces the technique like this: “Contrast is like a double-edged sword. On the positive side it can make images pop and look great, but you can also overdo it and kill a photo completely.”

The remaining hacks deal with everything from selective saturation, a faster and better way to sharpen that minimizes noise, an effective method for employing Lightroom’s Clarity slider, and how to create HDR images of photos captured with smaller sensors. After watching the video take a look at Garutti’s YouTube channel for more easy-to-use advice.

We also suggest watching a tutorial we posted earlier, explaining another expert’s three-step editing Lightroom process for stunning winter landscape photographs shot in challenging light.

Try the Adobe Firefly Web App right now—for FREE—or step up to Adobe Express Premium.

There’s a lot of noise about AI right now, and most of it AIn’t good. That’s understandable. Even so, don’t let the naysayers detour you from experiencing the most powerful photo editing tools in the universe.

If you want to discover what you’ve been missing, or if you’re just AI-curious, here’s enough to get started enjoying Adobe Firefly, the future of graphics, in its various guises.  

If you use Adobe Creative Cloud apps, you undoubtedly have been using AI in the form of Adobe Firefly, perhaps without realizing it. Firefly is Adobe’s name for the AI engine that powers exciting features in Photoshop, Illustrator, Adobe Stock and Adobe Express. Firefly Web App is a freestanding (and free) web-based app that you can begin using immediately. Adobe Express adds more features and is optimized for social media posts. Basic Express is also free, and the Premium version can be sampled with a 30-day free trial.

The most compelling, in my alleged mind, are Generative Fill and Generative Expand. For thorough examination of these two features, read Photoshop (Beta) Generative Fill Lets You Change Everything and Adobe Adds Exciting Generative Expand Feature to Photoshop (Beta) which appeared in Shutterbug in months past when they were first incorporated into the beta version of Photoshop.

Start Now — At No Cost to You
The Adobe Firefly Web App is free to all. You do not have to subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, and more importantly, it does not require any Photoshop skills. It performs basic transformational operations, namely Text to Image, Generative Fill, Text Effects and Generative Recolor, clearly enough to fill idle winter hours with creative adventures. There are a couple other features “In exploration” including 3D to Image and the mysterious Project Stardust.

You can access all of this AI power here: Firefly Web App.

The free version includes 25 Generative Credit tokens, enough to experiment and get your feet wet. You can step up to the Premium subscription for $4.99 per month. It provides 100 credits monthly, plus Adobe Fonts Free, and no watermarks on images generated by Firefly. You can cancel at any time.

Recently Adobe announced the new Firefly Image 2 Model. With it you can choose between Image 2 and Image 1 models to expand your options—and your imagination.

Jump In
Again, without being an Adobe Creative Cloud user, you can up your AI game with Adobe Express. It includes features like quickly removing backgrounds and resizing designs. Aimed in a large part toward social media enthusiasts, Adobe Express makes it easy to make flyers, social posts, TikToks, Reels and more. Plus it includes thousands of premium templates that make your efforts look truly professional.

Basic Adobe Express is free but includes only 25 Generative Credit tokens and limited functions. Upgrade to premium and enjoy 250 tokens and other enriched features including access to over 195 million on-trend, royalty-free Adobe Stock Collection photos, videos, and music.

The Adobe Express premium all-in-one app subscription costs $9.99 per month. You can try it with a 30-day free trial. Follow this link Adobe Express Premium and click “Start Free Trial” at the bottom of the page.

The Guard Rails Are in Place
Adobe recently announced that every asset created using Adobe Firefly’s AI assistance will include Content Credentials by default; therefore, every fabricated asset automatically includes creative attribution. Adobe compares this to a Nutrition Label for artwork, but I think of it as more of a public DNA record.

Hopefully, the Content Credentials provenance implementation will alleviate the fear associated with AI-assisted photo editing.

One Example Created by the Adobe Firefly Web App

Inside Tip for Creative Cloud Subscribers
If you are a Creative Cloud user, log in to you your account and download Photoshop (Beta). It includes previews of new AI-powered features—in their beta state—before they are incorporated into Photoshop. It can run concurrently with regular Photoshop and is free. It’s also a lot of fun.

As I age and extended photo excursions become more challenging, it’s great the be able to use Adobe Firefly muscles to pursue my hobby. And as I said earlier, during those long, idle winter hours.

Become a Member of the Shutterbug Community
Register for a free account. Sign up for our newsletter. Spend five minutes (or less) uploading your best shots once every week or so. Potentially become a Shutterbug Photo of the Day winner. Enjoy viewing the fantastic work being done by thousands of photographers all over the world—and add your images to the enduring collection.

—Jon Sienkiewicz