Listen up landscape photographers, because were going to let you in on an oft-ignored secret: sometimes less is more. By taking a minimalist approach your images will really stand out from the crowd and you may even develop a new style in the process.

In today’s 11-minute tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel you’ll learn several techniques for capturing these types of images and editing them in Photoshop. This is an easy goal for photographers of all skill levels, requiring nothing more than a different mindset and a few straightforward tricks.

We often feature instructional videos from German landscape pro Christian Mohrle whose lessons typically involve Lightroom and Photoshop editing tips. Today he does that, and also explains how he composes images to capture clean, compelling imagery with nothing more than the essentials.

Getting the shot on a cold, winter day is the first step in this behind-the-scenes episode as Mohrle trudges across a snow-covered landscape in search of an ideal composition. There’s a gray featureless sky overhead which is often a detriment when shooting in the field, but it’s just what the doctor ordered for the task at hand.

Mohrle finds just what he’s looking for as he approaches a small hill that’s topped with a few barren trees. His intent is to simplify the scene further by using the proper focal length and thoughtful composition to isolate a single tree is the correct spot within the frame. With this simple approach there’s no question as to where the viewer’s eye is going to go.

You’ll watch Mohrle select a perfect perspective and camera position that excludes all unwanted elements from the shot. By pointing the camera downwards while moving his vantage point, all but one of the trees disappear from view.

The editing process begins in Photoshop’s Raw editor and the first thing Mohrle does is change the profile from Adobe Color to Adobe Standard which immediately reduces contrast. He then makes a few basic adjustments to the overall scene to arrive at the best possible base image for the very impressive selective enhancements that follow.

With the image much improved Mohrle does a bit of simple masking to adjust exposure in the foreground for a slight vignetting effect, while enhancing the almost imperceptible color and detail in the sky. He also employs a Radial Gradient to make sure that these enhancements don’t affect the area surrounding the tree.

Mohrle completes the job with careful color grading, subtle sharpening, and a few quick final adjustments. After watching the video be sure to visit Mohrle’s instructional YouTube channel where there’s a wealth of information for making eye-catching landscape and nature images.

And don’t miss the earlier tutorial we posted with another accomplished pro who explains how to solve five common mistakes that can easily ruin your landscape photographs.

It’s a new year and time to take a fresh look at accessories that make photography more fun.

Lume Cube Edge LED Utility Lamp
Billed as a “dimmable home office desk light,” Lume Cube’s freestanding lamp is far more versatile than it appears at first glance. It offers USB-C and USB-A charging ports on its 29-inch rotating arm (great to keep your Apple Watch or cellphone fully charged while you work), fully adjustable color temperature (3200° to 5600°) and easy touch-control of the 7-inch LED panel.

The swingarm has five pivot points that make it simple to position just exactly right and the constant, tunable output never flickers or fades. The 112 LEDs deliver 700 Lumens, 95+ CRI rating and 1700 lux at .5 meters.

It’s the perfect desk lamp, but it’s also great for lighting small objects for impromptu product photography. Moreover, you can use two Lume Cube Edge LED lights to illuminate your video presence and give your Zoom calls a bright, colorful appearance. Order one Lume Cube Edge from Amazon for $129 or a pair for $239.

If you’re into Circadian Rhythm, do what I do: begin your day at the 5600° setting to emulate daylight and end the evening set at 3200° to simulate sunset. I don’t know if this is scientifically valid, but I often fall asleep at the keyboard so at least it works for me.

NANUK N-PVD Photo Backpacks and Bags
Revered for their versatile and extremely durable hard-shell cases, NANUK offers an innovative selection of photo backpacks, a messenger-style shoulder bag and a photo duffle bag. I have been using the NANUK N-PVD 30L for about two months now and I really appreciate the features. It weighs just 4.4 pounds empty (2 kilos) and measures 22.4 x 11.8 x 8.6 inches (57 x 30 x 22 cm) and holds more than I need for a day’s shooting, including a 16-inch laptop. You can order the NANUK N-PVD 30L Photo Backpack from NANUK for $299. Optionally, you can visit the NANUK Store on Amazon to peruse the full lineup of legendary NANUK carry solutions.

Although I haven’t used one, the NANUK Messenger Bag N-PVD 15L appears to be a terrific option when backpacks are inappropriate. It specs out at 17.7 x 13.8 x 6.3 inches (45 x 35 x 16 cm) and provides 15 liter capacity (hence the name 15L). The messenger bag is available directly from NANUK for $219 and from amazon.com.

3 Legged Thing LevelHed
Turn any standard tripod (i.e., that uses a 3/8-16 screw mount) into levelling base tripod to gain greater adjustability without diddling with the tripod’s legs. Widely known as a manufacture of premium tripods, L-brackets, bags and other photo accessories, 3LT has been offering a levelling head (the Levelling Base) since 2021. The new LevelHed improves on the previous design and incorporates several ergonomic refinements based on customer feedback. Watch the video here. It’s available in metallic slate grey with copper accents, and 3LT’s Darkness colorway, a stunning matte black. Cost is $139. Find your local 3 Legged Thing dealer by clicking here.

PGYTECH Mini Reverse Ball Head
A useful tool that solves several problems for tripod users, the omnidirectional PGYTECH Mini Reverse Ball Head offers 360° panorama sweep and the ability to switch quickly from landscape to portrait orientation. Their patented locking screw mechanism adds an extra measure of stability, and the Arca-Swiss compatible design makes attachment and removal fast and secure.

The PGYTECH Mini Reverse Ball Head costs $79 and can be ordered directly from the PGYTECH webstore. Alternatively, you can order from Amazon. Smartphone shooters, you are not left out. You can order the accessory Mini Phone Holder for $19.

—Jon Sienkiewicz

(As an Amazon Associate, Shutterbug earns from qualifying purchases linked in this story.)

It’s not too late to update your New Year’s Resolutions, and there’s a good one to add to the list: Don’t make the same common photography mistakes that you did in the past. That way you’ll become a much better photographer in 2024 and beyond.

When it comes to landscape photography there are numerous mistake that can detract from the quality of your work. Some involves shooting techniques while other have to do with ineffective editing. The good news is many of these errors can easily be corrected, as you’ll see in the quick tutorial below.

Instructor Austin James Jackson is a Utah-based landscape pro who we often turn to for solid advice that’s appropriate for beginners and advanced photographers alike. In this nine-minute episode he describes five mistakes he’s made himself and he explains how to fix the for better-looking images.

Sometimes we don’t realize the error of our ways until we return home to review our photos on the computer. When this happens, and  it’s too late to reshoot, careful post-processing is the name of the game. And that sometimes means taking a subtle approach to avoid making matters even worse.

One common error in this regard is a temptation to over-adjust White Balance, and an unnatural appearance is often the result. Jackson notes that “we all want those fiery red sunsets,” but here’s the rub: by warming up color temperature the sky may look great, but the rest of the image will suffer if you take a heavy-handed approach.

Jackson demonstrates the method he uses to pump up the sky while retaining a realistic look to the image as a whole. Another editing pitfall is one that Jackson refers to as a myth; namely an overreliance on the camera’s histogram while adjusting exposure as you shoot. He admits that balanced tonal values are an important goal, but he explains why you shouldn’t be overly concerned if a small portion of the frame is blown out—especially when photographing sunsets.

Another potential problem is being fixated on wide-angle scenes, a topic we recently addressed in a tutorial explaining how to use a mid-range zoom lens to shoot landscape photographs with a different look. Jackson provides his own take on this matter which includes the observation that some situations simply don’t lend themselves to shooting an expansive vista.

The video concludes with two more mistakes to avoid, one of which involves “chasing clouds instead of light,” while the other describes other instances of over- or under-editing your images. There’s much more to learn on Jackson’s popular YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

And don’t miss the tutorial we mentioned above regarding the power of mid-range zoom lenses when shooting in the field.

There are numerous reasons for eliminating distracting elements from a photo, beyond the proverbial example of a fencepost emanating from a subject’s head. In today’s quick Photoshop tutorial you’ll learn what an image-editing expert says is “one of the newest and most impressive ways to remove objects in Photoshop.”

Perhaps you captured what would be a compelling street scene, were it not for some litter in the foreground. Or maybe you photographed an impressive monument and a tourist stepped into the frame just as you snapped the shutter. There’s also the familiar problem of ugly powerlines detracting from a beautiful sky.

Effective object removal can be an important task for environmental portraits, landscape photos, wildlife imagery, and a variety of other genres. And as you’ll see in quick Photoshop lesson below, getting the job done to perfection can be far less complicated and time-consuming than you think.

Instructor Brendan Williams regularly posts editing tutorials designed to simplify seemingly complicated tasks, and his powerful technique takes less than 10 minutes to explain. He covers a lot of ground in a hurry , so we recommend downloading the free cheat sheet using the link beneath the video.

Williams says the method you’ll learn is quick and effective, even when working with complex images. As you see, the advice he provides can be employed as a standalone process, or in combination with other Photoshop Object Removal tools—depending upon the photo at hand.

The example used for this demonstration is one that could be considered complex. It’s a photo of a man crossing the street, and William’s goal is to remove a car that looks like it’s about to hit his subject and eliminate a few other vehicles in the background that sort of muck up the shot.

The task of using conventional methods  to remove an object as large as the car in the foreground would typically be extremely difficult. That’s because, as Williams explains, “we don’t have enough sample areas to rebuild what was behind the car.” But now, with Generative Fill, we can easily create new pixels to realistically reconstruct the shot.

Williams describes how to begin by using Photoshop’s Lasso tool to create a “general selection” around the distracting vehicle. He then explains a couple of important settings you’ll need to make in the Options bar before proceeding further. The rest of the process is surprisingly quick and easy if you follow Williams’ step-by-step instructions.

The lesson concludes with a description of how to use Photoshop’s Remove Tool to get rid of smaller objects like cars in the distance and pedestrians on the street in the midrange of the frame. You can find more straightforward image-editing tips and tricks by visiting Williams’ instructional YouTube channel.

We also suggest watching an earlier tutorial we posted from another processing expert who explains how to expand your photo editing skills by unlocking the power of Layers for a much more effective processing workflow.