Lightroom’s recently updated Tone Curve is a powerful component of what Adobe enables you to achieve when processing photos. Unfortunately, this versatile tool is frequently avoided because some users find it rather intimidating.

Today’s comprehensive tutorial is designed to eliminate your trepidation by describing everything the Tone Curve can do to facilitate both basic and advanced techniques. The video is easily understandable but it covers a lot of ground, so we recommend taking a few notes while you watch.

Instructor Michael Rung is a full-time landscape photographer based in Fort Worth who says, “I’ve achieved my greatest satisfaction from teaching and developing the skills of others.” By the time you’re done watching this detailed tutorial you’ll have all the knowledge you need to harness the power of the Tone Curve in Lightroom, Lightroom Classic, and Adobe Camera Raw.

Rung covers everything necessary for photographers of all skill levels, beginning with an overview of how the Tone Curve works. As the lesson proceeds he describes more and more advanced techniques so you can start with the easy stuff and then experiment with increasingly sophisticated methods as your comfort level expands.

The myriad of tips Rung provides are illustrated with standard test patterns and real-word images so you’ll understand both the theory and practical applications. You’ll learn how to make global Tone Curve adjustments, as well as powerful masking techniques, to really refine contrast and color enhancements within your images.

Rung discusses Lightroom’s Parametric Curve and the Targeted Adjustment tool, and then moves on to a helpful explanation of the important Point Curve tool and the proper way to read it. You’ll also see how RGB Curve works and the best way to use Lightroom’s simple Refine Saturation slider. Once you get the basics under your belt, you’ll be ready for Rung’s tips on using the Tone Curve in conjunction with masking for ultimate control.

Along the way Rung provides useful keyboard shortcuts for speeding up the process, and some great examples of Tone Curve adjustments on finished images.

Bottom line: Far from being intimated by this “essential” tool, you’ll become very comfortable with everything it can do and your Lightroom workflow will become more effective than ever.

Once you’re done watching head over to Rung’s instructional YouTube channel where you’ll find other lesson’s that simplify seemingly complicated tasks.

We also recommend watching the tutorial we posted from another image-editing expert recently, demonstrating six easy Lightroom techniques for making your favorite fall photographs even better.

Many photographers shy away from portraiture for a couple reasons: Either they lack an understanding of on-camera flash, or they don’t own more complicated (and expensive) lighting gear. Today you’ll learn an alternative approach that delivers beautiful people pictures without supplemental illumination.

You can actually capture impressive portraits indoors or out by employing natural light. In today’s quick episode from the Newcastle Photography College YouTube channel, you’ll learn how to get the job done in the comfort of your home, simply by taking advantage of window light.

Instructor Corey Solomons is an Australian pro who is very generous about sharing the knowledge he’s acquired over the past 40 years. He notes that with this approach, “your camera’s light meter will usually do a great job recording the brightness of an image, because with this form of available light what you see is pretty much what you’ll get.”

Window light tends to be a soft, indirect form of illumination that will deliver flattering results if you follow the simple instruction Solomons provides. In essence you’ll be using the light that’s reflected off your subject in a way that’s far more effective than harsh light on a person’s face that often makes the subject squint.

Not only is window light free, but it’s also easily controllable. As you’ll see, “we can control it’s direction and intensity, as well as its color if need be.” When the sun is streaming through a window hard light is what you’ll get, which imparts distinct shadows. Conversely, soft light occurs when the sun is shining in another direction.

Solomons explains why soft light is the way to go and he provides several simple tips for getting the job done. This type of light is more evenly spread across your subject, easier to deal with, and delivers far more flattering portraits than sunlight streaming through a window.

A North-facing window is ideal for those of us living in the Northern hemisphere because you’ll never have to worry about the location of the sun and the harsh light it provides. Or as Solomons says, “you’ll have nice soft light all day long,”

Solomons has an interesting tip for photographers who don’t have a North-facing window in their home; namely, shoot in the garage with the door open and position the subject far enough back to avoid direct light coming from any direction. You can find more quick tips and tricks by visiting Solomons’ popular YouTube channel.

And speaking of light, don’t miss the tutorial we posted earlier from an image-editing expert who demonstrates how to remove ugly, unnatural color casts that can ruin your people pictures.

In my roughly eight years of pursuing photography seriously, one of the most exciting things I have seen is yesterday’s announcement of the Sony a9 III, the first consumer interchangeable lens camera with global shutter.

Sony is surely making waves today, perhaps the biggest one being with their new Sony a9 III camera with a global shutter. But great cameras need great lenses, and what better way to make the Sony a9 III shine than with a shiny new Sony FE 300mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens! 300mm f/2.8 lenses have been very popular with DSLR photographers, but such a lens has been curiously lacking in the mirrorless realm—that is, until now.