Getting the light right is perhaps the most essential component of all great images, whether they’re captured indoor or out. But there’s another crucial component that can really add depth and impact to a photo, namely the thoughtful use of shadows.

This tutorial from our friends at the Photographic Eye YouTube channel takes a deep dive into this oft-ignored element that can have  profound effect on the images you create by shaping the tone, feel, and structure of a photograph. British pro Alex Kilbee says, “Shadows not only define the esthetic of an image, but they can also enhance colors, create intrigue, and frame your subject in unique ways.

Kilbee take a different approach by illustrating this lesson points with images from several of the world’s most iconic shooters rather than his own. He notes that he does so with “fair use” rules that permit limited use of copyrighted material “without explicit permission from the copyright holder.”

Kilbee curated these amazing photos to illustrate a variety of the tips he reveals in barely 10 minutes. He draws upon the likes of legendary pros like fashion photographer Herb Ritts who sadly passed away last December. While Ritts often used hard angular shadows to define shape and form, you’ll also see how other luminaries employ softer and “almost invisible” shadows to create subtle, more subliminal effects.

You can also use the heightened contrast that occurs when including shadows in the frame to create mystery, intrigue, and a wide variety of moods. While watching the video and viewing the astounding imagery it quickly becomes apparent that a thoughtful approach to composition is a key aspect of this technique

Kilbee says one goal of this interesting episode is to help you develop the “art of seeing,” and your visual storytelling skills—all the while taking your work to a higher level of artistic expression. We’re going to step back and let Kilbee and the images speak for themselves as you learn about this very effective technique.

Let’s just say that you’ll receive a heavy dose of inspiration as you watch. You can find more eye-opening lessons by paying a visit to the popular Photographic Eye YouTube channel.

And speaking of light (and dark), don’t miss the tutorial we posted recently from another accomplished pro who provides several helpful tips for capturing eye-catching images under harsh, bright conditions.

Whether you own a new iPhone 15, or use an older model running  iOS 14, the photos you shoot will be significantly better after watching the comprehensive tutorial below. This “ultimate guide” from the Mount Media YouTube channel was designed for beginning and intermediate users alike.

Instructor Werner Plank discusses the most important camera settings and a wide variety of shooting techniques that you may not know could be accomplished with an iPhone. The lesson covers a huge amount of ground in 23 minutes, so you’ll definitely want to take a few notes. There’s also a time-stamped list of chapters in the description beneath the video so you can jump to a specific topic—either now or when you run into a snag in the future.

The lesson begins with an overview of important camera settings so you can configure the iPhone according to your specific photographic needs. That’s followed by a discussion about the basic operation of Apple’s iPhone 15 Camera App.

Plank then dives into specific shooting features, beginning with an explanation of the various camera modes available. Next he reveals several unfamiliar capabilities of the shutter button that can do much more than you think. And if you’re confused by the iPhone’s lens and zoom features, these are demystified too.

The lesson continues with a wide variety of shooting techniques that you’ve like explored with your “real” camera, including the best way to change the aspect ratio of a shot, techniques for use Night mode when shooting after dark, and how to set a timer in Photo mode.

Composition is no less important when shooting with a phone than it is when using a purpose-built camera, and Plank has several helpful tips for choosing the right framing. He does much the same for the various exposure options available, so you’ll always get the light right.

Other helpful advice includes how to employ an iPhone’s Photographic Styles, resolution and focus-setting options, and much more. You’ll even learn the best way capture panorama photos and portraits using iPhone’s selfie camera (if you can’t resist).

This video is a really deep dive into the iPhone’s abundant photographic capabilities, and by the time you’re finished you’ve be amazed by what you didn’t know. You can find more tutorials for shooting better mobile photographs by paying a visit to Plank’s instructional YouTube channel.

Photoshop offers a variety of tools for fixing photos with a skewed perspective. Some of these methods are more complicated than others, and today’s tutorial demonstrates an easy and very effective approach.

The quick tutorial below comes from our friends at VerticDesigns, a popular British-based YouTube channel dedicated to basic editing tips that deliver big results. Today’s instructor is using Photoshop CC 2024 to demonstrate how it’s done, but what you’ll learn works equally well older versions of Photoshop with Perspective options.

This four-minute lesson illustrates the tricks by fixing the perspective in an indoor image of a room, but you can do much the same thing with outdoor photos with skewed vertical or horizonal lines. The video begins by explaining how to use the ruler and a keyboard shortcut to match the background of one shot with another of the same scene to obtain a reference for creating one awesome photo.

The next step involves employing Photoshop’s Perspective Warp tool to display a grid on the initial shot. Doing his enables you to drag on the boxes in each corner of the grid to match the perspective of the back wall to the corners of the room. You then take the same approach to straighten the back edge of the floor.

Then, by adding additional grids, it’s easy to correct the perspective of both walls, the ceiling, and the floor of the image. You’ll see why it’s important that your grids extend beyond the outside of the canvas. When using the Warp tool to match a guideline it’s also essential to alternate between left and right adjustments until everything looks good.

Once these corrections are applied you may notice an empty area at the top of the photo. This problem is easily rectified with simple cropping, or by selecting this part of the frame and leaving the rest to Generative Fill.

The transformation is completed by selecting the dancer in the second image and dropping her into the one you just fixed. After watching the video take a look at the VerticDesigns YouTube channel where you’ll find many more simple tips and trick.

We also suggest that you check out another basic image-editing tutorial we posted that explains the important differences between Vibrance and Saturation, with tips on the best way to use these helpful color adjustment tools.