Adobe recently updated Lightroom to version 13, adding a bunch of new capabilities and workflow enhancements. Rather than overwhelm you with a detailed analysis of everything that’s included, today we’ll take a look at what one expert says are three standout features.
We often turn to image-editing expert Anthony for his professional expertise whenever new software is introduced. For this episode he dug through “lotsa stuff” to identify and explain a trio of new Lightroom Classic features that he finds particularly useful. Morganti prepared this report using a pre-release version, so what you see may look a slightly different than the official release.
Morganti says that much of what’s new in Lightroom Classic v.13 is relatively minor, and we’ll save that for a future lesson. In this video he concentrates on three major new additions, demonstrates two of them in depth and providing an overview of the third until he’s had more time to take a deeper dive.
The first prominent feature is something called “Lens Blur,” and he pulls up a photo of a romantic couple embracing on the trolly tracks (something we wouldn’t advise doing if you’re concerned with your (or your partner’s) safety. Morganti explains that an image like this with a strong subject is a perfect choice for this new tool—especially if you don’t like how the background is blurred in your original shot.
The Lens Blur tab is found in the upper right corner of the Develop module, and it’s very easy to employ. All you have to do is click a small box, and then Lightroom will quickly examine the photo, identify the subject(s), and automatically blur the background in an instant. Morganti provides before/after example so you can see the impressive results.
Lightroom by default sets the Blur slider to a value of 50, but you can lessen or accentuate the affect at your whim by moving the slider in either direction. This means you have total control of the bokeh in the shot. Another reason this image is such a good example is because of the pointed light sources within the frame, and Lightroom includes additional control of exactly how these out-of-focus highlights appear.
The second feature that Morganti deems worthy of discussion is a new Color Mixer that replaces the earlier HSL Color tab, and it appears in the same place. All of the controls that were in the previous tool are available in the Color Mixer, so there’s nothing you’ll miss. But Adobe added more control and flexibility.
The primary addition is what Adobe calls “point color,” and Morganti demonstrates how this works to enhance a landscape scene with a bench in the foreground. As he says, “this feature is a better way to get a targeted adjustment.” This tool can be used with the Eyedropper to click on any color in your shot. Then you’ll see a swatch of that color in the panel that can be modified by dragging sliders for Hue, Saturation and Luminance.
Morganti goes into considerably more detail on taking advantage of these two new features. Then the lesson concludes with an overview of the third. Be sure to check out Morganti’s popular YouTube channel, as well as another tutorial we posted that explains how to improve outdoor photos with a fast Dodge and Burn Lightroom technique.
Most new photographers begin their creative journey by learning a bunch of so-called “rules” to help them develop their craft. But here’s the deal: while many of these guidelines are great for beginners, they may actually inhibit growth as your skills become more advanced.
If you’re a bit frustrated, and feel like smashing things, today’s your lucking days, as you’ll learn how to fix seven common photography mistakes are caused by following rules to closely. These straightforward tips from Canadian pro Simon d’Entremont are presented in terms of wildlife and nature photography because these are his specialties, but they’re also very helpful when shooting other types of images in the great outdoors.
Simon kicks off the lesson with a silly rule you likely heard before; namely, “only amateurs crop their images.” This is one that you should have ignored from the onset, and Simon puts it like this: “There is absolutely no reason to avoid cropping if that’s what you need to get the composition you want.” As a pro, he has no qualms about cropping photos for maximum impact.
You’ll quickly learn Simon’s techniques for “cropping out the stuff you don’t like and including the stuff you like best.” One simple solution is to shoot photos a bit wider than what you need, leaving room for thoughtful cropping during the editing process—thereby creatively fine-tuning proportions in a way that best guides a viewer through the image. Oher times you may even want to transform a horizontal shot into a vertical one if that’s what it takes.
Another “universal truth” is to always shoot with a sun at your back. This approach can help novices arrive at an accurate exposure, but it will really hold you back if your goal is to capture images that are more interesting and unique than a typical postcard shot (or what was once referred to as a “Kodak Moment.” The idea here is to forget about even illumination and excessive dynamic range and flex your creative muscles.
As Simon says, backlighting can be an amazing photographic tool: “It creates beautiful rim light on your subjects and adds dramatic elements to your scene.” He then demonstrates several helpful tips for maximizing backlighting to get the job done—simply by changing your vantage point in relation to the sun and your subject.
The foregoing is just a taste of what you’ll learn in less 10 minutes, and Simon explains when and how to break rules to significantly up your game. All it takes is the awareness and a willingness to let go of long-held beliefs. After watching the video pay a visit to Simon’s popular YouTube channel where you’ll find much more of interest for expanding your skills.
And don’t miss an earlier tutorial we posted with one rule that’s definitely worth observing; namely, keeping your camera sensor and lenses clean.
