All serious photographers study their craft and practice diligently to improve their skills. Hence, the thought of losing our precious images can best be described as a nightmare. The quick tutorial below will help wipe that thought from your mind.

If you don’t back up your images, well, shame on you. But even if you do there’s a chance you’re doing in wrong. Today we’ll introduce you to the “3-2-1 Backup Rule” that provides what one pro says is a “foolproof method to safeguard your photos.”

Landscape photographer James Vooght posts weekly tutorials designed to help you become the best photographer you can be, but impressive skills don’t mean much if your image library disappears in an instant. In this episode you’ll learn the fast-and-easy method he recommends for preserving your visual memories.

The purposes of Vooght’s 3-2-1 backup strategy goes beyond accidently deleting photos or losing everything due to a crash. It will also ensure that you have all the data and images you need in the appropriate locations so they’re easy to find and readily accessible. These practical tips are just as important to beginners as they are for pros.

The first component of this technique is having three different copies of your images. This is really important to guard against the potential failure of an internal or external storage device,  as well as corrupted software. Knowing your imagery will always be intact provides great peace of mind.

Vooght’s second tip involves saving three backups on at least two different devices or media. These could include saving to the Cloud, on a reliable hard drive, a network connection, and perhaps on DVDs (as well as on your computer for convenience). He explains how set up an external device in a way that your images are quickly available.

By now the concept should be clear: You don’t want to be reliant on one piece of hardware that could possibly fail—thereby wiping out all your hard-earned work. The last part of Vooght’s backup strategy represents the “1” in his 3-2-1 method, and it’s possibly the most critical.

What Vooght is talking about here is the importance of “having at least one of your backups off-site.” We don’t want to get into a discussion of hurricanes, flooding, fires, tornados, or break-ins, but you get the idea.

After watching this video, and hopefully following Vooght’s advice, take a look at his popular YouTube channel where you’ll find much more of interest.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted earlier this month, revealing the best free Adobe software alternatives in 2023.

We’ve been working our way through all new features in the latest update to Photoshop, so you know the best way to use them. The tutorial below from Photoshop Café demonstrates the power of an oft-ignored tool that one of our favorite image-editing instructors says, “changes everything.”

Today’s topic is Photoshop’s powerful new Gradient tool. It’s very easy to use, offers more control than ever, and delivers very precise results for a wide variety of tasks. And despite the heavy praise from instructor Colin Smith, it only takes eight minutes for him to explain everything you need to know.

Smith’s goal for this demonstration is to add a rainbow in the sky of a pretty seascape photo. He urges you to watch how it’s done, even if rainbows aren’t your thing. That’s because “there are so many features and things inside the Gradient tool that apply to just about everything we do.”

The first step is grabbing a Circular Gradient, then clicking and dragging to adjust its size. As you’ll see, there are a variety of other options available, including an entire hidden library of choices that Adobe refers to as “Legacy  Gradients.” Smith picks the “Spectrum” option that’s perfect for creating his rainbow.

Smith adjusts the size of this gradient before placing it over his beach scene. You’ll see how he also controls spacing of the circular colors, as well as “custom transparency” to achieve the looks he’s after. Much of the magic occurs within the Properties panel, and Smith provides a quick rundown of the various features.

To refine the rainbow Smith uses the Color Stop option and Opacity controls for much of his work (you’ll see other tools to employ for different Gradient tasks). In this case Smith wants to get the colors of the rainbow closer together so they appear near the outer band. He does this simply by dragging within the Gradient.

You’ll see how to elongate the slider across the entire window to provide more room between colors. This makes fine and precise adjustments easier to accomplish. As you’ll see, simple modifications to Opacity make a significant difference in creating a natural looking rainbow.

Smith makes several more straightforward adjustments to complete the job, and he walks you through every step of the process. By the end of the lesson you’ll be well equipped to use Photoshop’s new Gradient tool to create a wide variety of impressive effects.

Smith’s popular YouTube channel is full of simple tips and tricks. So the next time you find yourself in a bind while editing images, be sure to take a look.

We also suggest watching the tutorial we posted from another processing expert, with 10 quick tips for using Layer Masks in Photoshop.

Are you looking for a quick and easy way to spice up your landscape photography? If so, check out this tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel. In barely five minutes you’ll learn seven in-camera techniques for getting the job done.

Instructor Christian Mohrle is an acclaimed German landscape photographer whose lessons we post frequently. This one is different from those you’ve watched in the past, which typically involved editing images in Photoshop or Lightroom. Today it’s all about camera settings, framing techniques, exposure bracketing, and choosing the right lens.

Mohrle says sunbursts are “a great way to make an otherwise boring scene way more awesome—especially when conditions aren’t that spectacular.” Not only must the shot be properly exposed, but the sunburst should be a prominent element in the frame.

Because sunbursts are so bright, it’s essential to shoot with the right aperture. The idea is to expose the sunburst so it’s clearly defined, but if you shoot wide open you’ll end up with nothing more than a glowing blob. Mohrle says best results are usually achieved at f/16, and he warns that if you close down further the sunburst may look strange.

Another warning has to with lens filters. Simply put, “Don’t use them.” Mohrle explains that an extra layer of glass will likely result in ugly flare that spoils the effect. “Plus, if the filter is dirty, shooting against the sun will make tiny dust spots visible—resulting in a dirty-looking photo.” Another way to minimize lens flare is to try positioning the sun directly in the middle of the frame.

Good composition is important for all types of landscape photos and is critically important when sunbursts are your goal. One essential trick is to make sure that the sun is partially blocked by an object in the scene. This can be anything from a tree, the side of a hill, or even a flower.  

As you may expect, landscapes with sunbursts typically involve a huge dynamic range. For this reason, and “to make your life easier,” Mohrle recommends exposure bracketing. His typical approach is to expose one shot for the highlights, another for the shadows, and a third in the middle. Then, if necessary, you can combine them for an HDR image.

Mohrle has more great advice on the above tips and others, so take a close look and give this effect a try. There’s much more to learn on his instructional YouTube channel, especially if you’re a landscape photographer, so be sure to pay a visit when you have time.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted from another pro recently, explaining why you should shoot b&w landscape photos and how to do it right.