Sometimes we can’t choose the time of day when we come across a beautiful landscape scene. So we take a few shots, despite the terrible midday light, and our images seem destined for the trash.

But what if you could fix the photos rather than delete them? That’s what you’ll learn how to do in the quick and easy tutorial below from the Phlog Photography YouTube channel. The goal of this episode is to transform a mediocre image by introducing a beautiful Golden Hour look with a few adjustments in Lightroom.

Instructor Christian Mohrle is an acclaimed German landscape photographer who is just as adept with the computer than he is behind the viewfinder. This straightforward color-grading method is accomplished in barely eight minutes with a combination of basic global adjustments, selective masking, simple color adjustments, and a bit of sharpening.

We encourage you to download Mohrle’s demonstration image via a link in the description beneath the video so you can make the enhancements yourself as they’re explained. Mohrle always begins with a few overall adjustments to create a sold base image for the key enhancements that follow.

For this hazy, uninspiring shot Mohrle first changes the profile from Adobe Color to Adobe Standard which immediately lessens contrast and brightens up the darkest areas in the frame. He then adjusts Color Balance by increasing the temperature, while modifying exposure in the overly bright areas of the sky.

While doing this he’s careful to take a subtle approach that won’t detract from the glow he creates later. He makes a few other quick adjustments to the shadows to give the image an overall “dreamy” appearance.

Now it’s time for local adjustments to various portions of the scene, beginning with a Color Range mask to enhance bright spots within the much darker foreground. He then places a Linear Gradient over the near area of the foreground to introduce a bit of Clarity and Texture.

Mohrle adds a thin-but-wide Radial Gradient where the sky meets the background, making sure to include part of the adjacent mountains in the selection. This is used to produce the intended glow, and you see the adjustments he makes to get it just right.

Careful color-grading completes the transformation. As you’ll see, this begins with a split-toning effect that’s contributes to the Golden Hour look. You can find more great editing tips on Mohrle’s instructional YouTube channel, so be sure to pay a visit when time permits.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted recently from another accomplished outdoor photographer, explaining seven common landscape photography mistakes and how to fix them in the camera.

It’s not uncommon for photographers to pick a specific exposure mode and think of it as a set-it-and forget-it choice for all the images they shoot. This practice is often the result if failing to fully understand the finer points of how a camera’s light meter works.

The problem with this intransigent approach is that different subjects and lighting conditions require a different methods of metering if you want to achieve optimum results. The basic explainer below from an accomplished fashion photographer provides a quick explainer to help you make the right choice when shooting all types of photos.

Instructor Resha Reay is a pro based in Bangalore, India who recently launched a YouTube channel devoted to assisting amateur photographers choose appropriate camera settings and employ basic shooting skills to expand their skills. After watching this helpful three-minute episode you’ll know how take the proper approach to metering for a variety of common tasks.

Most Shutterbug readers are familiar with the Exposure Triangle and Reay begins with a quick overview for the uninitiated. We won’t belabor that here, but there’s a link beneath the video for those of you want to take a deeper dive.

Correct exposures involve the synergy between aperture, shutter speed and ISO, and knowing which of these elements, in combination with various exposure modes, should taking priority based upon the subject at hand.

Reay provides clear illustrations to help you understand the process, and you’ll see how to quickly interpret the key exposure  information displayed on the rear LCD of your camera. You’ll also learn how to use important aids like exposure compensation, to correct for scenes that are either to dark or too bright.

It’s important to remember that “the camera isn’t always right,” depending on the feeling you want to create with a photo. Sometimes, for example, you envision a somber mood, while other times a more uplifting look is what you’re after. In either case you have to modify the exposure recommended by the camera to get the job done.

Reay discusses three of the most common metering modes found in modern cameras; the first being Evaluative/Matrix that is often the default mode. Centered-Weighted metering is a throw-back to the days of film photography, while the third common mode is Spot metering that can be essential for photographing subjects in light levels that differ from adjacent portions of the frame.

By following Reay’s advice you’ll be able to consistently expose images in the way that meets. your expectations. You can find more tips and tricks by visiting Reay’s new instructional YouTube channel.

And be sure to check out the related tutorial we posted recently from another accomplished pro, explaining how to expose landscape photos for dramatic eye-catching contrast.

If you carefully analyze a selection of outstanding landscape photos, you’ll realize that contrast plays a big part in their impact. Yet, discussions of outdoor photography techniques often ignore this essential component.

We’re putting a stop to that today with the six-minute tutorial below in which an acclaimed British photographer discusses the significance of contrast, how to spot it in a scene, and ways to use it to shoot more compelling images.

Instructor Mike Smith is a British landscape photographer whose behind-the-scenes tutorials are really popular with Shutterbug readers because of his straightforward approach. After watching this six-minute episode we guarantee that the importance of accentuating contrast will forever be top of mind whenever you’re shooting in the field.

Smith puts it succinctly: “Using contrast is a great way create different moods within your photographs. You can get everything from an edgy image to a dream-like image.” As he explains, contrast is simply the difference between the lightest and darkest portion of a photo, and, in a way, it’s linked to what’s known as “dynamic range.”

Key determinants of this essential component include the camera you use, the settings you employ, and the nature of a scene itself. Making the most of the interaction between these key variables is what this quick lesson is all about.

All this will become clear by viewing Smith’s selection of images. One has a very bright sky with dark mountains in the background. Another, taken on a bright day, is evenly lit with highlights and shadows that aren’t far apart. In either case you can emphasize contrast with the exposure tips that Smith provides.

Smith notes that one of the best ways to learn new techniques is by eliminating as many distractions as possible. And when it comes to understanding the impact of contrast, he says the color in a scene can be a very big distraction. Thus, he suggests practicing his suggestions while shooting in b&w.

As he says, this will give you a very different shooting experience, with variations in contrast being much easier to discern. Then, when you switch back to color, you’ll be far more prepared to make the most of his tips for using contrast to advantage. In other words, different colors have different luminosities, which is another way of evaluating variations in brightness.

This is one of those techniques that once you get it, you’ve got it forever, so how about giving this a try as soon as possible. There’s much more to learn on Smith’s instructional YouTube channel, so be sure to check it out.

We also suggest watching another of Smith’s tutorials that we posted in the past, explaining how to use back-button focus for faster, more precise subject acquisition.

Today one of our favorite wildlife photographers shares a secret he says significantly improves how the subject of an image is perceived. What makes this simple trick so powerful is that it can works wonders for just about any photo you shoot outdoors.

While instructor Steve Perry is known for amazing wildlife imagery, his portfolio is also full of stunning landscapes and nature photos. In today’s episode he demonstrates the impact of camera height, and how a slight change in vantage point affects the mood and feel of an image.

In less than 12 minutes Perry explores what happens when you use a higher, lower, or eye-level perspective. As he says, “Not understanding these impacts can sabotage any chance you have of creating more compelling, artistic images.” He also covers several field techniques that make it easy to follow his advice.

As Perry explains, there are three primary ways that perspective affects the story you’re telling with a photo, and they’re all centered around the relationship between camera height and a subject’s eyes. He begins by illustrating how a photo is perceived when the camera is positioned above the subject’s eye.

Perry rarely photographs wildlife using this approach for several reasons. He says this perspective conveys an unwanted feeling that the viewer is dominant and creates less connection with the subject. He also notes that this can often “minimize the importance of the subject.

A better technique is to shoot at the subject’s eye level (like we do when photographing children and small pets). Perry says this approach creates ‘increased empathy and engagement” by connecting viewers with the subject and making them feel like they’re part of the animal’s world. An eye-level perspective also helps add depth to an image and is particularly powerful  when photographing small subjects.

As you may expect, Perry’s third tip has to do with shooting below the subject’s eye level, which is another of his regularly used techniques. While this method can be extremely effective, he notes why the proper subject is needed to make it work.

When done properly, a below-eye-level perspective makes powerful animals appear even more majestic and intimidating—while making the viewer feel smaller and vulnerable. This can also be a fun approach to take with small subjects, because it imbues them with a unique sense of dominance that we typically don’t expect.

There much more to see, and specific techniques to learn, and by the time you’re finished watching we think you’ll be convinced. You can find more helpful tips by visiting Perry’s popular YouTube channel.

We also suggest checking out the tutorial we shared recently from another top outdoor photographer, explaining seven common landscape photography mistakes made by both amateurs and pros, and easy ways to fix them.