All good photographers strive to make images that stand out from the crowd, whether they shoot landscapes, sports, wildlife, or another genre. And the best way to do that is by developing a unique (and hopefully recognizable) style you can call your own.

If you’re struggling to find your own visual “voice,” the quick tutorial below will help you do just that, and start producing photos that you find inspiring. Instructor Scott French is a professional fine-art photographer specializing in the urban landscape and architectural imagery. The straightforward tips he provides in just 11 minutes will help you imbue your photos with a personal look.

As French insists, “Developing our own style is one of the ultimate goals we have as photographers, yet it can be one of the most difficult things to achieve.” He says the term “style” goes deeper than a just a specific look, but also involves the way you view the world. In other words, “try to think of it in terms of your personality and character reflected in your photographs.”

That explanation, by itself, may sound rather amorphous, but French follows it up with three practical tips he used himself when first starting out and defining how he wished to pursue our craft.

The first step is what French refers to as “finding your inspiration.” He suggests that one way to do this is by doing a bit of research to discover imagery from other photographers that you really admire. In other words, photographs with which you “connect on an emotional level.”

The idea, of course, is not to rip someone off by copying his or her approach, but rather to use whatever intrigues you as a jumping-off point for creating your own look. French shares how this simple process was immensely helpful to him as he evolved his work. His other two methods also make lot of sense, and will prove helpful to you during your journey.

If you do enough shooting, it’s possible that sooner or later you may stumble upon a personal style on your own. But French’s advice will greatly accelerate this creative process.

There’s much more to learn on French’s instructional YouTube channel, and we’re sure that you’ll find his calm teaching style reassuring and effective. So pay a visit as soon as you can.

And don’t miss the tutorial we posted recently from another accomplished pro recently, explaining how to create dramatic b&w photos by using two hidden Photoshop filters.

Today we’re bringing you the latest installment of a very popular Lightroom Masterclass series from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel. Each episode covers the basics of a single, important task for photographers of all skills levels.

Today’s tutorial is Part 7 of the series and the topic is Lightroom’s Lens Correction settings. You’ll learn how remove chromatic aberration, fix vignetting, apply lens profiles to eliminate distortion, and much more. Best yet, instructor Christian Mohrle explains all the details in lens than seven minutes.       

We suggest downloading the demonstration image using the link beneath the video so you can experiment with these tools as they’re explained. After opening Lightroom’s Lens Correction panel Mohrle explains how it works. As you’ll see, the various enhancements can be accomplished in two ways; automatically with the Profiles menu that includes a selection of lens profiles or by taking a manual approach.

Keep in mind that different lenses require different corrections. Or as Mohrle puts it, “There is no general fix for every lens, as one may distort the image more or in a different way than the others.” Fortunately, most of the time applying Lightroom’s automatic settings through the Profiles menu is sufficient when working with landscape photos.

Mohrle uses a seaside shot to demonstrate how all this works, and he begins with unsightly Chromatic Aberration. As he explains, it’s usually necessary to zoom in on an image and take a closer look to identify problems areas that need to be addressed. In this case it’s ugly colored edges in areas of high contrast that detract from the photo.

You’ll see how to set up the lens profile manually if Lightroom’s dropdown menu doesn’t have what you need, but Mohrle says this is a rare occurrence. With Chromatic Aberration resolved, he moves on to distortion, vignetting, and an explanation of Defringe. In all cases the rehabilitation process is straightforward and easy to accomplish.

You can find earlier episodes in this illuminating series by paying a visit to Mohrle’s YouTube channel, that also include other lessons on just about any other editing task you can imagine.

We also recommend taking a look at the helpful video tutorial we shared from another expert, with a complete beginners guide to using Layer Masks in Lightroom.

Luminar Neo is rapidly gaining popularity as a full-featured alternative to Photoshop and Lightroom. It’s affordable, has a myriad of powerful tools, and is easy to use thanks to its intuitive interface,

Like with any image-editing program you’ll achieve optimum results when using Neo properly, and one way to that is by avoiding five common mistakes and understanding how to fix them.

The straightforward tutorial below from the Clever Photographer YouTube channel explains all this and more in barely 14 minutes. Best yet, this episode comes with a couple extras, like a free Luminar Neo cheat sheet and a discount code for purchasing the software—both of which you’ll find in the description beneath the video.

Instructor Jacob Bors, AKA “The Luminar Guy,” is a professional landscape photographer and knows of which he speaks—as he’s posted over 150 Neo tutorials in the past. He says that he’s reviewed these previous lessons to come up with “five of the most common mistake photographers make when using this application.”

The first error has a do with using Raw files during the editing process. Bors explains that the first many users do is select the Raw file and move it into Neo’s Edit module. Then they jump into the toolbar and start editing with the various tools in the panel. This may sound like a logical approach, but Bors demonstrates a drawback with this method and he offers a more effective technique.

Next on the list are mistakes made when importing or exporting images. Here he navigates to Neo’s Catalog module and demonstrates the typical approach used for selecting and importing multiple files into Neo. Most uses do that and then move to the Edit or Presets module to apply the enhancements required. But this method has a few pitfalls and, one again, there’s a better way.

Bors focuses on presets with mistake #3, and while “you may only make this error once,” Bors explains the right way to get the job done. And like with all of his tips, he provides clear illustrations so his advice is easy to understand.

The last two mistakes (and solutions) in this very helpful discussion involve the proper use of Neo’s Edits tab and Layers panel. By carefully following Bors’ simple suggestions you’ll quickly improve your existing skills and advance your techniques. Be sure to download the cheat sheet and discount code after watching this video. Then head over to Bors’ YouTube channel for more tips and ticks.

And don’t miss the editing tutorial we posted from another expert, explaining the difference between Luminosity Masks and Blend-If tools when processing your photographs.

3 Legged Thing (3LT) just announced the Charles 2.0, a new, more budget-friendly tripod in their Pro Range lineup, and Shutterbug had a chance to evaluate a sample for several weeks prior to introduction.

Based on the design of the very popular carbon fiber 3LT Winston 2.0, the new Charles 2.0 is a three-section tripod with legs and center column crafted from aerospace-grade magnesium alloy and is strong enough to support up to 88 pounds (40 kg) of camera gear. A versatile, heavy-service camera support, Charles 2.0 extends to nearly 2 meters (76.3 inches) with the optional 3LT AirHed Pro tripod ball head attached.  

Named “Charles” for naturalist and biologist Charles Darwin, Charles 2.0  joins travel tripods Leo 2.0 (Leonardo da Vinci) and Albert 2.0 (Albert Einstein), landscape and studio tripod Winston 2.0 (Winston Churchill), and travel-friendly monopod Alan 2.0 (Alan Turing) to expand 3LT’s range of exceptional camera stabilizing devices.

If you haven’t guessed, you’ve just entered a new dimension of the tripod universe. It’s not the Twilight Zone, but it is a unique cosmos where three-legged camera supports challenge our orthodox understanding of tripod nomenclature. And the stuff is way cool. Extraordinarily high quality production, extremely high-precision manufacturing and amazing cosmetic designs, combined with photographer-friendly features, are the top factors that predispose us to favor 3LT for camera support. And BTW, there is no Charles 1.0. Charles 2.0 is the first of its breed.

Shutterbug readers know that we’ve been aware of the highly reliable tripods our British-based friends at 3LT continuously introduce. Read our coverage of earlier models here and here. 3LT also manufactures an exceptional line of camera L-brackets (read about one here).

Key Features

• Maximum load capacity 88 pounds (40 kg)

• Three leg sections

• Legs constructed of aerospace-grade magnesium alloy

• Features 3LT’s proprietary Parallel Leg Locking System

• Leg diameter 29 mm (1.14 inches)

• Three independently adjustable leg angles 23°, 55° & 80°

• Interchangeable optional tripod foot accessories

• Maximum extended height (w/ball head) 76.3 inches (1.94 m)

• Minimum useable height 9 inches (23.1 cm) (w/ball head)

• Collapses to 24 inches (61 cm) for transport

• Weight 5.4 pounds (2.4 kg) with AirHed Pro ball head

In the Field
We tested the Darkness  version of Charles 2.0 (matte black with likewise black AirHed Pro ball head) outdoors on various types of terrain and indoors in a studio setup with our Fotodiox Pro LED light box. The Darkness finish is quite attractive and has a certain air of quality and seriousness about it.

The leg locking nuts are oversized and very easy to operate. Leg extension was smooth and flawless every time as was extension of the center column.

Although 3LT offers various tripod foot options, we found the rubber feet supplied with the standard configuration to perform satisfactorily throughout the trials. But if you have particular needs because of extreme ground surfaces, check out their extensive collection that includes the likes of Heelz, Clawz and Stilettoz (long stainless steel spikes shown below).

We especially liked the reliability of the AirHed Pro ball head. Once set it holds the camera steady and does not suffer from the micro-creep that plagues many other ball heads.

Charles 2.0 is about one pound heavier than Winston 2.0 (because the legs and center column are magnesium alloy instead of carbon fiber) and we found the slight extra weight a major plus when used in windy conditions and especially when deployed as a studio tripod.

Conclusion
Charles 2.0 is clearly another winner for 3 Legged Thing. We like how it works, we like how it looks and at a cost-conscious price it’s a sure hit that we can heartily recommend.

Price and Availability
The new tripod is available directly from 3LeggedThing.com and from your local camera shop. Prices are as follows: Charles 2.0 legs only, $299; Charles 2.0 bundled with the AirHed Pro ball head, $399. Charles 2.0 is also available with a lustrous matte black finish called Darkness following the same pricing schedule. Prices include a protective clamshell style case with detachable, adjustable shoulder strap.

How 3LT Describes Themselves
“Headquartered in a converted chicken shed (The Chicken Shed) on Kinsbourne Farm, in Stagsden, Bedfordshire, 3 Legged Thing is a small, British company of passionate people, creating and innovating camera support systems for photographers and videographers, and has a sibling brand, Toxic, that creates innovative bags for all people.”

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