The latest versions of Photoshop include a wide array of tools that do tedious tasks for you automatically, one of which is an Auto Select function. This timesaver creates pretty accurate selections of objects within an image, with barely more effort than a click of your mouse.

Sometimes, however, you want to make selections yourself, and by doing so you retain control over the results. In the quick video below you’ll learn how easy it is to use Photoshop’s most popular manual selection tools to get the job done.

Instructor Sam Peterson regularly posts basic image-editing tutorials that help photographers confidently use the Photoshop toolkit with ease. In today’s episode he explains the ins and outs of using Photoshop’s Lasso Tool, Magic Wand, the Quick Selection tool and more.

In barely four minutes you’ll learn how these selection tools work, and gain important insight on choosing the most appropriate method for the specific task at hand. Peterson begins with the Lasso tool that he says, “is about as manual as it gets.”

Using this this tool is pretty much like drawing around the object you want to select—either with a mouse or the pen for a graphics tablet. If the result is a bit off, Peterson provides keyboard shortcuts for adding or subtracting from the selection, and refining or feathering the edges. As you’ll see, there are several variations of this tool that work in slightly different ways.

Another foundational selection feature is Photoshop’s very simple Rectangular Marquee tool. As the name implies, this one simply lets you create square or rectangular selections that you can modify with the keyboard shortcuts he provides. There’s also a related Elliptical Marquee tool for making selections that are round or . . . well, elliptical.

Peterson demonstrates a few other manual selection tools, and they’re all very easy to use if you follow his advice. You can find more Photoshop tips and tricks like these by visiting his popular YouTube channel.

We also encourage you to watch the related tutorial we posted from another expert, explaining how to “auto-mask everything” in a photo with a new “hidden” tool in Photoshop.

Photo By Ted Trafford

Today’s Photo of the Day is “Whitetail Soaring Through Sunset” by Ted Trafford. Location: Saskatchewan.

Want to get your images in the running for a Photo of the Day feature? Photo of the Day is chosen from various galleries, including Assignments, Galleries and Contests. Assignments have weekly winners that are featured on the website homepage, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. To get your photos in the running, all you have to do is submit them.

The post Photo Of The Day By Ted Trafford appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.

If you ask most landscape photographers what’s the first lens they pull out of their bag, the answer is likely to be, “my favorite wide-angle.” That’s because the perspective these lenses provide is ideal for capturing expansive vistas.

Interestingly, however, that trend is no longer universal, as you’ll see in the tutorial below. In fact, one of our favorite landscape photographers says he’s changed his mind and now prefers using a telephoto lens more often than not. And from what we’ve seen elsewhere, this approach appears to be a growing in popularity.

We often turn to Danish landscape photographer Mads Peter Iversen for the wisdom he shares on shooting and editing landscape scenes. In this eye-opening episode he discusses why and how he now tends to go long.

Keep in mind that Iversen’s imagery is recognizable for a unique, minimalistic look that is perhaps more conducive to telephoto photography than other conventional styles. In this episode he’s photographing a lonely Lighthouse in westernmost Denmark, as the sun is about to set.

As Iversen says, “I now tend to shoot landscapes with my 100-400mm telephoto zoom,” for reasons he explains. He also shoots at the long end of a 28-200mm lens. Iversen reflects on the reason for the shift away from wide-angle lenses, even though he used them to great effect for years in the past.

While watching this lesson you’ll pick up some great advice on various focal lengths, camera settings and composition, and how these considerations factor into Iversen’s success. You’ll also see how getting in tight can add impact to the landscape photos you make.

Iverson also presents some interesting diagrams and statistics to back up his notion of a growing preference among professional photographers for lenses with more reach. Whether or not you agree, how about this: The next time you head out to photograph the great outdoors, bring along a telephoto lens and see if it expands your vision.

There’s much more to learn by paying a visit to Iversen’s instructional YouTube channel, so don’t forget to check it out.

And for more sage advice for selecting your next lens, take a look at the recent tutorial we posted explaining why f/4 lenses are awesome compared to faster options. It may save you a lot of cash!