Photographing our feathered friends can be difficult for those new to the game, and editing the results can be equally challenging if you’re not confident about your post-processing skills. If you’re dissatisfied with past results, the tutorial below will be a big help.

We frequently turn to German pro Jan Wegener for sage advice on photographing birds and editing the images. This tutorial is a bit different because it takes the form of a conversation between Wegener and like-minded photographer and educator Glenn Bartley.

The topic of this interesting conversation is a handful of post-processing hacks that will transform good photos into great ones. The lesson revolves around five nice images that each display unique problems. You’ll learn how to fix each of them with simple editing tips and tricks.

The pretty image atop of this page was captured by Wegener in his backyard using a painted background to make his subject stand out. While his shot looks pretty great, it illustrates a not uncommon problem; namely, sometimes a bird is too far to one side of the frame (or either too high or too low).

The solution here, when the photo is shot too tight, is to add a bit of extra canvas to the image so the subject isn’t cramped within the composition. In this case Wegener decided to expand the frame at the top, and you’ll see how easy this is to do.

The second image of concern is a photo captured of a colorful bird in Australia. As Bartley explains, the problem is that this bird has a blue shoulder patch that’s so bright in the image that the photo looks looks unrealistic. Here the trick is a “double-processing” technique that faithfully depicts the actual color.

The other helpful hacks are designed to fix images that look either “too sticky,” too red, or “too chunky.” In all three cases the rehabilitation process is fast, easy and effective. While watching the video try to think of other ways you can use these interesting editing hacks.

You can find more helpful tips and tricks on Wegener’s popular YouTube channel, and view Bartley’s impressive imagery on his Instagram page.

There are numerous ways to edit b&w images depending upon the look you’re trying to create. Sometimes the goal is a soft, moody effect, while other times you want a photo to jump off the page. The tutorial below is geared toward the latter, explaining how to use two “hidden” Photoshop filters for achieving eye-popping results.

Instructor Unmesh Dinda is an internationally acclaimed image-editing expert with 4.5 million subscribers to his instructional YouTube channel. The episode below demonstrates a quick technique for creating dramatic b&w imagery using two unfamiliar Photoshop filters.

Dinda says, “These methods provide ultimate control over light and contrast, and we’ll learn how to customize them.” He takes a deep dive into how the techniques work, and he discusses timesaving Photoshop Actions for one-click results.

By the time you’re done watching this 18-minute lesson you’ll understand how to add natural grain, recover lost shadow detail, and make eyes sparkle in portrait photos. Dinda notes that these techniques are particularly intriguing “because they take all the confusion away and give you very dramatic results.”

When Dinda says this method is super simple he means it. To get started all you have to do is create a gradient map from black to white, and BOOM—instant drama. If the result is too contrasty for your liking, simply change the method from Perceptual to Classic.

Dinda also demonstrates how easy it is to turn this one-step edit into a one-click Photoshop Action, and he has a few other tips for refining the image even further if need be. He also describes a simple “calculation method” and explains how it works.

You’ll also learn a quick step-by-step method for adding a bit of grain to make your image appear as though it was shot on film. Dinda also wants to open up the shadows in this particular portrait of a male model, and he demonstrates a straightforward way to do that.

The final step in this impressive transformation is making the subject’s eyes come to life. After taking a look at Dinda’s before/after images you’ll want to add this technique to your Photoshop bag of tricks. 

Dinda’s immensely popular YouTube channel includes lessons on just about any image-editing task you can imagine, so pay a visit now and frequently in the future. We also suggest you check out another tutorial we posted recently, explaining the important concept of Color Temperature and how it affects your photos.

Lightroom masks are very effective for quickly fixing photos that are improperly exposed, like when some areas in the scene are too dark or too bright, or perhaps even both when shooting in mixed light.

Unfortunately, this technique is often overlooked because of the misconception that it’s overly complicated and difficult to employ. As you’ll see in the quick video below, nothing could be further from the truth.

While the tutorial deals with a portrait image shot outdoors, this powerful technique works wonders for all types of photos from nature and wildlife shots to landscapes captured under difficult lighting conditions.

Anita Sadowska is a pro based in Bali, Indonesia who specializes in fashion, boudoir, and other forms of portraiture. In barely five minutes you’ll watch her transform what looks like a throwaway shot into an impressively balanced image.

Sadowska captured the late-day photo using a bit of fill flash on her model. Her setting was a bit too strong, resulting in an overly dark background devoid of detail, and an overexposed model.

The first step is opening the Masking panel and choosing Select Subject from among the options (for other photos you can select the sky or the background). Once the model is selected you can refine the subject mask by selecting the entire person, face skin, body skin, eyes, eyebrows and even the teeth.

For this particular image Sadowska selects the entire model and gets to work. She then lowers exposure “quite drastically” to almost match it to the dark background. Sounds crazy? As Sadowska says, keep watch and “trust the process.”

Now at least the image looks fairly balanced, and, as you’ll see, the remaining adjustments are just as straightforward and easy to accomplish. All you need to do to be convinced after Sadowska completes the edit, is compare her before/after images and view the dramatic transformation.

Sadowska’s popular YouTube channel is full of great advice on all forms of portraiture, so be sure to take a look.

And for another simple Lightroom explainer. check out our earlier tutorial discussing the basics of color grading.