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Light is the most important part of photography, period. The nature of the light you capture has a fundamental impact on how your photo turns out. Good light can make a photo portfolio-worthy, while poor light can ruin even the most careful composition. But what makes light good in the first place? In this article, I’ll discuss the qualities of natural versus artificial light in photography, and I’ll explain some ways to modify both natural and artificial light for the best photographs.

Have you ever marveled at landscape photos shot with long exposures and ND filters, and said to yourself “This is to complicated for me?” The quick video below will correct this misconception and explain how easy this is to accomplish using a few basic tips.

David Johnston is an accomplished landscape photographer and an adept instructor who specializes in tutorials that simplify seemingly complicated tasks, and this episode is a perfect example. In barely five minutes he describes how to use ND filters, the best conditions for this type of shooting and much more.

The appeal of shooting with slow shutter speeds is you can create an ethereal sense of motion, with soft flowing water and cotton-like clouds. The challenge occurs when high light levels preclude long exposures, and that’s where ND filters open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Johnston discusses how to avoid potential mistakes, and he begins by explaining why a moving subject is necessary for effective long-exposure images.  As he puts it, if you take a photo without movement, like his example of a barn against a plain blue sky, “You’re not going to get anything different than you would if you just took a normal one-click shot.”

What you’re looking for when using long exposures is a scene with obvious movement to add a dynamic element that will result in an image far more interesting than a conventional shot. By doing this, “your photos will take on a whole new life.”

Johnston covers a lot of ground in just five minutes, so you may want to take a few notes. He discusses the easiest way to use ND filters, important exposure and other camera settings, challenges and fixes for this type of shooting, and how to use manual focus with an ND filter on your lens.

There’s much more to learn on Johnston’s instruction YouTube channel, so be sure to take a look.

We also recommend a tutorial we posted earlier from another accomplished pro, explaining what he says are the key elements of great wildlife and nature photos.

Lightroom is loaded with tools and special features, some of which change or are added every time there’s an update. So you’ll be excused for not taking advantage of everything this software has to offer.

In the tutorial below you’ll see how to employ three powerful tools that one of our regular contributors says he “hated” until he experimented a bit, changed his tune, and decided they’re “amazing.” The trio of tools you’ll learn to use today include Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze. All three are easy to employ and they can really make a difference in your results.

Instructor Nigel Danson is based in the UK and he’s a favorite among Shutterbug readers. Today he explains why you should use these tools and exactly how they work. He insists that after watching this lesson and examining his examples, “you’ll be able to do great things with your photos.”

Danson created a simple graphic in Photoshop to help describe the theory behind all three tools. This also makes it easier for him to explain when you should employ one over the others, depending upon the subject

The first tool discussed is Dehaze, the one he initially disliked the most. He reviews the various objections he had initially, and why he was disappointed with the results. But then you’ll learn the benefits it can provide once you apply the proper technique.

As Danson says, the key to this tool and the two others is knowing when and when not to use them. As you’ll see, in certain predictable situations Dehaze will work magic, while other times not so much. Thus, as with many of Lightroom’s capabilities, it’s very important to choose your weapons wisely.

Danson follows much the same approach in describing the pros and cons of the Texture and Clarity tools, the benefits they provide, and how and when to use them. And all this makes total sense because of the images he uses for illustration.

After watching the video head over to Danson’s popular YouTube channel where there’s an abundance of helpful advice for shooting and editing outdoor photos.

On a related note, we suggest you check out the tutorial we posted from another expert, explaining how to use Lightroom’s “secret” Tone Curve tool.