Have you ever come across the Color Calibration panel while editing an image in Lightroom but were unsure what these tools achieve and how they work? If so, the quick tutorial will set you straight by explaining how the the various sliders can but used for a variety of purposes.

 

German photographer and instructor Maike Born solves the mystery in barely four minutes, helping you understand how the sliders affect images for achieving accurate colors or creating unique special effects. She says, “This tool has a deeper meaning for both color correction and creativity, and she begins with a brief discussion of color science to make what follows easy to understand.

 

As you may already know, a photograph consists of three primary colors: red, green and blue. And all other colors result from a combination of at least two of these primary colors. For example, with only red and blue pixels the result with be a purple tone. Yet with all three colors the image will contain a wide range of tones—depending upon the specific value of each color.
 

 

There’s no universal standard of how the three primary colors appear, because different cameras brands use a propriety rendition of how colors appear. As a result, if you’re using a Sony camera but prefer Canon’s color palette, the proper use of Lightroom’s Color Calibration tool helps you get that done in a hurry.

 

But there’s more to this tool than tweeking colors to meet your preference. As you’ll see, “you can also use the Color Calibration tool to create unique effects and a style of your own. So why is calibrating colors so important? One basic reason is to render skin tones as accurately as possible.

 

Now that you have the necessary background of how colors interact, Born delves into the specifics of employing the various sliders to refines the tones of an image. This simple method works great for portraits shot indoors or out, nature and landscape images, and just about everything else you may shoot.
 

She begins by moving a single slider within Lightroom’s HSL panel and you’ll see how that modifies an image is rendered. She then illustrates why the Color Calibration sliders offer far more control—especially when you want to remove an unsightly color cast that degrades the quality of your shot.

 

There’s much more to learn on Born’s instructional YouTube channel, so pay a quick visit after watching this video.

 

And don’t miss the earlier tutorial we posted, explaining how to speed up your Lightroom workflow with 5 easy tips

We had so many incredible submissions to our weekly assignments last year. With seasonal themes to those focusing on composition and technique, our weekly assignments were created to inspire photographers, and we hope you gained inspiration and new skills over the year.

The gallery below features the winning image from each assignment in 2022. Check it out for inspiration, and then get ready to enter our assignments in 2023!

The winning images from our weekly assignments are featured on the OP Blog, as well as our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

The post 2022 Photography Assignment Winners appeared first on Outdoor Photographer.

Not long ago, the range of telephoto lenses across brands was boringly uniform. Regardless of camera brand, you had the option to choose between a few classics like the 300 and 400mm with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, and the 500 or 600mm with f/4. But today, the situation is very different. A whole range of interesting telephoto lenses have appeared, and it’s no longer easy to find the right one. Which lenses do I consider the best for Nikon cameras? Read on to find out!

The tutorial below is for all of you who’ve grown tire of hearing “purists” proclaim that, “Unless you turn your mode dial to M you’re not a real photographer.” As we’ve said before, that’s a lot of bunk, as numerous pros regularly shoot in Aperture or Shutter Priority depending upon the assignment.

Another misconception is that Manual Mode photography requires sophisticated skills and is only suitable for advanced shooters, and that’s a silly claim too. After watching this 12-minute video, you’ll be out shooting in Manual Mode in no time.

Hyun Ralph Jeong modestly says, I’m just a guy who loves taking pictures.” But as you’ll see in this episode he’s quite accomplished and a very adept instructor. Whether you just bought your first camera, want to take your photography to the next level, or are simply curious about what Manual Mode involves, this episode will demystify the technique.

As Jeong explains, “There’s a big difference between not shooting in manual because you don’t know how and why, and not using this mode because it won’t affect your style of photography.” So watch this demonstration and then decide what mode is best for you.

Shooting in Manual requires constantly adjusting aperture, shutter speed and ISO, as well as understanding how these three variables interact to achieve proper exposure. It’s also important knowing where to begin; i.e. do you start by first adjusting aperture, and let that choice dictate the appropriate ISO and shutter speed settings, or should another variable be preeminent?

The answer to the above question is simple: “It depends.” In other words, the approach you take depends upon the subject matter and the effect you desire. The hierarchy you use is reliant upon a number of factors, including whether your subject is static or in motion, do you want to blur the background of a scene or maximize depth of field, the light levels you confront, are you shooting handheld or with a tripod, and a few other considerations.

As you’ll see, Jeong provides a clear explanation to these questions so you can make the proper choice under various conditions. And after giving Manual mode a try, you can always go back to your familiar approach

There much more to learn on Jeong’s YouTube channel, and in the earlier tutorial we posted explaining why your photos are unsharp and what to do about it.