Outdoor Photography How To

Have you heard the term “non-destructive” to characterize certain editing methods, but you’re unsure what it means? If so, we’re going to clear that up today. You’ll also learn how easy it is to get the job done using Adjustment Layers to process photos.

Minimalism is a powerful technique used by experienced landscape photographers to create order out of the chaos inherent to complex outdoor scenes in which a myriad of unrelated elements compete for attention. This simple-but-dramatic imagery is often rendered in high-contrast b&w but there plenty of room for vibrant color, as you'll see in the video below.

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in northeastern Alaska consists of 19,286,722 acres along the Alaskan North Slope, and supports a greater diversity of flora and fauna than anywhere else in the Arctic Circle. It was established in 1960 and is governed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It receives only about 1,500 visitors a year.

I learned photography in the film days, and when the huge change to digital came along, I changed not only my gear but the way I see. I used to have to see in terms of very specific criteria of what would work within the ISO range of my film and what the film could record in terms of light and shadow. Low ISOs meant I couldn’t get enough depth of field, or a tripod was needed, or I had to light something because there wasn’t enough information in pictures that had incredible shadow detail. High ISOs often meant an unacceptable level of grain and bad color rendition. As a result I passed up a lot of situations that got my attention but were beyond the capability of my film to capture.

If we asked you to name the "one concept that 99% of photographers get wrong," it's doubtful that contrast is the first thing that comes to mind. According to photographer James Parsons, however, this is a critical element that should never be ignored.

Chris Perea is an acclaimed Arizona-based pro known for stunning images of the American Southwest. In the tutorial below he reveals an important secret to his success, which he says is “the one crucial concept every landscape photography should know.”