Photoshop How To

Outdoor photographers are at the mercy of Mother Nature, and one aspect of a scene that can make or break an image is the appearance of the sky. Sometimes we confront dull overcast conditions, other times the sky is a flat blue, and perhaps the best situation is a bright blue sky with billowing clouds.

Most photographers who use Adobe’s Lightroom know that it gives you the ability to see “before and after” previews of editing effects on your images. But there’s probably a lot more to Lightroom’s Before and After tools than you know.

Landscape photographers know that the sky in a scene can make or break a photo. Soft billowing clouds make for compelling imagery, as do dark, threatening skies that evoke a dramatic sense of doom.

Beginner portrait photographers should check out the below tutorial from Bach Photography.  Titled "How to Instantly Improve Your Natural Light Portrait Photography," it's a great starting point for anyone wanting to shoot beautiful portraits using only natural light.

Let’s say you’ve shot a cool outdoor image where just about everything in the photo looks good. Sharp and interesting subject? Check. Leading lines in the foreground? Check. Decent lighting? Check. Interesting looking sky?

Let’s face it, most of the time, photos can look pretty bland when you see them straight out of the camera. And it’s no secret that even the best photographers do some editing in post-production to make so-so images look beautiful.

You’ve no doubt admired beautiful landscape photos with soft flowing water and cotton-like clouds, and perhaps wondered how they were captured. The typical approach is to use neutral density (ND) filters that significantly reduce the amount of light entering the lens, thereby permitting very slow shutter speeds that create this ethereal effect.