Software How To

Last week brought you a short-and-sweet tutorial from post-processing impresario Julieanne Kost, explaining the simple process of using Photo Merge in Lightroom to create beautiful HDR images that would be impossible to capture in a single shot in the camera. Today she's back with another five-minute episode, demonstrating how to speed up the editing process by using the Quick Develop panel in Lightroom Classic.

Here's a tutorial from one of the world foremost post-processing experts who demonstrates how easy it is to use Photo Merge in Lightroom Classic to combine bracketed exposures into a High Dynamic Range (HDR) DNG file that contains all of the quality and flexibility of a Raw file. If you've avoided this editing method, thinking it was beyond your skills, that's going to change in the next six minutes.

Just about all Lightroom users know that the software includes a variety of timesaving presets for creating numerous effects and quickly dupicating specific edits you made in the past. In addition to the built-in presets there are others you can download at nominal cost, and even create some of your own.

We're always looking for unique post-processing techniques that transform mediocre images into money shots with an eye-catching and totally unexpected effect. This Photoshop tutorial begins with a concise question that gives the technique away: "Do you want to transform a bright, sunny day into a dramatic night scene?"

Today's tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel demonstrates how easy it is to use a Color Balance adjustment layer in Photoshop to refine colors in outdoor photographs and create a spectacular yet realistic look. Be sure to download the sample Raw file with the link beneath the video so you can follow along and make the changes yourself.

Bright sun-filled days are great for a trips to the beach but when it comes to outdoor photography, well, not so much. These high-contrast situations make it very difficult to capture impressive images, whether you're shooting nature scenes, landscapes, sports photos, or even environmental portraits without supplemental light.

Do the outdoor photos you capture often appear dull and uninspiring, failing to convey what you saw through the viewfinder? Fear not, because this Lightroom tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel explains how to bring them back to life with Lightroom's oft-ignored Color Range Masks.