The eye-opening tutorial below begins with a question from instructor Simon d’Entremont: “Do you find that some of your photos aren’t as good as you hoped, but you’re unsure exactly what’s wrong?” Maybe they’re blurry, lacking in detail, unsharp, or simply uninteresting. We’ve all faced this dilemma at one time or another, regardless of our skills. According to Simon, a Canadian pro and Canon Ambassador, the culprit may be your failure to understand the top five beginner mistakes that photographers make, and he admits to being guilty of these mistakes himself. In fact, we all get things wrong on occasion, but the trick is learning the errors of your ways…

Outdoor photographers go to great lengths when editing photos for perfect color, and there are a variety of common methods for accomplishing the task. This tutorial from the PHLOG Photography YouTube channel cuts through the grease by explaining “the difference between Lightroom’s two most important color grading tools.” Instructor Christian Mohrle is a highly acclaimed German landscape shooter whose straightforward how-to videos are among the most popular that we share. Today’s episode compares Lightroom’s Color Mixer tool to the renamed Color Grading tool (formerly known as Split Toning). In less than 15 minutes you’ll understand the best approach to take depending upon the specific image at hand. Feel free to…

Need an emotional pick-me-up? A study commissioned by Fujifilm suggests that nearly 80% of those surveyed responded that viewing old photos brings happiness and calm emotions, with more than half experiencing reduced anxiety. Over 70% agree that taking photos increases the enjoyment of an activity. If you’re a photographer you know that there is a nearly indescribable rush of joy that floods your brain’s pleasure receptors when you review a particularly satisfying photograph that you captured. We don’t need science to convince us that this is true—we experience it firsthand. But it’s fascinating to confirm that this emotional response is universal across our ilk. Fujifilm partnered with clinical psychologist and…