Some photographers, like today’s instructor Joris Hermans, simply can’t stop themselves from purchasing lens filters in the hope that these affordable accessories will protect their expensive lenses, create unique effects, help modify light, and magically add impact to the photos and videos captured outdoors. As time goes by, a few of these filters become trusted companions, others are only employed on rare occasions, and some are set aside and never see the light of day more than once. If you’re suffering from this strange form of Gear-Acquisition Syndrome, please accept our heartfelt condolences. To complicate matters, some of us purchase the same filter in various sizes to accommodate a variety…

Are you fed up with the tedious process of organizing files, searching for an elusive image, or culling numerous photos from a recent shoot? Trust us, we’ve all been there and it definitely isn’t fun. And this is where Excire AI photo management software comes to the rescue and quickly gets you back out in the field doing what you love most. The intuitive software has a streamlined interface that seamlessly integrates with your existing workflow and is available both as a standalone program and as plug-in for Lightroom Classic. Excire runs locally on your home computer so there’s no worries about your personal data being compromised.   You can…

The Patrick’s Boudoir Photography YouTube channel is a great source of information for those new to this unique subset of portraiture that relies heavily upon your ability to capture flattering, sensuous images that emphasize a subject’s best physical attributes. The video below is episode #22 of an ongoing Two-Minute Series. Our instructor Patrick is a Vienna-based boudoir artist who specializes in natural light B&W imagery with simple gear. His straightforward lessons cover everything from simple window lighting without costly supplemental illumination, composition techniques, unique eye-catching effects, appropriate camera settings, post processing methods and more. He does some of this in today’s lesion, but the main emphasis is on posing. If…

Photoshop offers a vast array of features, some more effective and easier to apply that others. Today’s quick tutorial from the globally popular PiXimperfect YouTube channel discusses two tools that are frequently ignored because some users dismiss them as useless or even destructive. Applied properly, however, they are very powerful and effective. The subjects of ire are Photoshop’s underrated Smudge tool and Blur tool. According to instructor Unmesh Dinda, however, “these tools can dramatically improve your masking workflow and help you clean up rough edges, refine transitions, and create natural-looking composites with ease. Dinda’s tutorials are built around a somewhat rare strategy: “We believe in learning the concept, rather than…

It’s one thing to get something for free, but’s it’s quite another matter if the freebie has the power to significantly transform every landscape photo that you capture. But that’s exactly what you can grab today in the form of Serge Ramelli’s AI Presets Pack that usually has a price tag of $97. Ramelli is a French-born landscape and cityscape photographer currently working in the U.S. He’s a big favorite among Shutterbug readers who appreciate his behind-the-scenes shooting and post processing tutorials for shooters of all skill levels. You’ll appreciate him even more once you put his transformational presets to work. Here’s the promise of today’s workflow-changing gift: “These free…

Have you ever been enthralled with a spectacular panorama image and wondered if you had the necessary gear and skills to do this yourself? The answer is “yes,” and in the quick video below you’ll learn everything necessary for shooting panos to perfection. Instructor Adrian Caleanu is a professional Canadian landscape photographer whose behind-the-scenes tutorials from awesome locations are designed to help other outdoor shooters discover the world and elevate their skills “one photo at a time.” He kicks off today’s episode with this definition, “A panorama is a wide-angle image created by stitching together multiple overlapping photos to capture a scene beyond the typical field of view possible with…

Color grading may seem like a daunting task, especially if you’re an inexperienced Lightroom user. But it’s important to achieve accurate tones because unnatural colors can quickly kill an otherwise great shot. Instructor James Feaver puts it like this: “if you’re not happy with your colors or you just think they look ugly it usually comes down to one reason: White Balance.” In this quick explainer he demonstrates a “quick trick” for getting far better White Balance in Lightroom. Best yet, you can take advantage of Feaver’s simple tips whether you’re shooting landscapes, nature photos, macro imagery, and  even environmental portraits. Feaver’s demonstration photo is a perfectly composed and properly exposed image…

Today’s quick tutorial from instructor Mark Dumbleton begins with an important question: “Are you unknowingly sabotaging your chances of eliminating noise at extremely high ISO settings? Because there’s a good chance that you are.” If so, that’s about to change once you watch the quick video below. Dumbleton promises to demonstrate a time-proven post-processing workflow that delivers “incredibly clean and sharp results” so you don’t have to worry about bumping up ISO when dealing with low-light situations, long exposure effects, action shots, and much more. You’ll learn why starting with a well-exposed image is essential for achieving optimum results. But let’s assume you already have a noisy photo that needs to…

Today’s tutorial from nature photographer Jan Wegener falls into the category of “I wished I had known about all this sooner.” But now is better than never—especially when you can take advantages of the mistakes made early on by an accomplished pro so you don’t make them yourself. Wegener is longtime Australia-based pro specializing in nature imagery who says, “I love helping others in their quest to capture and edit stunning bird photos and find the right gear for the job.” As always, the recommendations in this video are appropriate for just about any subjects in the field. Our takeaway from this norm-challenging episode is pretty simple: Don’t believe everything…