All outdoor photographers look for a creative edge that make their images stand out from the crowd, especially when shooting iconic sites that have been photographed time and time again. Today’s quick tutorial from the KPM YouTube channel demonstrates how to do exactly that by including a perfectly defined sunstar that adds drama and depth when framing up a shot.           Perhaps this technique is unfamiliar, or maybe you’ve tried it in the past and your sunstars appeared weak and unimpressive. In either case, all that’s going to change in the next four minutes. Here’s how Instructor Madhaven summarizes this episode: “I break down the art of photographing sunstars—those radiant bursts of…

If you’ve ever unwittingly deleted photos from a memory card, the pain of losing hard-earned images is about as bad as can be. In the next four minutes you’ll learn how to void this disaster forever more by safeguarding the memory cards you use. Instructor Anthony Crothers is British pro and a popular instructor with two decades of experience sharing practical knowledge on the latest gear, photographic techniques and technologies, and other real-world tips for elevating your shooting and post-processing skills. Here’s how Crothers describes the goal of today’s episode: “In this short video I share with you a very simple and effective system to keep your SD cards safe…

The Nikon Z6III sits about in the middle of their Z-series mirrorless camera lineup, but make no mistake! The Z6III is way more than a mid-range camera. Chockfull for high-end photo and video features, the Nikon Z6III is sure to be a favorite, durable creative workhorse for years to come. Nikon Z6III Overview At 24.5 megapixels, the Nikon Z6III falls just below to 45.7-megapixel Z9/Z8/Z7II series and above the APS-C format Z50II/Z30/Z fc models. In terms of value-for-dollar, in many minds it sits at the top. Megapixels do matter, but they are by no means the defining differentiator. Shutterbug had the rare opportunity to borrow a Nikon Z6III and two…

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, “There are too many rules of grammar up with which to put.” And the same holds true for photography rules, especially with regard to composition. Instructor Ian Worth admits that a few of these familiar notions can help frame an image, as long as you understand when they’re advisable and when they should be ignored. Worth is a notable landscape photographer based in Wales who posts weekly “laid-back” behind-the scenes adventures that share practical tips to help others emulate his work and capture stunning in the field. The topic of today’s discussion is the validity of a concept known as “Clean Edges” or “Edge Awareness.” According to…

Do your wildlife, nature, and landscape photos appear blurry or wavy even though you used the “proper” settings and achieved precise focus? The problem may not be a faulty camera or lens, but rather what instructor Matthew Gehly calls an image-killing “invisible threat” that’s easy to avoid. Gehly is a professional wildlife photographer whose behind-the-scenes adventures share powerful techniques that all outdoor shooters can use to avoid common problems. This quick episode describes the concept of “heat haze” (otherwise known as heat shimmer, heat refraction, or heat distortion) that can easily result in unsharp images. In less than seven minutes you’ll learn what causes this dilemma and how to spot…

Time blending is one of the most powerful post-processing techniques for making sense out of complicated landscape scenes with a wide range brightness values throughout the frame. Today’s instructor Austin James Jackson explains the concept like this: “Capturing stunning wide-angle scenes can be easy when you’re willing to do a time blend,” and this is what you’ll learn how to do in the next 15 minutes. Jackson is a notable Utah-based landscape pro who posts weekly how-to videos covering practical in-the-field techniques, gear reviews, and image-editing tutorials. Today’s 15-minute episode falls into the latter category, and Jackson’s interesting method really delivers the goods—no matter the level of your post-processing skills.…

Nailing exposure can be be difficult once the the sun drops below the horizon, and one of the biggest challenges is controlling highlights for proper tonal balance throughout a low-light scene. This quick tutorial from the My Photo Journey YouTube channel describes the necessary in-camera adjustments in barely nine minutes. The task of controlling highlights can be particularly important when shooting on the street where streetlamps, neon signs, reflections, and brightly lit windows can easily confuse the light meter in your camera. As a result, some intervention on your part is with regard to configuring the camera appropriately is an absolute must. Today’s instructor is a British pro who goes…

Boudoir imagery is a unique subset of portraiture that’s growing in popularity as more and more photographers learn how easy it is to pursue with the equipment they already own in the comfort of their home. There’s no need for a decked-out studio or complex-and-expensive lighting gear if you understand how to take advantage of natural illumination streaming through a window. This quick tutorial from Patrick’s Boudoir Photography Secrets is perfect for r first attempt because it’s super simple. And the comfortable couch pose is easy to teach to a “model” without experience like a spouse, friend, or significant other. Patrick is a Vienna-based portrait artist specializing in b&w natural-light…

Here’s a unique tutorial from bird photographer Shelley Pearson who treats us to an uncommon mix of information, gorgeous imagery, and inspiration for nature and wildlife shooters. In the next five minutes you’ll learn how to unlock the beauty of backlighting effects. Pearson is a long-time Australian pro who travels the globe while documenting her vision of the natural world. Today’s lesson is the second installment of a two part primer, and the initial episode can be found here if you missed it. It’s a worthwhile series, especially for those of you who want to get things right in the camera. The video begins with a display of Pearson’s stunning…

Photoshop’s Gradient tools serve a wide variety of purposes for bringing outdoor photos to life by gradually blending colors or opacity. There are various options available for better colors, smoothing transitions and applying creative effects. The rub is that it takes a bit of time to get the adjustments just right. Today’s quick video from the Joy of Editing YouTube channel short circuits the process by providing 12 timesaving Photoshop Gradients that are ready to go. Instructor Dave Kelly, creator of today’s collection, is an image-editing expert whose straightforward tutorials are designed to unlock the full potential of every image you process, and these Gradients go a long way toward…