Photoshop How To

Dodging and Burning is a powerful post-processing  technique that enables you to selectively brighten and darken specific areas within the frame without affecting the image as a whole. Today you'll learn the best way to get the job done while avoiding three common mistakes that can spoil the edit in a hurry.

Choosing the proper aperture setting is a fundamental aspect of all genres of photography, especially when shooting landscapes with both near and far elements in the scene. The f/stop in use has a major impact on depth of field, which is why many outdoor photographers prefer leaving their Mode dial set to Aperture Priority.

Expansive vistas often include a variety of tonal values that can make it difficult to nail exposure and get colors correct in the camera. This tutorial from the popular PHLOG Photography You Tube channel illustrates how to use Target Adjustments to achieve proper balance throughout the frame without merging multiple shots and time-consuming image-stacking techniques.

If you're unfamiliar with the term "Smart Objects" here's a definition paraphrased from the experts at Adobe: They're a type of "container" that holds multiple layers, that enable you to apply a variety of characteristics to an image with different tools and features.

It's a fact that some landscape scenes look far more compelling in b&w, and if you've ever made a dramatic monochrome conversion you know how true this. We've previously featured tutorials on this topic, but this one from a pro who says, "I've cracked the code," takes a very different approach.

If you've noticed some pretty lousy results when using Photoshop's Magic Wand tool, well, join the club because this is a rather common occurrence when editing certain types of photos. Today's tutorial from the gobally popular PiXimperfect YouTube channel explains when you'll confront this image-killing issue and how to fix it.