Nature Photography How To

An overriding concern when editing photos is the necessity of employing the right tools and adjustments that result in a realistic look, because taking a heavy-handed approach or employing incorrect techniques can actually make our originals look worse. In other words, you're just wasting your time.

As will all creative pursuits, post-processing mistakes are to be expected and they're part of a photographer's growth. The trick is to learn from every faux pas and not repeat the same errors as your skills evolve. And that's the purpose of this eye-opening tutorial from the instructional Light Meets lens YouTube channel.

Canadian pro Nick Kuhne is a successful landscape photographer whose goal is to inspire others with straightforward videos on imaging trends, shooting techniques, and thoughtful discussions about gear. He's also adept behind the computer, and this episode will likely motivate you to refine your lightroom or Photoshop workflow.

Kuhne kicks of today's lesson with this: "Editing can be a tricky challenge photographers whereby each tip, technique, and tool needs be used in the right context."  At the top of his list is the fact that many are guilty of always pumping up contrast whether an image needs it or not. His first example clearly illustrates the danger of this unnecessary routine.

Another potential pitfall is a failure to understand Lightroom's Dehaze tool. When properly made these adjustments can be quite helpful, but here's the rub: Do things wrong, however, and an unintended consequence is that you may inadvertently rob photos of eye-catching depth and dimension.

Or as Kuhne says, "oftentimes layers of haze in the atmosphere are one of the visual cues that your eye sees in order to understand the distance and depth of an image. He illustrates how a beautiful, moody mountain scene is actually made more interesting by accentuating haze rather than by removing it.

There's much more to learn as this video proceeds, and we think you'll want to take advantage of Kuhne's expertise. There's more wisdom to be found on his popular YouTube channel.

If you struggle to consistently capture compelling landscape photographs, check out our recent tutorial from another accomplished shooter who provides several pro techniques for adding interest and impact to your outdoor imagery.