Photoshop How To

There’s no better way to pick up time-proven image-editing tips than to watch what an accomplished pro does to give his images that little something extra. And in the video below, British landscape photographer Nigel Danson reveals seven powerful Lightroom tricks he says every photographer should know.

For this tutorial Danson focuses on easy-to-accomplish editing techniques that may be unfamiliar to many of you. Danson uses his spectacular landscape imagery to demonstrate his favorite Lightroom tricks, but the good news is that his approach works equally well for all sorts of images.

The video begins with an overview of how to employ brushes in the editing process—something he says is part of his regular routine. Whether you’re just tweaking small portions of an image, refining exposure by dodging and burning, accentuating textures, or using Lightroom to paint in a number of other effects, brushes can make the job easier and more precise.

Danson also demonstrates a quick and easy auto-masking trick to achieve a graduated filter effect with an already great landscape shot. It so doing, he adds contrast and drama to the sky without affecting tones in the mountain below. As Danson explains, he’s slightly overdone the effect, to make it easier to discern the difference between the Before and After photos, but a restrained approach should be your goal when actually processing images.

Other tricks in the video include the use of color masks, a simple B&W trick that delivers big results, and using color grading to achieve the precise look you're after.

There are more helpful shooting and editing tips on Danson’s YouTube channel. And don’t miss another Lightroom tutorial we posted recently that could change your photography forever.