In this lesson I show you how to remove the background from a natural shadow and overlay it onto a new background. That has been covered in previous lessons and this lesson updates the technique for times when the background on the original image is not as simple or has objects mixed within the shadow area.

In this lesson I show you how I keep track of all the potential shooting locations I'd like to photograph in the future. I utilize a Lightroom Classic Catalog and place images I find on the internet and from other sources onto a Map and organize them by type and have them automatically broken down by which state they are located within.

In this lesson I use the Pen tool to isolate a subject from its background. We've covered the Pen tool in the past and this lesson is just an example of a real-world use for the tool and allows you to get some practice under your belt. I also cover general tips for using the Pen tool, how to convert the result into a Vector Mask and how to add an Inner Glow to modify the edge quality of the resulting image.

In this lesson we'll look at the changes Adobe has made to Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), Lightroom (LR) and Lightroom Classic (LrC) in February 2025. The new features in Adaptive Profiles for raw files, quickly removing people, before and after view, dual display support and performance improvements.

In this lesson I tackle a challenge image that was submitted by a Masters Academy member. The challenge was to merge three exposures into an HDR image, optimize the image while keeping noise at an acceptable level. In the end I found it was better to process a single image and then do further optimizations which produced a better result than merging multiple exposures.

In this lesson I demonstrate how to quickly save out separate files for specific layers in a document by using the Generator plugin. By simply changing the name of a layer and adding a file extension (such as .jpg) a new file will be generated and then you can add a percentage to scale the layer or a quality setting. This can be very useful when needing to break up a complex photoshop document into a multiple images such as when creating web graphics.TIP: In the lesson I mention adding a .jpg, .png or .gif file extension to the end of a layer name. I neglected to mention that you can also use .svg to produce a Scalable Vector Graphic which is only useful when you use vector-based features such as text or shape layers instead of layers that are pixel-based. When that's the case, the resulting image can be scaled infinitely without degrading color, which is great for things like a company logo.

In this lesson I show you techniques for replacing the background on people who have blonde hair and ensuring that the results look natural.

In this lesson we'll go over the changes Adobe made to Lightroom Classic, Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw in December of 2024. This includes an addition to the Lens Blur feature, New Edit in Photoshop options for Lightroom and an amazing Reflection Removal feature in Adobe Camera Raw.

In this lesson I demonstrate how to transform an image to give it a more cinematic style. This involves manipulating the colors in the image using the Calibration section of Lightroom or ACR, applying Color Grading and then fine-tuning the tonality of the image. I also supply you with a set of presets that can speed up this process.

In this lesson I cover how to perform retouching using frequency separation which breaks an image into two layers, one that contains the fine details and another with the overall color and shading. I then show how to retouch the shading without affecting the fine textures in the image. I also share techniques for fixing edge artifacts that are caused by using masked adjustments in ACR or Lightroom.

In this lesson I show you how to remove the background on objects that have furry, fuzzy, hairy or blurry edges using Select>Select & Mask.

In this lesson I show how to transform just about any image into a High Key image. Such images feature bright, light tones and minimal shadows to create an overall luminous and upbeat visual effect. In the process you’ll also become much better acquainted with how various adjustments affect the histogram.The downloadable practice images for this lesson have been compressed into a .zip archive. You will need to double-click on the file after downloading to extract its contents before attempting to use the images in Lightroom or Photoshop.

In this lesson I'll show you the new features that were added to Lightroom Classic, Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop in October of 2024. The new features include changes to the crop tool, remove tool, generative fill and much more.

In this lesson I answer questions that have been submitted by Masters Academy members. In this installment, we’ll discuss the following questions:

1. How can I create a custom panel in Photoshop where I can add buttons and controls that will apply actions?
2. Lesson suggestions for Lightroom on iPad and processing High Key images
3. Why do some of my .PSD files contain unexpected white when I preview them, but the full image appears when I open it in Photoshop?
4. Can you explain the various files I get when I transfer images from my iPhone to my computer. There are more than I expected.

Adobe also recently released an update to Photoshop and I show you what's new... not much.

In this lesson we explore the more advanced side of retouching residential interiors. We'll add a TV to a wall and make sure it conforms to perspective of the room, add furniture, straighten picture frames and much more. There's also a bonus video at the end that shows how to remove glare that often appears near windows.

In this lesson we look at some of the most common retouching that is applied to interior photographs. From removing outlets, wires and reflections to simplifying the contents and reshaping wires. Regardless if that's the kind of stuff you need to do, you'll learn valuable retouching tips and tricks.

In this lesson I share some masked adjustments that I typically apply to photos of residential interiors. These include making lighting glow, fixing haze and general optimizations.

In this lesson I show how a residential interior can be captured in such a way that informs the viewer so they do not need to see a floor plan to understand the layout of a space. This can be used for real estate listings, magazine features and anytime you want to visually tour a home using still photos.

This lesson explore the new Remove Distractions option that was added to Photoshop Beta in August of 2024.

In this lesson you'll learn to add lens flare effects to your images to produce a unique style.Note: The downloadable practice images for this lesson have been compressed into a .zip archive. You will need to double-click on the file to extract its contents after download before you attempt to use the images in Photoshop.

In this lesson you'll learn how to extract the Depth Map that is generated by an iPhone when you capture images in Portrait mode. You'll then be able to use that map in Photoshop to do more accurate shallow depth of field effects because you'll be able to edit the map. This may also work for images captured using an Android phone, but I don't have one to test it with.

In this lesson I share the images that I recently captured in Tokyo, Japan and talk about which images made the grade, which ended up as outtakes and any special processing I applied to finish off the images.

In this lesson we'll discuss how to capture lens flares using just a flashlight that you can later overlay onto your images in Photoshop.

In this lesson, we'll revisit the techniques covered last week and speed up the process by utilizing actions. This lesson is as much about the included actions as it is about the video lesson.I mentioned this lesson which also used the Channel checkboxes.

In this lesson, I show you how to create a colorful image of an object that does not contain color. That's great for any time you have a purely white, black or gray object and you'd like to inject some color. It also works with normal color images, but the added color is usually less noticeable or can be distracting from the rest of the colors in the image.

In this lesson I show you how I transformed a recent capture into a final image using Lightroom Classic (same toolset as Adobe Camera Raw). In the process you'll learn a bunch of things about using masked adjustments, curves and overall adjustments.You'll need to double-click on the downloadable practice image to extract its contents before attempting to use the image.

In this lesson I share I bunch of random tips that span working with layers, tools, preferences and much more. You'll see how to mix measurement systems, perform math and quickly access tools.

In this lesson, I'll show you how I transformed an iPhone capture into a compelling black & white image. In the process, you'll learn a bunch of tips about performing retouching and applying masked adjustments in Lightroom Classic (same features as found in Adobe Camera Raw).

In this lesson, we will look at the new features that were added to Photoshop in July of 2024. That includes the Selection Brush and Adjustment Brush as well as changes to the text tool and contextual task bar. Adobe has also moved the Generate Image feature and updates to the Generative Fill feature from the beta version to the main release of Photoshop and were covered in this previous lesson.

In this lesson, I'll show you how to create custom page templates and full book templates for Lightroom Classic's Book module. I also cover how to make your book layout more interesting by incorporating graphic elements such as bars of color.Note: The downloadable practice images for this lesson have been compressed into a .zip archive. You will need to double-click on the file after downloading to extract its contents before attempting to use the images in Lightroom Classic.

In this lesson you'll learn tips & tricks for using Lightroom Classic's Book module. That includes how to deal with images that are not sufficient in resolution to handle being printed as a two page spread and preventing images from being cropped by the bleed area that is trimmed away when a book is printed. I also share a bunch of keyboard shortcuts, show how to edit text settings in a more convenient way and how to utilize the second display on dual display setups.

In this lesson I share a bunch of masking tips that I came up with when working on a challenge image that was submitted by a Masters Academy member. I didn't want to actually finish with the challenge, but instead chose to use it as an excuse to share a bunch of masking tips. I'll continue with more tips in the next lesson since I kept going with tips for over an hour.Note: The downloadable practice file for this lesson has been compressed into a .zip archive. That means you'll need to double-click on the file to extract its contents after downloading before attempting to use the image in Photoshop.

In this lesson you'll learn the basics of how to create and layout books using Lightroom Classic. These books can then be saved as either a PDF file, individual JPEG files, or sent directly to Blurb for printing.

In this lesson you'll see how to combine the concepts of high dynamic range and panoramas. Lightroom Classic offers a feature that makes that easy, but usually causes undesirable issues that you'll learn how to get around to produce higher quality results.

In this lesson, I start to tackle a challenge image that was submitted by a Masters Academy member. It's a photo captured in mixed lighting where half the face is sunlit while the rest is in the shade. We'll try to reduce the extreme contrast in the image as well as retouch out distracting elements in the background using Adobe Camera Raw. Everything I do in ACR can also be accomplished in Lightroom Classic if you prefer to use it, but I use ACR any time I'm working on an image that I don't want to retain in my image archives.Note: The downloadable practice image for this lesson has been compressed into a .zip archive. That means you'll need to double-click on the image after downloading to extract its contents before attempting to use the image in Photoshop.

In this lesson I share a boat-load of masking tips which add to what was covered in the previous lesson on the same topic. You'll learn how to use filters and tools in unique ways to improve your masking abilities.Note: The downloadable practice file for this lesson has been compressed into a .zip archive. That means you'll need to double-click on the file to extract its contents after downloading before attempting to use the image in Photoshop.

In this lesson show how to relight faces, make shaded areas appear to be sunlit, soften overly bright highlights and smooth out harsh transitions on faces. All that is done using a challenge image that was submitted by a Masters Academy member.

In this lesson I tackle a challenge image that needs a lot of retouching to remove flyaway hairs and are crossing over both the background and faces. I also show how to smooth out a harsh transition where a face is half in shade and half sunlit.Note: The downloadable practice image for this lesson is the same one that was attached to last week's lesson. It has been compressed into a .zip archive, which means you'll need to double-click on it to extract its content before attempting to use the image in Photoshop. To get to the point that it was at when it was opened in Photoshop, click on the Snapshot icon (overlapping squares icon) on the right side of ACR and choose bottom snapshot.

This is the second installment of a new series of videos where I answer questions that have been submitted by Masters Academy members. In this installment, we’ll discuss the following questions:1) Duplicate background layer, or convert to Smart Object? Any advantage to S.O.?2) Resize and crop in Photoshop, or on printing company web site?3) Challenge Image: retouchNote: I changed up some of my hardware setup and didn't realize that it may of changed the appearance of how my computer screen is rendered in videos. You'll likely notice that the bright areas of the images I worked on appeared to be brighter than they should have been. I'll attempt to trouble shoot why that happened and find a fix for it before the next less is recorded.

In this lesson we take a look at the updated artificial intelligence-related features that were added to the beta version of Photoshop. You can now supply a reference image to influence the results, upscale from the standard 1024 size using super resolution and have more control over what is produced. There is also a new generate background feature.

This is the first of what I hope will be a series of videos where I answer questions that have been submitted by Masters Academy members. In this installment, we'll discuss the following questions:1) What is the HEIF/HEIC file format that smartphones and some mirrorless cameras allow you to capture into and how does it compare to the other options you have available.2) What is the difference between the Blacks/Whites sliders compared to the Shadows/Highlights sliders in ACR and Lightroom.3) How to create contact sheets using Lightroom Classic.4) How to fix missing file and folder issues that will happen in Lightroom Classic if you move or rename images using your operating system.If you'd like to as questions for potential future episodes, feel free to ask them in the comments below, or post them on the Masters Forum Facebook Group where you can also include a example photo.

In this lesson, I tackle three challenge images that were submitted by Masters Academy members: one that involves issues with highlight detail, another with shadow issues and a third that involves perspective.

In this lesson I'll show you the changes Adobe made to Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) in May of 2024. In the video I mention another lesson that covers the Lens Blur feature and another that covers the new Generative AI features.

In this lesson, we'll explore the new Generative AI features that were added to the Remove tool in Lightroom, Lightroom Classic and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) in May of 2024. They fundamentally change what can be done and will make it so you will not need to bring as many images into Photoshop. The one thing I did not mention in the lesson is that when working with raw files, the content that is produced by the remove tool retains the unique qualities of a raw file. That makes this tool more versatile than what can be done in Photoshop since things like white balance and highlight recovery are not "baked in" since you're working with raw data.

In this lesson I talk you through how to become more comfortable photographing strangers in public with a special emphasis on traveling to unfamiliar lands where there might be a language barrier.

In this lesson, I tackle two challenge images that were submitted by Masters Academy members that involve complex retouching that is needed to remove a cage or out of focus branches.

In this lesson we continue to work with the image that was created in the Panoramas in HDR lesson to retouch panorama stitching artifacts.

In this lesson we’ll review how I applied masked adjustments to the images that were used in last week’s lesson so you can see how the final images where optimized.

This lesson covers the changes Adobe made to Photoshop, Photoshop Beta and Lightroom Classic in February of 2024.

In this lesson we've going to explore what's found in your Lightroom Classic catalog folder so you know which files can be deleted, which are overly important and which can be used when troubleshooting issues with Lightroom.

In this lesson you’ll learn how to use a combination of Google Maps and Google Earth to research the most ideal shooting location for a particular location. Doing this research ahead of time can save you a bunch of time when in the field capturing a location.

This lesson is more about the downloads than the video. I've created dozens of Smart Collections for use in Lightroom Classic and the video shows you how to install them as well as some of the things you can do with them.

In this lesson we're going to take a look at how Lightroom Classic works on a fundamental level to insure you have a solid understanding of what's going on behind the scenes. We'll also cover a few issues regarding renaming, moving and adding files after a folder has been added to Lightroom.

In this lesson I share some of the unique tips and techniques that I used the first time I blended the same two images that were in last week's lesson. There are just some techniques that I use less commonly when recording a tutorial compared to when I'm working and not describing what I'm doing at the same time. I think the ideas will be useful when working with any type of image, so I wanted to share them with you.

This lesson is a continuation of what was covered in Part 1 of this challenge image. In this portion I cover how to transfer the warm feeling of the sunrise light onto the foreground area that was light by white light.Refer to part 1 if you'd like access to the practice images.

In this lesson, I tackle a challenge image that was submitted by a Masters Academy member. It involves one image captured just after sunrise and a second captured a bit later from the same location that includes a train. The challenge is to blend the two images to produce a composite image that has the warm feeling of sunrise. This will be a two-part lesson since it takes a while to accomplish the result.

In this lesson I demonstrate how I transformed a sub-par image into a very usable version using a combination of Lightroom Classic and Photoshop. In the process, you should learn a good number of tips about using the masking features in Lightroom and how to get around their limitations by incorporating Photoshop techniques.Note: The downloadable practice image for this lesson has been compressed into a .zip archive. You will need to double-click on it after downloading to extract its contents before attempting to open the image in Lightroom Classic or Photoshop.IDEA: If you want to use Lightroom's features to work with this image, but don't want to import it into your Lightroom Classic catalog, then this would be a good time to use Lightroom CC's Local Tab as an alternative. That what I do for "fleeting images", meaning stuff that I don't want to keep track of long-term.

In this lesson I describe how my shooting mindset evolved when capturing vintage service stations in the hopes that the concepts will help you improve your photography and increase the number of usable shots you capture.

In this lesson we'll explore what it's like make adjustments using Lightroom Desktop from the perspective of someone who is used to working in Lightroom Classic. I'll show you where to find the features you are accustomed to using but are not found in their expected location. The ideal is to get you to be as comfortable as is practical in case you decide to either fully transition from Lightroom Classic, or use it while traveling away from your main computer. The same could be done in reverse by treating this as a guide of where to find Lightroom Desktop features in Classic.

In this lesson I'll show how to simulate the look of a longer exposure on a waterfall even if objects partially obstruct your view of the water. In the process, you'll learn about a huge variety of features in Photoshop.

In this lesson we'll explore Lightroom's new Local tab which allows you to view and adjust images without the need to import them or work with a catalog file. This is specific to Lightroom, which is the version that previously was limited to storing images on the cloud and is different than Lightroom Classic. We'll compare the local browsing capability to what is available in Lightroom Classic. There's a lot of click-bait blog posts and YouTube videos that do not tell the full story, which is why we're looking at it in-depth.

In this lesson I cover how to setup and work with raw files on an iPhone. This includes choosing what happens when you attempt to use Airdrop to send images to another Apple device. In this case I captured all images using the default camera app. I may cover using alternative apps such as the Lightroom app, but that would be in a different lesson.

In this lesson I show how one particular setting that is the most important when working with raw files from an iPhone. I find that applying the proper Camera Matching Profile is essential to be able to achieve acceptable results when adjusting iPhone raw files. I also find that I have to change the way I think when stitching panoramas in order to get workable results.

In this lesson I reveal the three biggest issues I ran into when capturing images exclusively with a smart phone. There was a simple solution for the issue that causes low contrast results and I also had to switch my mindset when capturing panoramas.

In this lesson I go review the raw processing that I applied to refine an iPhone shot that I recently captured in Doha, Qatar. In the process you'll see how I attempt to create a more interesting image by creating contrasts of color, brightness and saturation. The same ideas could be applied using Adobe Camera Raw or even Photoshop.Note: The downloadable practice image for this lesson has been compressed into a .zip archive because this web site does not directly support uploading raw files. You will need to double-click on the file after downloading to extract the raw file before attempting to use the image in Lightroom or ACR.

In this lesson I take a 10,000 foot view of how to think about High Dynamic Range (HDR) that brings up back to a conceptual level. This is necessary due to some recent changes in what is possible when working with these special images.

In this lesson you'll learn how to manually align multiple images that share common content. This can be useful when Lightroom or Photoshop's panorama stitching feature does not deliver usable results, or when you need to blend together different exposures. In the process, you'll learn how to use the Difference Blending Mode as well as many different methods for scaling, rotating and warping a layer.

In this lesson, we'll get in-depth with the Point Color feature that is available in Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic. This feature was introduced in October of 2023 and it allows you to more precisely isolate and adjust colors. It's also available when using a masked adjustment.

In this lesson we'll take an in-depth look at the Lens Blur feature that was added to Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic in October 2023. Lens Blur allows you to use artificial intelligence to approximate the distance of objects within an image and then choose a distance range that should be blurred.

In this lesson I describe the difference between using Adobe Bridge combined with Adobe Camera Raw and how it differs from using Lightroom Classic. I also describe why I use both approaches and how I decide which to use for each project I might encounter.

In this lesson, I cover the changes that Adobe made to Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and Lightroom Classic. This includes basic information about three major new features called Point Color, Lens Blur and HDR Display support. Each of those topics will get their own in-depth lessons in upcoming weeks.

In this lesson we take a tour of where you can find features that treat raw files different than all others and when there is a distinct advantage to using raw images.

In this lesson, I describe the fundamental differences between how Photoshop works with images compared to Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom Classic. One is considered to be a pixel editor, while the others saved their edits as parameters that do not alter the contents of the original image file.

In this lesson we'll explore the Liquify filter and see how it can be used to push, pull, twirl and distort your images. This can be useful to fix issues with clothing, sculpt someone's body and much more.

This lesson starts a new section of Masters Academy lessons that attempt to cover important fundamental concepts in an in-depth fashion. In this case, we will discuss the in-camera processing of raw and jpeg images so we can later learn how the differences can affect the results you're able to achieve when using raw vs non-raw images.

This lesson covers the new features and changes made to Photoshop and Bridge that were released on September 13th, 2023. That includes moving the Generative Fill and Generative Expand features into the main version of Photoshop (previously only in Beta version) and changes to the Remove Tool. Bridge now has multi-window support, you can customize keyboard shortcuts, compress or expand .zip files and a few other small changes.Note: Some of Adobe's subscription plans have had price increases which are detailed here. This does not include the Photography plan.

In this lesson I revisit a light painted image where I had already described the shooting process and multi-exposure blending process in earlier Masters Academy lessons. I show how the image was further refined to turn it into a finished image. That includes, general adjustments, retouching, adding a light beam, changing the switch from Off to On and refining the path of the film.

This lesson covers a bunch of tips related to working with masks in Lightroom Classic.

In this lesson I show how you can match the overall look of your favorite modern movie and apply the same style to your own images using the Match Color Neural Filter in Photoshop.

In this lesson I tackle a challenge image sent in by a Masters Academy member. I attempt to fix distortion produced by shooting with a mega wide angle 8mm lens which causes a light house and building to be distorted. I use the Adaptive Wide Angle filter and show that it is only effective if a proper lens profile has been applied.Note: The downloadable practice image for this lesson has been compressed into a .zip archive because it is in a file format that this web site does not support. You'll need to double-click on the .zip file after downloading before you attempt to open the image in Photoshop.

In this lesson I further explore the Liquify filter by applying it to four example images. I also explore the more advanced features that were not covered in the earlier lesson on Liquify and share some general tips about using the filter.

In this lesson I show how I eliminated some annoying image artifacts on a specific image. These included edge transition issues, color fixes and tiny tree branches appearing to be too blue where they overlapped the blue sky.Note: The downloadable practice image has been compressed into a .zip file to prevent the web site from automatically scaling it down to a smaller size. You will need to double-click on the .zip file after downloading to extract its contents before attempting to use the image in Photoshop.

In this lesson we'll practice the process of making and modifying selections and masks and explore some tips that can make the process easier.Note: Near the end of the lesson, I work on making a purple fringing at the edge of some columns less noticeable. Such issues can most commonly be fixed by turning on the Chromatic Aberrations checkbox in the Optics section of ACR or Lightroom. That particular setting was turned on for this image. Had I noticed the issue while I was still in Lightroom, then I would have considered using a masked adjustment to the edges and increase the Defringe slider. Just wanted to mention it here so you didn't assume that I had neglected to turn on the Chromatic Aberrations checkbox since it was the first thing I checked when I noticed the issue.Note II: I gave this video to Karen right before it was posted so it will likely take her a day or two before the downloadable PDF companion guide becomes available.

In this lesson I show you how to reproduce a dimensional text effect and share a bunch of tips in the process.Here is the Pinterest post that the original image was sourced from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/112308584459516301/

In this lesson I show how I optimized the highlights and contrast on one of my images. In this case I used adjustment layers in Photoshop, but similar changes could be made using Lightroom or ACR.

To learn more about the brightness visualization action, check out this lesson and the one.

In this lesson I cover some of the smaller changes that Adobe has made to Photoshop over the last year or so that I don't think I've covered in the past.

This lesson covers a bunch of tips related to retouching using a variety of tools such as the Healing Brush, Path Tool and Object Selection tool.

This lesson covers the new features that were added to Lightroom Classic in June of 2023. Those features include the ability to add or remove grain in a masked adjustment, refine saturation on masked curves adjustments and a new preview option when using the HSL sliders.

This lesson is more about the downloadable actions than the contents of the video itself. The attached actions will allow you to expand the width or height of an image and fill the newly added space using the Generative Fill feature in the Photoshop Beta. It includes a set of special actions that fill the area using the full resolution of the image instead of being scaled up from a 1024 pixel wide image.I also talk about how the actions were made. That section will not be covered in the PDF companion guide since the actions are the real purpose of the lesson.To use the actions that expand the width and height of the image, you'll first need to install a pattern file that is used within the action. This can be done by choosing Window>Patterns, choosing Import Patterns from the side menu in the upper right of the panel and then choosing the 1020px Grid.pat file that is included in the downloads for this lesson.Note: The Generative Fill feature is now available in the normal version of Photoshop, so you no longer need to download the beta version of access the feature.

In this lesson I demonstrate the basics of using the the Generative Fill feature that has been added to the beta version of Photoshop. It's a crazy new feature that uses artificial intelligence to generate content from a simple text prompt. It can also be used to do complex retouching with little effort.Note: The Generative Fill feature is now available in the normal version of Photoshop, so you no longer need to download the beta version of access the feature.

In this lesson I go over a bunch of tips & tricks for using the new Generative Fill feature that is found in the beta version of Photoshop. I'm sure it will eventually no longer be in beta and therefore will be available in the main version of Photoshop. I show how to bring back realistic eyes after adding eyeglasses to a face, when you'd want to convert to layers or a smart object and much more.Note: The Generative Fill feature is now available in the normal version of Photoshop, so you no longer need to download the beta version of access the feature.

This lesson describes how to use the Layer>Mask All Objects feature and also provides a bunch of tips related to working with masks and adjustments.

In this lesson I'll tackle a challenge image that was submitted by a Masters Academy member. I was asked to adjust the sunlit area of a cobblestone street to make it match the shady area of the same surface while producing a seamless transition. I ended up trying three different methods, all of which produced results that I found to be acceptable. In the end, I would choose whichever method you would find to be the most efficient and least mentally taxing. The methods I used where: 1) Masked Adjustment in Adobe Camera Raw (the same could be done in Lightroom), 2) Frequency Separation, 3) Curves Adjustment Layer + Layer Mask.If you'd like to submit your own challenge image, please do so by choosing by choosing the associated option near the bottom of the Resources menu in the navigation bar at the top of this web site.

This lesson covers the changes made to Photoshop, ACR and Lightroom Classic that Adobe released in April of 2023. The main new feature is a new noise reduction method that utilizes artificial intelligence to retain much more detail when performing noise reduction. Curves is also now available as a masked adjustment in Lightroom.

This lesson covers the new features that were added in May of 2023 to Photoshop 24.5. The new features include the Remove tool (covered in a separate lesson), the Contextual Task Bar, a new type of adjustment preset and an updated Gradient tool.Note: If the new Adjustments panel features do not appear in your version of Photoshop 24.5, then you may need to reset your preferences (via a button in the preferences screen) and possibly restart your computer. They did not initially show up for me after I updated to version 24.5. I've also heard of some people having to go as far as uninstalling and reinstalling Photoshop to get them to show up. But first watch the video to see if you're actually going to end up using the feature before wasting your time trying to get them to appear.

In this lesson I show you the techniques I use when giving presentations using Photoshop. The ideas can be used for a lot more than presentations, but I thought you might want to know how I iteratively modify layers when the Photoshop interface is hidden.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to interpret the RGB numbers that appear in the Info panel in Photoshop and under the histogram in Lightroom.

In this lesson I show how to use the Remove Tool that is was added to Photoshop in May of 2023. It uses artificial intelligence to aid you when performing retouching.NOTE: The lesson mentions that this tool is available in the beta version of Photoshop, but it has since been added to the main version of the program, so it is no longer necessary to install the beta to use the tool.

In this lesson, I'll show you how to use Lab mode to cause colors to visually separate more by applying a simple curve.

This lesson covers how to setup a retouching layer and the consequences of working with such a layer. You'll see how the usual setup for your retouching tools will not be appropriate when working on a mask and why some retouching will not be able to fully remove an object.