If you want to take your photography to the next level, I suggest 3 things. One, shoot in camera raw format in order to capture a digital file with the greatest dynamic range that your camera is capable of capturing. Two, learn how to use Lightroom and Photoshop to edit your raw files to produce a photo that captures the lighting and colors of the scene you saw, or perhaps the scene you had in mind, when the photo was shot. Three – practice, practice, practice! Dare to take your camera off “auto” or “program” mode and learn to use manual mode for greatest flexibility and creativity. In a short time you will understand and be comfortable with the “exposure triangle” (aperture, shutter speed, and ISO) and how to choose the settings that will produce the results that you are looking for.
Lightroom and Photoshop are powerful programs that can produce amazing results, The good news is that the latest versions of these programs are available on a subscription basis from Adobe (Photoshop for Photographers) for only about $10 per month. These programs can present a steep learning curve for first time users, but I found a source for on-line, self paced tutorials that provide logical steps or workflow that can be applied to every raw file that will give you the tools needed to produce an amazing jpeg image that you would be proud to frame and hang on your wall.
Check out Serge Ramelli’s Youtube channel! He has over 400 tutorials on photography and he is the number one channel on Lightroom worldwide. If you want to learn great photography tips and tricks check him out!
Serge is a photographer living in Paris and Los Angeles. His photo below is a sample of his work.
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