TOP 3 PRO LIGHTROOM techniques to rescue dull, lifeless photos!

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My name is Simon d'Entremont and I'm a professional wildlife and nature photographer from Eastern Canada. This video will show you how to get blurrier backgrounds in your photo, right in-camera.
I use Topaz Labs software for noise reduction, sharpening and upscaling:
topazlabs.com/ref/1943/Simon/...
Music in intro: "Nicer", by Houses on the Hill. Find that, and other sound effects at Epidemic Sounds
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Follow me on:
Facebook / sdentrem
Instagram / simon.dentremont
Website www.simondentremont.com/

[@simon_dentremont]

What are your go-to features in Lightroom? What features would you like to see in educational content in a future video?

[@lionheart4424]

I would love to learn a bit more about your experience in using APS-C cameras vs Full Frame cameras for wildlife. Some say that in newer 40MP FF bodies the cropping is better for subjects like birds, while others say the reach of APS-C bodies is better. I plan to acquire a gear setup for Bird photography and I would appreciate immensely the insights from your experience.

[@GordonFRegan]

I have watched many Lightroom videos but you always seem to pull the rabbit out of the hat so go ahead and surprise me again.

[@rappy90]

How about editing with the tone curve?

[@GenericPast]

I use luminance range a lot

[@raikirik703]

The tone curve adjustment is something I always go to in Lightroom! I would like to learn more about colour grading, calibration and the many masking options available.

[@Photo_doctor]

Some people hide facts, and give only for likes and views. But this man, gives everything he knows to us like how a Dad teaches his sons ❤

[@tlaniimas1154]

Totally agree, Good job Simon!!

[@stsofian]

I recently find this channel and i absolutely agree with that are you saying!! This guy is awesome

[@EckySeptarony]

Bro, this man give me a courage to use higher iso... And its mean a lot for me, as i a budget photographer...

[@SycoRiddim]

I love it here!!

[@viajefamiliar]

Really like how this guy show the info!

[@maxmohawke]

Now that's what I call a useful example on how to use lightroom for a beginner like me. Thank you very much.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@KingKyzn]

This man is so damn good at break down complex things into simple easy to understands points of view. Best photo tip channel on YT

[@MOKhut]

You are not just a skilled photographer, but you are also a professional teacher

[@Bernatchly]

I could unsubscribe to literally every other photographer I follow on here, with the plethora of useful tidbits and tutorials you provide. So happy I found this channel, and thank you for all the work you put into helping people learn new photography & editing tips!

[@simon_dentremont]

Too kind!

[@svaeon]

Wish you were my teacher in school, cuz you got such a talent to explain simple and clear.... You got a talent!❤❤❤

[@bennnnnification]

Only a few minutes in and my (admittedly limited) knowledge of Lightroom has already improved. I usually just whack on some warmth, sharpness and contrast and call it a day. Enlightening to see that you take into account the very same things in Lightroom as you do out in the field i.e light direction, etc. Things I simply didn't think to replicate. As always Simon, an unrivaled communicator in all things photography. Great tips and inside info. Can't wait to get some of my new shots into Lightroom and apply what you show here. 10/10.

[@simon_dentremont]

Too kind!

[@selenaplans]

One of the best Lightroom tutorials I've watched thus far. Thank you.

[@dubschloss]

To add to the cacophony of praise for this video, I think this is one of the most useful videos on photo editing I've ever seen. I mostly do street photography but these techniques can be applied universally. You do a stellar job of explaining why you do something and exactly how to do it. I have not experimented with gradients much because it's uncharted territory, but you have inspired me to take more creative liberty with my photos. Thank you, Simon. This is, dare I say, masterful advice.

[@SPDRaid3R]

As someone who's spending a lot of time learning Lightroom, I just wanted to say thank you! Your tutorials are incredible for beginners and you clearly have a passion for teaching others!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you like them!

[@scottevers8425]

Simon, your LR tutorials have taught me restraint. A little goes a long way. Thank You!

[@hellmrf]

Even your free ebook is better than most paid material around KZbin. Again, congrats for the work.

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thank you!

[@davidgommeren7283]

As much as I'm a purist, it is incredible how much and quick a photo can be improved with post processing software. I've got so many photos which are special because of situation and/or composition, but don't look good because of exposure and light problems. Time to learn post processing!

[@GordonFRegan]

Simon you are a master of techniques. What you do that no one else seems to do is explain why. For novices "why" is just as important. As for future videos I think techniques (post production or in camera) would be something I would like to see. Thanks for doing this amazing video.

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thanks

[@brichard11]

Mr. d'Entremont you have no idea how grateful I am for your videos.

[@simon_dentremont]

You are very welcome

[@BabisPapaleloudis]

This video deserves much more than a like!

[@yixunkhoo2705]

Thanks for this video, I’ve been shooting for 6 years and there aren’t many experts out there who give such specific and useful tips that are only learnt through experience. Most KZbinrs only share basic strategies. And you make it all so simple. Kudos to you sir! Subscribed, and keep it up!

[@EDKguy]

I've been discouraged about my photos looking flat. You've given me hope and a path toward success. Bless you Sir!

[@paulmclinden7046]

One of the best, honest videos on KZbin. Brilliant sir. More of it, please. Simply wonderful.

[@ThiagoMatuo]

I was just browsing KZbin and started to watch your video, I opened Lightroom to try to use some of your techniques and WOW, what a huge difference! Thanks!

[@RMCProductions]

Thank you Simon. All of this for free, you're amazing!

[@simon_dentremont]

My pleasure!

[@WilliamTrostelPhotography]

Even as a lightroom pro this video was a great reminder of the power that gradients can have in my workflow. Thank you!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@captainWiggum]

I dont think ive ever liked a video, but this one deserved it. Well done mate!

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks!

[@Hamadeen]

You've been on KZbin for 10 years and you have it like a single video? Mashallah brother 😂😂😂

[@captainWiggum]

LOLOL its very rare I like or subsribe ESP when people on the video tell me to LOL @@Hamadeen

[@diegogarces6931]

You're a superb teacher. Not only have I been learning while watching your videos, I've been getting excited about photography. Thank you, sir.

[@annettegreen8807]

OMG, thank you so much for making this video. These were the MOST useful minutes of photography instruction I've had so far. I did my training way back in the days of film, haha. I have recently begun to learn digital photography and use LRC. This video helped my editing more than I can express. I am so glad I stumbled upon your channel. Thanks for the time you put into helping us newbies--I think I can speak for all of us when I say that you ROCK! I look forward to more "to-the-point", excellently explained videos.

[@BGTuyau]

It will take several viewings plus note-taking plus experimentation with my own files to fully assimilate and integrate these editing techniques -but, as usual, Simon d'E. offers at no cost a worthwhile lesson in photo editing. Merci BCP, Monsieur …

[@mdabdulquader9943]

Thanks Mr. Simon for this valuable video

[@EspritdeCork]

Think this might be my favorite video of yours.Has brought my editing up another level. Thank you

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thanks!

[@DjVojto]

tip: instead of dodging and burning piece by piece when it is too much to do you can use gradient filter on whole photo, select range mask to luminosity option on it and slide that right tick to left for selecting only darks or right tick on slider to the left for selecting only lights. apply exposure down or up depending if you want shadows more dark or light parts to brighten.use O to show you the mask. if you slide smoothnes slider to 20 fx, it wil only apply more selectively on what you need to adjust not the whole gradient.

[@shonpeterson3441]

Thank you for your amazing tutorial!! I’ve been shooting professionally since 2009 and your videos are some of the best tutorials out there. I also appreciate your positively and encouragement!

[@michaelniederer6989]

Don’t typically comment on videos but couldn’t help but chime in. Appreciate your clear and thorough instructions. Gained a subscriber

[@simon_dentremont]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@DarthVeach]

Im not kidding, these techniques blow my mind. I only started using LR a few years ago and had no idea you could do all these things with it!

[@Shiratuu]

Awesome video as always! As someone still learning, your videos are the best at explaining everything but not overexplaining it or losing the point throughout the video. Thank you and keep it up!

[@randyschwager2515]

This is the most useful and perfectly explained editing video I’ve seen in ages! Thanks!

[@WolfQuantum]

Thank you. Clear and not intensely complicated. I've seen too many people making videos where it seems like they are brushing countless little areas and layers upon layers of masking until it's hard to keep track of all they did. These examples show using gradients and masking that are quick and relatively simple. Even the use of the brush tool in the bonus tip was simple and made sense. I'm inspired to go back and work on some images using these techniques. I've used Lightroom for a while, but I am not a fluent expert in it. This is a big help. So, again. Thank you.

[@DarekTube1]

Thats the real photo editing right there... not like most of those guys on YT which just make photos look so unnatural, pretending at the same time that edited picture is better, putting in fact just advanced versions of instagram filters on 😀(which looks awfully anyway)

[@povilasqw]

I was impressed how well lightroom processes photos, and how accurate automatic tools are, but now I'm mindblown about features and all the possibilities. This might not be the most popular content on your cannel, but I find image processing guides very useful. Great work!

[@ivank2969]

A man who sees photo editing as I do, well done. Your editing pretty much mirrors my own which I believe makes the images look so natural rather than unnatural as so many photographers on KZbin seem to do these days. Keep up the great work. 👌👍

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks for that!

[@pixelpodium]

This is just the Pro level simplified. Great video

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you think so!

[@coolxenash]

Your channel is a blessing.

[@simon_dentremont]

You are so kind

[@jeffnewman8261]

Great tips Simon! Something that I do is reduce contrast to brighten areas, in conjunction with raising highlights and whites, especially when I'm "adding sunlight".

[@timothybrake2371]

The tip about darkening the shadow areas was fantastic! Sometimes, as amateurs, we overlook the finer details that make significant improvements. The "shaping" that this created in your image was just incredible. Thanks again Simon!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@jenniferrosario9227]

Oh my goodness. Much simpler than what I was doing!

[@gmlo731]

Loved the sandwich trick. Thankyou simon.

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome!

[@Andy_Thomas]

Rather than subtract from a mask, I tend to use the intersect feature to fine tune a mask. The intersect feature works well when intersecting with a luminance range to specify the highlights or lowlights in a region.

[@chichechich99]

For sure. Nigel Danson showed the gradient + intersect a luminance range in one of his videos and I have found that to be such a transformative tool in my editing kit

[@greggdrake]

Luminance range for the win too. Only thing I'd say differently. This is an excellent video

[@Kreilo2412]

@@chichechich99 Do you have a link for that video?

[@user-hm2js1xg7j]

Simon, I want to thank you for making these lightroom videos. You make me want to learn how to really use the program for more than just basic editing. I don't do a whole lot with lightroom other than basic editing. In the past I always edited my photos, and then deleted the RAW photos, unless they were of images that mean a lot to me, like pictures of my family. But I've decided to begin keeping all of my usable RAW images just to use as practice photos.

[@simon_dentremont]

Happy to help!

[@baranguler9785]

MASTERCLASS

[@MrMGutierrez84]

Simon is my only go to when it comes to photography. Absolutely love his work.

[@mondujar279]

Great video again. I sometimes like to add a subtle background glow by adding a radial gradient over the object (bird possibly) then subtract the object and then raise exposure slightly. Gives the effect of a slight light behind the object.

[@simon_dentremont]

Great tip!

[@Steve-qi7hc]

Excellent, if you right click on the mask you can invert and duplicate it. It works well on radial gradients. More tips please. The post processing is as important as taking the photo.

[@bharthiramsewak1467]

Really enjoy the way you teach. It is easy to follow and understand.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad to hear that!

[@tender.branson]

Thanks! Now I understand what's missing in my photos. It's not just about composition, focus and sharpness. To me its even just 50%. Because what you just did in the video adds another 50% and make these photos really stand out. Amazing. I just don't have this vision. Don't know how I want my normal photos to look.

[@helenmb61]

Some great ideas here Simon. I use the intersect option with either a brush or gradients on my masks a lot. It's particularly useful with selecting the subject and then intersect with the brush. You just then paint on where you want your adjustment and it doesn't spill out into the background.

[@simon_dentremont]

Great tip!

[@Rdavis6593]

These are very useful tips, well explained. Thank you n

[@MainsOnPointAerials]

Excellent teacher

[@chysovana]

this video make my eyes bigger, just a little bit but the photo so impress! thank you.

[@VAhockeyGuy]

YES!! Finally a video by a photographer who is a true artist! Love this video. Thanks so much for posting.

[@simon_dentremont]

You're so welcome!

[@MA-no8tz]

You are a great teacher! Many thanks.

[@simon_dentremont]

You're very welcome!

[@R0dan]

FANTASTIC!

[@simon_dentremont]

Many thanks!

[@cazzyungklewitz946]

Waiting patiently for you here in Botswana 🇧🇼

[@simon_dentremont]

3 trips next year!

[@DavidSorensenPlus]

Goodness gracious, where are the days that I had a darkroom in my attic with a big and bulky enlarger, where I used pieces of paper and my hand to expose certain areas less or more. Those were the days 😅 But this allows for such dramatic images, making it so easy to add the right atmosphere.

[@appleaday9738]

Thank you!! This tutorial is AMAZING! The most helpful I’ve found as a LRc beginner.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@bmylesk]

@simon_dentremont the key phrase you said here was, "there's no right or wrong, it's your art." Very true. Don't get lost in perfection.

[@huexley]

Light painting is one of my fav trick !

[@127TROOP]

Wooooooaaah! This is awesome!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you like it!

[@sarahthomson8183]

One of the best Lightroom tutorials I've ever seen! Thank you so much. And please do more of them?

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks, will do!

[@rob7601]

Love the sandwich technique on those ducks! Subscribed

[@simon_dentremont]

Thanks for the sub!

[@eddienyagah]

This man is just heaven sent. That's all I can say to describe him. Thank you so much.

[@djlaion1770]

I love how you explain everything. It's very helpful for starter wildlife photographer :)

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kevinwhite6176]

I think this is a really great tutorial. I've seen a lot of nature and landscape photographers do some very heavy handed lightroom work and yours definitely is more of 'enhancing realism' as opposed to just 'a big flashy landscape'. Both are totally valid and I like both!

[@boutdoors8234]

Some of the best education on KZbin. Thank you for all your efforts

[@hhmc6126]

best ever video and knowledge on yt!!!

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thanks!

[@SHAHLIFE]

I mean, i watch tons of editing videos and this is the most useful secret-free of all time. Really appreciate this man!

[@sakshamconsul1389]

This was pure gold! Super excited to try these tips!

[@simon_dentremont]

great!

[@LauMagroTheFrenchKOInection]

That was really comprehensive. Thank you Simon.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RufatFarzane]

I'm using Lightroom for quite some time now, but your "sandwich" technique with background only selection was something new that I tried on a few shots edited earlier and it instantly made an impact. Thanks for the guidance and for sharing your experience.

[@garysparker]

@simon_dentremont I have been watching your videos for over a year. First, you are extremely good at what you do. I love your style and subjects. Secondly, thank you for sharing so openly your experience and techniques. It’s people like you that are inspiring others to take up photography as a hobby or profession. Cheers

[@merlin3784]

This is the best tutorial on LRC! Thank you so much!

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you think so!

[@kamilobetancur1]

Amazing Thanks

[@chernoawe7894]

This is the most information I’ve absorbed in one video you explain everything perfectly thank you

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you think so!

[@Rusty1843]

I've never taken a photo with intent before I found your KZbin channel. Thank you so much for what you do. I wish I found your channel and photography years ago.

[@simon_dentremont]

You are so welcome!

[@abeltshimini5750]

Simon you quickly becoming my favorite KZbinr

[@lightwaters]

In my experience to make images sharp be mindful to define your whites , black and grey ...Anything on top is just a bonus

[@jeffgermanich8105]

I’m under the weather today, but these videos make me want to get outside and have fun 😊

[@simon_dentremont]

You should!

[@trevorvonritter]

I actually have so many photos that I thought were hopeless / didn't know how to properly edit that will really benefit from your techniques

[@jrfstudio]

I really appreciate and respect what you are doing for all of us. God bless

[@simon_dentremont]

Welcome!

[@LuciaHewitt]

Oh gosh! All these new tricks that I didn't think about. thank you!

[@lisaouellette2656]

I could watch hours of this kind of tutorial. I lack vision…all the technical technique in the world is useless without vision. This is so helpful! Thanks!

[@mawavoy]

Simon, thanks for sharing these simple light room editing tips.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad you like them!

[@Magnetar47]

Holy mother of ducks! Just by watching this video, I feel like I've unlocked 100% of my brain... 😅 Amazin work, Simon. Wishing you the best of luck in your future endeavours. :)

[@tmsmqwx]

I love the duck photo manipulation. Sometimes you can't even see what a photo is lacking until you see what can be done with it. This is reminiscent of how we used to underexpose slide film to obtain a measure of saturation.

[@lilacblue783]

Thankyou for explaining so simply for us beginners

[@simon_dentremont]

Happy to help!

[@KingAriston]

This is the first truly useful video I've seen on using Lightroom. Other videos just go through obvious features of the program, on this one I actually learned applicable techniques and principles. Thank you.

[@simon_dentremont]

Glad it was helpful!

[@MohcineJabairi]

These are some real practical tricks, Thank you Simon!

[@simon_dentremont]

You're welcome!

[@JHJohnson]

Great tips. Would love to see more of these

[@Arg0nautA1959]

WOW, I see many videos about photography but yours really stand out... Well done!

[@simon_dentremont]

Wow, thank you!

[@peteg330]

'remember this is your art'. I like that comment as we seem to be bound by what other do or think of your pictures. This is your creation and your art! Thanks Simon, that just reinforced my confidence.

[@simon_dentremont]

Well said!

[@ChuckErvin]

Wow … just wow. Thank you, Simon.

[@simon_dentremont]

Thank you too!

[@iamsilentobserver]

Thank you so much for explaining in so much detail. I've learnt more of lightroom from this video than ever before