With so many updates coming through, it's very easy to miss things in Photoshop, and this is one function that's well worth knowing about. Auto Blend Layers is incredibly powerful and useful for blending layers together, changing the composition of a picture and compositing. Here I show what it can do with a few examples, and ask the question: do you really know how good it is?
This is a practical hands-on with the RØDE VideoMic GO II, a microphone that costs less than £100 but produces audio quality to match much more expensive microphones, and it can be used on other devices too. With day to day living getting more and more expensive, it's definitely one to consider. RØDE did send me the VideoMic GO II, but they haven't paid me to create this video or influenced it in any way, and the opinions are entirely my own.
I love the drama and impact a long exposure brings to a picture, but what if you didn't use a long exposure when you took the photograph? This video shows a super easy and effective technique I use in Photoshop to recreate the long exposure look afterwards, so a picture taken at an ordinary shutter speed can still get that same dramatic feel. It's quick to follow along with, and it works an absolute treat.
Since sharing my 20/10 technique in Photoshop for making portraits pop, I've had a constant flow of questions asking whether there's a way to get the same result without leaving Lightroom. So I had a play and came up with this. Using the Masking section, a few simple steps bring a portrait to life and make it look as though it's coming forward of the screen or the paper; to be honest, I think I now prefer it. During the intro I also explain the four layers you'll have seen in the original video, as I've had quite a few questions asking whether they're part of the technique.
Selections can be really difficult. Even when you use the dedicated selection tools in Photoshop, you can still see traces of the original background around your cut-out once it's in place. Here I go through five of my favourite tips and techniques for cleaning selections up and getting rid of those leftover traces, so your cut-outs look their very best rather than giving away where they came from.
I often get comments about how my portraits seem to come forward of the screen, and even more so forward of the paper when they're printed. That effect is largely down to a particular technique I use in Photoshop, one that I call 20/10. This video shows exactly how I use it, and it also explains the principle behind it and why it works so well, so you understand what's happening rather than just following the steps.
When it comes to Photoshop, selecting hair is without doubt the area people struggle with more than any other. Adobe has put an incredible amount of work into making selections quicker and easier, but even Photoshop has its limits; try selecting dark, frizzy hair on a dark or busy background and you'll know what I mean. Here I show how I use the Clone Stamp Tool together with a selection instead. It saves time, gets great results, and it's saved me more times than I can remember, because sometimes we just have to cheat.
If there's one thing that has made me a better photographer more than anything else, it's tethering. This video explains why, and then goes through how to do it, including how to tether into Lightroom using a Sony camera. There's also an extra tip at the end about how to help people become more confident in front of the camera, which is something I think about on every shoot where I'm photographing people.
In addition to the software and a cable, there’s lots of additional kit made by TetherTools that is designed to make tethering, either indoors or outdoors, as simple and as convenient as possible.
Over on my GEAR PAGE I’ve listed the kit that I use on a very regular basis; you can check that out using this LINK or just clicking on the GEAR link at the top of this page.
Cheers,
Glyn
On the first day with my new drone, the DJI Air 2S, I dared to fly it out over the Atlantic Ocean in Cornwall to photograph a lighthouse, a photograph that simply wouldn't have been possible without it. It was scary, but the results were incredible. This video takes you behind the scenes on the photo shoot, and then through the retouching steps in Lightroom for some of the coastal images I came away with.
A few weeks ago I shared a video on my YouTube Channel showing how to install and use Look Up Tables (LUTs) in all versions of Lightroom, per it Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, Lightroom Mobile and Lightroom on the Web.
Following on from that I did get a few questions asking about problems using LUTs in Photoshop with error messages being thrown back and images being made to look, well, awful.
So, here’s a video I’ve put together to show how to Make, Save, Export and Edit LUTs without any errors.
Enjoy
I'd previously shared a video showing how to install and use Look Up Tables (LUTs) in every version of Lightroom: Lightroom Classic, Lightroom, Lightroom Mobile and Lightroom on the web. Following on from that, I had a few questions about problems using LUTs in Photoshop, with error messages being thrown up and images being made to look, well, awful. Here I show how to make your own LUTs by saving and exporting them correctly, how to make them editable, and what to do if it all goes wrong.
© Glyn Dewis 2026
