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# Greg Benz Photography

Luminosity Masking, HDR, Photoshop Tutorials, and cityscape and landscape photography

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://gregbenzphotography.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Exporting AVIF and HDR with Web Sharp Pro v5.6](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/exporting-avif-and-hdr-with-web-sharp-pro-v5-6/) - Support for both AVIF (smaller file format) and HDR ("high dynamic range" via new monitor technology) is rapidly increasing. Adobe Camera RAW 15.4 just added a great new capability to export AVIF images at any time which enables new features in Web Sharp Pro. Web Sharp Pro (WSP) v5.6 is a free update for all customers
- [NEW in ACR v18.5: blemish removal](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/new-in-acr-v18-5-blemish-removal/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v18.5 just added a great new feature: blemish removal. This can easily save you hours of work with portraits, weddings, high school seniors, etc. It uses AI to intelligently find skin blemishes like pimples or patchy skin - while keeping important features like moles, facial hair, tattoos, etc. With just a
- [Lightroom Classic plugin for Web Sharp Pro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/lightroom-classic-plugin-for-web-sharp-pro/) - For those of you who want to leverage the advanced exporting capabilities of Web Sharp Pro (WSP) but frequently work in Lightroom Classic (LRC), WSP now includes a LRC plugin. This lets you start your export from LRC and get perfect results for all your social media platforms - including the full HDR support, image
- [Lightroom v15.4: Better select subject, duplicate detection, and HDR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/lightroom-v15-4-select-subject-duplicate-detection-hdr/) - Adobe just released Lightroom v15.4 with several updates: Much better "select subject" masks. Duplicate detection to help automatically find and remove clutter from your catalog 16-bit HDR exports to give you more control in Photoshop Assisted culling updates to filter out images based where your subject's eyes are closed or out of focus More options
- [NEW: edge & feather controls to avoid halos in RAW masks!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/raw-edge-feather-controls-to-avoid-halos-in-sky-masks/) - I've got a great tutorial on the latest Adobe updates below - but first, want to share a time-sensitive announcement. I'm teaching TWO new classes focused on creative HDR editing this week at the Lightroom Virtual Summit. The Summit includes >30 hours of instruction from 17 top instructors. You can view the sessions for free
- [Lumenzia v12 adds Focus Stacking and ability to auto-align Smart Objects](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v12-focus-stack-auto-align-smart-objects/) - Lumenzia v12 I am excited to announce the official launch of Lumenzia v12. The headline features in the initial release are a unique ability to align smart objects and new non-destructive focus stacking workflows (see the release notes for a full listing of recent updates). In recent years, I've been trying to get you new features
- [Web Sharp Pro v7 adds significant new capabilities for sharing HDR photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/web-sharp-pro-v7-sharing-hdr-photos/) - Special announcement: I'm teaching 2 new classes focused on creative HDR editing at the upcoming Lightroom Virtual Summit (affiliate link). Register now for early-bird pricing. If you want to get more natural, compelling results from HDR images in Lightroom, this is a great opportunity to learn the workflow step by step. Get the VIP pass
- [A Photographer's review of the Apple Studio Display XDR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/a-photographers-review-of-the-apple-studio-display-xdr/) - Price drop: the VESA-mount Studio Display XDR is now $400 off! Apple just announced the Studio Display XDR, and it is a game changer for HDR photography. This incredible 27″ monitor outperforms the legendary Pro Display XDR on almost every dimension but size, and yet costs only half as much. This sends one of
- [How to share HDR photos on Instagram or Threads](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/how-to-share-hdr-photos-on-instagram-or-threads/) - Many of you have asked how you can share HDR photos like I do on my Instagram (IG) or Threads posts. If you aren't familiar, I hear comments like this almost daily from people who've seen a good HDR display for the first time: "I finally upgraded (to an HDR-capable iPhone), and holy s***, now
- [A photographer's review of the new M5 MacBook Pro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/a-photographers-review-of-the-new-m5-macbook-pro/) - Amazon has some great sales on the M4 and M5: $150 off: 14" M5 with 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD (best value) $150 off: 14" M4 Pro with 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD $160 off: 16" M4 Pro with 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD Apple just announced the launch of their M5 Pro and Max chips for
- [Web Sharp Pro v6 adds significant new capabilities for sharing HDR photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/web-sharp-pro-v6-adds-significant-new-capabilities-for-sharing-hdr-photos/) - I'm happy to announce the launch of Web Sharp Pro (WSP) v6, which is another free update for all existing customers. This launch is a bit unique as I have been quietly adding these features to "v5" for a while to help get some feedback and expanded testing before I had everything ready. The key
- [How to share HDR photos on AppleTV](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/how-to-share-hdr-photos-on-appletv/) - Neither AppleTV nor AirPlay support HDR photos at this time, but they do support HDR video. And many social media sites similarly only support HDR for videos. To help share your photos anywhere, Web Sharp Pro (WSP) v6.9.0 now lets Apple Silicon users export HDR photos as a video. It includes support to control timing,
- [Do you need to calibrate Apple XDR monitors?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/apple-xdr-monitor-calibration-accuracy/) - Photographers need accurate monitors. If you are viewing a display with inaccurate color temperature, crushed shadows, etc, you are likely to be frustrated with your prints and your online audience probably won’t see your image as you intend. This is why we prefer high quality monitors and profiling tools. Things get a bit more complicated
- [ASUS PA32UCXR: The best HDR monitor for photographers?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/asus-pa32ucxr-the-best-hdr-monitor-for-photographers/) - Amazing deal: Save $800 off the cost of PA32UCXR. The new HDR display technology is the greatest leap forward in image quality in decades, offer super sunset color, highlight details, and the ability to truly show a wider dynamic range (this is completely unrelated to the old "HDR" software that many of you know, but
- [Apple Pro Display XDR for HDR photography](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/apple-pro-display-xdr-for-hdr-photography/) - If you've been following me for a while, you know I'm a fan of next-generation HDR displays. These displays are absolutely stunning - for the first time ever, we can truly see all the detail and color in our RAW files. I've just picked up a stunning external HDR monitor and wanted to write a
- [HDR: gain maps vs tone mapping](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/hdr-gain-maps-vs-tone-mapping/) - One of the greatest innovations to help improve the quality of HDR (“high dynamic range”) images is a technology known as a “gain map“. Their value is often misunderstood or overlooked, so in this article we’ll dive into what they are and why they are vastly better than the alternative. TLDR summary: Always share HDR
- ["Gain maps" make HDR look great on any screen](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/jpg-hdr-gain-maps-in-adobe-camera-raw/) - HDR support has rapidly improved since Adobe first added support for true HDR (High Dynamic Range) display last October. We finally have the tools to show the full dynamic range and color captured in our RAW images. If you haven’t seen it, you won’t believe what you’ve been missing. Even 20 year-old RAW files can
- [Gain maps vs Tone mapping HDR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/gain-maps-vs-tone-mapping-hdr/) - One of the most common mistakes photographers make when sharing HDR is to ignore how your image will look on someone else’s monitor. It’s easy to manage once you understand you should always export HDR images with a “gain map“ (even when encoding as AVIF). The image below is encoded two different ways, the left
- [Great HDR requires a great SDR in the gain map](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/great-hdr-requires-a-great-sdr-in-the-gain-map/) - Modern HDR displays finally allow us to display with a dynamic range approaching what we saw in person. The vast majority of your audience on Instagram already has great support due to the capabilities of modern phones (85% of my audience reported seeing HDR support in my recent white square test). I hear from countless
- [ISO gain maps: sharing HDR photos is about to get much easier](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/iso-21496-1-gain-maps-share-hdr-photos/) - HDR photography offers incredible improvements in image quality and support has come a long way in just a couple short years. We have a great range of editing software (all versions of Lightroom, Adobe Camera RAW, Photoshop, Affinity, Pixelmator Pro, etc). Most people have at least one HDR-capable display, considering smart phones and TVs -
- [Photographer's review of the ASUS PA27UCX-K HDR monitor](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/photographers-review-of-the-asus-pa27ucx-k-hdr-monitor/) - Update: This monitor has been discontinued. Please see my recommended HDR monitors list for the best current options. HDR displays are already the norm for TVs, smart phones, and Apple computers. However, options are more limited for external computer monitors. I have several options and general buying advice on my recommended HDR monitors page.
- [Review of the Move Shoot Move Nomad to track stars](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/review-of-the-move-shoot-move-nomad-star-tracker/) - If you take photos of the night sky, you know that noisy images and blurry stars are a huge hassle to manage. Due to the rotation of the earth, stars star to blur after just a few seconds. This leaves you with only a few options: Deliberately shoot star trails by using a very long
- [NEW: RAW adjustment layers in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/new-raw-adjustment-layers-in-photoshop/) - Before we get to the tutorial below, I want to share that there is a new Photoshop Virtual Summit (aimed at beginners). I'm not teaching at this event, but had an incredible time at last year's LR Summit and highly recommend it. The all-star list of PS instructors includes Blake Rudis, Aaron Nace, Dave Cross, Matt K,
- [A photographer's review of the new M4 MacBook Pro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/a-photographers-review-of-the-new-m4-macbook-pro/) - UPDATE: See my review of the new M5 MacBook Pro (for the base chips, M4 is still latest for the Pro and Max chips). Don't miss the huge sales on the M4 and new M5 MacBook Pros: 14" M5 $150 off 14" M5 with 24 GB RAM, 1TB SSD (best value) 14" M4 $300 off M4
- [Which file formats to use for photography?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/which-file-formats-to-use-for-photography/) - Choosing the right file format for photography is critical if you want high quality, but it's also very confusing. There are a number of file formats, file details like color space and bit depth, hidden details, HDR considerations, and an endless number considerations for the software or hardware others might use to view your images.
- [The latest HDR displays at CES 2026](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/the-latest-hdr-displays-at-ces-2026/) - I just got back from a couple of exciting days at CES 2026. If you aren’t familiar with the Consumer Electronics Show, it is one of the largest trade shows in the world (148K attendees) and is where new monitors and TV are often announced. I’ve attended the last three years to see the latest HDR
- [The best of HDR photography in 2025](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/the-best-of-hdr-photography-in-2025/) - HDR photography is rapidly moving towards being a mainstream technology. It's supported by billions of devices, nearly all web browsers, popular editing software like Lightroom and Photoshop, social media sites like Instagram, and more. 2025 saw several important milestones, including numerous open source developments which may pave the way to finally address challenges in distribution
- [How to edit as PSB with Lightroom v15.1](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/edit-as-psb-with-lightroom/) - Adobe just added an incredibly helpful update to Lightroom Classic (LrC) v15.1... Lightroom has supported the ability to preview and manage existing PSB files for years now, but it was always missing a critical piece of the puzzle - the ability to create new layered edits as PSB files. With the old workflow, you could
- [Compress your RAW files by 90% or more with lossy DNG (visually lossless)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/compress-raw-files-by-90-or-more-with-lossy-dng-visually-lossless/) - Last year I shared a tutorial about an option Lightroom which can shrink your RAW files by 90% or more. In this tutorial, I want to share a much simpler workflow to compress the images as well as updates on what I've learned after using lossy compression for over a year. This is an incredibly
- [Great deals for Black Friday 2025](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/great-deals-for-black-friday-2025/) - During Black Friday, you can save 25% off all my software and courses (Lumenzia, Web Sharp Pro, my new Non-destructive Smart Objects course, etc) with discount code BF2025 (through Dec 1). Even better, you can stack that discount on top of the bundles. For example, you can get the Ultimate 7-Course bundle for $317 off
- [The best software for beautiful large prints?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/the-best-software-for-beautiful-large-prints/) - Black Friday sale: Save 60% off the Topaz ultimate & photo plus bundles, which includes Gigapixel AI. I print a lot of images both for myself and clients. Most of the time, these are large prints which require enlargement. For example, I frequently print 40x60" prints from my Nikon D850. Without interpolation, those 46-megapixel RAW
- [ASUS PA32UCDM: The best HDR OLED monitor for photographers?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/asus-pa32ucdm-the-best-hdr-oled-monitor-for-photographers/) - Lowest price ever for Black Friday! Save $400 off ASUS PA32UCDM. ASUS just launched a very exciting new HDR monitor: the ASUS PA32UCDM. This level of performance has never before been offered at this price point. This monitor offers: 1000-nits peak brightness to support up to 3.3 stops of additional dynamic range over standard
- [Find ANYTHING in Lightroom with this incredible tool](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/find-anything-in-lightroom-with-peakto-ai-search/) - Black Friday sale: Save 20% off Peakto with discount code CREATORS25. Every once in a while you see something that makes your jaw literally drop. That was my experience when I first saw Peakto from CYME. Image a software program where you: use natural language search using an AI that understands what it sees
- [What's new in Lightroom Classic 15 and Photoshop 2026 for landscape photographers?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/new-in-lightroom-15-photoshop-2026-for-landscape-photography/) - Adobe just released their major annual updates at Adobe MAX, including Photoshop 2026 (PS v27), Adobe Camera RAW (ACR v18), Lightroom Classic (LrC v15). There are numerous changes and improvements, and in this post I'll cover the ones most relevant for landscape photographers. New in Lightroom Classic v15 / ACR v18: The new color
- [Lightroom Virtual Summit](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/lightroom-virtual-summit/) - Update: the VIP is on sale through Sunday Sept 21 and then will never be available again. I'm teaching three classes as part of the upcoming Lightroom Virtual Summit. This free event includes 18 world-class instructors teaching 46 classes over 5 days. I'll be teaching three classes: The Future of Photography: Creating with the new HDR Mode
- [AI order of operations in Camera RAW](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/ai-order-of-operations-in-camera-raw/) - Adobe Camera RAW has added several incredible AI-based tools in the past year, including: AI denoise Adaptive profiles Generative expand Generative AI remove AI masks to select the sky, background, objects, subject, and people Lens blur It's an incredible lineup of tools which work directly on the RAW, which allows results which are not only
- [Batch export HDR photos via Web Sharp Pro's Lightroom integration](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/batch-export-hdr-photos-via-web-sharp-pros-lightroom-integration/) - Quick note- I have 2 HDR sessions (and a third on advanced masking) at the Lightroom Virtual Summit this week. You can stream for free, or if you use my affiliate link can get the RAW files from my HDR sessions, recordings from all sessions (including 17 other great instructors), notes, and other exclusive bonuses
- [Apple Safari now supports HDR photography!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/apple-safari-now-supports-hdr-photography/) - Apple just wrapped up their 2025 Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC), and it was a very big year for photography and HDR display. Apple has been quietly adding substantial support for HDR hardware and software for years. The 2024 updates added HDR photography support for gain maps, the Photos app, Keynote, better support for 3rd-party HDR
- [LR Summit](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/lr-summit/)
- [Hasselblad X2D II 100C: the first true end-to-end HDR camera](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/hasselblad-x2d-ii-100c-hdr-camera/) - There may be no camera brand no more legendary than Hasselblad. They have been making incredible cameras for 184 years! That isn't a typo. That's 7 years before Florida was a state, 47 years before Kodak, and 121 years before NASA starting using Hasselblad in outer space. This isn't a company that just knows how
- [New in Adobe Camera RAW 17.5: automatically remove dust from photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/adobe-camera-raw-17-5-ai-sensor-dust-removal/) - Special announcement: I will be teaching three classes at the upcoming Lightroom Virtual Summit. Register for free with my affiliate link to see 18 world-class instructors teaching 46 classes over 5 days. There's also a VIP Pass option, which includes lifetime access to class recordings, class notes, and many other exclusive extras. Sensor dust in your
- [Add a person to landscapes with Photoshop "harmonize"](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/add-a-person-to-landscapes-with-photoshop-harmonize/) - Ever wish you had a person in your landscape to show scale? Or wish that you could easily add something new to your photos but it was too hard to match colors and blend the edges? Photoshop's new "harmonize" feature is designed to let you easily composite anything into your photos and it's very impressive.
- [Project Indigo - the best camera app for smart phones](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/project-indigo-the-best-camera-app-for-smart-phones/) - SUMMER SALE: a quick reminder to use discount code 25SUMMER through June 17 for 25% off all courses/bundles, Lumenzia, and Web Sharp Pro. Smart phone cameras are incredible tools. They’re easy to use, lightweight, you always have it with you, and the image quality is very good. At the same time, a dedicated mirrorless or
- [Exposure blend 32-bit photos with luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/exposure-blend-32-bit-photos-with-luminosity-masks/) - Exposure blending with luminosity masks is one of the most powerful techniques for extracting maximum color and detail from your RAW files. It isn't just limited to 8 or 16-bits for SDR ("standard dynamic range") images. You can also blend in 32-bit Photoshop to get the most out of your 32-bit HDR ("high dynamic range")
- [BenQ MOBIUZ EX321UX: 1000 nits for $1000?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/benq-mobiuz-ex321ux-hdr-monitor-review-for-photographers/) - There are a few brands photographers routinely mention as their favorites, and BenQ is definitely one of them. For those of you who've started to explore the benefits of HDR display technology for photography, they have a very interesting option: a 1,000-nit mini-LED display priced just over $1,000. It's marketed as a gaming monitor, so
- [Why can't I enable HDR mode?... refresh rate & resolution](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/why-cant-i-enable-hdr-mode-refresh-rate-resolution/) - When setting up an HDR monitor for photography, you may sometimes find that you are unable to toggle on "HDR" (Windows) or "High Dynamic Range" (MacOS) in the operating system settings for the display. The simple answer is that you likely need to reduce refresh rate in order to enable HDR in some configurations. To
- [Ivy Blue](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/ivy-blue-downtown-minneapolis-skyline/) - The Hotel Ivy is definitely one of the coolest hotels on the downtown Minneapolis skyline. I want to check in just to splurge some night!
- [What's new in Lightroom Classic v14.4?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/whats-new-in-lightroom-classic-v14-4/) - Adobe just released Lightroom Classic v14.4 with a number of updates described below. AI noise reduction is getting two simple improvements which will make it much better. First, there is no derivative DNG file is created anymore when you use AI Denoise, Raw Details, or Super Resolution. This avoids having to manage duplicate files or
- [Minneapolis Cube Invasion](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/minneapolis-cube-invasion/) - Panoramic sunset of the downtown Minneapolis cityscape from the West.
- [Yoga Aura - the best HDR PC laptop?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/yoga-aura-edition-the-best-hdr-pc-laptop/) - The MacBook Pro has had an outstanding HDR display for nearly five years. There is simply no PC laptop on the market which matches its performance for HDR photography, but some new options from Lenovo are finally getting close. In this review, we'll look at how well it meets the needs of photographers and how
- [Photoshop now natively supports AVIF for 50% smaller files than JPG](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/photoshop-now-natively-supports-avif-for-50-smaller-files-than-jpg/) - Note: the images in this post are all AVIF (uploaded normally through the WordPress media library). JPG has been the most popular image format for over 30 years, but it's days are numbered. There have been several attempts over the years to replace it, but none have broadly succeeded because they either offered too little
- [How to use your Apple iPad as an HDR monitor](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/how-to-use-your-ipad-as-an-hdr-monitor-via-apple-continuity/) - If you have an XDR-branded iPad (such as the M4 iPad Pro), you may use it as an HDR monitor for your Mac. And you can do this even if you do not have any other HDR display. So this may be a nice option for either adding an extra HDR display, or for getting
- [Which colorspace should you use for photography?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/which-colorspace-should-you-use-for-photography/) - There is often confusion around the best colorspace to use for photography. In this video, we'll go into great detail to help compare the key options and why you might pick one or another. You'll also learn how colorspace affects detail and contrast (not just the vibrance of your color). We'll get into the
- [HDR Photography at BILD in NYC](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/hdr-photography-at-bild-in-nyc/) - I'll be giving a presentation HDR photography at B&H's 2025 BILD expo held this June 17-18 in New York City. There are roughly 100 world class speakers covering a range of photography topics. You can register for free, and I hope to see you there! For those of you who aren't aware that HDR now
- [Incredible HDR photos on Instagram](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/incredible-hdr-photos-on-instagram/) - One of the most fun aspects of teaching HDR photography and creating software that supports it is that you get exposed to a lot of really great art created by others. In this post, I’d like to share some of the best HDR photos I’ve seen shared on Instagram. These are all outstanding artists and
- [Not all RAW edits are the same!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/not-all-raw-edits-are-the-same/) - If you adjust exposure in RAW by 1 stop, you'd always get the same results, right? Wrong! What looks like the exact same adjustment can be dramatically different. Each of these scenarios will produce a different result for what seems like the same slider adjustment: +1 exposure globally on the RAW +1 exposure globally in
- [A photographer's review of the new M3 MacBook Pro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/a-photographers-review-of-the-new-m3-macbook-pro/) - UPDATE: See my review of the new M4 MacBook Pro. When I bought the M2 MacBook Pro earlier this year, I never dreamed I'd replace it so quickly. But as the center of my art and business, I consider it a worthy investment (especially considering resale value of the old machine and net tax
- [Remove tourists in just 1-click](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/remove-distracting-people-adobe-camera-raw/) - Adobe Camera RAW v14.2 just added a new AI-based removal tool for "distracting people". It's pretty amazing and I highly recommend checking it out. It is much more than just a way to automate the existing AI remove brush. It can achieve better results and is smart enough to understand and keep an intentional main
- [Photographer's review of the ASUS PA32UCR-K: the best budget HDR monitor?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/photographers-review-of-the-asus-pa32ucr-k/) - B&H is currently offering an outstanding deal: $500 off the brand new ASUS PA32UCXR monitor, which is a stunning 1600 nits monitor with 2304 local dimming zones (4x the Pro Display XDR), automated calibration, and single cable charging/pass-through. I recently bought one of these to test and it's amazing. This is the best mini-LED I've seen for Windows and it compares well to
- [How to create an HDR timelapse](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/how-to-create-an-hdr-video-timelapse-with-lrtimelapse/) - I'm very excited to see that the popular LRTimelapse app now supports the ability to create an HDR time lapse video from your HDR photos in Lightroom. Many of you have been asking me how to create HDR time lapses, or to create HDR video from your photos. Both of these are great ways to
- [How to automatically remove reflections and lens flare](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/automatically-remove-reflections-and-lens-flare-with-acr/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v17.1 recently got a very cool new AI feature: the ability to automatically remove reflections. That's great, but I'm even more excited about a very hack you can use with it to automatically remove lens flare! Let's start with the intended use first. How to remove reflections with ACR: Under
- [Lightroom now supports HDR!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/lightroom-adds-hdr-edit-and-export/) - Adobe just added HDR( "High Dynamic Range") support to Lightroom! If you haven't experienced it yet, HDR offers the most significant improvement in image quality in decades (to be clear, this is completely different from the old "HDR" many of you know, this involves new display technology to actually show greater dynamic range). For the
- [Exporting AVIF files from Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/exporting-avif-files-from-photoshop/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR v15.1) just added support for a new file format: AVIF. In this tutorial, you’ll learn what AVIF is, why it is significantly better than JPG, why you should consider using it now, and how you can easily take advantage of it with Web Sharp Pro. https://youtu.be/l4GmK8PEGOk What is AVIF and when
- [The best of HDR photography in 2024](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/the-best-of-hdr-photography-2024/) - Have you ever felt that a scene with gorgeous light looks flat in your photo? That’s probably because most displays can’t do justice to the incredible dynamic range your camera captured. But now, with the latest HDR display technology, your photos can truly shine — exactly the way you saw them in real life. Photos
- [The latest HDR trends at CES 2025](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/the-latest-hdr-trends-at-ces-2025/) - I just got back from a couple of exciting days at CES 2025. If you aren't familiar with the Consumer Electronics Show, it is one of the largest trade shows in the world and is where new monitors and TV are often announced. So it's a great way to get some first-hand experience with a
- [Instagram now supports HDR photos!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/instagram-now-supports-hdr-photos/) - Note: Web Sharp Pro (WSP) v6 now includes the ability to easily export any image as an HDR on both Instagram and Threads, with full control over both the HDR and base SDR image in a JPG gain map. See the video below for a demo of one potential workflow where you can create an
- [Great deals for Black Friday 2024](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/great-deals-for-black-friday-2024/) - There are some great deals this week for Black Friday on some of my favorite tools for photography, including: Up to $300 off the M4 MBP: This is an incredible laptop for photography, offering the best HDR display on the market, outstanding performance, quality, and battery life. Best values this week for 14" display: $300
- [test HDR uploads](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/test-hdr-uploads/) - test standard upload: test after updated PHP functions:
- [A photographer's review of the M1 Max Macbook Pro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/a-photographers-review-of-the-m1-max-macbook-pro/) - UPDATE: See my review of the new M4 Max as well as gregbenzphotography.com/hdr for a demonstration of just how incredible the XDR display is on the new MacBook Pros. I've had my hands on the brand new 2021 Macbook Pro (M1 Max) for a few weeks now, does it live up to the hype? Yes, absolutely.
- [I upgraded from M1 to an M2 MacBook Pro. Was it worth it?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/is-an-upgrade-m1-to-m2-macbook-pro-worth-it/) - UPDATE: See my review of the new M4 MacBook Pro as well as gregbenzphotography.com/hdr for a demonstration of just how incredible the XDR display is on the new MacBook Pros. I've been using a 14" 2021 M1 MacBook Pro (MBP) since it launched. It's been an amazing computer and continues to amaze me. To push
- [Cats vs dogs (HDR gain map test)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/cats-vs-dogs-hdr-gain-map-test/) - I created this dog / cat test image to experiment a bit on my Instagram account. It’s a gain map which is designed to make it very easy to tell if you are viewing with HDR support. When you view this image and have HDR support, you will see a dog. But if you have an SDR display (or
- [New in Adobe Camera RAW 17: "Adobe Adaptive" profiles, non-destructive Denoise, and generative expand](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/acr-17-ai-adobe-adaptive-profiles-non-destructive-denoise-generative-expand/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v17 just added some very interesting new AI features: NEW: "Adobe Adaptive" profiles. NEW: "Generative Expand" Updated: AI Denoise, Raw Details, and Super Resolution can all be applied non-destructively on even more RAW files (details below). These features have the ability to get great results more easily and significantly simplify your
- [What do Apple's latest updates mean for HDR photography?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/apple-macos-ios-hdr-iso-gain-map-21496-1/) - Apple recently release MacOS v15 ("Seqouia") and iOS / iPadOS v18. There are several key changes which are significantly helpful for HDR photography, including: support for a critical HDR file standard which should make it much easier to share images greater support for HDR photos in native Apple apps (including iMessage) better support for 3rd-party
- [Is this 1000 nit HDR monitor for $330 too good to be true?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/1000nit-xiaomi-budget-hdr-monitor-for-photographers/) - HDR monitors tend to cost $1,000 or more, so Xiaomi's launch of a 1000-nit HDR monitor for only $330 immediately raises questions. Is this the best value ever offered for an HDR monitor? Is it a piece of junk? Good enough for photographers? I bought the Xiaomi Mini LED Gaming Monitor G Pro 27i (model
- [How to show an HDR slideshow on your TV with Keynote](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/how-to-show-an-hdr-slideshow-on-your-tv-with-keynote/) - If you have MacOS, Keynote, and an HDMI connection to a TV, you can create a slideshow using HDR photos which will play by itself. Requirements: MacOS Sequoia (ie v15.0 or later) and latest Keynote. To create the slideshow: Export images in an HDR format supported by Keynote (HDR JPG / AVIF / JXL from
- [ACR 15 adds High Dynamic Range Output](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/acr-15-adds-high-dynamic-range-output/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v15 just added one of the most exciting features since the creation of RAW processing itself: High Dynamic Range Output (“HDR” or “HDRO”). This name might be confusing because we’ve used the term “HDR” for years, but now that same name is being used for a completely different display technology. This
- [Can I migrate my plugins from Photoshop to Affinity?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/can-i-migrate-my-plugins-from-photoshop-to-affinity/) - From time to time I get questions from customers about whether they will still be able to use my Photoshop plugins (Lumenzia and Web Sharp Pro) if they switch to Affinity. It's a complex issue, but the short answer is that my plugins will not run under Affinity. This is by no means unique to
- [This will wreck your color in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/how-to-convert-rgb-color-space-in-photoshop/) - If you've every tried to change color space in Photoshop (such as when preparing an image for print), you may have received a notice from Photoshop to flatten the image. It's also an option built right into the conversion dialog (Edit / Convert to Profile). This is a warning you should definitely pay attention to.
- [Lightroom expands support for HDR display](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/lightroom-expands-support-for-hdr-display/) - Lightroom Classic v13.5 just significantly expanded support for HDR display, including: the Library's loupe ( or clicking to single image view) the Library's compare () full screen editing in the Develop module You will need to enable support: go to Preferences > Performance / "Enable HDR in Library". Learn more about HDR: HDR overview, examples,
- [How to setup Photoshop for photography](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/how-to-set-photoshop-for-photography/) - Photoshop's greatest strength is that has tools for every job, and the greatest challenge using it is finding and using the handful of tools you actually need. There are tools for making drawings, vector art, websites, videos, 3D graphics, image analysis, card templates, layouts/mockups, and dozens of other applications you probably don't use. Photographers only
- [The old vs new "HDR" photography](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/the-old-vs-new-hdr-photography/) - True HDR photography is one of the most significant advancement in image display in decades - I would argue the biggest thing since color. But a lot of people seem to overlook it due to confusion with the older "HDR", which is completely different (other than confusingly having the same name). This tutorial is intended
- [How to Blend Exposures for Interiors](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-blend-exposures-for-interiors/) - I'm trying something new this week. I get a lot of requests for longer or more detailed tutorials than I can typically squeeze into a 15-minute YouTube video. So I've built out a more complete tutorial in which you'll learn: How to blend multiple exposures in dynamic light How to customize and use some of the
- [How to shrink your RAW files by 90% or more](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/shrink-your-raw-files-with-compressed-dng/) - Imagine if you could store 10 times as many RAW files on your laptop? Or if you could email a RAW file to someone else that was only 1-5 MB instead of 50+? Lightroom Classic (and ACR) recently added support for a new DNG format which enables the ability to create RAW files which are
- [Generative Remove in Lightroom / ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/generative-remove-ai-in-lightroom-acr/) - Adobe just released an awesome new AI-based feature for your RAW files: "generative remove". This allows you to do much more advanced cleanup right with much less work. In the past, you could easily remove dust spots or do simple cloning - but even moderately more complicated jobs often required Photoshop. Not only does that
- [The aurora in HDR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/the-aurora-in-hdr/) - All the images in this post are "gain maps" and will display as enhanced HDR ("high dynamic range") images if your monitor/browser support it (otherwise you'll see the SDR versions). ==> Your monitor, browser, or OS settings does not support HDR, so you will only see the SDR ("standard dynamic range") version of the images
- [What the HDR histogram can teach you about your RAW images](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/what-the-hdr-histogram-can-teach-you-about-your-raw-images/) - Lightroom (LR) and Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) don't offer a RAW histogram, but there is a new way to get more information about your RAW images: the HDR histogram. And you can use it even if you do not have an HDR monitor or do not intend to process your image as HDR. Just click
- [How to extract fur detail with luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-extract-fur-detail-with-luminosity-masks/) - Many photographers use luminosity masks to enhance wildlife images for dodging & burning, sharper details in feathers, to control bright backgrounds, and countless other uses. I don't often photograph animals, but Darren Hebert was enough to share his lovely image of this moose for a tutorial. The photo was taken with soft backlight. So we
- [Make lightning glow with Lumenzia](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/make-lightning-glow-with-lumenzia/) - I often get questions on how to use luminosity masks to enhance subtle detail, such as the tiny branches of lightning in this image submitted by Earl Gravois. My approach here is to lighten those areas, but also make the main branches more prominent so that there is still a clear structure. Whether you photograph
- [How to use the new LR / ACR "Point Color" tool](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/how-to-use-the-new-lr-acr-point-color-tool/) - Adobe Lightroom (LR) and Camera RAW (ACR) recently added a new "Point Color" tool. It adds a completely new level of control for making precise color changes in your images. There are now several ways to target and adjust color in ACR (and LR, I'll just stop mentioning both now). Why did Adobe add yet
- [Real estate exposure blending](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/real-estate-interior-window-exposure-blending-with-lumenzia/) - Many of you have asked me for more real estate editing tutorials, especially for exposure blending of windows using the Lumenzia luminosity masking panel. New Zealand-based photographer Anthony Turnham has a great YouTube channel with several outstanding tutorials on that very topic (plus many other great post-processing videos). So I'm creating this post to share
- [Custom luminosity masks with Lumenzia v11.7](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/custom-luminosity-masks-with-lumenzia-v11-7/) - Lumenzia v11.7 now includes numerous enhancements to make it easier than ever to create the perfect luminosity mask. The previews are now fully interactive so you can quickly isolate the foreground from the sky, separate a red flower from green grass, let the levels automatically refine themselves for a stronger mask and much more. This
- [How to avoid color shifts with Lightroom curves](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/how-to-avoid-color-shifts-with-lightroom-curves/) - Adobe Lightroom (LR) and Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) recently added a very powerful but mostly overlooked feature: "refine saturation" (or just "refine" in ACR). You're probably well aware of the luminosity blend mode for layers in Photoshop and how it can often be useful to avoid unwanted shifts in color when making adjustments. The same
- [Night Sky Noise Reduction with a Single Exposure](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/night-sky-noise-reduction-with-a-single-exposure/) - Note: Nik/DXO is currently running 50% off Black Friday sale on the entire Nik Collection, which includes DFine, Color Efex Pro, Silver Efex Pro, Viveza, and more. A few weeks ago, I released a tutorial showing how to stack multiple images to get rid of high ISO noise in a starry night sky. While that
- [Great deals for Black Friday 2023](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/great-deals-for-black-friday-2023/) - There are some great deals this week for Black Friday on some of my favorite tools for photography, including: $150 off the 14" M3 MacBook Pro $200 on the 16" M3 MacBook Pro. 60% off the Topaz Everything bundle This includes Gigapixel, Sharpen AI, Denoise AI, and more. See my Gigapixel tutorial. 50% off Nik
- [How to share your HDR photos on the web directly from Lightroom](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/how-to-share-your-hdr-photos-on-the-web-directly-from-lightroom/) - The most recent Lightroom updates not only allow HDR editing on every platform, but also the ability to easily create a custom gallery which includes your HDR images. It looks great on any browser as it shows HDR where supported and automatically falls back to a great SDR everywhere else. It also supports all versions
- [Record actions for anything you do with Lumenzia v11.6](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/record-actions-with-lumenzia-v11-6/) - Lumenzia v11.6 is now available (as another free update) and includes a new ability to record the plugin's activity as normal Photoshop actions (with PS v25.0+). This unlocks a wide range of ways you can automate or simplify your workflow, such as: Create an action to start your favorite dodge & burn method, load a
- [How to select any color in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-select-any-color-in-photoshop/) - Luminosity masks are well-known for their ability to precisely and naturally target pixels in an image based on their tonal information. They also allow you to target other attributes such as color and saturation. Lumenzia v11.5 now offers a completely new way to target any color in Photoshop. It not only lets you target a
- [Export for any ratio with Generative Fill](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/export-for-any-ratio-with-generative-fill/) - Web Sharp Pro v5.8 is now available as a free update for all customers and includes the ability to use Generative Fill AI to export at any aspect ratio without cropping out any of your original image. So if your image needs to be a little taller or wider to meet the needs of Instagram,
- [How to setup proper color management in your web browser](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-setup-proper-color-management-in-a-web-browser/) - You would think that more than 25 years after ICC profiles were created to support color management that all our software would automatically make our images look consistently great. Sadly, that isn't the case. For example, if you use Firefox under default settings on a wide gamut monitor, you can expect to see some pretty
- [Photoshop's amazing new AI "Generative Fill"](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/photoshop-generative-fill-text-to-image-ai/) - Adobe just added some of their "Firefly" generative artificial intelligence (AI) directly into Photoshop as a new beta feature called "generative fill". It's a very exciting development, with the potential to offer something MidJourney, Dall-E, and Stable Diffusion cannot... deep integration into Photoshop. What benefits might that offer? Native support in Photoshop. There are already
- [Incredible new AI noise reduction in LR / ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/ai-denoise-lr-acr/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR v15.3) and Lightroom (Classic v12.3 / Desktop v6.3) have just added a powerful new noise reduction tool using artificial intelligence (as well as some great enhancements to HDR capabilities and more noted at the bottom of this post). Noise reduction is a powerful tool not only for high ISO images, but
- [What's new in Web Sharp Pro v5?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/whats-new-in-web-sharp-pro-v5/) - I’m happy to announce the launch of Web Sharp Pro v5, which is another free update for all existing customers. You can see key highlights in the three short videos below. Web Sharp Pro v5 offers: The ability to save any combination of settings as a preset. For example: you could create one preset to
- [Placid](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/placid/) - Your browser / screen does not support HDR, or scripts are disabled. See my HDR tests and more info to learn how to to properly view HDR images. Fighting my urge to sleep in after a long week of shooting, I didn’t exactly jump right out of bed on time. Throw in the uncertainty of reaching and
- [How to eliminate noise with PureRAW 3](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/eliminate-noise-with-dxo-pureraw-3-deepprime-xd/) - DXO has just released PureRAW v3 to enhance your RAW images automatically with artificial intelligence (AI). I previously posted a detailed tutorial with PureRAW v2 showing how it can be used to enhance detail and reduce noise in high ISO images. Be sure to see that previous review, as I cover several details I'm not
- [Make city lights glow with HDR in ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/make-city-lights-glow-with-hdr-in-acr/) - HDR (High Dynamic Range) is the biggest leap in image quality I've ever seen. It lets you truly show the full dynamic range of your camera without compromise. Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v15.1+ makes it incredibly easy to process your RAW images as HDR on an HDR-capable monitor. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to
- [How to soft proof easily in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-soft-proof-easily-in-photoshop/) - Whether you edit your photos in a huge colorspace like ProPhoto RGB or even a small one like sRGB, you're eventually going to run into issues with "out of gamut" colors when your image is printed or viewed on another computer. For example, a vibrant Adobe RGB green may be a little more dull on
- [8, 12, 14 vs 16-bit depth: What do you really need?!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/8-vs-16-bit-depth-photoshop/) - "Bit depth" is one of those terms we've all run into, but very few photographers truly understand. Photoshop offers 8, 16, and 32-bit file formats. Sometimes we see files referred to as being 24 of 48-bit. And our cameras often offer 12 vs 14-bit files (though you might get 16-bit with a medium format camera).
- [ACR v15.1 adds AVIF exports and HDRO support for Windows](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/acr-v15-1-adds-avif-exports-and-hdro-support-for-windows/) - Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) v15.1 just added several major improvements: HDRO support is now available on Windows too. This is one of the most substantial improvements to image quality in decades. AVIF file export. This means you can directly save your HDR images in a format that looks amazing on the web. This also offers
- [5 great ways BlendIf can improve your photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/5-great-ways-blendif-can-improve-your-photos/) - BlendIf is one of the most powerful tools in Photoshop. It allows you to quickly and easily make adjustments specific to highlights, shadows or midtones. It works similarly to “range masks” in LR/ACR, with the distinct advantage that you can use BlendIf on any adjustment you can make in Photoshop. You can also use it
- [Great deals for Black Friday 2022](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/great-deals-for-black-friday-2022/) - There are some great deals this week for Black Friday on some of my favorite tools for photography, including: $300 off M1 MacBook Pro with 16GB RAM, or $200 off the 32GB RAM version. The 1600 nits screen on the M1 Macbook Pro is absolutely stunning for HDR. The Black Friday deals seem to be
- [G-Bench: test Photoshop performance](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/g-bench-benchmark-for-photoshop/) - As I wrote recently in article on how to assess the the best upgrades for Photoshop performance, it's important to have some objective measures of performance in order to get good value for your money when upgrading your computer or otherwise optimizing performance. While there are a lot of great benchmarking tools out there, I've
- [32-bit HDR with Lumenzia v11](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/32-bit-hdr-with-lumenzia-v11/) - Lumenzia v11 is now available as a free update for all customers (see update page/video to download). The main theme for v11 is comprehensive support for 32-bit ("HDR") workflows, which allow you to create absolutely stunning images for monitors that support at least 400nits peak brightness. Note that this name might be confusing because we've used
- [Focus Stacking: from Start to Finish](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/focus-stacking-from-start-to-finish/) - I'm happy to announce the launch of my newest course: Focus Stacking: from Start to finish. This course includes: Detailed instruction on how to shoot and process focused stacked images for vastly greater depth of field and unique compositions that go beyond the normal limits of your lens. A complete workflow including RAW processing, focus
- [How to sharpen and resize photos for the web in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-sharpen-and-resize-photos-for-the-web-in-photoshop/) - 07-21-20 This free web sharpening utility has been released and now includes the ability to add film grain. After you've spent all the time and effort to post-process a beautiful photograph, you're probably going to want to share it online somehow. On your blog, on a social media site like Facebook or Instagram, or
- [My Macbook Pro and Time Machine just crashed - Now what?!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-restore-macbook-pro-from-time-machine-or-clone-backup/) - I just lost everything on my new Macbook Pro. Something went bad on the motherboard, and when that happens on the new Macs with the "T2" chip, you lose everything on your hard drive. As if that weren't bad enough, my Time Machine backup failed too. Thankfully, I had backup clones and was able to
- [A Bulletproof Backup Plan for your Photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/a-bulletproof-backup-plan-for-your-photos/) - Photographers' hard drives are full of critical data. I use a simple backup strategy that keeps my data safe and ready to restart quickly in case of the worst.
- [Is an upgrade to Photoshop CC worth it?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/is-an-upgrade-to-photoshop-cc-worth-it/) - Update: May 27, 2019: Since I wrote this article three years ago, Adobe has provided several updates to the photography plan (including Photoshop versions 2015.5 through 2019 and several updates to Lightroom) under the same $9.99/month pricing structure they have offered since 2013. Here are a few highlights for photographers: A new Content-Aware Fill workspace
- [How to get the most out of the Nikon D810 for landscapes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-the-d810-for-landscapes/) - The D810 has the potential for incredible resolution and color, but there are a few important tips & tricks to get all of that amazing detail out of this camera.
- [How to get the most out of the Nikon D850 for landscapes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-the-nikon-d850-for-landscapes/) - I recently upgraded to the new Nikon D850 (and posted my reasons for upgrading, and a detailed review). I have thus far been completely blown away by this new camera, particularly its capabilities for focusing in low light. It's an incredible camera, but out of the box, is not fully optimized for image quality or
- [The Old Studebaker in Havana](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/the-old-studebaker-in-havana/) - Before I went to Cuba, I always wondered if there are old classic American cars all over the roads in Havana, or if photographers warp how we see Cuba by cherry picking the cool cars amidst a bunch of new ones? The old cars are definitely legit. It feels like half the cars on the
- [Create AI art with Stable Diffusion](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/create-ai-art-with-stable-diffusion/) - Exponential growth is nearly impossible to comprehend. Imagine a lake that starts a single lily pad, but every day the number doubles until the entire lake is covered with lily pads on day 30... How much of the lake's surface would be covered after 25 days? Only 3%. The lake would be almost entirely clear
- [No, You Really Don't Have BANDING in Your Photo](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-fix-false-banding-in-the-sky-photoshop/) - Update: Adobe has released a fix for this issue. I hear a lot of discussion about "banding" in images. But most of what I see isn't banding at all. You should almost never run into banding if you are shooting RAW, careful with HSL in Lightroom, and using 16-bit working files in Photoshop. If you're
- [How to eliminate false banding in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-eliminate-false-banding-in-photoshop/) - I previously posted a tutorial on the problem of false banding in Photoshop. This can cause your image to look severely degraded when zoomed out (to less 64%). Typically, this false "banding" would show up as uneven changes across the sky in a photograph. It's not real, just a quirk of historical performance optimizations in
- [Create clean star trails](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/create-clean-star-trails/) - Star trails can be a powerful way to compliment and accentuate a subject. In this image, they not only draw your attention towards the a moonlit focal point, they also echo the shape of the surrounding arches to help tie everything together. You can capture such a scene with a single long exposure, but you
- [Recover Noisy Shadow Detail](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/recover-noisy-shadow-detail-with-dxo-deepprime/) - When you need high ISO to capture indoor or night scenes like this, your image will suffer from noise and a loss of detail. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to clean it up with an an incredible tool and how to make the most of it. Be sure to read the full tutorial below,
- [Adding atmosphere to a sandstorm](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/adding-atmosphere-to-a-sandstorm/) - Summer sale: Lumenzia, Web Sharp Pro, and all my courses are on sale this week for 25% off with discount code SUMMERSALE via my store. And if you get all 3 courses and Lumenzia by the end of the sale, I'll give you a bonus course with completely unique content for free. Just email me
- [Simplifying color for stronger images](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/simplifying-color-for-stronger-images/) - It's easy to fall in love with beautiful color. And for the same reason, it can also be a distraction when the color jumps out in a way that pulls your viewer's eyes away from the main subject. In this tutorial you'll learn how simplifying color can help strengthen your image. https://youtu.be/LZ5shJ2tETA The key adjustment
- [Improved sharpness without noise in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/improved-sharpness-without-noise-in-photoshop/) - Sharpness vs noise noise reduction: you do your best to optimize one, only to break the other. You can tweak until you find some mediocre comprise. Or you can use a few simple tricks to optimize both at the same time, which is what you'll learn to do in this video. The key to the
- [Remove dust spots and power lines automatically](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/remove-dust-spots-and-power-lines-automatically/) - Use discount code GREGBENZ for $10 off Luminar Neo (valid through May 10). Wouldn't it be nice if you could get rid of distractions in your image with the click of a button? With the latest artificial intelligence (AI) software you can. But you need to know a couple simple tricks to ensure you don't
- [How to Use Luminosity Masks with ANY Photography Software](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-use-luminosity-masks-with-any-photography-software/) - Update 04-21-22: Note for those of you using the newer Luminar Neo: you can still use the same Accent AI filter I show in the video, you'll just find it under "Enhance" in the top essentials section. A lot of photographers ask me how they can use Lumenzia or luminosity masks with software other than
- [How to Process Milky Way Photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-process-milky-way-photos/) - The Milky Way is one of the most awe-inspiring sights you'll ever photograph, but it can be tricky to post-process the RAW images into something that truly captures the experience. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to use RAW processing and luminosity masks to create gorgeous night skies. Be sure to see the list below
- [Lumenzia LITE: free luminosity masking panel for Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-lite-free-luminosity-masking-panel-for-photoshop/) - I'm happy to announce the release of a FREE luminosity masking panel for Photoshop: Lumenzia LITE. This panel allows you to quickly create 16-bit luminosity masks, channels, and selections. It's completely new and a major improvement over my previous free panel (including native support for Apple Silicon / M1). In the video below, you'll learn how
- [What's new in Web Sharp Pro v3.7?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/whats-new-in-web-sharp-pro-v3-7/) - Web Sharp Pro makes it quick and easy to create gorgeous exports of your images for sharing. It offers much more than just sharpening, with custom templates, blurred borders, custom watermarks, advanced crops, film grain, batch processing, and much more. The best way to understand it is with the short demonstration below, and you can
- [Exporting webP files from Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/exporting-webp-files-from-photoshop/) - Photoshop v23.2 just added support for a new file format: webP. In this tutorial, you'll learn what webP is, why you should consider using it, and how you can easily take advantage of it with Web Sharp Pro. What is webP and when should you use it? The webP format is an open standard licensed
- [Three ways to use mask DENSITY for more natural edits in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-use-mask-density-in-photoshop/) - Layer masks are the key to nearly all great images created with Photoshop. They let you make targeted adjustments, blend images, composite, work non-destructively, and are probably the most important component of using layers. Masks have two properties which are designed to help you get more natural-looking results. You may already be familiar with mask
- [Making the night sky glow with Lumenzia v10](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/making-the-night-sky-glow-with-lumenzia-v10/) - Thank you for all the enthusiasm and support for Lumenzia v10. Since it was released, I've heard a few common questions that I'd like to address here and in the short tutorial below. https://youtu.be/HuoKKTSTrCI The v10 interface: Compact (the new default) vs Full (the new default) One of the more common questions has been
- [Coming Soon: Lumenzia v10](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/coming-soon-lumenzia-v10/) - Update: Lumenzia v10 was released October 27, 2021 Many of you (including myself) are eagerly awaiting the arrival of a new Apple Silicon ("M1 Pro/Max") MacBook Pro. The speed, battery, and display all look incredible. As you may be aware, Apple Silicon is a huge technology shift where software which is optimized for it can
- [Perfect Finishing Touches with Nik Color Efex Pro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/finishing-touches-with-nik-color-efex-pro-and-smart-objects/) - Looking for the perfect finishing touches to make a a good landscape image look GREAT? Learn how with Nik CEP and Smart Objects in this tutorial.
- [CPU, GPU, RAM: What should you update?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/cpu-gpu-ram-which-hardware-upgrades-for-photoshop/) - I haven't met a photographer yet who wouldn't appreciate a more powerful computer. We push our machines very hard, and it's no fun to sit and wait to view and edit images. So naturally, we tend to dream about a "better" computer. But what does that mean? Should I get a really powerful GPU (Graphics
- [Masking 2.0 in Lightroom and ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/masking-2-0-in-lightroom-and-acr/) - Adobe just released one of the most important updates to Lightroom (LR) and Adobe Camera RAW (ACR) ever: the introduction of "Masking 2.0". In this tutorial, we'll cover what's new and what it all means. Be sure to read below for lots of details I couldn't fully cover in the video. https://youtu.be/X_VKWakjur4 What's new in
- [Making the Desert Glow](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/making-the-desert-glow/) - Get the 5DayDeal: Save 96% on this amazing bundle of tutorials from top instructors. And when you purchase using the link on this post, you'll also get a free copy of my new Norway: From Start to Finish course (enrollment in the bonus course will be complete by Oct 22 after the 5DayDeal has ended).
- [Don't let this hidden setting RUIN your RAW smart objects](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/dont-let-this-hidden-setting-ruin-your-raw-smart-objects/) - Camera RAW Smart Objects are hands-down one of the best features of Photoshop. If you don't know why, first check out my previous tutorials: 3 Kinds of Smart Objects and 3 Common Misconceptions. The beauty of these special smart objects is that they always give you access to alter the RAW processing while keeping the
- [How much can you improve an old edit?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-much-can-you-improve-an-old-edit/) - If you want to improve your photography, one great way to do that is to review your old images and reprocess them. Starting from scratch can reinforce important lessons as you compare the new version to the old. You might be surprised how hard you find it to recreate some of your best work sometimes.
- [How to Extract Enhanced Shadow Detail with Subtracted Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-extract-enhanced-shadow-detail-with-subtracted-luminosity-masks/) - Luminosity masks are a great way to help enhance shadows in your images for more detail. While it would seem intuitive to use a darks mask to target and lighten your shadows, it often isn't that straight-forward. Using a simple darks mask like D3 can often result in muddy shadows that lack contrast. The underlying
- [Photoshop channel math: add subtract intersect](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/photoshop-channel-math-add-subtract-intersect/) - Once you're getting the hang of luminosity masks, there are several ways you can combine them to make even more powerful masks and selections. Specifically, I'm referring to adding, subtracting, and intersecting selections, masks, or channels in Photoshop. In this tutorial, we'll cover why you should use them and demystify how they work. All of
- [Simplify Photoshop with Custom Menus](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/simplify-photoshop-with-custom-menus/) - Photoshop is the #1 professional image editing program in the world for a reason, it's incredibly powerful. But that power has a downside, it can also be maddeningly complex. It has over 25 years of features designed to meet the needs of professionals, hobbyists, photographers, web designers, graphic designers, videographers, and more. I'm an Adobe
- [How to stitch challenging panoramas](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-stitch-challenging-panoramas/) - I've previously posted several tutorials on how to create panoramas with Lightroom, including details on adaptive wide angle and how to stitch HDR panoramas in one step. Lightroom does a beautiful job in many situations, but panoramas aren't its main focus and it can't handle every job. That's where a dedicating panorama program becomes a
- [Sharing gorgeous images is easier than ever with Web Sharp Pro v3](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/sharing-gorgeous-images-is-easier-than-ever-with-web-sharp-pro-v3/) - Thank you for all the enthusiasm for Web Sharp Pro, the easiest way to share your beautiful images. Web Sharp Pro is about much more than just sharpening, and that's now more true than ever with the latest updates. I'm happy to announce that Web Sharp Pro v3 is now available and includes: Borders with
- [Announcing Web Sharp Pro:](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/web-sharp-pro-extension-panel-for-photoshop/) - I've just released "Web Sharp Pro" to make it easy to ensure that your images look amazing wherever you share them online. This Photoshop extension panel offers: 1-click exports of any image that take care of cropping, resizing, sharpening, and the other key steps for making a web-ready JPG for you Batch processing to convert an
- [Three kinds of Smart Objects in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/three-kinds-of-smart-objects-in-photoshop/) - I make mistakes in Photoshop, all the time. I'm also improving all the time, and sometimes what used to look great is no longer my best work. I'm guessing you probably do too. All of these reasons to make a change to your image make "non-destructive" workflows true life savers. Layers, layer masks, and adjustment
- [How to make dramatically smaller layered files](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-make-dramatically-smaller-layered-files/) - Luminosity masks and general layer masks are incredible tools for creating beautiful images and using non-destructive workflows. But like any tool, they can also be over-used. That can lead to unnecessarily large TIF files and some limits to your flexibility to make changes later. There are a number of situations where other approaches can yield
- [How to Optimize Color Settings in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-optimize-color-settings-in-photoshop/) - I'm not going to sugar coat it, color management is intimidating. I read 10+ books on the inner workings of ICC profiles last year and I still wouldn't claim to fully get it. But if you want your images to look great and consistent on your monitor, the computer you buy next year, printed on
- [Luminosity masking is easier than ever with Lumenzia v9](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/luminosity-masking-is-easier-than-ever-with-lumenzia-v9/) - Version 9 of the Lumenzia luminosity masking panel for Photoshop is now available as a free upgrade for all customers. It's never been easier to create the perfect luminosity mask or selection to make beautiful photos. And the updates have been designed to avoid changing any existing workflows, so you can jump right in. Be
- [Lumenzia v6](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v6/) - Update (Feb 25, 2020): Lumenzia v8 is now available! Update (Feb 6, 2019): Lumenzia v7 is now available! The Lumenzia luminosity masking panel for Photoshop has advanced rapidly over the past few years. The goals with Lumenzia v6 are more evolutionary than revolutionary. This is the largest update ever, with over 130 new features,
- [What are "UXP" plugins in Photoshop?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/what-are-uxp-plugins-in-photoshop/) - Adobe just released a completely new technology, the Unified Extensibility Platform (UXP), for creating "plugins" (commonly known as panels previously) in Photoshop 2021 and beyond. You're likely to have some questions about what this means for you. I've just released my first UXP project, a plugin version of my free Web Sharp utility (more to
- [Switching from Split Toning to Color Grading in LR / ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/split-toning-and-color-grading-in-lr-acr-13/) - The latest updates to Lightroom and ACR include powerful new color grading controls. A lot of photographers have been asking for the sort of capabilities available in competing programs like Capture One, and Adobe's offering seems spot on. Not only have they massively expanded the capabilities from the legacy "split toning", but done so in
- [Create gorgeous images with this free web sharpening panel for Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/create-gorgeous-images-with-this-free-web-sharpening-panel-for-hotoshop/) - There are a large number of subtle but important considerations when outputting your post-processed image for the web. Does it look sharp after resizing? Is it properly color managed? Will it get cut off in some strange way because it isn't cropped to a specific size? I released a free web sharpening script in March
- [How to get amazing fall color out of Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-get-amazing-fall-color-out-of-photoshop/) - The 2020 5DayDeal Bundle I've got a great fall color tutorial for you below, but I also want to share something else I think you'll love. Every year, the 5DayDeal bundle offers a special opportunity to invest in great photography courses for >95% off. This year's bundle includes tutorials from Nick Page, Ryan Dyar, Nigel
- [Focal length blending with luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/focal-length-blending-with-luminosity-masks/) - Luminosity masks are of course enormously popular for exposure blending and dodging and burning. But that's really just the tip of the iceberg. You can use luminosity masks for a huge range of creative post-processing techniques, including "focal length blending". Focal length blending involves combining two or more images shot using different focal lengths. Sounds
- [What's new for photographers in Photoshop CC 2020?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/whats-new-for-photographers-in-photoshop-cc-2020/) - Adobe has just released Photoshop 2020 at Adobe MAX. As usual, there is a long list of updates to cover a variety of audiences. First, a quick note for those of you using my Lumenzia luminosity masking panel for Photoshop, it is fully compatible with Photoshop 2020. Here's a quick summary of changes that
- [How to get the most out of the Sony a7Rii for landscapes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-the-sony-a7rii-for-landscapes/) - Here are the complete details of how I customize the Sony a7Rii to get the best possible sharpness and overall image quality for landscape photography.
- [How to Stack Multiple Images to Reduce Noise in Starry Night Skies](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-stack-multiple-exposures-to-reduce-noise-in-starry-night-skies/) - I drove thousands of miles around northern Minnesota this past season to capture fall color. There was a solar storm during the new moon, and the skies are very dark here, so I got to take my first images of the Aurora Borealis. I'd seen it once before in northern Canada, but shooting it along
- [Milky Way Blending with Nick Page](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/milky-way-blending-with-nick-page/) - Nick Page just did a great webinar on processing Milky Way and Aurora images with Rafael Pons of PhotoPills. During their talk, Nick discusses what makes for strong images, camera techniques, and how he uses Lumenzia to create luminosity masks and bring out the best in challenging night skies. https://youtu.be/_hX-yIejU_g?t=2700 Note that if you want
- [How to remove hot pixels from long exposures](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-remove-hot-pixels-from-long-exposures/) - In long exposure and low light photography you're faced with noise and potentially "hot pixels". While noise is frustrating, hot pixels are devastating. If they aren't removed, the image is severely affected for any close viewing or printing. Traditional noise reduction techniques aren't designed to fix hot pixels and cloning potentially thousands of bad pixels
- [How to Use Content-Aware Scale in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-content-aware-scale-in-photoshop/) - Photoshop contains a lot of hidden gems. One of them is certainly the "Content-Aware Scale" (CAS) tool. This feature is perfect for expanding the sky or background, scaling the image to fit a specific form factor for sharing online or printing, or even shrinking the image (such as to turn a regular image into a
- [Create beautiful web-sharpened images with grain](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/create-beautiful-web-sharpened-images-with-grain/) - I've received a lot of great feedback and suggestions since I originally launched my free web sharpening utility. My friend Suhail had an excellent suggestion to add the ability to add some grain to the final output. This can help give the finished image a bit of a dreamy, nostalgic quality that is reminiscent of
- [Automatically reduce noise, change colors locally, and the new LR / ACR interface](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/automatically-reduce-noise-and-change-local-color-in-lightroom/) - Adobe just released a substantial overhaul of the interface used by both Lightroom (LR Classic v9.3) and Adobe Camera RAW (ACR v12.3). You can now adjust hue locally, create smart noise reduction presets that adapt to ISO, the interface has changed significantly, and there are the usual bug fixes and new camera/lens support. ISO
- [How to clone out tricky distractions using luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-clone-out-tricky-distractions-using-luminosity-masks/) - Great photography is all about simplifying the scene. It can be so aggravating when a beautiful scene is disrupted by something that has nothing to do with the emotional message you want to convey with your photo, like the white PVC pipe in this scene. Howard Thompson sent me this image from rural Arkansas asking
- [How to select and edit a bird with Lumenzia](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-select-and-edit-a-bird-with-lumenzia/) - I recently received an email from Jim Kay, who asked me how he might go about using Lumenzia to help isolate the bird in this image in order to darken the background. He's done a wonderful job using a 500m lens to help remove distractions, but the background is still very bright and keeps the
- [See how easily you can restore beautiful color and detail with exposure blending](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/easily-restore-beautiful-color-and-detail-with-exposure-blending-luminosity-masks/) - Slot canyons feel like a nightmare to photograph. Even the most perfectly captured RAW files will show dynamic range that goes from extremely black shadows to blown highlights. Tools like HDR (automatic blending of multiple exposures) tend to produce very flat results and possibly strange artifacts. Thankfully, there's a simple way to restore all that
- [Manual Exposure Blending with Lumenzia](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/manual-exposure-blending-with-lumenzia/) - Curious about using luminosity masks to blend exposures (ie, manual HDR)? Here's how I create images that looks as vibrant as the scene I saw in real life!
- [How to Get Beautiful Color with the Infinite Color Panel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-get-beautiful-color-with-the-infinite-color-panel/) - Even though I've come a long way as an artist, I still find it can be challenging to find the right color to enhance my image. That might be because I'm unsure which color to blend with existing color. Or perhaps I'm stuck in a rut and having a creative block. You might find that
- [Lightroom now natively supports massive PSB files!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/lightroom-now-natively-supports-massive-psb-files/) - Adobe just made it dramatically easier to use Lightroom to manage large files created with exposure blending, Smart Objects, images enlarged for print, and anything that creates a file larger than the 4GB limit for TIF files. Until now, if you wanted to use PSB files you've had to use workarounds to be able to
- [How to remove exposure blending halos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-remove-exposure-blending-halos/) - One of the biggest frustrations I hear when photographers try to use exposure blending with luminosity masks to get beautiful skies is that they frequently get halos around hard edges such as the point where trees or mountains touch the sky. In my Exposure Blending Master Course, I teach several techniques on how to avoid
- [How to Edit a Bright Building against a Bright Sky](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-edit-a-bright-building-against-a-bright-sky-luminosity-masks/) - When your subject has similar luminosity and color to its surroundings, simple luminosity masks often struggle to get the job done. Neil Williams ran into this scenario when he shot the image below. He emailed me asking how he could use Lumenzia to help brighten this white temple against this relatively bright sky. This is
- [How to optimize your "gray working space" for better luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/how-to-optimize-your-gray-working-space-for-better-luminosity-masks/) - Few aspects of photography cause more confusion and frustration than "color management". I wouldn't blame you for wanting to throw your hands up and just pray for decent results rather than trying to figure it out. But it's worth investing some time in understanding it if you want the best quality images. It turns out
- [Black Friday sale](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/black-friday-sale-2019/) - Black Friday is here! Now through Monday (Dec 2), you can save at least 25% off any of my products with discount code BF2019. This includes the Lumenzia luminosity masking panel for Photoshop, the Exposure Blending Master Course, and the new Dodging & Burning Master Course. You'll save even more when you choose bundle upgrade options
- [Luminosity masking is easier than ever with Lumenzia v8](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/luminosity-masking-is-easier-than-ever-with-lumenzia-v8/) - Version 8 of the Lumenzia luminosity masking panel for Photoshop is now available as a free upgrade for all customers. This is by far the the most ambitious update ever, with over 350 new features, updates, and bug fixes in total. It's never been easier to create the perfect luminosity mask or selection to make
- [Review: LaCie 6Big RAID drive with Thunderbolt 3](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/review-lacie-6big-raid-drive-with-thunderbolt-3/) - Update October 14, 2019 I do not recommend buying from LaCie. I have been disappointed with both the 6Big and product support. I recently discovered an issue (the cooling fan runs constantly if there is power to the drive, even when drive powered down via front button or disconnected from the computer) and reported it
- [What does the end of 32-bit Mac apps mean for photographers?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/what-does-64-bit-osx-10-15-mean-for-photographers/) - I'm writing this article because I expect I'll start getting questions next week about whether my software (Lumenzia and my free panel) will continue to work when Apple finally kills 32-bit apps this fall. The short answer is yes (with the caveat that I'm not clear on whether you could ever reinstall Photoshop CS6 if
- [How to reduce noise in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-reduce-noise-in-photoshop/) - There are two common scenarios where noise creeps into our photos. One is when shooting at high ISO, typically indoors or at night. The other is when we try to lighten and extract detail from the shadows. In both cases, the problem is a lack of light and the solution is to either gather more
- [Which camera gear do you really need?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/which-camera-gear-do-you-really-need/) - A lot of new photographers ask me which camera gear they should buy. It's a great question, and I always tell people to invest in photography travel and education before gear. I can't think of a trip or a class I regret, but every time I get on Craiglist to sell something, I'm reminded of
- [Remove Shadows with Custom Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/remove-shadows-with-custom-luminosity-masks/) - In this tutorial, you'll see how to quickly remove a shadow using luminosity masks. This approach is dramatically faster and more realistic than cloning.
- [When and How to Use Texture vs Clarity in Lightroom / ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/when-and-how-to-use-texture-vs-clarity-in-lightroom-acr/) - Adobe just added the first new slider to Lightroom and Adobe Camera RAW in years, the "texture" slider. It's an incredible new tool for enhancing small details and apparent sharpness in your images, with minimal halos or other drawbacks. In this tutorial, you'll see an in-depth overview of what it can do for your photos
- [How to Save Files MUCH Faster in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-save-files-much-faster-in-photoshop/) - I ran a head to head test comparing the options for saving a layered file in Photoshop. You can save the same file nearly 20X faster with these settings!
- [The Photographers Guide to File Formats in Lightroom and Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/the-photographers-guide-to-file-formats-in-lightroom-and-photoshop/) - A lot of photographers have questions about file formats, color space, and bit depth. Who wouldn't? The list of choices is overwhelming. It isn't the sexiest topic in photography, but it's critical to get it right. And it can be overwhelming trying to figure it all out. There are endless options. Thankfully, there are only
- [When you should use BlendIf instead of luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/when-you-should-use-blendif-instead-of-luminosity-masks/) - One of the most powerful, but overlooked, tools in Photoshop is "BlendIf". While luminosity masks offer dramatically more capability than BlendIf, it is still an incredibly useful tool in certain situations. BlendIf offers a couple of substantial benefits: It adds nothing to your file size. Zero. By comparison, a single luminosity mask increases the file
- [A Simple Solution to White Balance Interiors](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-white-balance-interiors-photoshop/) - Lightroom's white balance picker is amazing. Just click on something neutral and voila! Or maybe not. What about when your photograph has mixed color temperature lighting? It's an incredibly common scenario. Landscape images are typically a mix of warm highlights from sunlight and cool shadows lit by the open blue sky. If you shoot real
- [A Simple Trick to Make Beautiful Vignettes in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/a-simple-trick-to-make-beautiful-vignettes-in-photoshop/) - A vignette can improve probably 80% of your images. And while you probably already know a few good tricks to make a simple vignette, this tutorial is going to focus on a couple of very simple tricks you can use to make them even more beautiful. Darkening the edges of a photograph helps pull the
- [How to use the New Content Aware Fill](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-the-new-content-aware-fill/) - Content-Aware Fill has long been one of those features in Photoshop that feels like magic. It's perfect for cloning or fixing larger areas of an image without having to re-sample over and over with the clone stamp or healing brush, or to define the source area using the "patch" tool. But this tool sometimes grabs
- [How to Use HSL for Beautiful Sunsets and Avoid Color Banding](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-hsl-for-beautiful-sunsets-and-avoid-color-banding/) - There's nothing like a gorgeous sunrise or sunset full of color... unless your image shows a bunch of horrible color banding in the sky. The HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) tool in Lightroom and Photoshop is an excellent way to boost the saturation of a colorful sky, but it needs to be used correctly. Simply boosting
- [3 Common Misconceptions about Camera RAW Smart Objects](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/3-common-misconceptions-about-camera-raw-smart-objects/) - Most photographers I know try to follow some sort of "non-destructive" workflow. You probably aren't "destroying" your image, so it might be more appropriately called a "flexible" workflow. The ultimate purpose is typically to give you the ability to easily redo an earlier step in the edit, without having to redo all the work that
- [How to Easily Get your DSLR Camera Photos onto Your Phone](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-easily-get-your-dslr-camera-photos-onto-your-phone/) - Mobile phones are the center of our personal and online lives. We use them to take photos, show photos to others in person, and to share online. Many photographers have asked me "how can I share my high-quality DSLR images from my phone?" It's a critical question. Over 50% of internet use is now done
- [New in Lightroom 2018: HDR Panoramas in a single step](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/lightroom-hdr-panorama/) - Adobe just released a bunch of updates to Lightroom Classic CC v8.0. This includes improved high ISO noise reduction, improved negative dehaze (which adds haze), and my favorite: the ability to create HDR panoramas in a single step. This creates enormous time savings. Previously, I showed how to stitch a multiple exposure panorama in Lightroom
- [How to Stitch a Multiple Exposure Panorama](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-stitch-a-multiple-exposure-panorama/) - There are so many insanely great techniques these days for creating images that go beyond the limit of camera sensors and lenses. Blending multiple exposures can be used to expand dynamic range for more stunning color and detail. Panoramas can be used to create extremely wide angles of view for unique and powerful compositions. I
- [3 Steps to Create a Super-wide Panorama](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/3-steps-to-create-a-super-wide-panorama/) - After I posted the image below on Instagram, I got a few requests asking how I created this wide-angle panoramic view... I love shooting with a 14mm wide-angle lens. It allows for some breathtaking compositions. While it is very wide, there are occasions when you need something much wider. A 12mm or fisheye lens may
- [Color Grading with BlendIf](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/color-grading-with-blendif/) - One of the best ways to give an image more emotional impact is through color grading. "Color grading" generally refers to any alteration or enhancement of color for artistic purposes (unlike "color correction", which is about accuracy). In practice, it can mean a lot of things. Punching up sunset colors. Toning a portrait to give
- [How to use Color Channels in BlendIf for Stunning Sunsets](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-color-channels-in-blendif-for-stunning-sunsets/) - Beautiful sunset color is critical to great photographs. It's what sets your image apart from so many other others. I believe it's so important that I dedicated an entire chapter of my blending course to getting great color. There are many tricks for getting great color, but one of my favorites is to couple an
- [How to Process Better Photos with a Pen Tablet](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/use-a-pen-tablet-for-better-photos-in-photoshop/) - My favorite piece of gear for getting better results in Photoshop is a pen tablet (often called a "Wacom" tablet, after the most commonly used brand). They allow you to work more quickly, accurately, and comfortably. Most marketing and reviews of them tend to focus on a bunch of confusing features and benefits. Almost none
- [3 Great Ways to Enhance Your Photos with "Replace Color"](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/3-great-ways-to-enhance-your-photos-with-replace-color/) - Photoshop and Lightroom have an endless choice of tools for enhancing color in your photos. In the past, I've written tutorials on how to use Selective Color, Camera Calibration, HSL, and BlendIf. In this tutorial, I want to cover and old and often overlooked tool in Photoshop, Replace Color. There are at least three
- [Photoshop Selections 101: What they are and how to use them](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/photoshop-selections-101-what-they-are-and-how-to-use-them/) - The walls in my house are a subtle shade of green. "Hampshire Gray," I think it's called. Whatever it is, it's starting to feel a little dark and dated. When we have it redone, our painters will have to protect the windows with removable blue tape before they start painting. They're professionals, but they still
- [Milky Way Lens Shootout: Nikon, Zeiss, Sigma, and Rokinon compared](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/milky-way-lens-shootout-nikon-vs-zeiss-sigma-rokinon-compared/) - Capturing sharp stars and the Milky Way is one of the few genres in photography where special lenses are really a make or break deal. If your lens can't shoot at f/2.8 or wider, you're at a huge disadvantage (though you can always shoot log exposure star trails with such a lens). Those wide apertures
- [Lumenzia v4](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v4/) - Update (Feb 6, 2019): Lumenzia v7 is now available! I'm excited to announce that version 4.0 of my Lumenzia luminosity masking panel is now available. This is the twelfth major update, and the biggest yet! It's also a free upgrade for all Lumenzia customers. This update includes over 70 improvements, but I'm just going
- [Lumenzia v5](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v5/) - The simplest and most advanced luminosity masking panel now includes comprehensive support for advanced luminosity selection, vector masks, zone maps, and 100 other enhancements
- [Luminosity masking is easier than ever with Lumenzia v7](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/luminosity-masking-is-easier-than-ever-with-lumenzia-v7/) - Version 7 of the Lumenzia luminosity masking panel for Photoshop is now available as a free upgrade for all customers. This is the the most ambition update since v1, with over 160 new features, updates, and bug fixes in total. The major themes in v7 are speed and interactivity. It's never been easier to create
- [What is Deconvolution Sharpening and How to Use It](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/what-is-deconvolution-sharpening-and-how-to-get-increased-detail/) - As photographers, we tend to be obsessed with pixels and detail. If that's you, you're going to love "deconvolution" sharpening. It is one of the easiest ways to get more detail from your images. The Big Picture: What is "deconvolution" sharpening? Few topics cause more confusion and debate than sharpening. We could easily end
- [Exposure Blending Master Course](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/exposure-blending-master-course/) - I started blending exposures with luminosity masks years ago in an attempt to get the dynamic range that HDR promised, but without the compromises in quality. At first, my results were pretty embarrassing and I kept using HDR for a while. Then I started to get some better looking results, but was still frustrated with
- [How to Create Beautiful Portraits with Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-create-beautiful-portraits-with-luminosity-masks/) - A great question I hear pretty often is whether luminosity masks can be used to enhance portraits. Luminosity masks tend to have an association with landscape photography (and they are awesome for it), but they can be a great tool for any type of photography. In fact, any time you use a mask or selection
- [How to use Perspective Warp to Enhance Landscapes in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-perspective-warp-to-enhance-landscapes-in-photoshop/) - There are many scenarios where you might want to warp your landscape images: enlarge a subject that looks small through a wide-angle lens, shrink a tall object on the side of your composition, or for other dramatic and creative effects. The generic warp tool in Photoshop can do a pretty good job on some images,
- [How to Create Epic Seascapes by Blending Waves in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/how-to-create-epic-seascapes-by-blending-waves-in-photoshop/) - Images of the ocean are some of my favorites, but often some of the most difficult to capture. The pounding waves, the corrosive salt, and continuous motion. Movement in the scene can create obvious problems when trying to blend multiple exposures. But it also creates other challenges. What's the right shutter speed to capture waves?
- [Three Easy Ways to Focus Your Camera at Night](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/three-easy-ways-to-focus-your-camera-at-night/) - I love autofocus. It's fast, easy, and probably even more accurate than I would be in the quick shooting conditions I often encounter. But as good as autofocus has become on modern cameras, it still won't work at night. I shoot a lot of city skylines, stars, and the Milky Way under conditions that require
- [How to Create a Stunning Cityscape in Photoshop with Luminosity Masks (full workflow)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-create-a-stunning-cityscape-in-photoshop-with-luminosity-masks-full-workflow/) - The canals of Amsterdam have a certain serenity at any hour, but there is nothing like strolling along them in the quiet early morning hours. After days of exploring and a few failed attempts to capture the beauty of Amsterdam, I found the composition I was after and perfect conditions. Just as the sky began
- [How to Use the Refine Edge Tool in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/master-the-refine-edge-tool-in-photoshop/) - In this tutorial, learn how the Refine Edge tool works in detail, why to use the various settings, and how to adjust them for natural transitions in your image.
- [How to easily correct distorted vertical lines in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-easily-correct-distorted-vertical-lines-in-photoshop/) - You know how buildings lean into the center of your image when you shoot with the camera pointing up? This is known as "converging verticals" or the "keystone effect". It's a type of image distortion that is caused by the angle of your camera's sensor relative to your subject. Sometimes, it's no big deal. But
- [How to Get the Correct Exposure in Camera](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-get-the-correct-exposure-in-camera/) - One of the most challenging aspects of photography is getting the right exposure. It's often an enormous frustration for beginners. Even advanced photographers may waste time tweaking settings, shoot too many brackets, or miss the moment trying to bracket for slightly uncertain situations. And beyond "nailing the exposure" trying understanding exposure is enormously beneficial to
- [How to Blend Exposures for Interiors using Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-blend-exposures-for-interiors-using-luminosity-masks/) - 07-01-18 Update: I've created a page about exposure blending with luminosity masks where you can find more tutorials. Interiors, Real Estate, and other indoor architecture photographs typically run into the same problem: blown highlights in the windows and outside view. The dynamic range between the dark interior and bright, sunny exterior is just to
- [Luminosity masking in Lightroom?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/luminosity-masking-in-lightroom/) - Lightroom now has luminosity masks? There's been some buzz the past few weeks around the new range masking feature in Adobe Camera RAW. While I haven't seen Adobe refer to it as "luminosity masking" a few others have, and it seems to be causing some confusion. Is it a great new feature? Yes! Does it
- [Curves vs Levels in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-photoshop-curves-and-levels/) - Curves and Levels are some of the best tools in Photoshop to enhance your photos. This article compares the two and shows why I use curves 100% of the time.
- [Face-Aware Liquify in Photoshop CC 2015.5](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/face-aware-liquify-photoshop-cc-2015-5/) - Adobe just released Photoshop CC 2015.5 today with several new features (update: I've created a list for photographers of all new features in CC vs CS6). The best of them for photographers is the "Face-Aware" Liquify tool. Adobe previously introduced facial recognition in Lightroom to help find photos, and now they've taken a massive leap
- [Optimal Brush Settings in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/optimal-brush-settings-in-photoshop/) - The brush tool is one of the most critical tools for creating and refining layer masks. It's also has an intimidating number of options. Thankfully, you only need to master just a few to use this tool for photography. The goal is to be able to paint with control, and without leaving obvious strokes. In
- [How to Remove Chromatic Aberration in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/removing-chromatic-aberration-in-photoshop/) - Chromatic aberration is the color fringing you often see when a hard-edged building or rock is backlit by the bright sun. It's an optical limitation of the lens. High quality lenses, smaller apertures, and "remove chromatic aberration" in Lightroom all help significantly. The tool in Lightroom is so good that I leave it check for
- [How to Enhance Your Photos with Selective Color in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-enhance-your-photos-with-selective-color-in-photoshop/) - The HSL (hue, saturation, lightness) tool in Photoshop is pretty seductive. Pick a target color and then you can make boost the saturation or tweak the color a bit. It's easy to understand and often does a great job. But it has some important limitations. The most important is that there's natural adjustment of tone
- [How to Use Puppet Warp in Photoshop to Change the Flow of Water](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-use-puppet-warp-in-photoshop-to-change-the-flow-of-water/) - When water or clouds have just the right shape they can create powerful leading lines that direct the viewer's eyes. For example, the way the water flows through this image below brings you to the main subject, the waterfall. The more that the water is flowing towards the viewer, the more powerful this particular leading
- [Shooting RAW on an iPhone](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/shooting-raw-on-an-iphone/) - In this tutorial, learn how to expose and focus the iPhone manually, how to shoot RAW, and see a demo showing the dramatic benefits of RAW over JPG images.
- [HDR in Lightroom CC!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/lightroom-hdr/) - Adobe has added HDR to Lightroom CC and it's awesome. Files are 12x smaller, merging 2-3x faster, tone-mapping is dead simple, and it's all non-destructive!
- [Extract Insane Color from Your RAW Files in Lightroom with Camera Calibration](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/extract-insane-color-from-raw-files-with-lightroom-camera-calibration/) - Looking for a way to bring back more color in your RAW files? A way that's easy, looks natural, and has no banding? There's a way, and it's built right into Lightroom and Adobe Camera RAW. It's a bit of a secret and a hack. It's called "camera calibration". Camera calibration is of course intended
- [HDR vs Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/hdr-vs-luminosity-masks/) - A lot of photographers ask me about the differences between HDR and luminosity masking. HDR is "High Dynamic Range", which includes programs like Photomatix, Aurora, and Lightroom. It is meant to allow you to combine multiple exposures to get dynamic range beyond the limits of your camera, though it can also be used to extract
- [Nikon D800 Review](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/nikon-d800-review/) - It wouldn't be a stretch to say that the D800 has stirred up some controversy. There were the nay-sayers who said the rumors couldn't be true, or that if Nikon was putting 36 mega-pixels into a camera it would be incredibly noisy. It shoots too slow at 4 frames per second. It generates enormous files
- [I love the new MacBook Pro with TouchBar, but it isn't for everyone](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/i-love-the-new-macbook-pro-with-touchbar-but-it-isnt-for-everyone/) - As a professional photographer, I depend on my laptop for both my art and my business. Is the 2016 MacBook Pro a worthy upgrade?
- [I just bought the new Nikon D850, here's why](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/i-just-bought-the-new-nikon-d850-heres-why/) - I'm rarely excited at spending $3300, but I just pre-ordered the new Nikon D850 from B&H (the camera is expected to start shipping sometime in September, but initial demand will probably be high). I already have the outstanding Nikon D810. Do I need to upgrade? Absolutely not. I already have an incredible Nikon camera, D810.
- [Review of the Nikon D850 for Landscape Photographers](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/nikon-d850-review-for-landscape-photography/) - The new Nikon D850 is hands-down the best landscape photography camera I have ever used. Unreal good. But probably not for the reasons you might expect. The image quality is definitely better in a few areas, but that isn't the big story. What makes this camera so exciting is that it helps you do your
- [Is an upgrade from the Nikon D800 to D810 really worth it?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/is-an-upgrade-from-the-nikon-d800-to-d810-really-worth-it/) - Yes! In this camera review, I cover the three key reasons I upgraded to the Nikon D810 for my landscape, cityscape, and portrait photography.
- [Sony a7Rii vs Nikon D810](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/sony-a7rii-vs-nikon-d810/) - I've finally taken the leap into a mirrorless camera with the Sony a7Rii (aka a7R Mark II). Is it an amazing camera? Yep! Does it take take insanely good photos? Yep! Is it finally a mirrorless camera that focuses as well as a DSLR? Yep! Will it replace my D810? No, but that wasn't my
- [Willow River Falls](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/willow-river-falls/) - I've lived in Minnesota over 10 years, and only recently learned of this little gem just over the border into Wisconsin, the Will River Falls. I drove in not long before sunset, walked straight to the falls, and took this shot. But I definitely got the feeling I need to head back, it's a huge
- [How I Light Studio Portraits](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/minneapolis-portrait-photographer/) - I've been meaning to get myself a new headshot for Facebook and the other various "Avatars" I have online... and finally got the inspiration to get it done after David Hobby posted this great article on shooting for the online age. I've also been a longtime reader of Wired, Business 2.0 and other magazines which
- [Retouching Portraits with Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/retouching-portraits-with-luminosity-masks/) - Luminosity masks are often associated with landscape images, but they are also an excellent way to save time AND get better results when retouching portraits.
- [HDR vs Luminosity Masking](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/hdr-versus-luminosity-masking/) - Blending multiple exposures can create amazing landscape and cityscape images. But which approach is better, HDR or Luminosity Masking?
- [Shooting in MANUAL is EASIER!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/shooting-in-manual-is-easier/) - In auto, I not only still have to understand exposure, but I also have to understand how my camera thinks - so that I can fix it when it's wrong!
- [Printing MASSIVE Canvases](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/printing-massive-canvas/) - Step by step tutorial on how to enlarge and sharpen digital files to make sure they look amazing when printed at massive sizes, such as 40x60" (100x150cm).
- [the Economist?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/the-economist/) - My friend called me (several times) tonight to tell me he found this picture of me in the Economist! I took this self-portrait a couple years ago one night out on the Midtown Greenway for fun. I set up my camera and flash on a sturdy bracket, attached it to my front fork, and started
- [Minneapolis from Loring Park](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/minneapolis-from-loring-park/) - I constantly challenge myself to improve my photography. My own personal goal is to be able to look back every 3-6 months and know that my work is dramatically better than it used to be. I try to push myself in every dimension: interaction in my portraits, technical settings on my camera, lighting, etc -
- [The Blockhead Building in Nice](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/the-blockhead-building-in-nice/) - Inside this massive head in Nice, France is a library! Actually, it's the administrative office for the library next door. It's officially known as La Tête Carrée, but lovingly known as the "blockhead building".
- [How to Make Stunning Black and White Images with Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-make-stunning-black-and-white-images-with-luminosity-masks/) - I love black and white photography. It can simplify a scene by removing the distraction of color. It's an excellent option if you want to shoot in harsh midday light. And you can create incredible drama. If you do a lot of black and white photography, you probably already know that dodging and burning is
- [How to Create Beautiful B&W Flowers with Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-create-beautiful-bw-flowers-with-luminosity-masks/) - I've had some requests lately for more black and white tutorials, as well as one for some still life. So in this tutorial, you'll learn how to use luminosity masks to create black and white images of flowers. Using contrast and brightness adjustments through luminosity masks in Lumenzia, you can shape the light to give
- [Summer's Last Breath](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/summers-last-breath/) - It's so easy to take landscape photography for granted, as if the subject will be there anytime you want. I could come back to this lake for days on end in the fall and not get this shot again. There are so many dynamic elements that make it work. There's the subtle fall color, that
- [Spoonbridge and Cherry](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/spoonbridge-and-cherry-minneapolis-sculpture-garden/) - After 2+ years of intensive shooting in the Twin Cities, I finally shot the most classic icon of them all... The Spoonbridge and Cherry in the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. You can't hardly browse Minneapolis tourist literature without seeing famous cherry (usually shot from the right to show downtown behind it). Rumor has it that this
- [8 vs 16-bit Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/8-vs-16-bit-luminosity-masks/) - In this post, I show a head to head demonstration of 8 and 16-bit luminosity masks and the resulting image.
- [Sky Piercer](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/sky-piercer/) - The triangular Flatiron Building in New York, with glowing windows set against a blue night sky and crescent moon.
- [Breathtaking Emirates:  the stunning cityscapes of Karim El-Deghedy](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/breathtaking-emirates-the-stunning-cityscapes-of-karim-el-deghedy/) - Karim has a keen eye for compositions and light, and a dramatic retouching style. I interviewed him on inspiration, post-processing and more.
- [The Amazing Alternate Universe Created by Jackson Carvalho](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/the-amazing-alternate-universe-created-by-jackson-carvalho/) - Over the past few years, I've been exposed to the work of many incredible photographers using luminosity masks for their work. One of the best is Brazilian photographer Jackson Carvalho. There are many photographers who excel in a particular niche of photography. Jackson is one of those unique artists who has mastered multiple domains. His gorgeous
- [Stone Arch Tranquility](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/stone-arch-tranquility/) - This is the iconic Stone Arch Bridge over a very calm Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis, with the downtown skyline, mills, and Guthrie Theater in the background. The water was pretty high (which seems strange since Minnehaha Creek is so dry there's just dirt and rocks in some places!) Given the high water, I used
- [The Temples of Bhutan](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-temples-of-bhutan/) - More than any other image I took during my travel through Bhutan, I think the Tiger's Nest best captures the sense of awe and spiritualism I felt in Bhutan. The Taktsang Palphug Monastery was built in 1692 on the face of a cliff where Guru Padmasambhava (who introduced Bhuddism to Bhutan) meditated in a cave
- [Downtown Minneapolis Skyline](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/stone-arch-bridge-minneapolis-downtown-minneapolis-skyline/) - How can you walk along the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis and not love the Stone Arch Bridge? I've shot it several times, and it always has a new character. There are couples watching the skyline, college students out for a jog, bridal parties getting photographed on Saturdays, special events like the Red Bull "Illume"
- [The Bean and the Chicago Skyline](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/the-bean-and-the-chicago-skyline/) - I got up at 5:30, walked down the street from the Sheraton, and had this beautiful view almost to myself (you can see the ghost of a family that got up early to enjoy it as well). This is Millennium Park, the Cloud Gate (aka, the "bean"), and the many skyscrapers of downtown Chicago. This
- [Future Daze](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/future-daze/) - I wandered the streets of Doha, Qatar for hours. There are so many gorgeous buildings being built (at least from a distance, the quality varies a bit up close). I was really surprised how futuristic it all was. I was hoping to shoot looking up this sleek, silvery building in the middle-right of this scene
- [Inner Peace](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/inner-peace/) - Every one of my favorite shots has its own unique challenges. This one had a few. There was the extreme range of highlight in the waterfall and distant canyon vs the shadow detail in the rocks. And then there was the breadth of my vision for this image. This scene is too wide for my
- [New features in Lumenzia 1.2](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/new-features-in-lumenzia-1-2/) - Now you can blend multiple exposures manually more simply, make targeted luminosity masks, and much more!
- [Non-destructive sharpening and dust spot removal in Lumenzia v1.3](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/non-destructive-sharpening-and-dust-spot-removal-in-lumenzia-v1-3/) - Ever have to make a change to your image after you sharpened it to fix an issue or add an effect? Lumenzia lets you update your sharpening at any time!
- [Change Colors in Photoshop with LAB](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/change-colors-in-photoshop-with-lab/) - Ever wonder how to change the color of something in Photoshop? In this tutorial, I'll show you how to use the LAB colorspace to recolor naturally and easily.
- [Lumenzia v1.6 offers powerful new tools to refine masks and to select a custom range of midtones](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v1-6-offers-powerful-new-tools-to-refine-masks-and-to-select-a-custom-range-of-midtones/) - Lumenzia now offers split-screen masking and a midtone "range picker" tool to help you create completely custom luminosity masks quickly and precisely.
- [Lumenzia v1.7](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v1-7/) - I'm excited to announce the release of Lumenzia v1.7, the seventh free update to Lumenzia since it launched last February, and the biggest update yet! This new version is packed with great new features: Lumenzia Basics: A completely new panel (included free with Lumenzia) that offers a broad range of additional tools for luminosity masking.
- [Bring the FIRE back into a sunrise](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/bring-the-fire-back-into-a-sunrise/) - They say that cameras don't lie, but we've all faced that dreaded moment when the photo just showed a colorless sky. Exposure blending gives you a way to bring back that color.
- [Dubai Marine Layers](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/dubai-marine-layers/) - Some mornings are just magical. I scoured the AirBNB listings in Dubai ones that might have a good view. There are never really any guarantees with these things, but I feel like I hit a home run this trip. I had open access to the pool deck on the roof, a great view of the
- [Soft Warmth on the North Shore](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/soft-warmth-on-the-north-shore-2/) - There's nothing like watching the sun rise over Lake Superior. The skies are spectacular. The water feels pure and clean. And you almost always get the view to yourself. I created this image primarily with luminosity masks using techniques shown in my Exposure Blending Master Class and dodging and burning.
- [Creating Stunning Vignettes in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/create-stunning-vignettes-in-photoshop/) - Want to make your images look stunning? Check out this tutorial on how to add vignettes with Photoshop.
- [Into the Ether](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/into-the-ether/) - Everyone should see the Aurora Borealis at least once in their life. It honestly does not usually look like most of the photos you see, unless it is exceptionally bright and overhead. But even when you don't see it the same way the camera does, it has this way of making you feel alive and
- [Make skies POP with Lumenzia](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/make-skies-pop-with-lumenzia/) - I previously demonstrated the use of luminosity masks on this image to bring out color in a washed out sunset. I decided to redo the video using Lumenzia (my new interactive luminosity masking panel) to provide a direct comparison of the two approaches on a simple image. It doesn't get into any of the advanced
- [Honey Flow](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/honey-flow/) - The Minneapolis skyline and flowing waters of the Mississippi River at on a golden summer sunset.
- [Stone Arch Bridge](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/stone-arch-bridge/) - There's something magical about the Stone Arch Bridge. I love to walk across it at dusk to watch downtown Minneapolis skyline come to life and listen to the the St Anthony Falls, while people are out running or taking an evening stroll. The evening feels calm, with the city at peace with its surroundings. I've
- [Reflections on Como](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/reflections-on-como/) - The sunset and reflection at the conservatory are gorgeous, but in my twisted mind, all I really notice is that frog. He seems like he needs some buddies.
- [The Mighty Mississippi Flowing Through Saint Paul](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-mighty-mississippi-flowing-through-saint-paul/) - When I was an intern back in college, I worked at manufacturing plant that made plastic bumpers and fuel tanks. It was a greasy, chaotic mess full of lessons about how not to live your life. The extruding machines were sometimes left unattended so long that the engineers had an electric chainsaw in the office,
- [Golden Hour at Como](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/golden-hour-at-como/) - A soft orange sunrise backlights the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory in St. Paul, as the lily pond reflects a perfect mirror of the scene.
- [3rd Ave & the Mighty Mississippi](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/3rd-ave-the-mighty-mississippi/) - The Mississippi River, Stone Arch Bridge, 3rd Ave, and Northeast Minneapolis skyline from the Carlyle Building.
- [The Emerald Tower](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-emerald-tower/) - The green and blue RBC Tower in downtown Minneapolis reflecting sunset.
- [St Paul Rails](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/st-paul-rails/) - Railroad tracks over the Mississippi River leading into downtown St Paul, MN.
- [Cotton Candy on the Carlyle](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/cotton-candy-on-the-carlyle/) - The Carlyle, the 3rd Ave Bridge, the Mississippi, and a killer sky. All I needed was a good beer - ok, had that too.
- [Minneapolis and the Swooping 3rd Ave Bridge](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/minneapolis-and-the-swooping-3rd-ave-bridge/) - Here are three different crops of the same image of downtown Minneapolis and the Third Ave Bridge at sunset. The full resolution image is actually a panorama made of eight 36 megapixel images from the Nikon D800, which gives the final image 190 million pixels. The detail out of this camera is stunning. I could
- [Minneapolis Sunrise](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/minneapolis-sunrise/) - The warm glow of the morning sun washing over the busy downtown Minneapolis skyline.
- [The Soap Factory](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-soap-factory-minneapolis-architectural-photography/) - I met up with a couple last night in Northeast Minneapolis whose wedding I'm going to shoot next month. I figured I'd get the camera out for a few shots of the area afterward since since the light was perfect. "The Soap Factory" is dedicated to more experimental visual art. It's housed in the building
- [3rd Ave Over the Mississippi](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/3rd-ave-over-the-mississippi/) - The 3rd Ave Bridge gets no love really - the Stone Arch and I-35W bridge sort of steal the spotlight - but I think it's one of the most interesting bridges on the river. Here is is from a couple different angles. The tall vertical was shot from a balcony on the Carlisle Building (the
- [The Walker](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-walker/) - The Walker Art Museum in the Loring Park neighborhood of Minneapolis.
- [The Old Loading Docks in St Paul](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-old-loading-docks-in-st-paul/) - I'm taking a short break from the Colombia pictures to put up something I shot yesterday. These are old loading docks at Sibley and Wabasha in the lowertown area of St Paul, MN. There's something undeniably irrestible about urban decay. If you let your house fall apart, it's pathetic But if some random building crumbles,
- [Urban Jungle on the Tundra](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/urban-jungle-on-the-tundra/) - The Wells Fargo, IDS Center and Crystal Court as viewed from the East side of Target Headquarters on about the 30th floor.
- [Downtown Minneapolis from Grant Park](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/downtown-minneapolis-from-grant-park/) - This is the downtown Minneapolis, viewed from the 110 Grant Building on the Southeast. I never really thought I would take so many images of the same city, but I'm constantly amazed at how different it looks from different angles. And of course, the mood of the city changes constantly with the sun and weather.
- [Traffic from the Carlisle](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/2573/) - I never get tired of the riverfront along downtown Minneapolis. Most of the time I see it photographed from the St Anthony Side to show downtown Minneapolis. So while I was visiting a friend who lives in the Carlisle, I thought I'd turn it around and focus the shot on the Mississippi River and the
- [The Early Morning Light on the Downtown Minneapolis Skyline](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-early-morning-light-on-the-downtown-minneapolis-skyline/) - My friend (who until recently lived on the 19th floor of Grant Park) was kind enough to let me come over early one morning to shoot this sunrise over the downtown Minneapolis skyline. Thanks Claire!
- [Downtown Minneapolis Skyline at Sunrise](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/downtown-minneapolis-skyline-at-sunrise/) - After Chris and I finished up our headshots, I headed out onto the balcony for 10 minutes to capture these images of sunrise. I had hoped to catch the lights of the the future home of the Twins, Target Field (top right of the first horizonal field below)... but the lights turned off about 10
- [Downtown Minneapolis Skyline from Marquette](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/downtown-minneapolis-skyline-from-marquette/) - A high view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline set against a moody, cloudy sky.
- [Downtown St Paul from the High Bridge](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/downtown-st-paul-from-the-high-bridge/) - A friend of mine and I recently headed out to photograph the downtown St Paul skyline from the High Bridge over the Mississippi River. We were hoping for a colorful sunset, but the cloudy sky actually turned out really nice.
- [Radiant Minneapolis](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/radiant-minneapolis/) - The new I-35W bridge in Minneapolis (which replaces the one that famously collapsed in 2007) is normally blue. But for Memorial Day weekend it went red, white, and blue for Memorial Day. All that color mixes in the Mississippi and reflects back with this brilliant 80's neon.
- [The Trees of Crosby Farm Park](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/the-trees-of-crosby-farm-park/) - A wide closeup of trees in a sea of green in Crosby Farm Park in St Paul, MN.
- [Interview on jpeg2RAW](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/luminosity-masking-interview-on-jpeg2raw/) - We discussed luminosity masking, Lumenzia, drones, driving in Kosovo, and other random topics!
- [Lumenzia v3](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v3/) - [Update to this post: Lumenzia version 4 is now available.] I'm excited to announce that version 3.0 of my Lumenzia luminosity masking panel is now available. This is the eleventh major update, and the most ambitious yet! It's also a free upgrade for all Lumenzia customers. This newest update includes dozens of enhancements (over
- [Introducing Lumenzia Basics](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/introducing-lumenzia-basics/) - My goal with Lumenzia is to make luminosity masking as easy as possible. To that end, I've tried to keep it streamlined, rather than add in a button for everything - especially for built in Photoshop tools that can be accessed with a shortcut or just a couple of clicks. But everyone's needs are different.
- [The Citadel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-citadel/) - Landscapes are sometimes assumed to be best shot with wide-angle lenses. These days, I find myself reaching for my telephoto lens more and more. It's a great way to change up the composition in dramatic ways, create an abstract, or isolate a subject from chaos. This particular morning, I started shooting with a wide-angle lens.
- [Temporal Loop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/temporal-loop/) - My friend Joe and I left Moab around 4 in the morning heading towards Arches National Park to shoot the stars over Double Arch. After some time, I looked to the horizon and thought I must have gotten something on my glasses. It looked like to headlamps approaches with a faint smear of light between them. After a few moments, I got this feeling of Déjà vu.
- [Warming the Ensemble](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/warming-the-ensemble/) - Fall color is such a funny thing. Entire mountains or forest can be green, and then just over the hill there is an explosion of color. A little change in altitude or proximity to water can make an enormous difference. It really pays to explore the area when you're shooting during fall color, because you
- [Tranquility](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/tranquility/) - The idea of laying down on ice for an hour when it's 0 degrees (that's -18C) never struck me as a peaceful one. But that's exactly how this morning felt to me. The air was completely still. Lake Superior was glassy smooth and barely moving. I could see and hear a few bits of ice
- [Lacuna](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/lacuna/) - More and more, I find myself trying to chase creative ideas and amazing light. It's tempting to focus on iconic scenes, like a famous arch or mountain view in a national park. Shooting amazing subjects quickly becomes a bit of a crutch though. It can let you gloss over critical artistic elements, because it's easy
- [Enigmatic](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/enigmatic/) - They say "like father, like son", and both my dad and I have a deep love for the American Southwest. Ok, his passion for silver and turquoise jewelry probably exceeds mine, but neither of us can get enough of the stunning red desert landscape. I shared a quick iPhone snap of this scene with my
- [Longing for Warmth](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/longing-for-warmth/)
- [Crossing the Threshold](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/crossing-the-threshold/) - I spent nearly two weeks photographing Oregon this past summer. I didn't really bother to check the typical seasonal weather, as I was already going to be in the area. That was a mistake. Probably every Oregon summer is not like this, but there were cloudless skies for 10 days straight. Nothing. A lot of
- [Rockbiter](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/rockbiter/) - I shot nearly this same sandstone composition in the black and white tutorial I posted recently. Though the images are largely similar (other than the clouds vs clear sky), the effect of color gives them very different moods. The black and white emphasizes the harsh texture of the rock, and the subtle cool tone of
- [Milky Way over White Pocket](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/milky-way-over-white-pocket/) - I tend to test new gear before I go on long trips. I can't say I've really caught many problems other than my learning curve, but it just seems like a good idea. I should have applied the same logic to my camping gear. I really didn't to open a new tent, sleeping bag, and
- [The Wizard](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-wizard/) - I took this sunrise shot of Wizard Island and Crater Lake. I would have loved to get some clouds in here, but you get what you get sometimes and need to make the most of it.
- [Coalescence](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/coalescence/) - I spent a couple of weeks photographing Oregon this summer. I hadn't really picked the time of the trip, as I was trying to coordinate around a family trip. I wouldn't call it a mistake, but I hadn't given enough thought to the weather. It turns out Oregon summers are pretty sunny. Really sunny. Like
- [End of an Era](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/end-of-an-era/) - It's easy to take for granted that the giant rock formations we encounter will be around "forever". After all, they've probably been around for centuries, millenia, or longer. But they're more fragile than you might think. This photograph shows the famous sea stacks at Rialto Beach in Olympic National Park. If you Google it, you'll
- [Summer Saunter](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/summer-saunter/) - For a long time while I was learning photography, shots like this came from getting "lucky". But the only surprise this night was a pair of underwear someone had thrown onto the rocks in the foreground. I can only imagine what scenario led to that (someone has a good story). I couldn't safely scramble to
- [Crooner](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/crooner/) - There is a moment in the morning when the sun begins to break through with awe-inspiring hues and the sounds of the world quiet down. No people, no traffic, no deadlines staring you in the face. Even the creatures of the night go silent and retreat to wherever they hide from the light. Perhaps there's
- [Inamorato](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/inamorato/) - When I was a young kid, my family would spent a lot of time in Florida. We'd stay near the coast, and I couldn't get enough of the sand and surf. I remember sneaking out one night by myself, when I was probably not even 10 years old, and taking a midnight stroll down the
- [You Gotta Get Wet](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/you-gotta-get-wet/) - Not that long ago, I had a bit of an aversion to getting soaked to take a picture. Maybe I thought I'd ruin my shoes, that the mountain water would be too frigid, or that salty seawater would eat my camera. That all seems silly to me now. A huge number of my favorite shots
- [Stargazer](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/stargazer/) - There I was, sitting in pitch black all by myself. All I could hear were coyotes howling and the calls of loons. In between, it was so quiet I could literally hear nothing but myself. It was absolute magic. And then after a few hours of waiting for the right moment, I was able to
- [Sanctuary](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/sanctuary/) - A pink sunrise with smooth pink clouds and water surrounding a small tree covered island and rocky beach along the shore.
- [How to get silky smooth water and clouds with long exposure photography](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-get-silky-smooth-water-and-clouds-with-long-exposure-photography/) - In this tutorial, I show how to easily use ND filters and live view on your camera to get beautiful long exposure photos.
- [Soft Warmth on the North Shore](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/soft-warmth-on-the-north-shore/)
- [Keyhole Arch](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/keyhole-arch/) - Some photography hot spots have gotten to the point of being ridiculous. I walked up to this popular arch on the California coastline an hour before sunset, and there was a line of photographers probably 50 long set up with tripods. That's fine, everyone's excited about the same rare feature. The sad thing is that
- [Sparks Fly](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/sparks-fly/) - Happy 4th of July to my fellow Americans! I hope you're enjoying some nice weather, friends/family, BBQ and fireworks. I actually shot this view of the downtown Minneapolis skyline and Mississippi River during the "Aquatennial" fireworks last year. Like a lot of my favorite projects, this one's been buried for a year. But with today
- [Isle of Pink and Pine](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/isle-of-pink-and-pine/) - Whenever I see a cloudy sky with a break at the horizon towards sunrise or sunset, I get fired up. It's still possible that the sky won't light up, but it's typically one of the most beautiful situations. The low sun shoots under the clouds and makes for color all over the sky. It also
- [Eminence](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/eminence/) - I think every serious photographer I know is driven by something. Many of my favorite landscape photographers started out as climbers, campers, trekkers, or otherwise extremely passionate about being outdoors. They picked up a camera later, after falling in love with a subject. Me, I'm an explorer. Not in the macho guy blazing a trail
- [Amber Cascade](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/amber-cascade/) - Focusing your efforts on specific skills is an incredible way to grow quickly as an artist. I've done photography for seventeen years, and yet my most recent work is so much better than what I was doing even a year ago. I spent much of the fall and winter improving my photography skills with some
- [Piquant](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/piquant/) - Autumn in magical in the North. Trees come alive in brilliant fiery displays of fall color. Warmth lingers in the air - enough to hike in shorts and wade into rivers. The menace of mosquitoes fades to blissful peace. And yet the sounds of coyotes and loons still fill the night air. And yet,
- [The Glass Furnace](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/the-glass-furnace/) - I used to live a 15 minute walk from this view of the London cityscape, in a sleepy little part of London called "Wapping". Which was pretty nice, because it was one of the few places in the city back then where you wouldn't get a nose full of soot from the diesel buses, and
- [Abu Dhabi Takes Flight](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/abu-dhabi-takes-flight/) - I usually have some vision of an image I want to make when I head to a new place, but I always try to keep an open mind. Some of my favorite images come from simply interpreting my surroundings. I caught an early morning taxi to shoot the Abu Dhabi skyline and warm, orange glow
- [Coral Pink Sand Dunes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/coral-pink-sand-dunes/) - A lot of my favorite images are the result of careful planning, but sometimes you just need luck on your side. After an incredible 24 hours shooting around White Pocket, I was ok with the fact that I probably wasn't going to be able to shoot sunset by the time my friends dropped me off
- [Mountain Mystique](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/eagle-mountains-mystique/) - Are you using long lenses effectively for your landscapes? When I first started shooting landscapes, I went crazy with wide angle lenses. 24mm, beautiful. 14mm, amazing! I wanted to capture everything I saw, because I experiences so much when I went to a beautiful new location. I love the way wide angle lenses can create
- [Passage to the Sea](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/passage-to-the-sea/) - I always feel a sense of serenity when I gaze at dreamy sunset ocean scenes like this. The cool blue water polishes dark stone as it washes back to sea, while the sun turns into an orange fireball and bathes rocky sea stacks with the last warmth before the cool night sky sets in. But
- [The Golden Hill at Bendemeer Estates](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-golden-hill-at-bendemeer-estates/) - The South island of New Zealand is so incredibly serine. The landscapes are stunning, of course. Everything seems to remind you of Lord of the Rings, because of course it was filmed here. The clouds often form these soft marshmallow shapes I've never seen before, something called "lenticular" clouds. The Milky Way is more bright
- [Strahov Monestary](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/strahov-monestary/) - Movies always seem to have these amazing scenes with religious figures living in insanely beautiful locations. Monks chanting in a temple on the side of a cliff and that sort of thing. The sound of strange wind instruments and a deep percussive sound transport you to the scene. Some light snow covers the exterior, while
- [A Good RAW Exposure Still Matters When Using Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/a-good-raw-exposure-still-matters-when-using-luminosity-masks/) - I've spent the last couple weeks shooting in the United Arab Emirates. It's been an amazing trip on so many levels - I've met many incredibly gracious people, had the chance to photograph the Dubai skyline from numerous rooftops, and thoroughly enjoy a part of the world I've never seen. One highlight for me was
- [JPG2RAW Podcast:  Quitting My Day Job](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/jpg2raw-podcast-quitting-my-day-job/) - After I quit my corporate job a few months back, Mike Howard reached out and asked if I'd like to come back on the JPG2RAW photography podcast to talk about the transition and share any advice I might have. We talked about how you know when it's the right time, how to prepare for the
- [Seattle Gold Rush](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/seattle-gold-rush/) - Cars streak down I-5 through the skyscrapers of Seattle as a fiery sunrise shines over the city.
- [Cape Fury](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/cape-fury/) - The fury of the ocean crashing into the sandstone shoreline of Cape Kiwanda, Oregon on a clear blue night.
- [Lumenzia v2.0](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lumenzia-v2-0/) - Lumenzia v2.0 is now available. Despite what the name might suggest, this is another free update for all Lumenzia users (I just ran out of 1.x numbers after all the previous updates). This release provides significant enhancements to some key features: selections and color masking. The "Sel" button is still used to load previews as
- [The Supermoon Towers Over Minneapolis](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/the-supermoon-towers-over-minneapolis/) - There's been a lot of chatter about last night's "supermoon". I don't usually geek about about that sort of thing, but it's apparently the biggest mooning since Forest Gump. So I thought it would be fun to shoot the supermoon rising over the new Viking's football stadium downtown, soon to be home of the 2018
- [The Floating World of Zhangjiajie](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-floating-world-of-zhangjiajie/) - If you're thinking that this is Pandora from the movie Avatar, it is. Well, the mountains don't actually float in the sky, but they look like it!
- [The Bonsai Rock](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-bonzai-rock/) - These hearty bonsai trees have somehow established a foothold in the cracks of this large boulder near the shore of Lake Tahoe... Click here for a map to Bonsai Rock.
- [Horsehoe Dawn](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/horsehoe-dawn/) - There's nothing quite like standing on top of a 1000 foot cliff looking over the Colorado River and Horseshoe Bend at sunrise - absolutely stunning!
- [Beam Me Up!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/beam-me-up/) - These amazing beams of light come down to the bottom of Upper Antelope Canyon for just a few minutes during the midday sun to create this surreal scene.
- [Hangzhou Radiance](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/hangzhou-radiance/) - Golden sunrise light streams through the open center of the imposing glass and metal Hangzhou Civic Center Building.
- [What I Wouldn't Do for the Shot](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/what-i-wouldnt-do-for-the-shot/) - Antelope Canyon in Page, AZ is so famous that you're practically elbow to elbow with other photographers these days. But there are actually several beautiful slot canyons in the area. I explored Mountain Sheep Canyon a few days after some heavy rains. When it does rain here in the desert, these slot canyons become raging
- [Stranger than Fiction](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/stranger-than-fiction/) - This photo of Shanghai made it to Flickr "Explore" and got >20,000 views in a day! But the comments are full of random "awards". I honestly don't get it.
- [Luxembourg Philharmonie](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/luxembourg-philharmonie/) - The Luxembourg Philharmonie is stunning with its white columns and flowing metal shapes.
- [The Orange and Pink Swirls of Antelope Canyon](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-orange-and-pink-swirls-of-antelope-canyon/) - The colors inside slot canyons blow my mind. Sunlight, blue sky, and orange sandstone mix together to create these stunning spectrum of orange, red, and purple colors. And all the color combines with the flowing walls and caverns of the canyon to create one of the most incredible scenes I've ever encountered. I could literally
- [Buckingham Fountain](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/buckingham-fountain/) - A stark long-exposure black and white fine-art image of the Buckingham Fountain set against the Chicago skyline.
- [GUM Mall Lights the Square](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/gum-mall-lights-the-square/) - Who doesn't like spies? Ok, probably the people they steal secrets from. Lately, I've been hooked lately on this TV series called "The Americans". It's all about these deep-cover Soviet KGB operatives posing as a married couple in 1980's America. Of course, since it's TV, they live across the street from a clueless FBI counter-intelligence
- [Bring your photos to life with Path Blur](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/bring-your-photos-to-life-with-path-blur/) - Are you using movement to tell stories with your photos? Learn how to use Photoshop's "Path Blur" filter to make realistic motion to your images.
- [Create Beautiful Metal Buildings in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/create-beautiful-metal-buildings-in-photoshop/) - Want to clean up water stains or other dirty metal surfaces in your cityscape and architectural images? I'll show you how in this Photoshop tutorial.
- [New in Lumenzia:  "Lighter(+)" and "Darker(-)" masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/lighter-and-darker-luminosity-masks/) - Luminosity masks are great for selecting particular tones, such as highlights or shadows. But how do you mask an object that varies in tone? One way might be to make a selection based on color, which is why Lumenzia includes its "Color Group" tool. But there are many situations, such as the one below, where
- [GPS Tracks: iPhone Navigation App for Photographers](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/gps-tracks-iphone-navigation-for-photographers/) - Landscape photography is all about getting out into interesting locations. That means unfamiliar territory, where GPS data is extremely helpful. While I love apps like Google Maps and Waze for driving, they aren't optimized for the needs of photographers. That's why I love the "GPS Tracks" iPhone app . GPS Tracks features: A recording of
- [The Anti-Gravity Cavity](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/the-anti-gravity-cavity/) - I feel like I'm supposed to be navigating my spaceship to a docking portal when I look down this crazy metal tunnel.
- [Sea of Umbrellas](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/sea-of-umbrellas/) - The chaos of a sea of umbrellas at Shibuya Crossing in downtown Tokyo on a rainy day.
- [The Sky Tree](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/the-sky-tree/) - I consider myself a pretty happy and optimistic person. I smile most of the time. And maybe that's why I love color in my images so much. Fiery orange sunsets, lush green foliage, and frigid blue ice are usually the best way to convey how I felt about a place. But I think the opposite
- [St Paul in the New Millennium](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/st-paul-in-the-new-millennium/) - Millennium Bridge lights the early blue dawn in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London, UK.
- [Golden Rays Over Minneapolis](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/golden-rays-over-minneapolis/) - What a perfect night. The lights of downtown Minneapolis were flickering to life, and the evening had that perfect quality that makes you want to sleep outside..
- [Launch the Fleet](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/launch-the-fleet/) - You don't see a lot of people deliberately drive their trucks into the ocean. That is, unless you live in Pacific City - home of the Pacific Dory Fleet...
- [Medienhafen Dawn](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/medienhafen-dawn/) - Frank Gehry's beautiful curved-metal building against the blue light of dawn in Dusseldorf's Media Harbor.
- [Stargate](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/stargate/) - An escalator whisks you up through the stars and into a giant red glowing planet....
- [Steadfast](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/steadfast/) - There's something magical about Rialto beach. I donned my waders and wandered into the crashing surf at sunset to capture a lone tree atop this rock pillar.
- [How to speed up Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-speed-up-photoshop/) - Photoshop bogged down? Try these tips to get back up to speed...
- [Restore Vibrant Sunset Color with Luminosity Masks!](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/restore-vibrant-sunset-color-with-luminosity-masks/) - We've all taken those shots when the sunset looked spectacular, but the image just didn't live up to our memories of night. Or shot just past the peak color. Or maybe just wanted to punch up the color for dramatic effect. Whether you want to add a little color to get back to reality or
- [How to remove "tourists" in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-remove-tourists-in-photoshop/) - You can easily remove tourists, pedestrians, pets, or anything else that moves in Photoshop. I'll show you how in this video...
- [Yantai](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/yantai/) - Yantai is one of those Chinese cities no one really knows, even though it's as big as Chicago. Smoking is pretty common in China, and it seems to work out in my favor - because a lot of hotel workers just leave the door to the roof open after taking thier smoke breaks. I passed
- [Eye See All Who Come and Go](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/eye-see-all-who-come-and-go/) - Hundreds of patrons where streaming up these white stairs into the Philharmonie Luxembourg. Every passing person unwittingly tells you something.
- [How to Create Luminosity Masks in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-create-luminosity-masks-in-photoshop/) - You ever wish there was a way that you could tell Photoshop to add color back into a bright sunset, add some contrast to give a building some more pop, or add detail back into dark shadows? Luminosity masks give you that control over your images. I use them all the time take a decent
- [What are Luminosity Masks?](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/what-are-luminosity-masks/) - Luminosity masks are one of the most intimidating techniques in Photoshop. So it's no surprise that a lot of people ask "what are they?"
- [How to Read a Histogram](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/how-to-read-a-histogram/) - How to read and use Histograms to help make your photos look amazing.
- [Put color back in the sky with luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/luminosity-masks-sky/) - Free video tutorial and Photoshop actions showing how you can use luminosity masks to bring back the beautiful color in your photos to make the sky POP!
- [Oslo](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/oslo/) - You wouldn't know I've been busy with photography from the lack of blog posts lately. My girlfriend and I went on a trip to Oslo and Stockholm with friends, and then went a road trip through the Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia). On top of being on the road for almost three weeks, I decided
- [Path to Fox Glacier](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/path-to-fox-glacier/) - After a long day of driving, I practically ran down this path to see the Fox Glacier before sundown.
- [Malte Brun](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/malte-brun/) - Lake Tasman and the surrounding mountains at sunset, near Mount Cook on the South Island of New Zealand. The water really is this crazy light blue color, from all the fine rock dust created by the glaciers. Trey Ratcliff taught me that these spaceship-looking clouds are known as lenticular clouds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenticular_cloud).
- [Wanaka Peach Tree](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/wanaka-peach-tree/) - My friend Lorenzo and I headed out early to get a shot of the morning sky by this amazing tree in Roys Bay in Lake Wanaka. For a while, it looked like the clouds on the Eastern horizon were going to prevent us from seeing any color, and then suddenly the sky fired up with
- [The Spindly Tree on the Grassy Hilltop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/the-spindly-tree-on-the-grassy-hilltop/) - While shooting an ocean and hillside landscape from the side of the road, I looked back up a hill and saw this tree perched atop the hill by itself. I hopped over the fence (fences seem to be more about controlling animals than people in New Zealand, people are very cool about things) and climbed
- [Workflow:  How to Prepare Images for Printing (Quickly)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/workflow-how-to-prepare-images-for-printing-quickly/) - If you aren't printing professionally, you can safely skip this post... But if you are, then you probably face the same challenge I do... how to prepare your photos for printing QUICKLY. I've got a busy calendar, and I've got high standards for quality. Managing conflicting goals requires a little ingenuity and a few minutes
- [Casa Milà](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/casa-mila/) - Also known as "La Pedrera", this beautiful work is actually an apartment building designed by the famous Bacelona architect Antoni Gaudí. His lasting impression can be seen all over the city, from the towering Sagrada Família to the uniquely beautiful Park Güell. It's ironic that his name is "gawdy" (the term does not come from

## Pages

- [Recommended HDR monitors for photography](https://gregbenzphotography.com/review-best-hdr-monitor-for-photography/) - There are still some deals on some great HDR displays: ASUS has discontinued the excellent ProArt PA32UCXR (only 1,600-nits calibratable display for PCs), but there is some remaining inventory if you buy now. See details below. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:$200 off ASUS ProArt PA27UCDMR 1,000-nits QD OLED. See details below. $100 off the M5 iPad Pro. This is the
- [Ethics & Privacy](https://gregbenzphotography.com/ethics-and-privacy/) - This page was last updated: March 18, 2022. For details of software terms and conditions, please see this page. Your privacy and trust is important to us. Below is information on data collection related to this website, as well as the principles behind any product recommendations which Greg Benz may make. Changes to Privacy
- [Create and edit true HDR (High Dynamic Range) images](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr/) - SALE: save $800 off the ASUS PA32UCXR 32″ 4K HDR monitor, which is a stunning 1600 nits HDR monitor with 2304 local dimming zones (4x the Pro Display XDR), automated calibration, and single cable charging/pass-through. See my full review or full list of other recommended HDR monitors. Note: “HDR” on this page refers to new display hardware which enables truly higher
- [Interiors Workshop with David Duchens and Greg Benz](https://gregbenzphotography.com/interiors-workshop-with-david-duchens-and-greg-benz/) - Interiors Workshop with David Duchens and Greg Benz $197 Buy now Learn complete workflows for beautiful interiors images In this workshop, you’ll learn exposure blending techniques to manage windows, how to add staging furniture digitally, and other critical aspects to capture and post-process real estate interiors with a consistent workflow. What’s included? ~5 hours video
- [HDR Gain Map Gallery](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-gain-map-gallery/) - All the images on this page are JPG "gain maps" and will display as enhanced HDR ("high dynamic range") images if your monitor/browser support it (otherwise you'll see the standard / SDR version). ==> Your monitor, browser, or OS settings does not support HDR, so you will only see the SDR ("standard dynamic range") version
- [How to share HDR photos almost anywhere](https://gregbenzphotography.com/how-to-share-hdr-photos/) - HDR photos are now extremely well supported by browsers, editing software, and a wide range of hardware (literally billions of devices). The key remaining challenge is sharing the photos. The gaps are closing quickly and there are already a wide range of options to share your gorgeous HDR images with others. This page shows exactly
- [Black & White Architecture with David Duchens and Greg Benz](https://gregbenzphotography.com/black-white-architecture-with-david-duchens-and-greg-benz/) - Black & White Architecture with David Duchens and Greg Benz $179 The live workshop has passed, but you may still purchase the full replay. PURCHASE REPLAY NOW Learn complete workflows for beautiful black & white images Long exposure black and white can create gorgeous abstractions of cities and architecture. In this workshop, you’ll learn several
- [Which software supports display of HDR photos? (gain maps, etc)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-display-photo-software/) - This page contains a regularly updated reference to all software I know to support HDR display for photos (if you are not familiar, this is totally unrelated to the old "HDR" most of you know - see here for why this new display hardware is so incredible). If I've missed anything, please comment below. Of
- [Request support for HDR in your favorite websites / software](https://gregbenzphotography.com/request-hdr-photo-support/) - HDR is now widely available on literally billions of devices, nearly all web browsers, supported by Photoshop, Adobe Camera RAW, all five versions of Lightroom, Instagram, Threads, Lightroom Web Galleries, and many more. WordPress (self hosted) support should be arriving by the end of 2026. However, there are some notable gaps for HDR support, primarily
- [HDR soft proofing (confirm your images look great ANYWHERE)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-soft-proofing-test-hdr-gain-maps/) - You may drag and drop images here Choose Image Load Samples #1 (slide left / toggle images to gain map benefit) Load Samples #2 (slide left / toggle images to gain map benefit) Load Samples #3 (toggle images to see benefit of high-quality maps) × Show map ◐ Fit ⤢ SDR (least capable screen) HDR
- [HDR Setup & Troubleshooting](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-setup-and-troubleshooting/) - Even when you have an HDR-capable display, you may not be able to see HDR due to settings. This page is meant to serve as a reference for troubleshooting HDR to ensure you are set up properly. Before you get to anything below, be sure to see my HDR test #1 to understand your current
- [Greg's Gear](https://gregbenzphotography.com/camera-equipment/) - Greg Benz's Nikon camera, lens, tripod, and other photography recommendations.
- [Contact](https://gregbenzphotography.com/contact/) - If you’ve got a question about my photography, software, or tutorials please let me know how I can help you. [Note: This channel is for customer support – unsolicited business offers will be deleted, please do not waste your time. ] Note: I’ve been having some problems with the contact form below lately. For now,
- [Bonus source images](https://gregbenzphotography.com/bonus-source-images/) - If you purchase the Ultimate 7-course bundle, you will receive 11 source images to follow along with the YouTube tutorials below. These source images are not available for sale and only available through special offers.** Custom luminosity masks with Lumenzia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5XcpQ3QswU How to ensure high quality when working with RAW Smart
- [HDR demo images](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-demo/) - The JPG gain maps below will show with the highest quality supported on your display.Click the buttons to compare SDR ("standard dynamic range") vs HDR ("high dynamic range") versions. ==> Your monitor, browser, or OS settings does not support HDR, so you will only see the SDR ("standard dynamic range") version of the images below.Please
- [Exposure Blending with Luminosity Masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/exposure-blending-luminosity-masks/) - I started blending exposures with luminosity masks years ago in trying to get the dynamic range that HDR promised, but without the compromises in quality. At first, my results were pretty embarrassing and I kept using HDR for a while. Then I started to get some better looking results, but was still frustrated with bad
- [About Greg](https://gregbenzphotography.com/about/) - About me I got hooked on photography back in 2000, when I was living in London for six months, and have been obsessed ever since. These days I call Minneapolis home, but continue to travel the world in search of incredible cityscapes and landscapes. My goal is not just to create art, but to connect with other
- [Store / Products (LP page is active and has priority)](https://gregbenzphotography.com/store/) - LUMENZIA Lumenzia is a luminosity masking panel for Photoshop that allows you to quickly and easily create luminosity masks to create stunning images. Learn more about Lumenzia. EXPOSURE BLENDING MASTER COURSE This self-paced course teaches you how to extract maximum color and detail from your RAW files with luminosity masking techniques. Learn more about the
- [Software Terms and Conditions](https://gregbenzphotography.com/software-terms-and-conditions/) - This page was last updated: March 18, 2022. For my privacy policy, please see this page. The following license terms and conditions apply to all software distributed by Greg Benz photography: IMPORTANT – READ BEFORE COPYING, INSTALLING OR USING. Do not install or use this software and any associated materials (collectively, the “Software”) until you
- [Troubleshooting Bugs in Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/troubleshooting-bugs-in-photoshop/) - Software developers catch a lot of flack for bugs. Do we want and expect perfect software? Of course. Will we ever get a program like Photoshop's 10 million lines of code to be 100% bug free? Not likely, especially if we want to keep getting new features. And of course, Photoshop (PS) is a very
- [Courses Login and Support](https://gregbenzphotography.com/courses-login-and-support/) - You may log into my premium Master Courses here: https://gregbenzphotography.teachable.com/. If you are enrolled in more than one course, look for a navigation icon near top-left of the Teachable site to switch between courses. If you need to change your password, click login (top right), then the subtle “Forgot password?” link under the main log
- [Licensing](https://gregbenzphotography.com/licensing/) - I allow use of my images from my website via two options: Creative Commons (NonCommercial, Attribution) and Commercial Licenses.

## Giveaways

- [Win a Year of Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/giveaways/free-photoshop-and-lightroom-for-a-year/)

## Landing Pages

- [advanced-raw-masks-course](https://gregbenzphotography.com/advanced-raw-masks-course/)
- [lumenzia-support-preblend-focus-stack](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-preblend-focus-stack/)
- [16-bit-hdr](https://gregbenzphotography.com/16-bit-hdr/)
- [lumenzia-support](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support/)
- [installing-a-cep-panel-from-jsxbin](https://gregbenzphotography.com/installing-a-cep-panel-from-jsxbin/)
- [smart-objects-from-start-to-finish](https://gregbenzphotography.com/smart-objects-from-start-to-finish/)
- [uxp-log-data](https://gregbenzphotography.com/uxp-log-data/)
- [milky-way-from-start-to-finish](https://gregbenzphotography.com/milky-way-from-start-to-finish/)
- [nyc-from-start-to-finish](https://gregbenzphotography.com/nyc-from-start-to-finish/)
- [2023-5daydeal-upgrades](https://gregbenzphotography.com/2023-5daydeal-upgrades/)
- [lumenzia-support-recordable-actions](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-recordable-actions/)
- [web-sharpen-panel-tutorials](https://gregbenzphotography.com/web-sharpen-panel-tutorials/)
- [focus-stacking-from-start-to-finish](https://gregbenzphotography.com/focus-stacking-from-start-to-finish/)
- [2022-5daydeal-upgrade](https://gregbenzphotography.com/2022-5daydeal-upgrade/)
- [lumenzia-updates](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-updates/)
- [lumenzia-support-colorslider](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-colorslider/)
- [lumenzia-lite-download-and-installation](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-lite-download-and-installation/)
- [lumenzia-lite](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-lite/)
- [lumenzia-lite-releasenotes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-lite-releasenotes/)
- [lumenzia-lite-tutorials](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-lite-tutorials/)
- [known-issues](https://gregbenzphotography.com/known-issues/)
- [store](https://gregbenzphotography.com/store/)
- [installing-a-uxp-panel-from-ccx](https://gregbenzphotography.com/installing-a-uxp-panel-from-ccx/)
- [installing-a-uxp-panel-from-adobe](https://gregbenzphotography.com/installing-a-uxp-panel-from-adobe/)
- [g-bench-release-notes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/g-bench-release-notes/)
- [5daydeal](https://gregbenzphotography.com/5daydeal/)
- [norway-from-start-to-finish-course](https://gregbenzphotography.com/norway-from-start-to-finish-course/)
- [lumenzia-uxp-beta](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-uxp-beta/)
- [](https://gregbenzphotography.com/)
- [web-sharp-pro-panel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/web-sharp-pro-panel/)
- [apple-silicon](https://gregbenzphotography.com/apple-silicon/)
- [gift-certificates](https://gregbenzphotography.com/gift-certificates/)
- [web-sharp-panel-release-notes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/web-sharp-panel-release-notes/)
- [web-sharp-panel-tutorials](https://gregbenzphotography.com/web-sharp-panel-tutorials/)
- [bonus-blending-course](https://gregbenzphotography.com/bonus-blending-course/)
- [lumenzia2](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia2/)
- [lumenzia](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia/)
- [thank-you-for-confirming](https://gregbenzphotography.com/thank-you-for-confirming/)
- [antivirus](https://gregbenzphotography.com/antivirus/)
- [special-offer-has-expired-but-you-can-still-save-with-the-bundles](https://gregbenzphotography.com/special-offer-has-expired-but-you-can-still-save-with-the-bundles/)
- [special-offer-350612](https://gregbenzphotography.com/special-offer-350612/)
- [special-offer-250612](https://gregbenzphotography.com/special-offer-250612/)
- [dodging-burning-master-course2](https://gregbenzphotography.com/dodging-burning-master-course2/)
- [exposure-blending-master-course2](https://gregbenzphotography.com/exposure-blending-master-course2/)
- [troubleshooting-installation](https://gregbenzphotography.com/troubleshooting-installation/)
- [master-bundle](https://gregbenzphotography.com/master-bundle/)
- [using-the-free-luminosity-masking-panel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/using-the-free-luminosity-masking-panel/)
- [lumenzia-support-recommended-learning-plan](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-recommended-learning-plan/)
- [offer-expired](https://gregbenzphotography.com/offer-expired/)
- [special-offer-upgrade-to-the-course-bundle-and-save-big](https://gregbenzphotography.com/special-offer-upgrade-to-the-course-bundle-and-save-big/)
- [lumenzia-v8-luminosity-masking-panel-for-photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-v8-luminosity-masking-panel-for-photoshop/)
- [dodging-burning-master-course](https://gregbenzphotography.com/dodging-burning-master-course/)
- [lumenzia-support-depth](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-depth/)
- [special-offer-upgrade-to-the-course-bundle-and-save](https://gregbenzphotography.com/special-offer-upgrade-to-the-course-bundle-and-save/)
- [muted-you-wont-hear-more-about-this-offer](https://gregbenzphotography.com/muted-you-wont-hear-more-about-this-offer/)
- [whats-new-in-lumenzia-v7](https://gregbenzphotography.com/whats-new-in-lumenzia-v7/)
- [lumenzia-v7-luminosity-masking-panel-for-photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-v7-luminosity-masking-panel-for-photoshop/)
- [lumenzia-support-valueslider](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-valueslider/)
- [lumenzia-support-precisionslider](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-precisionslider/)
- [lumenzia-support-beforeafter](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-beforeafter/)
- [exposure-blending-master-course](https://gregbenzphotography.com/exposure-blending-master-course/)
- [special-offer](https://gregbenzphotography.com/special-offer/)
- [lumenzia-support-color](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-color/)
- [lumenzia-support-basics-panel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-basics-panel/)
- [subscribed-most-popular-tutorials](https://gregbenzphotography.com/subscribed-most-popular-tutorials/)
- [reconfirmed](https://gregbenzphotography.com/reconfirmed/)
- [lumenzia-support-standardandzone](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-standardandzone/)
- [lumenzia-support-maskmodes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-maskmodes/)
- [lumenzia-support-combinemodes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-combinemodes/)
- [lumenzia-support-colormodes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-colormodes/)
- [lumenzia-support-x](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-x/)
- [lumenzia-support-not](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-not/)
- [lumenzia-support-lighterdarker](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-lighterdarker/)
- [lumenzia-support-pickers](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-pickers/)
- [lumenzia-support-satvib](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-satvib/)
- [lumenzia-support-brightnesscontrast](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-brightnesscontrast/)
- [lumenzia-support-solidcolor](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-solidcolor/)
- [lumenzia-support-colorbalance](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-colorbalance/)
- [lumenzia-support-hsl](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-hsl/)
- [lumenzia-support-selectivecolor](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-selectivecolor/)
- [lumenzia-support-levels](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-levels/)
- [lumenzia-support-curves](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-curves/)
- [lumenzia-support-sel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-sel/)
- [lumenzia-support-contrast](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-contrast/)
- [lumenzia-support-sharpen](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-sharpen/)
- [lumenzia-support-mask](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-mask/)
- [lumenzia-support-vignette](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-vignette/)
- [lumenzia-support-dodge](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-dodge/)
- [lumenzia-support-combine](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-combine/)
- [lumenzia-support-group](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-group/)
- [lumenzia-support-edge](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-edge/)
- [lumenzia-support-history](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-history/)
- [lumenzia-support-checkdust](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-checkdust/)
- [lumenzia-support-menu](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-menu/)
- [lumenzia-support-checkselection](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-checkselection/)
- [lumenzia-support-checkluminosity](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-checkluminosity/)
- [lumenzia-support-checkblendif](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-checkblendif/)
- [lumenzia-support-split](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-split/)
- [lumenzia-support-map](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-map/)
- [lumenzia-support-topics](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-topics/)
- [lumenzia-support-preblend](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-preblend/)
- [twincities](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/)
- [uninstall](https://gregbenzphotography.com/uninstall/)
- [whats-new-in-lumenzia-v5](https://gregbenzphotography.com/whats-new-in-lumenzia-v5/)
- [introducing-lumenzia-v5](https://gregbenzphotography.com/introducing-lumenzia-v5/)
- [lumenzia-releasenotes](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-releasenotes/)
- [lumenzia-installation](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-installation/)
- [thank-you-for-subscribing](https://gregbenzphotography.com/thank-you-for-subscribing/)
- [newsletter](https://gregbenzphotography.com/newsletter/)
- [luminosity-masking-tutorial](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking-tutorial/)
- [installing-a-photoshop-extension-panel](https://gregbenzphotography.com/installing-a-photoshop-extension-panel/)
- [lumenzia-faq](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-faq/)
- [lumenzia-support-refine](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-refine/)
- [lumenzia-support-other](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-other/)
- [lumenzia-support-create](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-create/)
- [lumenzia-support-apply](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-support-apply/)
- [lumenzia-demos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-demos/)
- [lumenzia-basics](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lumenzia-basics/)

## Categories

- [Other](https://gregbenzphotography.com/other/)
- [Cityscape](https://gregbenzphotography.com/cityscape/)
- [Landscape](https://gregbenzphotography.com/landscape/)
- [Free photography tips](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-tips/)
- [Minneapolis and St Paul](https://gregbenzphotography.com/twincities/)
- [Gear / software reviews](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photography-reviews/)
- [Luminosity Masking](https://gregbenzphotography.com/luminosity-masking/)
- [HDR (High Dynamic Range) photos](https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/)
- [Lightroom - ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/lightroom-acr/)
- [Photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/photoshop/)

## Tags

- [black and white](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/black-and-white/)
- [shooting](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/shooting/)
- [photoshop](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/photoshop/)
- [HDR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/hdr/)
- [portrait](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/portrait/)
- [gear](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/gear/)
- [lightroom](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/lightroom/)
- [real estate](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/real-estate/)
- [astro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/astro/)
- [cityscape](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/cityscape/)
- [seascape](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/seascape/)
- [landscape](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/landscape/)
- [exposure-blending](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/exposure-blending/)
- [panorama](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/panorama/)
- [lumenzia](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/lumenzia/)
- [ACR](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/acr/)
- [noise](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/noise/)
- [luminosity masks](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/luminosity-masks/)
- [print](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/print/)
- [smartObjects](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/smartobjects/)
- [webSharp](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/websharp/)
- [color_management](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/color_management/)
- [webSharpPro](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/websharppro/)
- [benchmark](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/benchmark/)
- [lumenzia-lite](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/lumenzia-lite/)
- [luminar](https://gregbenzphotography.com/tag/luminar/)